Envy

 "Mother, are you absolutely sure that Father's signature was on that document?" Kristin asked again and again, packing her room endlessly. Her father had bypassed her and named Jacqueline as the heir to his share of the ownership of Petals after all she had done to please him. 

 "It was. It was his signature. Oh, God, how could Peter make such a decision without seeking my opinion? He called Richard but not me, not his wife who has been there for him through thick and thin."

 Regina broke down in tears, dunking her head on the table before her. Her shoulders shook with emotion and she wept bitterly. Kristin comforted her, massaging her shaking shoulders gently.

 "You need to take it easy, Mother. You have cried so much these past few days. You need a clear head to figure out what to do next."

 Regina got up all of a sudden and straightened her clothing. Her perfect face was streaked with tears but she remained the epitome of graceful womanhood. The bun on her hair was still fastidiously neat, with no strand out of place. 

 "There is nothing to do next. Richard has named his heir and we cannot change the mind of a dead man. Just prepare for your flight tomorrow, my dear. Don't let this bother you." Regina picked up her clutch, kissed Kristin on the cheeks and left her alone in her room. 

 She was headed for the library where she ran into Richard. 

 "It seems like all I do today is run into beautiful women. How are you feeling, Gina?" Richard asked lightly. 

 "Don't, Richard. Don't act like you are my friend and that you care about my welfare when we both know that you don't. Why didn't you tell me about that document when you first got here?"

 Richard pinched the bridge of his nose, his habit when frustrated. He had never wanted to hurt Gina with that document but it was not in his place to hide the truth. Peter had confided in him and not his wife for reasons best known to him which was no fault of his. 

 "It was Pete's funeral, Gina. It was not the time to discuss such." 

 Regina laughed shortly and clapped her hands thrice in succession. She was wearing an odd smile, an unfriendly rictus, disrupting her pretty face. 

 "So you preferred to humiliate me in front of the entire conference room? That was the better option? Richard, you knew something that I didn't about my husband and you kept it from me. That is unforgivable. " She tilted her head to stare him down though she was of lesser height.

 "It wasn't my secret to tell, Gina. It was Pete's and you know that. I will leave you to rest now." Richard went around her, his footsteps almost silent. Regina made for her room and slamming the door behind her, she let out a loud scream.

∆     ∆     ∆     ∆

 Richard got to Kristin's room and immediately re-thought his decision. He wanted to know that Jackie was okay and now that he could not find out from Gina, he was left with Kristin. The girl was exactly like her mother, intelligence and beauty- a dangerous duo- but he was a renowned charmer himself. Gina probably knew all his tricks but Kristin was innocent bait. 

 He knocked tentatively and almost lost his confidence when Kristin opened the door. She eyed him viciously and would have slammed the door in his face but for his foot in the doorway. 

 "Hey, I just want to talk," he assured, seeming innocent.

 "Well, I don't want to listen to anything you have to say, not after what you did to my mother and I." 

 Of course, Gina had obviously narrated the Tale of the Binder to her eldest daughter. No wonder she was this hostile. Usually, Kristin tried to flirt with him subtly, when her mother's back was turned and when her boyfriend was conveniently nowhere to be found. She constantly sought his approval but her anger was as fiery as brimstone. 

 "Kris, you heard her side of the story. Let me tell you mine, please," he replied, his voice so soft to the hearing. Kristin's grip loosened on her doorknob and her frown disappeared. She thought about his words for a minute before throwing her door open. Richard bestowed her with a dashing grin that made her heart flutter carefreely. He was her father's friend but boy, did he look tasty. At that point, she would have done anything he asked. Her anger was long gone.

 She showed him to a chestnut wood chair and plunked onto another besides his. His cologne was distracting her senses and she wanted to twirl her tongue in his hollow dimple. Concentrate, Kristin, she berated herself.

 "You wanted to talk, so talk to me," she began, her eyes exploring his face.

 "Kris, I know your mother must have told you what happened earlier today. Gina is angry with me and that has never happened in years. Your father met with me a year ago and asked me to accompany him to a lawyer's chamber. I had no idea what he had in mind till we got there and he presented his case to the lawyer. It was like he knew he was closer to his death and wanted to leave things in order even in his absence. You know how he was."

 "Yeah. He would spend all night cleaning up his study while everyone was asleep. Sometimes, whenever I held a sleepover at our house, he would pick up after us and it was so embarrassing but you couldn't stop him. That was who he was, fastidious as hell," Kristin chipped in, falling into reminiscences for a moment there.

 "You knew him well."

 "Of course, I did," Kristin exploded. "He was my father and I always did everything I could to make him proud, to make him forget how much Jacqueline was messing up her life and her grades. NYU? What a joke."

 Richard took her hand in his and sized their fingers. Jacqueline's were longer than Kristin's but the latter's were tender and red at the tips, like a baby's.

 "I'm not the enemy, Kris. I am here to continue from where your father stopped and to be a guardian to you and Jacqueline. You can come to me whenever you need someone to talk to, alright? I care about this family a lot and I want to do what is best without compromising my right judgment."

 Kristin hugged Richard fiercely and he kissed the top of her head tenderly. 

 "Have you called Jacqueline since she left home?" Richard asked, taking advantage of the situation. Unfortunately, she cringed and withdrew herself. She was irritated that he was with her and he was thinking about Jacqueline.

 "I haven't and I doubt that my mother has either."

 Richard was perplexed. He didn't understand why they were always pushing Jacqueline aside. Regina was her mother also so he could not tell what the issue was.

 "Is it because she was named the heir? Is it that bad? She is your sister, Kris."

 "She is not my sister. She stole what was legally mine as the first born child. Jacqueline is going to pay dearly for what she has done." Kristin scribbled quickly on a piece of paper and slapped it on his chest.

 "That's her number. You can call her since you are so worried. Now, please, I want to be left alone." She held her door open for him and looked the other way. Richard wanted to say something else but thought it better to swallow his words.