Homecoming: Wild Thought

Stellar's back was facing the group, whose chatter was loud enough for her to hear.

As usual, Cassy constantly received praises for getting hired into a known law firm when she was still preparing for the bar exams that year.

"What about Stellar? She graduated this year, correct?" a friend of her mom asked.

Auntie Babes, the star of every party, answered the question for her mom, which was not an unusual occurrence for Auntie Babes was known to butt-in into any conversation. "She is working under Aster for now."

"Oh, she does? That's a good place to start. Where else should we go but our own family business, correct?"

The ladies laughed like hyenas, and the hint of ridicule in their voices didn't go unnoticed by Stellar. Her lips quivered as she angrily munched on her kebab.

The level of hypocrisy between that group was toxic. Were they making fun of her for working under her mother's tutelage, unlike Cassy, who found work someplace else?

Then what about their sons working under their husbands, running their family businesses? Wasn't her circumstance the same as those men?

She didn't notice a tear streamed down her face until a finger caught the blob of tears. Peering up through hazy vision, she saw Holden drying her tears with his thumbs swiping over her face.

"What's making you upset, Star?" Holden probed. Beside him, Aki scoffed.

"That's the wine crying. Cassy said she finished a bottle on her own."

Pouting, Stellar spoke through ugly tears, "Don't be too nice to me, Brother Holden. I easily get attached and obsess over the smallest of things. And you! Aki! What a way to console your crying sister."

She tore a piece of bell pepper and threw it towards Aki's direction. "What wine are you talking about. I just remembered a kdrama I watched last night," she lied, throwing another piece of a bell pepper at Aki.

The siblings laughed when Aki successfully dodged it and stuck his bum up in the air to taunt Stellar into throwing some more food at him.

"That's enough. Don't waste food. That's bad," Holden softly spoke, shuffling his hand on top of Stellar's head. "How about we stay up late tonight and watch a rerun?" he offered.

Stellar looked up at him with stars twinkling her eyes. She grinned at him whilst bobbing her head in agreement. "It's a date then!" she playfully responded, sending a finger heart towards Holden and Aki.

She almost went off balance in her seat watching the two men replicating a finger heart.

"What would I do if you guys weren't here?" Stellar mused, wiping the happy tears at the corner of her eyes.

Being around the two seminarians was her breath of fresh air, and it felt as if she could say or do whatever she wanted to say without feeling any ounce of judgment.

Suddenly, her eyes darted at Holden's direction. He was standing tall with one of his hands braced on his hip as his attention was towards the party.

Angling her head, Stellar felt as if she was seeing a print-ad model and not a deacon.

In her thoughts, it was a wise decision for Holden to enter the seminary. With his looks alone, women for sure would kill each other just to get his attention.

His boy-next-door charm coupled with that gorgeous hair with just the right lushness was sexy as heck that Stellar often found herself transfixed on it.

There was something about Holden's jet black hair. Her fingers always itched to comb it and ruffle it to check how handsome he would still look with messy hair.

Stellar blinked her eyes to erase the image in her mind. Drooling about Brother Holden was wrong.

He was set to become a priest in a few months' time. But it wouldn't hurt to look at him one more time, right?

Stealing a glance at Holden, Stellar sighed. Looking at Holden's physique, she wondered if he was sporting abs underneath that crisp white dress shirt.

For a split second, Stellar slapped her face when her thoughts drifted back into thinking of slowly unbuttoning Holden's shirt.

What the F?

That wine was potent!

Snapping Stellar out of her reverie was Aki clamping the thong together, making a cling sound. "Hello? Earth talking to Stellar?"

"Wha-what?" Stellar stuttered.

"Mom's calling us. She said she would like to make a toast."

Stellar froze in her seat. Fight or flight. Fight or flight. It dawned on her that there was nothing for her to fight for.

For one, she didn't want to ruin her sister's chance of giving her child a complete family. She didn't want to ruin her sister's chance at having a complete family of her own. Besides, it was also Stellar's dream after growing up in a broken family.

She saw Holden offer his hand for her to take. Using it to hoist herself up, she then hooked her arm with his. "I think I'm going to throw up," she confided. Her hands flew to her stomach, and she felt queasier the closer they got to the party.

"Okay. Let me help you to the bathroom. Are you dizzy?" Holden probed, slightly bowing his head to meet Stellar's gaze. But all she did was close her eyes and shook her head.

They were about to divert their path when Auntie Babes's voice boomed in the garden. "I just want to take this opportunity to congratulate my son Beau on his engagement. It's not official yet, but everyone will be receiving their invitations soon. Right, sweetie?"

Stellar's hands turned cold and clammy. Despite her inner self telling her not to look at Beau, she still did. And she didn't just stare at him.

She pleaded with her eyes that he would retract his mother's announcement… that he would say the same words he whispered in her ears earlier.

Before it registered to her, she saw the people cheering on the announcement and congratulating the future bride and groom.

Feeling her ears heat with anger, her hand tightened its grasp on Holden's. She felt vindictive. She wanted to break Beau's heart the same way he broke hers.

Suddenly, a wild thought entered Stellar's mind. The only way to vex the heck out of Beau was to date a person nobody could have, just like him.

As if a light bulb switched on inside Stellar's head illuminating her path, she glanced up at Holden and determination painted her face.

Stellar was set on one thing: she would seduce this deacon and may God forgive her for stealing his disciple.