CHAPTER 1 – I'm Married

“Mother, Uncle Clint, I’m married” Celine Yates declared proudly.

They’re supposed to have their scheduled family lunch when Celine greeted them with an ‘exciting news’.

Other mothers would be thrilled to hear such announcement.

But not Minerva Yates-Solomon.

She has heard this excuse for as long as she could remember.

“Okay, where’s your husband?” she dabbed a napkin to her lips to entertain the new-comer.

“He’s abroad, preparing for our future” Celine said confidently.

“Is he still the same man that you’re claiming you married from seven years ago?”

“Or you have divorced and married another one?” Minerva did not fail to raise her left eyebrow.

“Yes, same man” she quipped.

“You know what sweetheart, it doesn’t matter. You will still attend the engagement party with Mr. Johnson”

“If your dear husband is real, I’m sure he will show up to stop it” Minerva sipped her wine trying to dismiss their conversation.

“Mother, I’m pregnant” she tried one more time.

“Enough!” Minerva glared at her.

“Why can’t you believe me?” she asked imploringly.

“The last time you asked someone to pretend to be your boyfriend we lost millions”

“Never mind the millions, Celine. We lost face when he turned out to be a drag queen” Minerva reminded her with gritted teeth.

Celine snorted when she remembered that scene.

That was a funny one.

She never fails to laugh just remembering it.

“You’re not taking this seriously, are you? I think I should let Uncle Clint proceed with the lawsuit” Minerva said in a threatening tone.

“What lawsuit, it’s a baseless accusation mother. You know it” she objected.

“For fraud. Daniel Grant does not exist in any records. He’s not real, Celine. Uncle Clint has been very considerate to you all these years” Minerva reminded her.

“He is real, he’s my friend from college” she explained.

“You never had friends. Anyway, the engagement party is your only way out” Minerva reminded her again.

When she realized there’s no point in staying there, she bid her mother goodbye then immediately called her lawyer, Attorney Dawson to meet up.

“Celine, please slow down” the lawyer reminded her when he noticed her murdering her steak.

“I’m just so hungry, Uncle Dawson. Mother never fed me.  She wanted to keep me malnourished” she said trying to throw shade at her mother.

Jeffrey Dawson just looked at his late friend’s daughter.

This is not the princess that his friend, Roland Yates, imagined her to become.

“Didn’t you just come from lunch?” he asked lightly.

“No” she shook her head.

“Who eats salad for lunch? Only cows” she replied bluntly.

“Sorry” she immediately apologized when she saw Uncle Dawson pouring dressing on his salad.

‘Moooo’ she wanted to add.

“Tell me what did Minerva want this time?” the good lawyer asked her again.

“She wanted me to attend the engagement party or Uncle Clint will file the lawsuit” she gave a brief summary.

“And you don’t want to attend it because?” sometimes it makes him question his loyalty to his old friend.

“Because Mr. Johnson is twice my age and as soon as I marry him, Uncle Clint will have control of the entire Yates Holdings” she reminded him.

Does she need to remind him that?

He would be the first to be eliminated once Clint Solomon takes over.

“I just wanted to know if you’re still clear of what is at stake here” Attorney Dawson suddenly became serious.

“This is my father’s legacy Uncle Dawson. I know everyone thinks I’m just an unworthy brat and that I don’t deserve it”

“Maybe it’s true. But father left it for me. I cannot let anyone squander what he built over the years” she bit her lips to suppress her tears.

“It would be nice if you could have a ‘husband’ to avoid the engagement” he also thinks Daniel Grant is an imaginary person.

“You also doubt me?” her own lawyer doubts her.

How could he represent her if he doesn’t believe in her?

“Celine, there’s no record of Daniel Grant. I saw your ‘marriage certificate’ and I executed your father’s will”

“I don’t know how you did it. It’s not my concern”

“But fighting a lawsuit is another matter” he reminded her.

“I have completed the marriage clause, why can’t you force mother to give me my inheritance?”

“I’ve been living like a beggar for the last seven years, Uncle Dawson. Please do something” she pleaded.

“Don’t exaggerate, Celine. You live in a 3-bedroom apartment at the heart of the business district. Even middle management could not instantly afford that kind of space” he dismissed her claims.

“I grew up in a mansion with my own Olympic-sized swimming pool and a secret garden for my flowers, Uncle Dawson” she reminded the old man.

“Living in apartment and sharing elevator with strangers is the worst punishment for me” she rolled her eyes.

Attorney Dawson looked at her intently.

“Unbelievable” he just shook his head.

Sometimes he just wanted to burn incense or some candles to call back Roland Yates from the dead.

That way he doesn’t have to lose his head every time he deals with his daughter.

“So, what now? What can we do?” Celine asked impatiently.

“We can hire an actor. They could be more convincing at impromptu conversations” Attorney Dawson gave her a solution.

“I’ll see what I can do. I have a job interview as project manager. I’ll let you know tomorrow” she said while finishing her meal.

She went back to her beggar flat and freshen up then proceed to her interview at 5Cattleya.

5Cattleya is a start-up company that releases online games that are very popular to the younger generation.

To be honest she just liked the name of the company that’s why she applied.

Her background is in investment banking, a gaming company is a child’s play for her.

Once she got her inheritance, she will buy the company and will rename it to ‘Celine’s Cattleya’.

When she reached the company, she was a bit impressed.

This is a big office for a start-up.

And when she enters the conference room, she received the shock of her life.

“D, what are you doing here?” she saw Daniel Grant in the panel of interviewers.