As they drove towards the familiar house where she grew up, memories of her troubled childhood haunted her. She always avoided her mom, Jodie Van Every, ever since her father, Dave Van Every’s death, considering her as the sole cause of his death. Her mom never showed her any love, and the hatred between them had always been mutual. Alyssa was a child born out of a loveless marriage, and her mom hated her because she looked like her actual dad. Every time she looked at Alyssa, she reminded her of her first marriage, since her beautiful clear blue eyes and hair resembled his.
Alyssa blinked the negative thoughts away.
She would just lock herself in her room until she could get a grip on herself and figure out what she wanted to do with her life. Her old club-trotting friends called her often, but she stopped clubbing ever since her return from Preston Island after Sienna’s wedding.
“Tired?” asked her stepdad, surprising her. She wondered why he was being nice to her suddenly. Did he think he could dump his business on her shoulders this way?
“I’m fine, thank you,” she said stiffly. It shut him up, and he drove onto the wide street leading to his home.
The gigantic wrought-iron automatic swing gates opened, and he drove straight into the wide garage that already had seven more cars. Nothing had changed in and around the mansion, although she had been visiting after nearly six long years. The same lawn set-up, the same old swing, which was her favorite place in the entire house simply because her mom never came to this sunny part of the front yard. Being delicate and pale-skinned, Jodie Van Every sunburnt easily and preferred to remain indoors. She was the stark opposite of her dad, who was an outdoor person and an architect. Alyssa sighed, hearing her stepdad switch off the ignition and get off.
She blinked the memories away and alighted quickly to help her dad with the luggage. The front door opened and her mom stood silently, watching her. It wasn’t surprising since Alyssa never expected her to come rushing out to welcome her with outstretched arms. They carried the luggage towards the house, with a bare minimum of conversation going on between them. It was best to keep her distance since she didn’t want them to bombard her with their questions.
“How skinny she has become, Daniel!” exclaimed her mom, with a displeased look on her face. Her stepdad nodded as he took her luggage straight to her room up the stairs.
“She skips meals because she’s too lazy to cook,” he said while Alyssa rolled her eyes at their weird welcome. It didn’t feel like she could survive here if they continued this way!
“Why can’t you learn to cook like me, Alyssa? It seems you have acquired none of my traits,” said her mom, shaking her head with disappointment.
“I can cook.” Just three words and her mom started her lecture on how a woman should always know how to cook to please her man. With her present state of mind, Alyssa just wanted to die than listen to her lecture. She entered her room and straight away went into the washroom to get rid of her interfering parents. This was the exact reason she hated coming home. After her father’s death, her mom sold his apartment. She was too young to know about it. Later, when she found out, she was very upset, but her hands were tied up. She seriously needed a job to support herself. Maybe New York wasn’t meant for her after all. She didn’t wish to collide with Nicholas all the time. It was better to go away to a new place and start afresh.
By the time she emerged from the washroom after a fresh shower, her parents had left. She locked the door and put on her clothes and curled up in her bed. Switching on her phone, she gasped at seeing around twenty missed calls from Nicholas! Was he upset that he wouldn’t get to meet his needs tonight? Well, he could find someone else to meet his needs. She switched off the phone and lay down quietly, dreading the talk with her parents. She knew they were bursting with curiosity and would definitely bring up the topic. What could she tell them? Could she tell them it was a business trip with benefits? How could she explain Nicholas’s candid announcement?
No, she couldn’t tell them the truth! It would make matters worse, as they would never understand. They would judge her and taunt her all the time. Therefore, there was only one way out. She had to carry on the charade until she found a job and could escape. So, everything depended on her financial independence. Taking out her laptop, she immediately started hunting for jobs, but not in New York. She found some openings in Trenton, New Jersey, Boston, and Washington, DC. After applying, she breathed a sigh of relief and lay down to catch up on sleep. However, with her stomach grumbling for food, it was almost impossible to sleep. There was a knock on her door and her dad called her.
“Dinner is served, Alyssa. Come down,” he said.
“Yes. I’ll be right there,” she yelled back and went to open the door. After five minutes, she sat at the dinner table with her parents when the doorbell rang and her mom’s face brightened up with joy. It was easy to guess who it could be! She rushed to open the door for her favourite son, who stormed inside just as always, his eyes seeking her out. Alyssa counted patiently in her head, preparing herself for the yelling.
“At last she comes home. What made you agree to go on a trip with Nicholas Donnelly, of all the people on earth?” Alexander demanded, standing in front of her, forgetting to greet his parents on seeing her.
“Can we discuss it later, son? She hasn’t eaten since she came home,” said her dad. Somehow Alyssa felt a little thankful for his concern, although he might have his own reasons for being nice to her.
“Alright, but mind you, Alyssa. I’m not letting this go. What you’ve done is a crime!” gritted out Alexander.
“Then kill me, already. It’s better to die than to have you bully me every second of my life.”
“Is that the way to talk to your older brother? I’m sure he’s just looking out for you,” scolded her mom.
“I don’t need looking after, mom. I’m twenty-two already,” she pointed out.
“Yet people can take advantage of you. How can you trust Nicholas with your eyes closed?” demanded Alexander. Alyssa felt like just getting up and running out of the door to escape them, and she stared at her brother and mom helplessly.
“I said that’s enough, Alexander. Let the girl eat in peace,” shouted her dad for the first time, taking Alexander by surprise. Tears fell from Alyssa’s eyes at seeing her dad stand up for her for the first time. It was enough to stop Alexander, who looked shocked at her dad’s outburst.
It was the most awkward dinner, as she could feel the anger and the undercurrents while they all sat eating in silence. Her dad saw her picking at her food and served her himself, ensuring that she ate properly.
“Daniel, shouldn’t you ask about what is going on between her and Nicholas instead of supporting her blindly?” grumbled her mom angrily, unable to restrain herself any longer. Alyssa’s heart constricted with nervousness as she counted to fifty in her mind to calm herself down.
“I’m sure if there’s anything, she’ll tell us.”
“How can you be okay with it, dad? Nicholas isn’t at all right for Lisa. How can you accept him?” demanded Alexander.
“Come on, son. He can’t be that bad, being my good friend Jonathan’s son. We were college buddies and even did an internship together. I’ll meet Nicholas to understand what’s going on,” said her dad, making Alyssa’s eyes widened with dread. She had never expected this turn of events. What would she do if her stepdad really met Nicholas? Should she tell them the truth?
“Please do not talk to him now. Everything happened so fast. Let me come to terms with it first,” she told her dad, while Alexander scoffed.
“I won’t let this marriage happen. I’m sure Nicholas is bluffing, to insult me and I know a way to defeat him in his own game,” said Alexander, getting up.
“Why do you always take everything so personally, son? I’m sure you can forget the grudges you hold against him. Grow up, Alex, and learn to forgive,” said her dad as they sat on the sofa while Alyssa cleared the table.
“It’s not possible,” said Alexander, his eyes glittering with determination. Seeing him, Alyssa knew that something was going on in his head, but what?