Irene should have been happy, after all, she was getting the reaction she wanted out of Leonica, but she couldn't be.
No, not when the wine bottle had been empty, and all eyes were on her, trying to phantom what wrong she had done.
Why weren't they judging Leonica who had poured the wine over her, she thought with gritted teeth, her eyes burning with anger. She was the victim here, so why were they not showing any pity.
"She must have crossed her boundaries." Someone said with a click of her tongue, the distaste evidence in their voice. "Well, what's to be expected of an illegitimate child, who's a commoner at that. Disgraceful." Another chimed in.
"I'm sure Ms. Romero was provoked by her, or else she wouldn't have reacted the way she did." "That's true. After all, the Romero's are known to be very well-mannered." Whispers of such went on, only a few people expressed their distaste for Leonica's action.
"I've warned you several times, watch your mouth." Leonica said as her eyes scanned the crowd, trying to see which person who give her the reaction she wanted. Alas, she saw none. "All these people must feel your shame," She clicked her tongue. "Look, even father is coming." Just like she had said, Benjamin, along with Melvin, crushing towards them.
"What is the meaning of this?" Benjamin sternly demanded.
Irene was about to open her mouth and speak, seeing this as a chance to paint Leonica black in her father's eyes, when she realized that Benjamin's question along with his faze, was directed at her.
Huh? This was not what she expected.
"What did you do, Leo?" Melvin asked, but the look in his eyes showed no form of the harsh scolding Irene wanted.
They were plain out bullying her and no one in the crowd dared speak up for her! That realization was more sour than any lshe had tasted in her life.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"She... Leonica did it." She finally managed to find her voice. "She emptied the wine onbecause I confronted her about the harsh words she used on me." She said, acting meek.
"Is this true, Leonica?" Benjamin asked, turning his gaze to his second daughter and without hesitation, she nodded.
Ha, now she was going to get scolded, preferably thrown out of the venue, Irene thought as she fought back her smile.
Who said her action was going to be a total waste? "Ha," Benjamin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He knew it was only a matter of tbefore something like this happened. Leonica had been so considerate, putting her feeling aside and trying to fix his mistake, so of course she was going to explode at spoint. Pointing towards one of the doors, he instructed. "Balcony, go there and cool down." The smile that Irene had been trying to hide completely disappeared.
Cool down out on the balcony? No, she was meant to get kicked out. Why was Benjamin not giving her the treatment she deserved.
"Yes, father." CLeonica's obedient reply and after a glare in her way, she walked off.
"And you," Benjamin turned to face her, regarding her with eyes of scrutiny. "I understand that you're still trying to fit into our family, but this is a place of celebration, not a playground for children." His words were like a slap across her face, and she felt her body heating up, but the fact that she couldn't even say anything because he had been right, had her boiling.
"Go change into new clothes and I hope you won't act like this again." With that final warning, Benjamin turned and walked off, followed closely by Melvin.
Irene could only grit her teeth in anger. They were ruthless. But oh well, she knew she had, to sextent, achieved her goal, when she heard someone say "Wow, I got the whole thing, I'm going to upload it online." The smile returned to her lips.
She would have to thank that stupid social media fanatics later.
So plan A did not work, Leonica thought as she stared at the moon, guess it was tto move into plan B. Tapping her smart watch, which she found more convenient that her smart phone, she texted Lena and instructed her with only a few words.
[Upload the video.] "Hey," A voice caught Leonica's attention pulling her away from her smartwatch.
She looked up just in tto see Gabriel perch beside her, offering a bottle of water.
"Here," She hesitated. Of course she would, Gabriel thought as he began withdrawing the bottle, but she snatched it out of his hand, and cracked the cap open.
"Thanks." She said as she sipped it's content. "I'm surprise my father let you in here with the way he spoke of you." Locking the cap, she gave a look that screamed 'You didn't sneak in here, did you?' Gabriel chuckled, lightly. "Your father has his ways of treating people. He may talk harsh, sound even harsher, but that's just him showing who he really is. If he really hated me, he wouldn't have sent an invitation letter to me, much less, allowedhere tonight." Leonica nodded in understanding, but she was pretty sure that her father wasn't the one who sent that invitation letter. It obviously was Melvin.
"Anyways," Gabriel spoke up, changing the subject. "The with your so called half sister," He paused and chuckled. "The whole country's talking about it. How are you holding up?" Leonica placed the bottle water down and her fingers found it's way to her engagement ring, fiddling with it. An action that did not go unnoticed by Gabriel.
"Honestly I'm fine. The entire thing isn't as tasking as the whole country's making it out to be." She said. "You're fine?" Gabriel glanced into the event room. "Well things didn't seem quite fine back there." Leonica didn't bother giving him an answer. Her actions were her own and she didn't need him prying into it. "Are you sure everything is okay?" He tried again, but his question only bounced hard off Leonica.
She sighed. Why did he keep prying? First the car, then her house and now here.
If he kept being this nosy, then she just might prefer the him who ignored her during their marriage. "It's none of your business, Gabriel." Her words had him taken aback, and a silence followed soon after, which was broken a moment later by Leonica herself.
"Look, I appreciate your concern, but you need to understand that we're just co parents, acquaintance, and thus, our problems are ours, not yours. So stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." She turned her head to face him and flashed him a smile. "Understand? Gabriel's eyes narrowed. His gaze on her had turned cold, but not in a threatening manner.
"But what if I don't want to? And what if..." He turned to face her, taking her wrist but not holding it tightly. "I want to be more than a co parent or an acquaintance." His eyes we're enough to pass across the memo, so when he opened his lips once more, intending to complete his speech, she cut him off.
"Leonica, I like-" "Stop." She shook her head. "Don't finish that sentence. Because the moment you do, I'd give you an answer and with that answer, you can kiss whatever relationship is between us, goodbye. And I don't want that. Because despite all the shit you putthrough during our marriage, you're still Ashley's father and was once friend of mine. So," Stepping back, she pulled her wrist away, not missing the hurt in his eyes. "Work your feelings out and please, don't draginto it." Her words were harsh, but that was how it was and will always be. She had no intention giving Gabriel a second chance at romance or even give him any sort of idea that might lead him on.
"I hope you understand." Leonica said and without a second thought, walked away.
Leaving him, standing in the dark, all alone.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"I see..." Gabriel murmured to himself as he watched Leonica walk off.
"I've been rejected," He let out a laugh, one filled with sorrow and defeat. "I've really lost you, huh." It was his own fault, and he knew this, but he couldn't help but feel frustrated.
"What am I supposed to do?" He asked no one, not really expecting a reply, as he leaned on the railing and hung his head.
"What am I really supposed to do to change that, Leonica?" Nothing, Leonica had made it clear and as she walked back into the party room, she hoped Gabriel had gotten the clear memo.
"Leonica, dearie, there you are," Her mother's voice had popped her thought bubble just as she approached the drink table. "I've been looking all over for you." "What do you need mom?" "Your father is about to give his speech, introducing that child, but she's nowhere to be seen. Would you be an angel and fetch her?" "Of course, mom." With a peck on her mother's cheek, Leonica walked away, going straight for the dressing room as she knew well enough that Irene would be there after the wine she had humbly offered her.
As she approached the dressing room, she could faintly make out Irene's voice, and the closer she got, the clearer it becthat she was on a phone call.
"That stupid bitch ruined my entire day!" Irene huffed angrily as Leonica pressed her ear on the door, trying to listen for the person she was conversing with. But it was clear that only Irene was in the room. Was she on a phone call.
"This wasn't part of the plan." Irene was sounding more angry, but that didn't concern Leonica, what did however, was the voice that answered her.
"Of course it wasn't. What part of the plan stated that you could taunt her?"
Leonica's brows creased. Wait, she had heard that voice somewhere.
Where though? She wondered, m pressing her ear more on the door to see if she could make out the voice through the muffle-ness The content. is on novelenglish.net! "She deserved it, besides, I was only stating facts. That woman stole everything that should have been mine. Even now, they're treatinglike dirt, so I was allowed to speak the truth. I deserve just as much as she has." "You're the illegitimate child, and you're still trying to compare yourself with Leonie, don't be stupid and stop playing with fire." Leonica's brows creased. Leonie? Only one person calls her by that disgusting name.
"If you knew that I couldn't be compared to her, then why approachin the first place, Jamil."
Leonica was so caught off guard by the nthat she unknowinglym knocked over a mop stick that had been leaning against the wall, and before she could react, it crashed to the floor with a loud clang.