Chapter 2 Meet the Vonnes

Someone's POV

Seated at the center of the long table in front was the grand matriarch, Lady Henda. Although celebrating her 65th birthday today, she looks a decade younger still. Thanks to her vanity, she had spent countless hours at 5th Street Salon&Spa and millions of dollars on botox and whatever new beauty technology there was to try. 

To her right is her first born son, Richmond Vonne, my father's half brother.  Although he is younger by two years, he had the advantage in built and height and bullied my dad ever since they were young. Next to him is another bully, his wife, Leila Vonne. She too is a regular customer at 5th Street Salon&Spa, always enjoying free treatment when she goes with grandma by sweet-talking to her in-law every time. She had been divorced twice before getting married to Richmond but had no children in her previous marriage.

Beside the couple are the fraternal twins, Micah and Micco. Supposedly they are my cousins, but they have treated me so badly it will never cross your mind that we are relatives.

To grandma's left is her infamous daughter Camille, who once held the title of the beauty queen of the country. However, the crown was only with her for three days before it was discovered that she had undergone surgery for her boobs and nose. The pageant council had stripped her of the award for having unnatural beauty. Her reputation was ruined among the eligible bachelors so she had never been married. However, she had been linked to so many married men as a third wheel.

After her was my stepmother, Eliza.  Aunt Camille never wanted to be seated next to my father. Before my father got married, an empty chair was between them to keep my father at a distance. When they were young, my aunt would cry endlessly until Dad was moved away from her. That's how a bitchy brat she was. She was ok when my mother came to the household and sat beside her for the first time because my mother was a stunning beauty in her younger years. It had been two years though since my grandfather's death that they no longer talk to each other directly.

Seated next is my cunning stepsister, Yvonne Sales. Although she doesn’t have a single drop of Vonne blood in her veins, but she has a lot of nerve to come for a chance to hook up among the rich invited bachelors or children of  

Comes next is my father, David Vonne, the least favored of his generation for the simple reason that he is a son of the deceased first wife of my grandfather. Basically, we are not related by blood to the Matriarch but here we are anyway to pay due respect as a Vonne.

"No wonder I can smell horse dung in here," sneered Micco loud enough for us seated on the other side of the table to hear him.

"Watch your mouth brother. We are in front of food," Micah elbowed him. At least she had the manners as compared to her brother.

She then snorted with disgust while glancing at the man beside me. He is Resh Vonne, our former stable boy, my husband. He also does not have a Vonne blood but since he was adopted by Grandpa and he couldn’t remember his last name, he was allowed to use Vonne as lastname. To every one of them, he was a good for nothing son-in-law of the Vonnes. It still baffles me why my grandfather had us married when he fell terribly ill two years ago.  Also, he was given initially a few shares in the company since he turned twenty years old, which we all think he lives by as he remained occupied with housework and grandfather’s horses only.

So these basically are my family or shall I say pseudo-family. I am Patrice Vonne, only child of the first son of the Great Mikael Vonne, a former business tycoon in the world of textile industry.