Engagement

Nortia's POV

I flipped my eyes open, staring blankly at the ceiling as I tried to get a recollection of where exactly I was.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I let out a grunt when everything rushed back in, Maxwell, Samantha, and the bar. I had gotten drunk when I wasn't supposed to.

I exhaled deeply, pushing myself up when a shrilling sound echoed through, punching all of my thoughts into bubbles.

Stretching a hand for my phone, a frown cascaded my face when I saw who it was.

The thought of Samantha rushed back in. It was my uncle, her father.

After my parents had gotten into an accident, they had taken me in, as that was the only way they could get the company my parents left behind, something about a term attached to the will that had been left behind.

So while they treated me like a pearl to the public, I was mainly an extra mouth to be fed which barely even saw enough food to eat, and was made to sleep in the basement while they were even better rooms than I could count.

Funny how the housekeeper and the extra hands had better living conditions than I even did when my father owned the house.

I took in air until I was sure that I was fine, my grip tightened around the phone.

Unlike Samantha and her mother, her father was a bit different from them, he was the least cruel one of them, that treated me as a human, or rather saw me as one.

“ Nortia, where are you? You didn't come home last night” his tone was coated with worry.

I rolled my eyes before settling my phone to my ear. I knew that he had an inkling what was going on in his house. He could tell, but he rarely stopped them anyway, maybe he enjoyed it as well.

“ Is there a problem?” I asked.

“ Let's eat together, it's been so long, and I have missed that”

My heart warmed at his words.

“ Where are you? I will have my driver pick you up in a moment”

“Is it urgent? I am at the apartment.” I racked my brain as I thought of something to put on, if indeed it was.

“ Yes, you don't have to bother, you can come as you are, to the family's hotel, my driver will be there in a second” the call went off in a sec.

“My father's hotel,” I uttered.

it wasn't the family, it was my father’s.

I rushed into the bathroom for a shower, when I was done, I decided to go with a casual gown, it was between family and it shouldn't be too much.

The door went off with a ding, slipping the bag against my shoulders, my feet struttered off to the door as I pulled it open.

“ Let's go” I flashed a smile as I got in the car after he did.

*****************

My brows furrowed when the car came to a halt in front of the hotel, it was the hotel alright, but this didn't look like a family dinner, It looked rather like a party, what was it about?

I flipped my gaze around, trying to make the most of it when a camera flashed its light behind me.

“ Here they come, the couple”

I gazed to my side, a bit stunned that it might be me when I turned my gaze around and my heart plopped as my eyes watered.

“ You are here” Samantha uttered, stridding in with Maxwell.

Samantha was dressed in a peach gown, a pearl necklace that cost more than my salary in a year would adorn her neck while she had her hand hooked around Maxwell’s, her clothes a sharp contrast to mine.

My nails dug into my palm at the thought that I had been fooled by my uncle. My teeth dug into my lips as I glanced at what I had on, an outfit not befitting whatever the occasion was.

Samantha leaned closer, hands wrapped around my neck as she yanked me closer.

“ You are dressed just right, the perfect way that you should” she sniffled in a chuckle before she added.

“ To our engagement party” my eyes rimmed with tears at her words. I glanced at Maxwell behind her, my heart stuffed as I did.

I knew that he had betrayed me, sleeping with my cousin had been one, but getting engaged to her was the height of it.

I pried her hands off, intending to walk off when she held me back, as she rasped out.

“ Can you come and take pictures? I barely see my cousin and I would like to have one with her, on my engagement day” she bellowed, pouting as she pleaded.

I had taken a step forward, intending to storm off when she held my wrist.

“ I wouldn't do so if I were you, father had finally promised to let you get that promotion that you wanted, but that is if you act the way that you should when you are here”

I blinked back the tears that threatened to slip down as I stared at her, flashing the cutest false smile that I could mustered up, while trying to force down the lump and look beyond the gnawing as pain tore through me, I listened for the click, while trying to fight the looks I was given.

‘How could she dress this way to her cousin’s engagement party?

‘One can tell how thoughtless she is, I would never want anyone like her in mine,’

‘She look like she does this often, how exactly does Samantha have a cousin like her? When she is so nice?’

“Oh you people shouldn't say that,’ Samantha beamed as she pulled me closer to her.

“ She isn't always like this, and beside I don't mind,”

I scoffed,peeled her hands off while everyone talked about how flawless she was and how perfect she looked with Maxwell.

I flicked off the tears that slipped down my cheek. That was supposed to be me, and Maxwell, if he had cared enough for my feelings.

My eyes roamed across the hotel hall which was decorated to the tilt, when a voice blurted my name.

“ Nortia, She is here, I told you guys she is just running late and she will be here soon” my aunty strolled along.

I roamed my gaze at her when she halted before clasping a hand over her mouth.

“ Nortia dear, are you okay?”

My eyes dimmed in on her as I waited for her to speak when I noticed the snickers and jeers behind her, mocking me.

“ Oh please, you guys should stop. Her presence here is all I need, and nothing else” my aunty held me to herself, patting my face gentle as she said.

“But her outfit seems so odd, why would she dress this way?”

My aunty held my hands in a reassuring way as she explained.

“ Nortia isn't that way, she is nice. I am sure she had rushed over, she was elated to see her cousin get engaged and had to be here, you know how it can be”

I pried off her hands off, intending to storm off when she held me back.

“ Why don't you go home and get some rest?” She patted my hands.

I tried to push out the words that filled the room commending her for being so nice to me when I was so ungrateful.

Maxwell stood at the far end of the room teasing Samantha who had shared a kiss with him, and when his eyes met with mine, he scoffed before kissing Samantha's hands.

“Come with me” she yanked me with her, pushing me against the door to an empty room.