1| The Birthday

At Luis' mansion, Lady Loretta, a 70-year-old woman, was preparing her son's birthday party.

“Miranda, get the drinks from the fridge,” Lady Loretta said. She was the matriarch of the house, and it was her only son's birthday.

“Okay, Ma,” Miranda answered. As a young lady in her early twenties, she wore a pink dress and black slippers. It was 5pm, and they were preparing a birthday party for Derrick Luis, the only son of the Luis family. Out of seven sisters, Derrick was born.

Many guests were already present in the Luis family mansion. Among them were top admirers, business partners, and their family members, but the birthday celebrant was not at home.

--

In Luis' firm, Derrick Luis was still at his office when his phone rang.

“Hello, Mother.” He picked up the call, and his mother said, “Derrick, you know that today is your birthday. So where are you?”

Looking at his wristwatch, Derrick saw that it was 6 p.m. He replied, “In my office, Mom.”

“Come home, Son. It's your birthday, and we did many things to make today a special moment to mark your new age at 25.”

“Mom, I am not interested in birthday parties. Why can't you understand my perspective?” Derrick murmured. His mother was an elderly woman, so he couldn't blame her.

“I understand. Please, come home quickly before the guests start leaving. If I had known you would stubbornly stay late at the office until this time, I shouldn't have allowed you to go to the office today, knowing it is also your birthday,” she said.

“Mom, I cannot set work aside for the party. Who will look after Dad's company?” he murmured again.

His mother responded sadly, “You are right, but during your father's time, he didn't skip coming home from work. He attended parties—or where do you think I met him?”

Derrick rolled his eyes at his mother's words. “Fine, Mother. I will be home now.” He replied, and the phone call ended.

“Running a multimillion-dollar company at this age, and my mother still wants me to prioritize the party over work.” Derrick murmured as he stood up from his exclusive office chair. He shut down his computer, grabbed his briefcase and elegantly left his office.

Arriving home in a brand-new Jeep, Derrick got out of the vehicle and made his way to his family's mansion. He could hear the sound of music and frowned after seeing many guests' cars parked inside his late father's estate.

Marching forward, Derrick arrived at the mansion's exterior. He rang the doorbell, and the maid pulled the door open for him.

"Welcome, Master Derrick," the maid greeted.

Derrick ignored the maid's greeting and was ushered by his mother, who was in the living room with many guests.

"Welcome, son. Happy 25th birthday to you."

"Happy birthday, Master Derrick!" The guests in the living room toasted the new age of the young master.

"Thank you all," Derrick replied. He wanted to retire to his bedroom to rest, but his mother stopped him. "Derrick, it's still your birthday. Come and cut your cake and make a wish."

Derrick paused at the staircase and looked back at the faces of the guests. He saw his seven elder sisters, who were all married with children, and some of his staff stood aside.

Derrick wanted to protest again that he was not a kid and didn't want a birthday party. However, he gulped down his protest as silence fell in the crowded living room.

Approaching his cake, which was placed in the center of the living room, Derrick picked up the knife and cut it. The guests clapped for him.

"Happy birthday, brother," his sisters cheered him, and he replied, "Thank you all."

"That's not all, Derrick. Make a wish," his mother urged him again.

"Oh, Mother, I am not a kid," Derrick protested, but his mother walked up to meet him as they stood in the living room.

"No one said you're a kid, but you're still my baby, so make a wish," his mother pleaded with an assuring smile.

Derrick did not want to make his mother sad, so he wished for a long life, a happy family, and a prosperous business.

"Happy birthday to you again, Mr. Derrick; we wish you all the best." The guests were happy, and the toast continued as they resumed drinking and chatting happily.

--

Later, Derrick excused himself from the living room and went back to his bedroom on the top floor of the mansion.

Meanwhile, among the maids, Miranda had a crush on the housemaster. She was not the only one crushing on Derrick, but she couldn't get her eyes off him.

She openly gawked at his handsomeness.

"Too handsome for one person," Miranda thought.

She had observed Derrick; he seemed very hardworking. He had no time for women and focused mostly on his business alone.

Derrick did not even have a girlfriend, and Miranda was dripping wet in her core, hoping he would notice her.

She was a poor girl who had come from the orphanage. After five years of serving the Luis' family as a maid, Miranda wanted a luxurious life. She did not want to return to poverty.

In the Luis family mansion, maids were expected to dress in casual, cheap wear.

There was no competition, as all the daughters of the Luis family were married, including Derrick's immediate elder sister, Nicole Luis.

"Come on, Alexa, I want to introduce you to my brother. I fear he might be gay. Why won't he have a girlfriend at this age? Don't you find it weird?" Nicole spoke to her friend as she invited Alexa to her brother's birthday party.

Alexa worked as Derrick's secretary. She would admit that she hadn't seen any young lady come to the office to visit Derrick.

"I don't think he's gay. Master Derrick is just too busy to notice any woman," Alexa replied. She wore a dazzling red dress and black shoes. She had arrived at the Luis' mansion just after Derrick left the company.

Alexa Godwin was also interested in Derrick Luis. She wanted him, because she was just 22 years old.

She knew she would one day have a man like Derrick as her husband. She didn't need to work much or suffer to feed herself, as his family's wealth was enough to cover all her lifetime expenses.

"Alexa, what do you think of Derrick? Do you not have a crush on my brother? If my sisters hadn't spoken to me about introducing you to Derrick to work for him as his new secretary after my leave, do you think I only accepted you based on friendship alone? Come now." Nicole grabbed Alexa's hand and led her to the top floor, where there were no guests.

Alexa was nervous. For a year, she had been working as Derrick's personal secretary thanks to Nicole's influence.

She hadn't crossed the line or tried to get his attention. He was mean, and she feared what he would do to her if she dared to cross it.