"HELLO!" LYDIA waved at Doris who did not respond but stared at her with her mouth still hanging loose in shock. "Here, take a seat, we've been waiting for you," Charles said, pulling out a chair for Lydia. "Thank you," Lydia said as she sat down. "I'm sorry I'm late. The traffic was tragic." Then, she glanced at Sam. "Hello, Mom. How have you been?" Sam beamed. "So far, so good. You?" "Same old," Lydia replied, and then slowly, she turned her attention back to Doris who was still flummoxed. She smiled at her. "You know, I get exactly how you feel at the moment. I had the exact expression on my face when the news was broke to me a few days ago." Doris blinked, struggling to comport herself. "How?" She managed to drag the word out of her throat as she turned to her father for an explanation. "And did she just call her, Mom?" Charles cleared his throat. "Doris, let me explain. . ."~~ It had all started back in college when Charles and Sam had first met. Th
IT WAS FINALLY CHRISTMAS! And Jason Lyndon's "Legendary" Christmas Party was already in full swing. The ballroom of the Avalon Grand Hotel glittered and sparkled, a vision of opulence and extravagance. Chandeliers dripped with crystals, reflecting the light from hundreds of flickering candles. The floor was polished marble, and the walls were draped in rich fabrics. But it was the people who really made the room sparkle. Hollywood stars, tech billionaires, politicians, and fashion icons, all dressed to the nines, chatted and mingled, their laughter filling the air. The band played a jazzy holiday tune, and champagne flutes clinked in celebration. The room was alive with the magic of the season, but underneath it all was a feeling of desperation, a sense of needing to be seen and to be a part of the spectacle. The buffet table was a wonder to behold. An ice sculpture of a Christmas tree sparkled in the center, and around it were a multitude of delectable dishes.
NO WORDS describe the chaos at which Jason Christmas Party's had ended last night. From Brad losing his control and yelling at his ex-wife for coming back into his life to torture him again to Doris, getting in the center of the fire for bringing her to the party to Lydia, making matters worse by replying back to her ex-husband by the same energy. It was way too turbulent that Jason had been forced to make the difficult decision to end the party early. The atmosphere had become so tense and volatile that he feared what might happen if they continued to confront each other. So he had urged everyone to leave, to go home and calm down. But for Doris, there would be no calming down. All she had only wanted to do was to spend time with her friends and introduce them to her new family, but instead, she had ended up in the middle of a maelstrom of drama and emotion, stuck in the eye of the storm, unable to escape the turmoil that had engulfed her. She'd taken a taxi back ho
DORIS WAS way beyond furious. The heat of wrath emitting from her body as she rode into the Evans Mansion was capable of changing the season from winter to summer. She was mad at everyone. Brad, Lydia, Sam, her father. . . even the silly security man who couldn't tell she wasn't in the mood for pleasantries. Her anger was like a volcano about to erupt, the pressure of her emotions building to a boiling point. She wanted to lash out, to take her fury out on anyone and everyone. She felt betrayed, angry, and hurt, and she didn't know what to do with all the conflicting emotions raging inside her. Doris stormed into the front door of the Evans Mansion like a hurricane, her anger sweeping through the air like a gust of wind. The staff cowered as she passed, her eyes blazing with fury. She made a beeline for the study where she was certain she would find her, the sound of her heels on the marble floor echoing through the halls. As she entered the room, she saw her father sitti
BY THE following morning, Doris had already come to terms with her current life situation. She knew that things were about to get severe. Lydia, her so-called sister and Brad's ex-wife had come to stay and wasn't about to leave anytime soon. Plus, She had seen the way Lydia looked at Brad, and she knew that her sister was not about to give up on her quest to win him back. And of course, her intention of driving Doris over the edge. But all in all, Doris was assured that if she didn't know anything else, she was certain that Brad had zero feelings for his ex-wife and he was not interested in getting back together with Lydia. He had made that clear to Doris, and he had not given any indication that he wanted to rekindle their relationship. So even though Lydia was trying her damnest to win him back, Doris felt confident that her own relationship with Brad was strong and secure. And she was determined to make sure it stayed that way. As Doris made her way to the breakfas
NEW YEAR'S Day came and went. . . And in stark contrast to the chaotic Christmas Party, the New Year's celebration had been more blissful and less drama— courtesy of Jason again— and comprised more family members. The last party had been a disaster, but this one had gone off without a hitch. Maybe it was because the kids were there, keeping everyone on their best behavior. Or maybe it was because everyone had learned their lesson from the Christmas party fiasco. Either way, it had been a peaceful evening filled with faces lit up with joy and excitement. And that was what the holidays were all about. Being with the people you love, celebrating new beginnings and fresh starts. And in that spirit, Doris had even tried to make the best of her situation. She tried to focus on the positive aspects of having Lydia around. She thought about how much Max and Nora enjoyed spending time with her over the last few days. Maybe there was something good that could come out of this
"WHAT IS it, Mrs. Hopkins?" Doris prompted, a mixture of anxiety and concern in her tone. "It's Nora," Mrs. Hopkins replied. "She wouldn't stop crying since she arrived from the event." "What? Why?" Doris was saying those words a lot today, that she was starting to dread them. Concern shifted to anger on the older woman's face. "Well, apparently, her so-called mother left her a few minutes after they got to the museum to attend to a very crucial appointment and promised the poor child to return just in time. But still, now, her mother is nowhere to be found. She's not even taking her calls. Nora was brought home by Ethan's mom and since then she hasn't stopped crying. . ." Doris began to hurry towards Nora's room as Mrs. Hopkins followed behind her. How could Lydia do this to her daughter? As she approached her room she could hear her whimpers from within. She knocked softly on her door. "Nora, honey, are you okay?" "GO AWAY!" Nora screeched as her wailing am
BRAD TURNED to face Lydia. Lean, dark features set with chilling intent as he gave her a quelling look of granite hardness. "What are you talking about? He demanded harshly. Lydia crossed her arms and gave Brad a condescending look. "Oh, please," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, Brad. I know you're a smart guy. And I'm pretty sure you've known a long time that Nora isn't your biological daughter." Brad's hands curled into fists as he tried to curb his temper. Lydia was right. He did know that Nora was not his biological daughter. He'd found out about the onset of her condition when the hospital had run an overall test on Nora and her Blood type had come out as a Blood type O whereas he was a type AB and so was Lydia. That piqued his curiosity which had led him to run a paternity test. He'd been shocked to his bone marrow when the result came back negative. The little princess he adored, the only beautiful thing that came out of his failed marr