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Surprise!

★FIVE YEARS LATER★

★LYNETTE★

“You did what?” I bellowed angrily.

My mom raised her left hand and flaunted the exquisite diamond ring sitting pretty on her ring finger as though it meant nothing. “He asked me to marry him and I consented, Lynn.” She reiterated.

Fueled with seething rage, I pounced my fist on the table and the plates clattered on the slab. “You hitched up with a man you just met?”

“Uhn uhn.” She waved a finger in the air to counter my previous statement. “We have been dating for over six months now.”

“What?” I gasped in shock. “Six months and you didn't deem it fit to tell me?”

Her lips curved into the most pathetic grin I'd ever seen. “I am sorry, Lynn...I wanted it to come as a surprise.”

“Oh really?” I roared, jolting to my feet. “Surprise! My mature mom got engaged to a man without a name. Ain't that fun?” I chipped sarcastically.

“I never said he doesn't have a name, Lynn. His name is Emilio Russo and he is Italian.”

My pupils dilated in shock. “So how is that any better?”

Despite my raging emotions, what angered me the most was that— my mom was grinning from ear to ear as though it meant nothing.

“You have to be happy for me, Lynn. After all this while, I finally found the one,” she emphasized the last word with all her might.

My mom works in Greenwich hotel; one of the most exquisite and sort after hotels in New York City. They are mainly patronized by the elites because the accommodation fee tends to be on the higher side. So being a room attendant, mom always got admirers as several men couldn't elude her astonishing beauty.

Regardless, my mom has dated numerous men, much more than I could keep count; Accountants, barristers, resident doctors, engineers, teachers— and even the plumber that repaired the leaks in our kitchen pipes. Provided they were hot and had a couple of bucks to spare, She'd hop on the dating train like a cheapskate. But none of them stuck by for too long. Once they'd gotten a fair share of her body, they vanished into thin air. And it sucks.

So I made up my mind not to be like her. Instead, I focused more on my job at the atoboy Korean restaurant in my street whilst I kept on trying to apply to college. Because I have always felt maybe part of the reason why those men didn't stay until the end was that she was just a high school grad. No college certificate.

“The one?” I scoffed. “Do you mean another one who would just use you and discard you like a used tissue paper?”

“Don't you dare speak to me like that, Lynn.” my mom growled.

Maybe if you start acting like my mother, I won't. I thought to myself. As much as I would have loved to say that to her face right now, I decided to shove it down my throat.

Folding my arms neatly beneath my breast in akimbo, I huffed. “Or what?” I taunted. “What are you going to do about it, Mom?”

She tossed a dreadful glare my way. “You are supposed to be happy for me, Lynn. After all this while, I finally got a man who shared the same interest as mine. Someone who willingly wants to get married to me and is ready to accept you as his daughter. You ought —”

“Spare me that shit, Mother!” I fired back. “You have been with almost all the men in the world, the only person who hasn't been at your clutch is the president of the United States!” I seethed, breathing heavily.

Although I hated the fact that she had a lot of men swirling around her, I have never complained about it once. Alas, I tried to understand her reasons. I felt she found solace in doing those things. I felt she was trying to get over the hurt our family had gone through over the past few years. And sometimes, she got gifts and financial support from those men. So no matter how much I'd have loved to speak against it, I couldn't.

My father abandoned us when I was ten. Up until today, I didn't know what was the reason behind their fights. I just heard some thunderous crashing sounds and my mom whimpering with tears. After that, he packed up some of his stuff and left us. And that was the last time I ever got to set my eyes on him.

Since then, Mom has been the one catering for me and my little sister, Meredith. Unfortunately, Meredith died of a severe asthma attack five years ago. Her death broke the both of us and we haven't gotten over it up to this day.

I shook my head, struggling to comprehend this messy information my mom had divulged to me. “I can't believe this, mom. It's as if I don't even know you anymore. How can you be so unreasonable, Racquel?”

“Lynette Audrey Miller!” my mom snapped. “You will not speak to me like that. No matter what, I am still your mother.....I am doing this for you, for us, and for our future. So how dare you call me unreasonable, huh?”

Licking my lower lip, I struggled to bottle up the tumultuous emotions coursing through my veins. It felt as though someone was plunging a dagger repeatedly into my heart.

“I am pretty sure this is one of those fairytales, mom. Very soon, your head would be out of that cloud and reality would seep in hard. Do you think getting married is what we need right now?” I questioned. Hot tears stung my eyelashes, and it took every ounce of strength left in me not to cry.

To be honest, this hurts. Pretty badly.

“You have no right to judge me, Lynn.” my mom's voice cracked. When I looked up at her face, she was tearing up. “You have never taken care of anything in your entire life so you don't have any reason to judge me. Alas, when you start paying the bills, the rent, buy a month's worth of groceries....only then you're allowed to hurl disdainful words at my face!” She yelled.

Perhaps my mom was right in that aspect. Although I worked full-time at the restaurant, I was only paid a meager amount and that was because I had to plead with the owner to employ me before he agreed based on that payment terms.

“I know it hasn't been easy, Lynn.” my mom said, holding my hands. “Don't you think it's high time we got rid of our wounds, although the scars would remain, we should at least try to heal?”

Hot tears poured down my cheeks. “Even Meredith? Do you think I can ever forget Meredith, Mom? She died in my arms and I was vulnerable, unable to do anything to save her.” I said, bursting into a series of tiny sobs.

My mom wrapped her hands around the small of my back and pulled me tighter to her. “You have to let go of that memory too, Lynn. I was the one to blame. Meredith died due to my lackadaisical attitude. If I hadn't forgotten to get a new inhaler, if only I requested permission from work to go to the grocery store, my little girl would not have died.” Her voice cracked. And I could feel her tears dropping on my collarbone.

“No, it's my fault,” I stated with tears. My heart clenched in writhing pain. “If I didn't work the extra shift that day, maybe I'd have been just in time to get her an inhaler before the attack.”

“It's not your fault, Lynn.” Her hand combed through my hair, soothing my wrecking nerves. “And I'm sorry for not telling you about Emilio. But I need you to trust me on this one, okay?”

“Who the fuck bears Emilio?” I teased with a sad chortle. “Sounds like a rough sketch from Davinci's painting.”

Mom laughed.

She sniffled then pulled away from the hug to cup my face in between her hands. “I've got you, Lynn. And you have got me. We have only each other now. Emilio promises to send you to UC Berkeley to study art as you have always wanted. He is going to fund all your bills through college. Also, his son is around your age and he just got admitted there.”

Hearing that made butterflies flutter in the depth of my stomach and I forgot I was furious for a split second.

“Really?” I inquired excitedly.

“Of course, Lynn.” She wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes with her thumb. “You are going to have a better life and I owe you that.”

I inhaled deeply. As much as this sounded too good to be true, I hoped it was real.

“Are you sure about this, Mom?” I asked again.

She beamed a small smile at me. “I have never been so sure of anything in my life, Lynn. And before I forget, Emilio has booked our flight to California. We leave tomorrow evening, also this apartment has been leased to someone else. So pack some of your things and leave the ones that are no longer useful for the new occupant.”

I heaved a sigh. “Okay, mom. And I'm sorry for the way I spoke to you earlier.” I added sincerely.

She clicked her tongue and poked my nose. “Maybe I deserved some of that. I'm also sorry, Lynn. Next time, before making a decision, I'd consult you first.”

“Okay.”

She wrapped her arms around me and expelled a sharp air. “I love you, Lynn.”

“I love you, mom.”

★★★

★CALIFORNIA★

Throughout the whole plane ride to California, my mom would not stop blabbing about how she met Emilio, her supposed fiance, and my soon-to-be stepdad. I finally got to understand when she explained that Emilio took an interest in her the moment she walked into his room to do some tidying up.

And she kept it away from me because; one– I was always at work. And our shifts don't tally. While she's on night duty, I'd be at home, babysitting Meredith. And when she was on the day shift, I was also at work. Two– she wasn't sure if her relationship with Emilio would last. So she kept it from me just to save the shame when they both decide to break up. But I must add that if Emilio was as dreamy as she described him, then I'm truly happy for her.

Also, Emilio must be a wealthy man for booking the first-class suite for us. Although I wasn't all that excited about this whole new development, I just decided to accept it for my mom's happiness. I have no other family except her and I'd do anything to keep making her happy.

After six hours long, the plane touched down at the airport in California. Shortly after, a man dressed in an all-black suit walked up to us.

“Miss Racquel Jordan?”

My mom nodded. “That's me.”

His face remained stoic as he looked from her to me. Then back to her. “I am your chauffeur. Master Emilio sent me your pictures and asked that I give you a ride back to the mansion,” he said, taking our luggage.

“Thank you.” my mom muttered then we followed right behind him.

The ride to the house was one of the most pleasant rides I had ever gotten in my entire life. We have driven around in a limousine and a young pretty lady sat at the back, serving us chilled drinks.

And that made me wonder; how rich was my soon-to-be stepdad?

The limousine screeched to a halt and we alighted from it. My mouth dropped to the floor when I noticed the mansion situated right in front of me.

It was a gargantuan-sized house built of red bricks coupled with the most ingeniously looking picket fence I'd ever seen. Gleamed with the spotless silence of for-company-only and overviewed with a well-cultured lawn.

“Lynn?”

I snapped my head to my mom's face. “Yes?”

“You are definitely going to like it here, but I want you to be nice to Emilio and his kids, okay?”

I absentmindedly nodded my head. Drifting my gaze to the magnificent house once more, I surveyed it; indeed, it was a very big mansion, the kind in which most American kids dreamed of growing up. Secluded among trees in one of the most exclusive streets, it had turrets, gable dormers, balconies, a screened-in front porch, a free-standing garage, and a pool. Oh my goodness! What an American dream.

“Please follow me.” The chauffeur instructed and we simply obliged.

He finally stopped at the well-cultured lawn and gestured at the buffet arranged for us. All through my nineteen years of existence, I have never seen this much food. My mouth watered.

Just then a middle-aged man trudged out of the back door with a mushy smile on his face.

“At last, my beautiful fiancee is here!” He declared, stretching out his arms and mom ran into them.

I struggled not to puke when I saw them kissing. Then I immediately looked away and rummaged through my jacket for my phone. It was after a while I got to realize that I left it inside my bag because the battery ran out.

“Is that my daughter?” The man asked, walking over to me.

I didn't know how to react, so I stood there with a faint smile plastered on my lips.

Before I knew what was happening, he pulled me into a warm embrace. “Your mom has said a lot about you, Lynn.” the hug was brief but warm. And I could tell that Emilio might not be that bad after all. He pulled away from me and scrutinized me from head to toe. “You are quite skinny. But don't worry, in a few months....you wouldn't recognize yourself anymore.”

A part of me felt insulted, but I quickly shoved that feeling from my mind because of mom and let out a wary laugh.

“Come and sit at the table, Lynn.” Emilio gestured at the buffet-filled table and I followed right behind him.

But just when I was about to take my seat, a blood-curdling scream came from behind the annex of the mansion.

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