Chapter 4

Margaret called for me with a flicker of her hands. I took a hold of the dishes and placed it at the center of the table. Allen’s eyes were still on me, his presence was making me awfully uncomfortable. Yet, I ignored his stares and poured the elderly man—probably his father—wine. 

“Sister,” she announced. Her eyes were looking so intensely at me that I squinched. I wasn’t surprised that I was acknowlged. After all, father was present and any form of degrading would only cause trouble to Margaret and Juliet. 

Juliet took Margaret’s pampering tendencies towards her for granted. She showed it off whenever she got the chance to do so. In all this, I never blamed her for taking our parent’s attention.

She raised her head high and elegantly sat watching intently at Allen. She would nudge him and point at a random dish. Allen would nod without saying a word. 

I rarely saw dad, he was always travelling abroad dealing with one business or the other to earn a livelihood. Yet, he never got the joy of basking in the luxuries he left home.

Father was sitting at the chair that overlooked the other ones. Juliet made a show for it and greeted him with a bow of her head and a twirl of her dress which I found unappealing and superfluous.

“Good evening, dad.” I greeted. He smiled at me and nodded his head in acknowledgement. He wasn’t aware of the way Margaret’s ways regarding me but if he did, he chose not to speak of it. 

“Mr. Ian, this is my lovely husband.” Margaret introduced which I found rather futile. She was smiling so hard it was beginning to seem faux.

“Nice to meet you, sir.” Dad shook hands with him. The older man had to be Mr. Ian and the younger looking lady no doubt his son, Allen, of which Juliet was obsessed with; the famous business tycoon of which I wasn’t acquainted with.

“Have a seat,” dad welcomed. He seemed to have forgotten that Mr. Ian was already seated. But when I looked at him, I noticed that he wasn’t talking to Mr.Ian but to me. He motioned to the chairs that were orderly set when he noticed I was stagnant. I looked at Margaret for permission, her eyes squinted at me, I shrank back.

With a tiny voice I murmured, “Thank you dad. But I have something to do in my room.”

My statement brought a smile on Juliet’s face. Margaret hummed in satisfaction. I was wearing one of Juliet’s faded dresses—I wasn’t fit for a lavish dinner. 

 It was clear that Allen was a taciturn. He only mumbled a few pleasantries since he came and sat with a poker-face.

“This is my daughter Juliet,” Margaret proudly introduced when the chatter between Mr.Ian and dad surpassed. She always mentioned Juliet before she did me—that is if I was ever introduced. 

And like I predicted, she gave me a nasty look and said to the unimpressed Mr. Ian, “And this is Cheryl.” 

His son—Allen—quickly glanced at me before focusing his attention on the expensive silverware. 

“May we?” dad stated. It was useless because the company had long indulged in the dishes. The only ones who hadn’t started eating would probably be him and Mr.Ian. Margaret was monitoring all my movements waiting for a slight mistake so she could lash out; everything had to be idyllic.

When I had excused myself to my former position—at the edge of the kitchen threshold—dad raised his wine and toasted. “To business.”

Mr.Ian laughed at this and nudged his son who was unfazed. On remembering that he hadn’t introduced the lad, he laughed. “This is my son Allen. He will take over the company in a few months, he had just completed his degree in business at the age of twenty-one.” 

Allen whom I had known his name from Juliet and had stared at me a lot, not shaken by his father’s statement took a sip of his drink. 

Juliet said in a soft voice I had never witnessed her use before not even when she wanted things from Margaret. “Is he single?” 

Margaret grinned at her, to Mr.Ian she playfully added. “Juliet is still in College. She had two more years and then she is done. Currently, she is majoring in accounting.” 

Dad was quiet; he gulped down his drink, and tugged at the base of his grey hair. The worry lines had formed on his forehead. I almost reached over to him when I remembered that Margaret wouldn’t be pleased with me. I belonged in the shadows only appearing when my presence is needed. 

“What about her?” Allen asked. His voice wasn’t rough compared to his manly appearance. His face was void of beard and his skin looked soft from where I stood far away across the table. There were additional details that I wasn’t able to detect before that I now see, like the mole on the bridge of his nose.

Margaret looked displeased. She knew he was inquiring about my educational backdrop. “She umm—” her eyes said I was in trouble attracting the interest of our guests. Nonetheless, she plastered a lovely smile. “She graduated college. She majored in fashion designing.”

I looked away in shame. Margaret hadn’t failed to remind me all the time how insignificant my educational level was in contrast to Juliet’s. That was because Juliet could work in the family shares industry. 

Allen seemed to have something to say but refrained from that no doubt due to the tense atmosphere in the room. Father and Mr.Ian talked in hush tunes discussing the rates of sells in the market and chuckling at intervals. 

“Here, you should try this.” Juliet handed him a plate of mashed potatoes. Allen took it without a word. 

I focused on not attracting anymore attention and the overwhelming presence of my family and the guests. I wished I was hanging out with my best friends laughing our hearts off while we binge watch. Young Sheldon and not watching over a business dinner avoiding Margaret’s piercing glares and Juliet’s failed mission at getting Allen’s to discuss with her. 

If only I knew the meeting I dreaded was going to be my ticket to freedom.