by S. S. Sahoo
“Gotcha!” she said in between laughs.
“What?” I asked and sighed pinching the bridge of my nose.
“Do you remember when I told you I don’t like Emmett and even told you that I just put a finger on what I felt odd in him?” she asked and I looked at her.
“It’s his behavior and the way he treated you. It was as if he always wanted to keep you wrapped around his finger. Juliette, listen to me” she said and all of a sudden became serious as she walked up to me.
“Listen to me. I think Zachary Udolf Sullivan is the right choice for you. Do you know why I am saying this to you?” she asked and I waited for her to complete.
“Because he came to me and lectured me for being a coward friend. He told me that if you were in my place then you would have never acted the way I did, in fact, you would have done anything in your capability to reach me. He asked me to come to you and not to leave you alone. Juliette, he completely thinks about you. And I think he likes you too and yes, he is the right choice for you. Don’t deny it” she said.
“What? he told you all this?” I asked and she nodded.
“He told me that he is going to a meeting and I should mend the relationship between us,” she said and smiled at the end.
“Juliette, listen to me. Accept him and the feelings that feel for him before anyone enters and tried to create misunderstanding between you two. Accept it now else, unfortunately, I have to tell you this,” she kept her hand on my cheeks “you will have to go through that pain and suffering again which you went through because of Nicholas. Trust me, challenge your feelings and accept it before it’s too late. And even let him know this” she said and again for the third time of the day, her words left me in deep thoughts.
46
Juliette
“The house is damn big!” Jace said as Hilda served us our food. It was already the time for dinner and hence, we all sat together in the dining hall on the dining table for dinner. Only one person was missing that was undoubtedly Zachary.
“I don’t get it, how are even able to manage the whole house all by yourself?” he asked to which everyone looked at me.
“What? I don’t really do anything. Everything is managed by Hilda and the other maids” I told them and he nodded.
“That’s good! Don’t get used to all this, after all, you will soon be back to your own house and then I don’t want you to miss all this,” dad said which made Kiara and mom look at my direction. Kiara with a look as if she wants me to tell dad that ‘I don’t want to leave Zachary even after all this ends’. I nodded my head no at her and she shook her head sighing at me.
“Honey please!” I heard mom.
“What? It is the truth! She shouldn’t get used to all this. After all, she can build her own house like this now with the money that dad had left for her. She shouldn’t rely on Mr. Sullivan for money,” I cut him off “Dad!”
“I am not with Zachary because of his” I air quoted “money.”
“I know!” dad said with a guilty look “I mean, just don’t get used to him or his wealth.”
“Dad!” I licked my lips as I looked back at Kiara and then at Jace ” Regarding the money that grandpa has left for me,”
“Yeah? What about it?” he asked.
“I don’t want it!” I said and the spoon dropped from his hand hitting the costly clay plate making a noisy clinging sound.
“What do you mean by you don’t want it!” he snapped, anger contouring his feature.
“Dad! I said I don’t want it means I don’t want it!” I snapped back. When it came to anger me and dad were always equal and it was only because of him, I snapped and gave him angry remarks whenever I lose my calm.
“We are talking about money over here and not just some pound or dollar but billions. You want to throw it or give it to charity? Are you mad?” he asked which made me hold the bridge of my nose in aggravation.
“Dad! Don’t overreact! When did I even tell you that I will hand it over to the charity? Will you let me complete?” I asked and he was going to speak but as mom held his arm stopping him from speaking he sighed and nodded urging me to continue.
“I want to transfer it to Jace’s name,” I said and everyone said “What?” in unison stunned by my decision.
“Are you mad? I don’t want it! If you do transfer it my name then they will be after me to kill me. In your case, you have a powerful man, your husband Zach who will save your sorry ass. Who will save me from those goons?” Jace said with an animated look.
“Zac?” I asked stunned.
“Yes, he said I can call him that” Jace smiled and I looked at Kiara shocked.
“I will slap you hard on your face Jace. Is this the way you talk with your sister?” mom warned Jace who just shifted in his seat and lowering his head he muttered a quiet sorry.
“What is this decision all of a sudden?” Dad asked and I thought for a moment.
“Listen carefully!” I said and told them the plan that I had been thinking from the day dad revealed about Nicholas being after my money.
“Oh, you look little thin,” mom told me as she caressed my hair as I put my head on her lap in my room.
“You two sleep on the same bed?” dad asked looking like as if he was going to pass out.
“Honey!” mom snapped at him.
“No, I mean do you both sleep on the same bed?” he asked exaggerating again.
“Mom please tell him to go away and leave me alone,” I complained and mom nodded.
“Honey, go back to the room and change and sleep,” she told him and dad opened his mouth to speak to which mouth cut him off as she said warningly “I said go to the room and SLEEP,” she glared at him and I looked at dad who visibly gulped and left the room politely but not before looking my way as if telling me that he would ask me the question later when mom is not around.
“You scared him,” I giggled to which mom laughed.
“He is just too much sometimes” mom complained and I couldn’t deny that.
My dad had that habit of exaggerating everything. He will even argue and fight and he would say that whatever he is saying is right, until mom interferes.
“And no I’m not thin, I feel like as if I had put on weight. My jeans are now tight to me” I said and she shook her head “Nonsense! Look at your face, you look slim” she said to which I shrugged.
“DO you like Zachary?” she asked and I looked up at her with wide eyes.
“What? Mom! Oh no,” I groaned and got up from her lap and turned around on the bed to face her.
“Must be Kiara! Did she tell you everything right? I will just have to beat up her ass” I said and moved to get off the bed but mom held my hand and stopped me.
“No, she didn’t!” she said and that stunned me.
“Then?” I asked in a low tone.
“So, with the reaction, I’m getting I assume you do like him. Don’t you?” she asked and I averted my eyes the other way and moves the loose strands of my hair behind my ear.
“No, I don’t,” I told her and she held my chin and turned my face towards her.
“Yes, you do! Else you wouldn’t be looking so hurt and angry every time your dad mentioned about taking you back home after everything is sorted” she said smiling at me.
I got up from the bed and walked towards the table where I took the glass and poured a glass of water for myself.
Damn! Are my expressions that obvious?
Why is everyone noticing my expressions every time?
And why is everyone after me and my love life?
“Because isn’t it obvious? We all want to see you happy,” mom said and I choked on the water that I was drinking and coughed vigorously.
“You read my mind?” I asked to which she rolled her eyes.
“You are predictable and I am your mom!” she answered. I smiled at her and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Did you let him know about your feelings?” mom asked and I looked at her with
wide eyes.
“No, No! I mean not yet” I said and sighed.
“Why not?” she asked and I decided not to answer that question.
“Okay, I won’t ask you anything about it but I would like to advise you that whatever Kiar told you, it is true,” she said and I looked back at her.
“I overheard both of your conversation in the afternoon and that is how I got to know,” she said smiling sheepishly.
“Mom!” I groaned.
“What? Okay sorry! But it’s good that I got to know about it else unknowingly I would have supported your dad of taking you back home. Unknowingly we would have hurt your feelings and that is good that I got to know about it. And like Kiara told you, it will be good if you tell about it to Zachary as soon as possible. He must know it” she said and I kept my hand on my head.
“I will see,” I told her and she sighed as she got up from the bed and came to me and kissed on my cheek.
“Think about it before you sleep,” she said and I nodded.
While she walked to the door to leave she turned around and with a determined look told me “don’t worry I won’t let Stephen interfere in your love life. He would have to face me whenever he even thinks about separating you two,” she winked at me and left the room closing the door behind her.
I smiled and shook my head at her and walked back to the bed, where I picked up my phone and slide on the screen to open it.
Should I call him?
“No, then he will say I’m nagging him” I muttered and was about to keep the phone aside when it vibrated. Quickly looking at the screen, I was delighted when I read the caller ID displaying ‘My love’ I rolled my eyes at the name and slid on the screen to answer.
“What are you doing?” he asked directly jumping to the point.
“Hello to you too!” I said sarcastically and I wasn’t even sure if I heard him cracking a laugh.
“Well then, Hello how are you?” he asked and that brought a smile on my face.
“Fine, until now when someone called me,” I said and this time I heard his laugh. I put my ear closer to the phone’s speaker to hear his masculine husky laugh. His laugh made me smile too until I heard a woman’s voice in the background.
At first, I thought it must be Cosmina but then the voice was different. What felt like anger mixed with jealousy rose up my body when I heard the same woman again talking “Zackie listen to me!”
“Give me a second!” Zachary said and he abandoned me for that woman.
“Ms. Ularu, I said I’m talking to my wife. Will you please excuse me?” I heard Zachary and as soon as I heard the name Ularu, my blood began to boil.
“By Zackie, the food is ready. I cooked it myself” the woman chided and I heard Zachary groaning.
Zackie?
“Juli-” before he could say anything I cut him off “Yes, Zackie! Your food is ready. Go and eat your food” I said sarcastically and hung up on him.
“Idiot!” I snapped at nobody in particular and stuffed my face with the pillow screaming loudly in it. Thankfully, the pillow successfully muffled my scream or else I would have been trouble.
“Zackie” I huffed and mocked the lady’s tone as I shifted on the bed to sleep.
As he had told everyone from his family arrived including him as well. My mother met his mother and it looked like they bonded very well. Zachary’s mother kept on talking and praising me ‘how I was her good daughter-in-law’ and my mother looked at me with proud because it was only because of her good guidance and parenting I was praised today and she felt proud of it. On the other hand, I got to meet Zachary’s grandmother. She came with Zachary’s cousin Kristian all the way just to meet me. I was shocked to see her polite and kindness. She talked so little but wisely and she said ‘she was glad that I came into his grandson’s life’ and the only wish she has that to see Kristian find someone like me and settle.
Talking about Kristian, he didn’t come and Zachary’s father Gale told us that he had gone to another town for an urgent meeting. It looks like he was a businessman as well. My father and Gale also bonded with each other well and Jace and Kiara had the same expression as me when I came to know about Zachary’s grandfather being the ex-mafia leader whom the whole world knew because of his crimes.
Although I sorted everything to them, they looked little relevant of being around him and I understood that but then it was Zachary. I was keen on avoiding him every time he asked me anything.
What was he even doing with that Ms. Ularu the previous night when he clearly told me that he was going to a meeting. So, meeting that lady is his so called meeting.
“What is your problem?” he asked when I was slicing the home baked chocolate cake for the whole family in the kitchen.
“What? What did I do?” I asked not even glancing his way.
“Liste-” he stopped when his mother walked into the kitchen and smiled at me. She took the plate where I had served the cake pieces and went away.
“You are ignoring me!′ he said through gritted teeth and this time I glared at him.
“So what?” I asked challenging him.
“But why?” he asked and snatched the knife from my hand.
“I can do whatever I want!” I said and pushing him I went past him and out of the kitchen but then turned around and said:“Slice the remaining pieces and serve them in the other plates!” I said and he looked at the knife he was holding and at the cake in the kitchen counter.
As I turned around to leave I heard someone giggling and found both his and my mom standing in the corner giggling.
“She is already controlling my son,” his mom said and my mom shrugged her shoulder. I gave them a small smile and feeling little awkward that they overheard our conversation I left the place.
I avoided him continuously for three days, including in the night I would build up a barrier in between us in the bed using the bolster and not answering a single questioned that he asked. I didn’t even iron his shirts nor acknowledge his presence until the evening when I looked at myself in the mirror. I was dressed in an olive green strapless thigh slit gown and beige colored high heels. Kiara did my makeup with smoky eyes and light pink lipstick and she had curled my hair only in the end. She wore a pink colored skater dress with golden beads on her neckline and hemline. She wore a golden color peep toe shoe and did the same hairstyle as mine.
Our whole family was going out for dinner in a restaurant and that is why we all got ready before the time.
“Let’s go,” I said and she nodded as we walked out of the room to the living room where everyone was waiting.
“Oh wow” Zachary’s mom exclaimed looking at us.
“Thank you,” we said and smiled at each other.
“I will drive yo-” before Zachary could say anything I cut him off and asked his father, Gale “Can we come with you in your car?” I asked referring myself and Kiara and he looked at Zachary and then at me “Um Yeah! Sure” he looked apprehensive while he talked because his so called on was glaring at him now.
“Fine! Let’s go, Mr. and Mrs. Swanson. Jace, you can take the front seat,” he said and Jace nodded smiling at him. Grandpa went with them and me, Kiara, Zachary’s mom and grandma chose to go with Gale.