Holy f—
I clamp my hands over my mouth to stop the screaming. Gasp and sharp inhales coming from every corner of the restaurant.
Zack is beyond shock. He freezes, as water dripping down his hair and forehead. He slowly looks up and seems still can’t believe what has just happened.
Eason is probably the only person not freaking out. He calmly places the glass back and smiles at Zack. “It suits you.”
“Are you FUCKING insane?” Zack shouts. He points at Eason and then directs at me, “Who the fuck is this guy, Natalia? What’s the matter with—”
Eason grips his wrist before he can finish. Eason’s expression darkens, almost scary to look at. Inch by inch, he pushes down Zack’s hand.
“Don’t point at her, ever again.” He states, word by word.
I’m still in trance. Everything happened too fast. How did Eason know I’m here? And why is he standing up for me? He was such a jerk this morning. What changed?
Zack cringes. He’s about the same size as Eason, but apparently he is afraid to fight him.
“Waiter!” Zack snaps his head at the waiter rushing towards us. “This man just attacked me! I want to call police!”
My heart suddenly drops. I can’t believe how shameless he can be. But he’s going to get everyone into trouble.
“Zack!” I hiss, “There’s no need for that.”
Eason snorts. “It’s ok. Let him tell on us.”
The waiter approaches us. Yet surprisingly, he turns to Eason and me first and slightly bows. “Can I help you with anything, Mr. Ramirez?”
…Mr. Ramirez?
Right, how can I forget? If Zack is a patronizing rich bastard, then Eason is ten times what he is.
My heartrate is back to normal. Now I want to laugh so bad. Zack’s fossilized face is amusing to be looked at.
Eason holds me in his arm and nods at the waiter. “Yes. You heard the man. There has been some shouting and attacking. Better call the police before things escalate.”
I stop my laughter. “Wait Eason…let him go.”
As pleasant as it is to see Zack go down to hell, I can’t bare spending another second with him. I’ve had enough fun. That should be enough.
“You sure?” Eason looks at me. He seems so normal right now, like a protective big brother.
I nod.
“Whatever Miss Moore prefers then.”
It’s strange to hear him call me “Miss Moore.” But I don’t hate the ring of it.
Zack glowers at us and quickly storms out of the restaurant.
I want to thank Eason for everything, but before I could do that, he turns back at me and gives me a small snort of laughter. “So that’s your Prince Charming huh?”
I frown. I don’t like his sarcastic tone, but I’m still grateful for what he just did.
“I already broke up with him. Anyway, thanks for everything.”
Yet Eason ignores my gratitude. Both hands in his pocket, he looks down at me and seems more condescending than ever.
“Sure you did.” He chuckles, “You love the hypocrite type. As long as they write huge checks to animal shelter and pretend to care about global warming, you’d let them do anything. No matter how much of a jerk he really is.”
My jaw drops. What’s with all the mood swing?! One minute he’s this loving and protective big brother, and the next minute he just turns into this malicious monster.
He must be on drugs.
“Are you seriously judging my love life?” I snap, “Oh I’m sure Mr. Playboy must have a lot to say about this. Because he has so many condoms in his closet and has to sleep with almost every woman he ever set eyes on!”
Eason’s green eyes burn with flame of fury. He shouts back, “I won’t sleep with you! That’s for sure!”
My mouth falls open. What did he just say?
Eason seems to be shocked by his own words as well. His ears are red, but he continues to glower at me, not flinching away. Our fight has caused almost everyone in the restaurant to put down their food and enjoy the scene.
The waiter tries to break our tension. “Mr. Ramirez, do you want to use our balcony?”
“Yeah go to your fancy balcony!” I yell at him, “I’m out of here.”
I rush out of the restaurant.
It’s a huge mistake coming down here. No, it’s a huge mistake coming down to Boston. I should have listened to dad and Jenna on this.
Mom is home when I get back. She’s surprise to see my lunch plan end so quick. “So soon? Did you have a good time?”
“No. It’s awful.” I sit on the couch, frustrated. “Eason is an asshole.”
“What happened?” mom moves closer to me and pours me a cup of hot tea, “I thought you and Eason were getting along.”
Mom has the charisma of making people open up to her. Before I realize, I have already told her everything.
“Oh Nat, I’m sorry about your boyfriend.” She gently rubs my shoulder.
“Ex, boyfriend.” I correct her.
“Yes, sorry.” She smiles, “And about Eason…well I’m sure he meant well. He’s just not good at expressing his feelings. Despite his pride and everything, I think he really likes you.”
“He maybe, three years ago. But not anymore.” I murmur, “Now he hates me.” And I have no idea why.
Mom seems to disagree. “Well maybe you don’t know the whole story. I still remember when you left three years ago, Eason went through quiet a hard time.”
I look up to her, confused.
“That’s when he moved out.” Mom signs, “He got into a huge fight with Shawn. They rarely talk to each other since. He’s become quite…well how should I put it…gloomy.”
Eason and gloomy? I highly doubt that. “Mom, this is far-fetching. I think he’s just upset because you and Mr. Ramirez were getting married. I have nothing to do with this.”
“No. I don’t think he cares that much about our marriage.” Mom smiles wanly, “But can you try to be friend with Eason? It’s already hard enough to have two people ignoring each other under this roof.”
“Mom.” I try to remind her, “I’m not staying. In fact, I’m leaving today.”
There’s nothing worth sticking around for. It’s already bad enough to get dumped by my boyfriend, I don’t need to stay here and admire my mom’s happy remarried life. Plus, it’d be too awkward now to stay in Eason’s bedroom.
I rush upstairs to pack my bag, despite mom calling my name behind me. I ignore her and dial dad’s number.
He picks up on the first ring, “Nat, everything alright?”
“Yeah. Just want you to know I’m coming home today. Can you pick me up at the airport later?”
He sounds surprised, “Today? But Nat…I thought you were going to stay a bit longer.”
“Well, if you can’t come, I can take the shuttle. No worries.”
His voice tenses up even more, “It’s not that…I thought that—I mean why don’t you stay at your mom’s place, for a while longer?”
My body becomes stiff. I can sense a trace of nervous and embarrassment in his tone.
“Dad…” I gulp, “Are you asking me not to come home?”
A large group of people escort me downstairs. Because it is absolutely impossible to move in this dress by myself. The delicate lace of my gown sweeps along the polished wooden steps. I must move very slowly and carefully to avoid any mishaps. I grip the banister, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves.At the bottom of the staircase, servants hold open the grand double doors leading to the garden.The scent of fresh flowers wafts in, mingling with the warm early summer breeze. I take a deep breath, letting myself savor this magical moment.And there my dad is, tall and dignified, dressed in his sharpest suit, waiting for me just by the doors.“Dad.” I whisper, reaching out to hold his hand.He turns, his eyes softening as they meet mine. “Nat, you look absolutely—”“Stunning.” I smile, “I know. Mom told me the same thing earlier in tears.”Then I am shocked to find that there are tears gleaming in his eyes as well.My dad is never a man of emotions. This is literally th
The next morning, I am woken up by the early sunlight and a series of noises.Still half-asleep, I groan and rub my eyes, frustrated.What is going on…Who is out there screaming and yelling…Somebody is trying to get some sleep here…Then something snaps me back to reality like a whip—Fuck! Today is my wedding day!!!Then I hear my mom’s shrieking in the living room, “Is she still asleep? She should be up half an hour ago!”“She is probably in the bathroom. Let me go check on her, Mrs. Ramirez.” That is Jenna’s voice.“Oh thank you darling. You are a life savor…”Light footsteps approach the bedroom door. I only have one quick second to grab the sheet and cover up my naked body before the door flies open.“Morning Nat—OMG, you ARE still in bed!”“…I couldn’t sleep last night.” I swallow, pretending to be calm.Meanwhile, I quickly scan the room—Good, Eason is gone already. I can’t imagine what kind of temper tantrum mom would throw if she finds out that we spent the night together.“R
Today is the last night before my big day tomorrow.Everything is under control. All the guests have checked into the mansion already. Through the window on the 5th floor, where my bridal suite is located, I can see workers working on the final decoration of the wedding venue in the garden.Everything is on the right track. Except for one.My mom.“Natalia, have you seen the seating chart?!”I stand in the center of preparation room, seeing my mom bustles around with a fervor that is both impressive and exhausting.Dresses hang from every available hook, shoes and accessories are scattered across the floor, and my mother’s meticulous lists cover the desk. The room buzzes with pre-wedding chaos, a stark contrast to the calm I crave.I sigh, “Mom calm down…”“I can’t find the seating chart anywhere! And we need to make sure the caterer knows about Uncle Frank's shellfish allergy!”“Mom—”“And where the hell is your wedding planner!!!” mom raises her voice and cries, “We paid him 1000 buc
Eason and Mr. Ramirez heard about what happened later that day.“Katherine?” Eason’s voice darkens immediately. “She is a fucking nobody. Her family went bankrupt. Their reputation stinks! How dare she fight you on this venue?”“And I hate it when people go behind my back and bother my family with things from work.” Mr. Ramirez says with a frown. “I will give my people a heads-up, telling them to cut off any connections with her and her husband immediately.”Looks like Rosa’s husband’s proposal will go down the drain even before it got a chance to be presented to Mr. Ramirez.It feels so great to be protected by your own family.Eason still seems mad, “I can’t believe anyone is still willing to marry Katherine! Don’t they know that this woman is crazy?”“Rosa’s family is new to the town,” mom says.Eason lets out a snort, his green eyes gleaming icily, “Maybe they will be interested in Katherine’s history.”I know what he is thinking.If he finds a way to leak Katherine’s history to Ro
I stare at Katherine with shock.Seriously, I am the thief?!She is the one who tried to steal Eason’s inheritance!She doesn’t look at all like the sweet and kind girl I first met, the one who exuded elegance.Now she is sharp and bitter, but her expression gives away how weary she really is. Her cheeks are pale, and her hair is dull and split. It must have been a long time since she last visited the salon.The bankruptcy really taken a toll on her. She doesn’t need me to make her more miserable. She has taken care of that herself.“Mom, let’s go.” I give Katherine a look of disgust. “Don’t waste our time talking to her.”I grab my mom and try to walk around Katherine.But Katherine blocks our way again.“Why are you leaving? Are you afraid? Afraid of facing me?” her voice is sharp and shrill. “Do you know what people have been saying about you? You are a slut, Natalia! You steal other people’s fiancé because you can’t stand them living a happier and more wealthy life than you are! Lo
I widen my eyes slightly in shock.That is the last thing that I expect.Honestly, where does that come from?“What letter?” my dad asks with a frown.“Oh, there is a letter that Eason wrote to Nat years ago, when they first met. He chose to do ask her out in the most traditional way—by putting it down on the paper. Don’t you think it would be so romantic and meaningful to read that letter on the wedding? You know, to commemorate the beginning of this relationship?”“What does the letter say?” Hallie asks curiously.“Well that is the main thig—none of us know, except for the two of them.”I let out a dry laugh.My mom doesn’t know about this but the letter actually means more than that. It not only marks the beginning of our love, but also the years-long prejudice and misunderstandings between us.It is literally the start of everything.I look over to Eason and want to see his reaction toward this.…He is blushing like a red ballon.I am so damn shock.Eason is the most barefaced, ego