Chapter 3 : Past life cont.d

“K-kara, you're here.”

He looked flustered.

“Why didn't you tell me?” I asked with feigning annoyance with a slight smile playing in the corner of my eyes.

“T-tell you what?, heh” he responded, scratching his head nervously.

“It's okay, I understand. Still, you should've let me know when you left the office so I wouldn't wait for you at home.”

He gave me a look that was a mixture of both guilt and relief for a brief moment.

“Oh. That. You're right, I'm sorry.”

“What are you sorry about I thought we agreed that you'll stop saying sorry and I'd stop saying thank you? Now I'm mad.” I puffed up my face and pouted my lips with feigned anger.

“You're right, you're right. I'll remember that. I'd like to see you after the exhibition, I have something to tell you.”

He looks uneasy while speaking, he probably wants to tell me about him submitting his resignation.

“It's fine honey, gotta go now. You did nothing wrong, okay? See ya.”

“Hmm, see ya.” something like Guilt flashed through his eyes briefly but I wasn't quick enough to catch it.

~~~~

“Serena, look what I-”

“So it's you? You brought this trash?” Disdain and mockery dancing in the corners of her eyes with one corner of her lips slightly tilted upwards.

“I j-just thought it'd be nice to make a family portrait of us s-since we don't have any family pictures with everybody.” I looked down at my sweaty palms, clamped together as I was a bag of nerves.

“So?? What did you expect people to say? That it looked like a real picture and not a painting? Dream on.”

“No. Thats not why I made it, I swear-”

Mother walked in and raised her hand up in the air making me pause what I was saying mid sentence.

“Save your useless excuses and get this excuse of a painting out of the before people see it, I don't want them to say the exhibit sucks.”

Why can't she see what's in my heart and not the painting?

“Mother, I'm family too. It's not that it's bad or good and it might not be good enough for you but I sincerely put my heart into this painting and did my best.”

“Hm. Sure whatever. Just get it out quickly.”

She walked towards one of the investors who was also a friend of hers.

She had a thing for high value art and was the gallery's number 1 customer.

“ Whose painting is that? I've never seen anything quite like it. It looks so real, like a real life photo.” Lydia Kay praised as she came to take a closer look at it.

“Is this your eldest daughter's painting? She's so talented, you should show her off more often.”

A wry smile formed on mom's face.

“Mrs Kay, come this way. Some new beautiful paintings came in yesterday. You should take a look.” Serena quickly tried to divert her attention.

Her attempt to take Mrs Lydia away was futile as she turned towards me and asked

“ Your sister? Introduce us properly then.”

“My apologies. I was too excited to show you the new paintings and got carried away, forgive me. Kara, this is Mrs Lydia Kay. Mother of Pierce Kay, my fiance.

“Mother, this is Kara. My adopted sister.

“Nice to meet you ma'am.” I bowed my head in respect.

“ Are you saying you drew this yourself?”

“Yes ma.” I responded shyly.

“ Wow, aren't you quite talented?”

“Oh, you're too kind ma.” a tiny of red appeared on my cheeks.

“I'll take my leave now. I need to check out the other paintings. Keep up the good work.”

“I appreciate your kind words ma.”

Not long after she walked away with her friends and Serena, a guy came to stand beside me as he looked at my painting.

“This painting looks cool.”

“Oh thank you. If you'll excuse me, I have to use the restroom.”

“Sure thing.”

“Pierce, you should've called me when you got here” I heard Serena purring at the guy I just met. That must be her fiance.

I walked to the restroom to do my business there and bumped into someone on my way out.

“S-sorry, I didn't see you.” I looked up to see a pair of hostile eyes staring at me, it was the guy that stood with me in front of the painting.

He grabbed my arm roughly.

“Why do you let them treat you like that?”

“W.what do you mean?”

“Why do you keep letting them walk all over you like you're some doormat?”

Silence.

“Because they're family.” I muttered under my breath without thinking he heard me.

“How long are you going to keep letting them walk all over you with the excuse of ‘family’? Can't you see that you're just being used by those people? Or do you just enjoy being walked over?”

“What are you talking about? Who are you? Let go. You're hurting me.” I was terrified and squirming to get out of his tight grip.

I didn't even know who this person was and he was here spouting nonsense about my family.

“Are you a people pleaser or you're just too blind and naive? Open your f**king eyes to the truth. You know they don't love you!” His eyes brimming with venom as he spat those hurtful words.

“Who do you think you are and what do you know about my family to say such bitter things about them? Let go of me.”

Tears were already starting to form in my eyes.

He let go as soon as he saw I was about to cry and a call came in on his phone, he took one sharp look at me before deciding to answer it.

“What?? Which hospital? I'm on my way right now.”

Someone close to him must have been hospitalized because he ran out almost immediately.

I comforted myself and wiped my tears before walking down to the exhibition venue.

I ran into Mrs Lydia on the way there. She was with a man and wanted to see the paintings she's paid for before it was brought out during the exhibition so I took her to the room where it was stored before the auction and left to go fetch my step mom for her.

Shortly after, I came back without mom because she was nowhere to be seen.

Mrs Lydia and the man she came with, walked out with a sour face and I sensed something must have gone wrong while I was away.

I took a swift look around the room and didn't find anything amiss so what could have gone wrong? Did she not like the painting?

“Ma'am, are you okay? Do you need anything?” I asked, my face etched with worry.

She quickly forced a smile at me. “No dear, I'm fine. Don't worry”

“Alright ma. Let me take you to the exhibition hall. This way please.”

The venue was packed with reporters, high profile people and…police??

What are they doing here??

Who called them??