Chapter 31

MAY

I opened my eyes slightly and I could see Abby right before me. She handed me a document with a smile on her face. I collected it and she stepped back.

"I love men. Why would I be a lesbian?" She asked. She winked at me and left. She had deceived me all along. I would smack her if I could but unfortunately, I would never be able to. The document was a list Abby had compiled for me. I took it to the library and placed it on the table, I would read it later.

**

I was making juice by myself for the first time. Mama had gone out to shop so I was free. No one nagged me for stressing myself when there was a professional for such things. Making my own drink made me feel accomplished. Perhaps, I was never born to be wealthy and lazy. It didn't suit me at all. My phone vibrated, indicating it was a test. I checked it right away.

"I heard of your little campaign yesterday. I will make tea. We need to talk."

It was Sherlyn and she had requested my presence at our house. I thought for a moment. I had nothing to say to Sherlyn but she probably had something to tell me. Nicholas would be worried if I went to our house which he deemed unsafe so I did this.

"I'm busy and can't come. You can come here instead. You know the address, don't you?" I texted back. Sherlyn was a proud fellow and I was sure she would decline and the appointment would be canceled altogether. I raised the glass of freshly made juice to my mouth and just then, my phone vibrated again.

"I'll be there!" Sherlyn replied.

I was beyond shocked. Why would she come now? I already had a visitor for lunch. Wouldn't it be too much if Sherlyn came for dinner? It might give people the wrong idea. I thought about telling her not to come but it was too late. Instantly, I called Mama and explained things to her. She was calm and calculated, the exact opposite of how I was at that moment.

"It will be fine, May. I will give the chef the instructions he would need. I will be home soon to take care of it," Mama told me.

"That's great," I muttered excitedly.

"But the problem is..." Mama paused. "Your husband will be at home for dinner. Doesn't that mean he will have to eat with your stepmother?"

"Perhaps, I should call him. If I tell him, he will eat out, right?" I asked.

"Nicholas rarely eats out for dinner. I don't think he will make an exception this time but you can call him," Mama told me. I cut the call after and prepared myself to call Nicholas. When I was ready, I dialed his number only to hear his ringing tone right outside the door. He opened the door and entered. He cut the call the moment our eyes met.

"What did you want to tell me?" Nicholas asked. He dropped his briefcase and gazed at me. I was nervous.

"Erm. My..." I stammered.

"Is this about your stepmother visiting us?" Nicholas asked knowingly.

"You knew already!" I exclaimed. I didn't need to be nervous in the first place.

"I was informed by Vivian," Nicholas told me. "The last time I saw your stepmother was on the first day I met you. When I heard she wanted to come, I told Vivian to send a formal invite to both your stepmother and stepsister. They are the reasons I came home early."

"By any means..." I muttered. "Is this about getting along with my family?"

"You should watch and see, darling," Nicholas smiled. I knew that smile of his. It meant he was scheming something.

**

Nicholas and I received Sherlyn and Emma. Both of them looked shocked about my residence. The Greenfield family mansion was big and nice but it was nothing compared to Nicholas's residence. Emma must be so jealous.

Mama had arrived earlier so she handled whatever needed her presence. The kitchen functioned well without her though. She wasn't indispensable.

"Thanks for the invitation, Nicholas," Sherlyn smiled at me. "I must confess, I was surprised when I saw you formally invited me over."

"It should have been done a long time ago," Nicholas smiled back. "Please enjoy the meal."

I stared at Emma and she was blushing like wildfire as she stared at Nicholas. I wondered what was going through her mind. I would chase her out of the dining room if I could.

"It's delicious. Your chef must be a professional..." Sherlyn commented.

"There are talented world-class chefs here. You know the world's cooking competition that ended last month? A finalist in the competition was hired. He took second place in the competition. He is surely talented," I said calmly. I was openly bragging.

"Oh, is that so?" Sherlyn looked pissed off and she was doing a bad job at covering it up. "Why didn't you hire the winner of the competition instead? Oh, a finalist is what you can get."

Nicholas laughed, catching Sherlyn off guard.

"The winner didn't want to be hired as a private chef. If we could bring the second best chef in the world, I think we did quite well. A lot of people wanted him but here he is in our kitchen!" Nicholas smiled coolly.

"I guess you are right," Sherlyn retreated.

"You wouldn't know specifically..." I muttered. "You spend more money on skincare than you do on food."

Sherlyn raised her eyebrows, "What are you saying, May?"

"And that's completely fine," I continued. "It is okay to prefer skincare to food. It is just as essential, isn't it, Emma?"

Emma didn't reply. She had been staring at Nicholas all along and she looked blown away. Sherlyn turned towards her, embarrassed. She tapped Emma slightly and the latter stood up, frightened by the sudden touch.

"Are you okay?" Nicholas asked her. Emma gave him a big smile. I might end up crushing her.