Strange

Chapter Seventy-Six – Strange.
An ‘all you can buffet’ should be an ‘all you can eat’ buffet, not an ‘all you are permitted’ to eat buffet! Why can’t the chef of the mansion understand that!
And the fact they had selected the food out for her in a cart already, waiting for her to retrieve it. She didn’t even pick what she would eat.
Arya stomped back to her room, pushing the cart of food she had. She passed by Connor’s room and paused. She had taken a snack for him, but she wasn’t sure if he was awake.
She hadn’t set her eyes on him since yesterday when they returned from the incident. But she knew he was okay, she hoped. “Hey Connor.” She knocked on his door.
There was no response before someone said “Come in, Arya.”
Arya knew it was Mrs. Wade. Damien earlier told her that she stayed with Connor yesterday but Arya didn’t think she would still be with him. “Oh sure.” She walked in.
“Good morning, mother.” She made a small bow.
Mrs. Wade smiled. “Good morning, Arya.”
Arya’s eyes tarried on Connor, who was asleep on Mrs. Wade’s laps like a scared baby. His hands were wrapped around her like he didn’t want to let go.
She was right, wasn’t she? Connor had been traumatized by the incident. Even the sound of the explosion would be enough to make a person lose their mind.
“Is he alright?” she muttered.
Mrs. Wade looked down at him. “He will be fine. There was an incident concerning an explosion that left a mark on him once. However, he’s older now so it wouldn’t be that bad.”
So this was a reoccurring trauma for him? Arya looked down. “Way to go me!” she scolded herself.
Mrs. Wade looked behind her, at her cart of food and smiled. “You should go and eat before it gets cold.”
Arya took out the plantain chips snack she had brought for Connor. “I brought some for him. He should eat too.”
She placed it on the table and took one last glance at him before leaving. Her guilt and regrets were coming back again.
She hadn’t been up to one year in the family and she had scarred a family member already. And it was Connor, who usually hung around her to make sure she didn’t feel lonely.
Maybe her father was right, she did bring bad luck to… “What am I saying!” She snapped suddenly.
Why was she thinking of her father’s words now? This wasn’t her fault… completely.
Maybe she had ran out there while being tricked but Debby had been the one who caused the explosion. Her Aunt Jenna and father had tricked her to come.
Connor coming along was just an unlucky fate but as he said, he could have encountered something worse.
After all, Debby made it clear she wanted him dead too so if he had been alone, something might have happened to him.
“It was best as we were together. We helped each other and Damien found us together.” She told herself.
Surely, she wished things happened differently but it wasn’t her fault they happened the way they did. This was Debby’s fault, as well as her Aunt Jenna’s.
She would only be careful not to give a flying cow about her other family again. Arya huffed then rode her cart towards her room.
Halfway there, she sighted Selena fixing her hair outside her room, with her table mirror and cart of hair supposed.
Her room door was closed behind her and she rested on it. Arya stopped in front of her. “Good morning, any issue?”
Selena looked up with an eyebrow raise. “No, they’re fixing back the aesthetics on my walls. Nothing else.”
It was very obvious to Arya the annoyed tone Selena was using on her. She didn’t need to think far to understand that it’s because she had ran out yesterday and caused trouble.
If Arya thought more about it, it could also be the reason the chefs denied her the ‘all you can eat’ buffet.
To them, she endangered their young master, Connor. They might not have fully accepted her in the family.
One part of Arya wanted to walk away from Selena after that, since she was in a bad mood. She didn’t want to receive another belittling talk from any one again.
But Arya knew if she walked away there, it’d put her back to the sour relationship she and Selena had. Their relationship wasn’t best now but at least she spoke to her.
“I’m sorry I left yesterday and got caught in Debby’s trap. I was told my father was injured so I thought I’d help.” She started.
Selena looked up from her mirror, her annoyed gaze hadn’t quenched. “What kind of family do you have that they’d try to kill you? It’s more messed up than I thought.”
Than she thought? Arya wondered if Selena already had an idea of how miserable her father was to her.
She gulped down saliva and replied. “I didn’t think they’d conspire to kill me. I’m sorry. I didn’t also think Debby wanted me dead either. I had been haughty. I’m really sorry.”
When Arya looked up again, she met Selena’s softened gaze without the annoyed expression.
Selena smiled. “You are really a handful but I guess that’s why my brother likes you. He has a really boring way of living so you add some adrenaline to his life.”
Her words made Arya blush and she looked down. Why was she reacting that way to her words? So what if she made Damien’s life better?
She was still very much a troublemaker and she shouldn’t forget the marriage was a farce. She looked up again with a straight face. “Thank you. I’d be more thoughtful.”
“For your own sake too. And the family reputation. I don’t know why my brother hasn’t made it public that he’s married to your family but I’m glad he didn’t.” Selena smirked.
A frown appeared on Arya’s face. Why was she glad? She didn’t want her here? She shook her head.
But of course, the reason why it wasn’t made public was because she told Damien she didn’t want it to be. But Selena being happy about it just annoyed her.
“And Arya, why are you mad? Do you want the world to know you married him?” she asked herself.
Strangely, she didn’t have a concrete answer. Her brain said “no” but parts of her didn’t agree with the brain.
“Why are you happy it’s not public?” Arya found herself asking. Why did she care? “You don’t have to answer.”
“No, it’s nothing serious.” Selena shrugged. “Just that the house that exploded belonged to your family. If the media knew, it’d look like another attack to the Wades.”
Realization hit Arya and she nodded. That was a fact.
“It’d affect our reputation and the media will know that the enemies are really targeting the Wades and their latest daughter-in-law.” Selena added. “But they don’t know yet…”
Arya felt glad she made Damien keep their marriage a secret. Till the fight with Debby was done, she should remain a secret so the Wades will not be affected.