Chapter 3

DAWN POV

It has been full 16 years!

Almost two decades since she passed on! But my heart clenched every time on this day because it was her birthday. The day she descended from heaven to earth. The mere thought of her made my heartbreak so much I failed to breathe! There was no healing from such pain. The pain of losing your best friends. They say time can heal, but this was a different kind of pain and I couldn’t heal. Even after a decade and a half! No woman on this earth filled the void she left. And it was sad! So sad because there was really no one like her.

The iron gates to the mansion slit open and the black BMW slipped through, whooshing towards the mansion which was a good distance from the gate, passing the well-trimmed hedges and trees. The whole yard was buzzing with people and cars, and I felt already suffocated even way before I can step into the crowd. The chauffeur slammed the brakes and one of the servants opened the door, I stepped outside and pulled on my poker face.

This place was once my fortification. But now, it looked like a cold shell with lavish ornaments, the butterflies that used to dance in my belly, the sense of belonging that engulfed me whenever I set foot into this house was well gone, gone with the legend.

I stepped inside the lobby and fixed my tie, then looked around at the well-dressed guests who were clamped in gold and wealth, wine glasses clinking against each other and a loud buzz of chatters filling the air.

“Look who has arrived!” The annoying shriek sounded from the crowd and I braced myself for what came. 

Red silk gown that swept the floor, a lavish black shawl that was draped on the shoulders, a hundred grand diamond necklace and earrings, as well as a bright lipstick doll, walked by before pulling me in a tight hug.

My body went so frigid as she wrapped her arms so tight around me before pulling off, then hugged me around my waist and called out loud:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, the jewel of Bede has arrived. All the way from New York.” She boasted and grinned widely as the whole crowd went wild, I just gave a polite nod and tried to shrug from her hold, but her claws dug into my skin, through the tux coat I had on. I cleared my throat and looked down at her. To anyone, the interaction may have looked like a nice mother welcoming her son, but only I knew the real thing and why she was doing all this! Mellissa Janelle Lamar-Bede was fake more than all i*******m filters combined! And the motherly act didn't faze me even a bit!

“Welcome home son!” She called out aloud for almost everyone to hear, then pulled my head down and planted a kiss on my cheek, causing my skin to crawl painfully and goosebumps to erupt from my skin. 

“Hey, Janelle!” I called out and gave her a small smile and hurriedly excused myself, turned around and fished a handkerchief from my pocket, wiped the kiss and whatever virus she left on my kiss.

“Awwwww you just hurt my feelings.” She feigned a heart attack before she busted out laughing with her mates, I walked past them and headed for the stairs, and I couldn’t be in here for any minute longer.

“The favorite child of the favorite father!” Another angering voice called out from the crowd and I decided to pay him no attention.

“Mad at me bro?” I turned and faced him, keeping a blank face. Red hair, piercings, and polished nails greeted my eyes,

“It’s good to see you, Brett,” I said plainly and began climbing the stairs.

“If you want, I can give you one of these. Take your pick!” He flaunted the fake dolls that were hanging all over him, crossing me out so much I nearly threw whatever I had on the plane all out. The apple indeed doesn't fall far from the tree.

“No thanks. I am good.” I said and turned away, leaving him laughing at whatever his retarded ass found funny. I climbed to the first floor and found Adamson talking to some of the business elites. Upon seeing me, his face lit up and he walked towards me with a huge smile that just grossed me out so much I wanted to wipe it off with a good punch. Had it not been because of him, she would still be alive.

“Son!” He said proudly and pulled me in a hug, then pushed me towards the guys with who he had been talking. God knows I didn’t want to be here. If it weren’t for Blade Inc. I wouldn’t be in this becursed place.

“Happy birthday, father,” I said shaking his hand and greeting the other men.

“Oh thank you so much, son. I am delighted you made it here. How was your flight?” He tried to engage in small talk but I wasn’t having any of it.

“Your son is such a jewel, Mr. Bede. At 33 and he has achieved all that? I have never met such a wonderful young man.” The others showered him with so much credit, hyping his already over-inflamed ego causing it to hit the roof

“Ah, he took after his mother. Crystal was as best as it gets.” Just hearing her name dripping from his lips made my fists to clench so tight I felt like I was going to crack a bone. He had no right to call her name. He killed her. He killed my mother.

He sensed the change in my mood and quickly excused us from the group of men, walked us to his office. As soon as we were behind the closed doors, he said:

"I missed her too. I missed your mother so much!" 

“You don’t even deserve to think of her. Drop the sad husband act because you know damn well you never loved my mother.” By now, I was fuming. Veins were popping out of my neck, my body so heated I felt like hot lava was coursing through my veins. 

Adamson let out a very disturbed sigh before wiping his forehead.

“We share a birthday you know that right? You have no idea how much this day saddens me. I may act happy, but I am not. I loved your mother, Aldrich. I loved her so much.” He said staring at me.

“Yeah right. And that's why you remarried right after her burial. What a funny way of loving her, dad.” The more he continued talking, the angrier I got.

“I never meant for any of that to happen. And I am very sorry that it all happened. But one thing I know she wouldn’t want you living like this, son! You are hurting, you haven’t moved on from her death. And it’s been years now. You have to get married, even if you don’t want, you have to. You are 33 now, and when you reach 35, I don’t want to remind you what will happen. You can’t lose the last thing of her.” he reminded me, and I hated it that he was right.

“I regret doing what I did Dawn. But only you can fix it. Get married, have a kid, and claim your mother’s legacy before Janelle snatches it all away.”

“Like I was the one who gave her the 1% shares of my mother’s company. You did that Adamson, not me.” I screamed, ready to combust. Gosh, I hated to be here so much. 

Mom! Are you watching?

A rush of emotion slammed hard and I felt weak in the knees. I hated it here. I hated it so much.

Just then, a small buzz sounded in my pocket and I fished my phone to find a call from Anderson. I ignored it and put the phone in my pocket. It rang again and I decided to pick it up. It had to be an emergency when he called like this.

“Yes?” I said as soon as I swiped it,

“You have to fly to Nebraska as soon as right now.” He said hurriedly,

“I just arrived in Florida, what’s the rush?” I furrowed my brows and listened to him,

"The Balu Auction will be on Friday. Not next week!" He informed and I wanted to dance at the sudden chance of escape because of heck! I wasn’t going to spend a night here. Not only that, but the Balu Project was one thing I have been waiting for my entire life, I wasn't going to miss the auction!

“Got it.” I cut the call and placed my phone in the pocket, then turned to leave.

“What’s going on Dawn? Are you leaving?” Adamson’s voice broke yet again and I turned to face him.

“I am going to clean up your mess!” And with that, I yanked the door open and yelped when a body-slammed to the floor. I rolled my eyes when Janelle let out a pained cry. 

“You should’ve entered inside,” I said and stepped over her, leaving her wretched soul and her husband in there!

I wasn’t going to let the power-starved hyenas take the only remaining piece of my mother!

Over my dead body!