Surprise

Three days later

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she sighs for the umpteenth time as she shuts her eyes tight. It's finally the day to be present at her parent's house, but she's nervous. 

'Where's your boyfriend, Alicia?'

'Don't tell me you're still single, cousin? That's pathetic'

'Honestly, you need to get yourself a man. You're twenty-nine and turning thirty soon. You'll eventually get married to an old married man if you're still being like this,' thinking of the humiliation she's going to face when she gets to her parent's house later, she can't help but feel more nervous. This was the same reason she moved out of the house months ago and decided to live with her friend for the sake of her mental health, but it seems like that can't be avoided now. 

Taking a deep breath, she finally picks up her handbag from the bed and strides to the door, and pulls it open, striding out afterward. 

Driving down the road a few minutes later, her hands keep trembling nervously on the steering wheel as her mind is filled with so many thoughts. 

"Don't think about it, Alicia. Everything will be fine," She assures herself, although she knows that it's almost not possible. At least, not when her cousins are coming over. They'll definitely bully her, and she's not even in the mood for any argument right now. 

After driving the down the road for what seems like forever, her heart picks race as soon as she arrives at the front of the big iron gate. Taking a deep breath, she further drives into the compound and parks her car neatly at the garage, hopping out afterward. Her heart sinks into her stomach as she steps out of the car to see her parents standing in front of the entrance door with wide smiles on their faces. Maybe they thought that she was coming with her boyfriend. 

The couples stares at their daughter's car, hoping to see a man step out of it, but their faces fall disappointedly as it turns out that she came alone. 

"Mom, dad..." She smiles nervously as she walks over to them, but the deep frown on their faces makes her heart sinks into her stomach, knowing what awaits her in the mansion. 

"How're you doing, baby," Her mom forces a smile as she pulls her into her arms. Not that she doesn't know that the woman is just pretending so she won't be hurt, anyway. 

"Where's your boyfriend, Alicia?" Her dad suddenly asks out of the blue with a deep frown on his face, and her heart misses a beat. She gulps down nothing nervously as she turns her gaze to her dad, thinking of what to tell him. 

"Dad... He... He..." She bites her bottom lip when she can't come up with anything to say. 

"You fooled me, Alicia. There was never a boyfriend in Asia, was there?" The man snaps at her, burning in rage. 

"Honey... You have to be gentle on the little girl..."

"Little girl, you say? She's twenty-nine for crying out loud. Her age mates are out there in their husbands' houses with kids, but here our only daughter is, still single at thirty..."

"I'm not thirty yet, dad," How she still gets nerves to talk while her parents are still talking is a gut that she shouldn't have had. Her mom casts her a glare, and she turns her face away. 

"Dad, can we go inside and talk about this?" She tries to calm him down. 

"Your cousins are here with their boyfriends and husbands, and the guys with their girlfriends and fiancee, but..."

"Look who we have here. Long time, Alicia," Lisa, one of her cousins comes out of the house, having a warm smile on her face. 

"Hi," She greets her casually. Right from time, Alicia and Lisa have not been friends. She's her dad's niece. 

"Come on, you don't greet me like that. I mean, we should hug each other, you know? It has been a while since we... Never mind. By the way, uncle and aunt told me that you'll be here with your Asian boyfriend. Where's he?" She asks with a trail of sarcasm in her voice. 

"Wait, don't tell me you lied to aunt and uncle? There was never an Asian boyfriend? That's not nice, you know?" Lisa rolls her eyes as she crosses her arms on her chest. 

Mr. Williams snorts angrily and storms back into the house, followed by his wife. 

"There was no Asian..."

"Are you going to get the hell out of my way, or do you prefer that I push you off?" She says to Lisa angrily, and she quickly leaves the way for her. Glaring hard at Lisa one more time, she finally strides into the house and slams the door in her face. 

Stepping into the living room, she stops on her track at the sight that welcomes her, and her face suddenly went pale. She didn't expect to meet so many people here. She was thinking that it was just her cousins that would come here but turn out that even her uncle from dad's side and his wife came along too. 

"Wow! You're finally here. I have been missing you so much," Her uncle's wife whom she hates so much smiles excitedly as soon as she spots Alicia walking in. 'Oh, please, quit with the pretense. I know you don't like me' Alice says inwardly, putting on a fake smile. 

"Thank you," She smile, pulling away from her. 

"Hi, Alicia," Adelie, her mom's twenty-two years old niece smiles at her, and she returns the smile. Adelie is the only one that she likes here, others can go to hell for all she cares. 

"How're you, Adelie?" She smiles at her. 

"I'm fine," Adelie replies with a warm smile on her face. 

"Hi Alicia, it's nice to meet you again after so many years. How have you been? Hope you've been able to get over that jerk you called a boyfriend. I mean the one that ditched you on your wedding," Emily, Lisa's younger sister of twenty-one years old smirks at Alicia, and she slowly clenches her fists as anger spurs through her. The only reason she hasn't pounced on these bitches is because of her dad, but she has no idea for how long she will be able to hold this in. 

"Emily, if you don't want to get thrown out of here this minute, then you better mind the way you speak to me," She says to Emily calmly but with anger written all over her. 

"Come on, Alicia. Your sister was just..." Her uncle tries to defend his daughter. 

"You were here when she was talking to me in that manner, so if you need to speak to anyone, then I think that should be your daughter. Excuse me," She snaps at her uncle rudely, before walking out on them while they all stare in shock. 

A few minutes later in the dining room 

Silence assumes the atmosphere as the only sound that could be heard are the ones from the cutleries. Alicia glances at her parents momentarily, and she can't help the guilt that rushes through her each time she sees the sad look on their faces. Her cousins are all here with their husbands and boyfriends, and here she is all alone. 

"I haven't introduced my boyfriend to you yet, Alicia. Meet Rico, my sweetheart. Rico, my cousin. The one I have been telling you about," Emily suddenly breaks the awkward silence, locking arms with the handsome young man sitting beside her. 

"Hi, Alicia. It's nice to finally meet you," Rico smiles at her. 

"It's nice to meet you too, Rico," Alicia smirks at him. 

"Alicia, a friend of my husband is still single and in need of a woman in his life. Mind linking you up with him?" Lisa suddenly asks, locking her arms with Jeffrey, a young handsome man sitting beside her. 

"Lisa..."

"There'll be no need for that, Miss Lisa," A familiar voice pierces through Alicia's ears, and she snaps her head up to see Ren standing there with a smile dancing on his lips. She freezes on the spot. 

"Who are you?" Mr. Williams asks angrily. 

"I'm sorry for coming late, honey. Are you mad at me?" He smiles as he walks over to Alicia, and places his palm on her cheek. Slowly, he wipes the trail of tears from her cheek before pecking her lips and she freezes on the seat. 

He finally pulls away from the shocked Alicia, whose face has suddenly gone pale. Turning to face Mr. Williams, he smiles at him. 

"I'm sorry for coming late, Mr. Williams. My flight was delayed. My name is Ren Houston, Alicia's fiance," He finally introduces himself, and their mouths drop open in shock...