Welcome party

 

Jordan barely had time to blink before Matthew's fist collided with his jaw. The sound of the punch echoed through the hospital room, and for a split second, everything went silent. My heart skipped a beat as Jordan stumbled back, eyes flashing with anger.

"You son of a—!" Jordan growled as he regained his balance, ready to lunge at Matthew.

But before he could throw a punch, Daniel leapt between them, his hands pushing both men apart. "Enough!" Daniel barked, his voice ringing with authority. "This isn’t the time or the place for this.”

I stood there, frozen, as the tension between the men crackled in the air. Matthew's chest heaved with anger, his face flushed red. Jordan, despite his calm exterior earlier, now looked ready to fight. I could feel the panic rising inside me as I tried to figure out what to do.

“Both of you, stop this right now!” Madam Hildegard’s voice cut through the chaos. Her eyes were blazing with fury as she looked between her sons and her lover. “I love Jordan, and that’s final! I want you all to get along. If you can’t accept him, then you can consider yourselves disowned!”

Her words sent a shockwave through the room. Disowned? The weight of that threat hung in the air like a storm cloud. I glanced at Matthew, waiting for his reaction, but he didn’t say a word. He just clenched his fists, his whole body trembling with barely controlled rage.

I couldn’t stand there and watch him like this. I quickly moved towards him, placing a hand on his arm. “Matthew, please,” I whispered, trying to sound calm. “Just let it go. Let’s get out of here.”

But instead of calming down, Matthew jerked away from me and stormed out of the room without a word. Panic rose in my chest as I hurried after him, barely managing to keep up with his long strides. We made it down the hallway before I finally caught up to him, grabbing his arm to stop him.

“Matthew, wait!” I panted, trying to catch my breath. “Please, listen to me.”

He turned around, his eyes blazing with frustration and hurt. “What is there to listen to, Jane?” he snapped. “My mother has gone insane! Jordan? Really?”

“I know this is hard for you,” I said softly, stepping closer to him. “But she’s happy. Isn’t that what matters? Just… bear with her. Bear with me. Let her have her chance at love.”

Matthew's expression softened slightly, and the tension in his shoulders eased. He let out a long, tired sigh and pulled me into his arms, wrapping me in a tight hug. I felt his body relax against mine, the anger slowly seeping away as I held him.

"You're right," he murmured into my hair, his voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe I just need to give her a chance. I mean… she's still my mother."

I smiled, relieved that he was starting to come around. He leaned back slightly, looking down at me with a gentle smile before pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. “Thank you, Jane,” he said quietly. “For always being the voice of reason. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, I heard the unmistakable click of high heels behind us. I turned around, and there stood Daniel and Victoria, both of them watching us with unreadable expressions.

“Matthew! What the hell is your problem?”

Matthew turned around slowly, his shoulders stiffening as he glared at his younger brother.

“My problem?” Matthew growled, his voice low and dangerous. “You think I’m the one with the problem? You better watch your mouth, Daniel.”

“You had no right to hit him!” Daniel shot back, stopping just a few feet away from us. “Jordan didn’t do anything to you, but you acted like a damn child throwing a tantrum.”

Matthew’s eyes darkened, and he took a threatening step forward. “Careful what you say next, little brother. You’re in no position to lecture me.”

Daniel scoffed, folding his arms over his chest. “Oh, please, Matthew. Don’t act like you’re some golden boy. You’ve always been our mother’s little pet, the one who could do no wrong. But guess what? You’re not perfect, and attacking Jordan because you’re jealous only proves that.”

“Jealous?” Matthew’s voice was practically a growl. “I’m not jealous of that man. I’m furious that our mother is making a complete fool of herself. And as for you—don’t forget who you are. You’re the black sheep of this family, always running off, screwing things up, and coming back like nothing happened.”

Daniel’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought he was going to swing at Matthew just like Matthew had done to Jordan. But I couldn’t let this happen again—not here, not now.

“Matthew,” I said softly, placing my hand on his arm. “Please, let’s just go. This isn’t worth it.”

I could see the internal battle raging in Matthew's eyes, the temptation to lash out again. But after a moment, he let out a frustrated breath and turned his back on Daniel.

“You’re not worth my time,” Matthew muttered, his voice dripping with contempt.

We started walking away again, but Daniel wasn’t done yet. “That’s right, walk away like you always do!” he called after us. “Just run from the truth, Matthew. You always have.”

I felt Matthew tense beside me, his muscles coiling as if ready to charge back at his brother. But I held on tightly to his arm, keeping him grounded. “Let’s just go, please,” I whispered, practically begging him.

Matthew clenched his fists, but after a long moment, he nodded. “Fine,” he muttered under his breath. “Let’s get out of here.”  

.   .   .

The week flew by, and soon enough, Madam was being discharged from the hospital. Of course, the whole family wanted to celebrate her return, so a welcome-back party was planned.

And who was put in charge of organizing everything? Me and Victoria, of all people. It was like some cruel joke from the universe.

As we worked together to prepare for the party, it didn’t take long for things to start going downhill. Every little thing seemed to turn into a petty argument. I’d pick a certain color scheme for the decorations, and she’d change it the minute I turned my back. It was like we were playing some kind of twisted game of one-upmanship.

At one point, I was straightening the tablecloth when Victoria strolled up to me with her fake smile plastered on her face.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Jane?” she asked, her tone dripping with condescension. “I mean, it’s not like you’ve ever hosted a party this fancy before.”

I clenched my teeth, refusing to rise to the bait. “I’m perfectly capable of handling this,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm.

ust then, Daniel walked in, carrying a glass of lemonade. He smiled warmly at Victoria, completely ignoring my presence. “Thought you might be thirsty,” he said, handing her the glass.

“Thanks, babe,” Victoria purred, batting her eyelashes at him. And then, right in front of me, they kissed. It wasn’t just a peck on the cheek or anything casual—it was a full-on, passionate kiss, like they were starring in their own personal romantic movie.

My blood boiled as I watched them. How could they be so brazen? So disrespectful? Especially Daniel, who knew better than anyone the connection we still shared, the secret that hung between us like a ghost.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned on my heel and stormed off, leaving them to their little love scene. I needed to get away, to clear my head before I did something I would regret.

I headed upstairs to my room and began getting ready for the party. I tried to focus on the task at hand like choosing the right dress, fixing my hair, applying my makeup but my mind kept drifting back to Daniel and Victoria.

The way they looked at each other, the way they touched each other, it made me sick to my stomach. But at the same time, there was this gnawing sense of jealousy, this ache that I couldn’t shake.

By the time I finished getting ready and made my way back downstairs, the dining room was already buzzing with activity.

The table was set and the room was filled with the sound of clinking glasses and laughter. Everyone was dressed so beautifully, looking elegant and refined. I took a deep breath and forced myself to put on a smile as I joined the party.

Madam sat at the head of the table, looking radiant despite everything she had been through. Jordan was seated beside her, his hand resting possessively on hers.

The sight of them together was still jarring. It was hard to wrap my mind around the fact that this young, handsome man was Madam’s boyfriend. But she seemed happy, and that was all that mattered, right?

As the dinner progressed, Madam made a formal introduction of Jordan to the family. “Everyone, I want you all to officially meet Jordan,” she announced with a smile. “He will be living here in the mansion with us from now on.”

A stunned silence fell over the room. I could feel the shock rippling through everyone as they processed her words. Living in the mansion? That was a bold move. But no one dared to argue with Madam, not with the way she was looking at us all, daring us to challenge her decision.

“Well, welcome to the family, Jordan,” Daniel finally said, raising his glass in a toast. The rest of us followed suit, though the tension in the room was palpable.

As the evening wore on, I couldn’t help but notice the way Daniel and Victoria were behaving. They were seated across from me, and every time I looked up, they were flirting with each other.

It was like they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, and it was driving me insane. I tried to ignore it, but it was impossible. Every glance, every laugh felt like a stab to my heart.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore. The jealousy and anger bubbling inside me reached a boiling point, and I knew I had to do something to regain control of the situation.

Without even thinking, I picked up my glass and tapped it lightly with my fork, the sound ringing through the room.

Everyone turned to look at me, curious expressions on their faces.

“Excuse me,” I said, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside me. “I have an announcement to make.”

Madam smiled at me encouragingly. “Go ahead, dear. What is it?”

I stood up, smoothing my dress with trembling hands. I could feel all eyes on me, but there was only one pair of eyes I cared about—Daniel’s. I met his gaze across the table, and for a moment, the room seemed to fade away. It was just the two of us, locked in this silent battle of wills.

 I announced, the words tumbling out before I could second-guess myself. “I am pregnant.”