19; Dinner with the bitchy family

Zade’s pov

My cousins, Liya and Sophie, looked like they just got slapped across the face. They blanched hard and stared between me and Carla a few times before realizing that I wasn’t joking and was dead serious.

“H- how?” Sophie managed to whisper as she looksc over at Carla with disgust clearly painted across her face. Carla didn’t even look fazed, like this reaction was already a normal reaction for her.

“But…” liya attempted to speak when I sighed and held a hand up.

“She’s the person I’d be getting married to. I know you’re both confused, and everyone would be confused by the end of dinner tonight, but trust me on this.” I said to them, and they tried to mask their wary looks as they nodded at me.

“But— I still don’t understand…” Sophie began before trailing off and letting out a long sigh, then she was nodding again and stepping back.

“Everyone is waiting inside. Prepared to be grilled throughout the rest of the night.” Liya said next, then she was pulling Sophia along with her, clearly to gossip about me.

I grew up being close to most of my cousins, and I know most of their characters. For liya and Sophia who are twins, they loved to gossip to a fault.

But who doesn't love to gossip anyway?

Once I was certain we were alone, I turned to face Carla who now had a skeptical look across her face.

“Would your parents be in there?” She asked and I rolled my eyes.

“Just my mom is in there, plus all my family members… they’re all in there right now. Tonight’s dinner is to introduce you to them as my bride to be.” I pointed out, but she still had a skeptical look on her face as she stared up at me. My eyes briefly wandered across her face, refusing to admit that she looked completely breathtaking tonight, and that her dress did wonders to her body, hugging her at the right places and leaving her looking like a very ethereal princess.

If only she was as pure hearted as she looked right now, thankfully I know better.

“I still don’t understand why you’re lying to your family. You could have at least told them the truth, then I wouldn’t have to put an act around them.” She muttered before huffing and folding her arms as she continued. “From what I just saw, I can just tell the rest of the night is gonna be hectic.”

I rolled my eyes and stepped closer to her as I spoke. “We’re putting on an act for them because I say so, I don’t have to tell you my reason.”

After that, I jerked her close to me and we made our way towards the door that loomed right in front of us. I’d be lying if I say that I wasn’t a little nervous to walk through the door right now, cause my family can be a lot most of the time.

They were very old fashioned, and would definitely refuse a marriage built on revenge on my part, which is one of the reasons I was gonna be lying to them instead of coming clean to them.

Another reason was because the person my parents wanted me to get married to would be here tonight as well, and to finally end their hopes of me one day waking up and deciding to get married to that woman, I was bringing Carla to them today as someone I’m in love with so they’d finally give up.

As soon as I pushed the door open, the noise that was being slightly muffled by the door instantly died down, then everyone’s focus was on the two of us. If a pin drops right now, the sound would undoubtedly be heard right now. I noticed my mother across the room first, she was speaking some of her sisters, and I just know she’d flip to see that my fiancee is none other than Carla, the daughter of the man that betrayed them years ago, but I know that my payebts didn’t hand much hate for the children of the man that betrayed them, cause they know the kids had nothing to do with it.

“They’re here!” Someone announced, which managed to alert the rest of the people, then everyone were speaking at once and approaching us at the same time. I felt Carla inching close to me and for some reason, I tightened my arm around her even though it was completely unnecessary.

My family members welcomed me, offering me hugs and kisses and I was forced to let go of Carla for that. I was the one who asked that this gathering be put together because I had an important announcement to make to all of them, but right now, I was rethinking my decision because clearly I had forgotten how populated we all are.

“Is that Carla Van Grande?" Someone asked, then everyone was focusing on Carla.

“Carla?”

“The criminal?”

“Oh god. What’s Zade doing with a criminal??!”

“Security!!!”

“Did she sneak in here?”

“She arrived with him! I was staring at her since they arrived cause I knew that face looked familiar but I wasn’t so sure.”

Everyone was speaking at once and I felt my head start to pound a little from all the noises, and I was gearing to speak up when Carla cleared her throat loudly. All the noises halted.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Carla, and it’s nice to meet everyone.” She breathed out in a firm voice, her head held high, and her gaze unwavering.

I was briefly stunned, and for a few moments, she was all that was in my line of sight. After her confident introduction, most of the gossip instantly died down, but she was still being thrown wary and skeptical glances when my mother approached me, her eyes fixed on Carla.

“Is that the same Carla we all know?” She asked and when I nodded, a completely shocked look settled across her face as she screamed my name.

~<~

My mother and I were in a private room, and my mother looked quite pissed, and she was presently pacing.

“Really, Zade?? The daughter of the man that betrayed your father??” She cried out as she stopped to glare at me with a disappointed expression on and I sighed, dragging a hand across my face.

“Mom, c'mon, you don’t even care about shit like this and I’m certain you don’t hate her.” I pointed out but she shook her head adamantly.

“I don’t hate her but this is different! Back then she was at a far distance from me and not right here in my house! You said you had an important news to tell us, so I assumed— we all assumed you’ve found a woman you want to introduce us to— even though we’re all rooting for Isabella, but you showed up with her? Why? She’s your latest hookup?”

I groaned this time, dragging a hand over my face again.

“Mom, stop.”

“Seriously, Zade! Isabella is probably already here tonight, and I even hoped that you had managed to work things out with her and had decided to finally settle down with her.”

I let out a sigh and a stiffied groan.

Here we go…

Fucking Isabella just won’t leave me alone.

Isabella was someone I grew up with on my mother’s side, but it was more like u see every few months. Her family and my mother were tight friends, and they set us up to date since I was about twelve years old. But I could remember back then that I was more interested in getting on Carla’s nerves and teasing the heck out of her, compared to going to the park with Isabella along with our parents.

I made the mistake of hooking up with Isabella in college since we went to the same school. Since her family and ours are more like one big family at this point, I could never escape her whenever I arrived home. Till this very moment, our parents still want us to end up together, and it’s something Isabella undoubtedly wants as well cause she did confess about having feelings for me in college, which was the exact reason I ended our hookup, cause I warned her before the hookup started that feelings couldn’t be involved.

“Mom.” I started as I grabbed her hands. “Carla is here with me tonight because the big announcement I plan to make is involving her.” I informed her and she stared at me in confusion for a bit, before she was gasping and covering her mouth with her hands once it clicked.

“You can’t be serious, Zade! I won’t allow it!” She cried out, a horrified expression across her face.

“The wedding is already in plans, mom.” I told her and she almost fainted.

~~~

When I exited the office along with my mother, Isabella had indeed already arrived, and I noticed her immediately. Usually, she’d have grinned at me and came over at once, but right now, she was glaring at me, and I just know it was because she had undoubtedly known that Carla arrived with me tonight.

Some of my cousins were ribbing Carla when I went to search for her, but she was holding her own, and I felt pleased as I caught the end of her last sentence.

“Well, it’s not my fault your cousin deemed me worthy enough of bringing me over here, if you think I’m below his league, continue to cry over it till the heavens falls.”

When I was noticed, they all got to their feet, and I gave my cousins disappointed looks as I wrapped a hand around Carla’s waist, then I wordlessly led her away, feeling her slump against me a little.

It was on the tip of my tongue to praise her and assure her that she was doing a good job so far, but I refrained from doing that.

Over the dinner which was tense as hell, cause everyone kept throwing Carla glares, while offering smiles to Isabella, like they were wordlessly reminding me of who they liked between the two women, but they were all being so ridiculous, and Isabella would never be an option compared to Carla.

When I got to my feet and announced that I’d be getting married to Carla in the coming week, the whole table broke loose.

At the corner of her eyes, I noticed Isabella storming out, my mum ran after her, right after she threw me and Carla a withering look.

Yup.

This night is definitely gonna be a really long one, but my mind won’t be changed.