New Home

FAYE

I landed softly on my bed, as soon as I got home and made my way to my room. Now I could finally breath as freely as I wanted. I thank God for this small house of mine.

It was the first place I moved into after leaving the family house, and I can remember the rejuvenating feel of when the first morning I woke up here, facing the ceiling of my workspace room.

There was no Vanessa, uncle Walter, aunt Gwen, Aire, Fontaine, Michelle…none of them. I didn't have to dine with them anymore, do their laundry, or receive a beating.

It was just me and my apartment. I could eat, paint, read, and watch Tv Shows whenever I choose to. I could even speak to God…and myself whenever I pleased.

But about an hour ago, this was not the case.

************

There I was, standing in front of the large door that even the hairs in my skin dreaded. Sadness overcame me when I had to return to this prison door, living within it. Even now, I still wanted nothing to do with it.

As my muscles clenched, my neck involuntarily turned around, as if to see if my husband's Jeep was in sight. If so, I would've screamed at him to come get me.

It was undeniable how safe I felt around him. I mean, I understand how awkward and uncomfortable it gets for the both of us, the few times we've been around each other. But reminding myself we got married so he could save the woman he loves…sort of puts off the tension.

Nonetheless, he had the perfect build for me to melt into for a hug or something. And being the nice guy that he is, I would like to believe that he would have rescued me from the evil eyes and lips of the people behind the door.

Did I say behind the door?

Pfft. My step sister, was only inches away from me by this time. I didn't notice because my thoughts had dwindled away as I looked above the fence behind me.

"Look who's here."

I jolted. Turning, our eyes met, causing me to take a step back.

"What are you looking at?" She folded her arms.

"Hey." I forced a smile, gripping my bag tightly.

"Answer me." She commanded. I simply smiled, and excused myself. Suddenly, I felt a cold hand gripping my arm from behind. "You dare walk out on me, Faye?" Vanessa scoffed.

'God help me.' I shut my eyes, taking a deep breath. I exhaled dramatically, as if I was rolling my eyes without a care. Not sure how it seemed to her though, because it still carried a hint of shakiness.

I turned, "The fence Vanessa, the fence." then forced my arm out of her grip, dropping the fancy beige colored glass to my eyes, before I turned.

I was almost through the door when her voice came from behind again. "Is that an SYL?"

I halted. 'SYL? What is SYL?'

I heard her steps hurry over to meet me. When I saw her eyes darting from my bag to my wrist and eyeglass, it all began to add up.

***

Earlier, before we arrived, Fabian made a stop at another high end store. According to him, I didn't get any thing tangible the first time, when I was with Fivio and Crest. So he got me tangible things.

You know…tangible things like a diamond wristwatch, a diamond adorned red bottom heel, the 'SYL' handbag and sets of expensive eyeglasses which were in my bag.

***

"It's not a fake!" She gasped, forgetting to hold back. "Who__how__the watch…it's a Burelio 950…how?" Her voice disappeared, while her forehead creased. Mine too. I didn't know much about designers and stuff, so seeing her looking that horrified was surprising.

Of course I knew they were expensive, but coming from a person like Vanessa—the best dressed in the house—was indeed surprising to me. She also rocked the latest and all of that…

"What's wrong baby?" I saw Aunt Gwen hurry over. She must've heard her daughter's gasps. As I looked, I saw her gaze avert from concerned to surprised and then terrified.

She eyed me from head to toe, took a step forward, and grabbed my hand without warning, to have a proper look at my wristwatch.

"Faye? You?" Her wide eyes sparkled with a mix of surprise, envy, hate and anger. "How…a Bocelli eyeglass?" she pulled it from my face without a care.

"Mom that's no less than 10 thousand."

As I looked from the mother and daughter, the familiar picture caused me to shudder, and I felt like the door was closing in on me.

Gwen took a step closer. "So you're finally out of pretense, aren't you?"

"I'm sure it's out of the money you stole, isn't it?" Vanessa took a step closer as well.

'I knew it.'

Though it was out of normalcy, a beating usually followed after their interrogation. But if I let that happen even now, I would be a fool. I don't need to have fought to realize that I would at least match them in a fight.

I wasn't under their roof anymore.

"Give me that!" I snapped, snatching my heavy eyewear from her. They shuddered in surprise. "Why? Wanna steal from a thief? Guess what that makes you?" I smirked, and saw them look on in bewilderment as I turned and marched into the mansion.

The rest of the people I called family were already seated. I know they itched to question why I arrived late, but my temperament and adornments shoved their questions down their throats.

We never had long family meetings and I knew very well that I wasn't welcomed, so I stood by the dining table after greeting my grandparents. They also stared at me with questioning gazes, but said nothing.

"Sit down Faye. We'll eat when we're done." Grandpa Conrad gestured.

"I'll be leaving soon, sir. Thank you." I flashed a smile.

"Okay."

My uncle, Webster cleared his throat. "So, since it appears__"

"Are you all really going to stay silent?" Gwen protested, marching in with her daughter marched angrily. "Don't you all see that she's spitting at us? Look at her!"

"Grandpa, grandma, look at her! Even her scent smells expensive! Her bag…" Vanessa pointed, her eyes watering with jealousy, "It's the latest SYL exclusive! That costs no less than 200 Thousand! It's more pricey than a birkin!" She exclaimed.

"How in a million years could this cheap brat afford all that she's wearing? Huh?" Gwen shouted.

"I'm sure it's all thanks the stolen money she inherited from Travis." My uncle Fontaine hissed, eyeing me as he pleased.

"Calm down you guys." Amanda, my cousin and the COO of VinCo chuckled. "We're gonna fix all that." Looking at me from head to toe, she remained awed. Even her office in our almost bankrupt family company, didn't provide the luxury of owning such types of luxury.

But when a wicked smirk made it to her face, I was put off, but maintained the smile on my face. I honestly couldn't fault them for their perspective. I was the least financially prosperous amongst them, and remained in that sphere even as I moved out.

An average family could comfortably live on 400 Sedders for 2 months, and here I was, glittering with almost 500,000. Pretty sure it's more than that, but Fabian wouldn't let me see the bills.

"Enough, all of you." My grandmother hushed. "Continue, Webster."

"Thank you." He bowed. "Since it appears you have somewhere to be after now, I'll cut to the chase for your sake, Faye." He smiled. Maintaining the gaze we held at each other, I returned a sly smile of my own. His brows arched in surprise as this was unlikely.

If only he noticed how tightly I clutched my bag. 'You can do this, Faye.'

"We'll be organizing a party to draw investments to VinCo. But it's going to be like a date night event, and we'll be inviting potential investors for potential networking. The media will be invited too."

"And because we plan to make it extravagant, the funding will not be sourced from VinCo alone." Amanda, the only pixie haired lady of her family, stated. I wonder why she was looking at me with her deep black eyes.

Gwen and Vanessa helped me awaken my own thick skin, and I wasn't letting it off, so I folded my arms and arched my brow at her. Except in all of this, the handle of my bag suffered for it.

"After our calculations, we realized each of us would be contributing a sum of 65,000. And…" she smirked "I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem for some of us here."

'Oh no!' I gripped my bag. Where was I to get such a sum before the weekend? I can't even boast of 2,000 in 3 months!

It wasn't a day's job to maintain a smile on my face. But it seemed they were all staring at me. All 27 of them, with their eyes on me! Thankfully, as I felt the weight of my body starting to double, my grandpa cleared his throat and bought some of their wicked eyes with his voice.

I noticed that as he spoke, his eyes carried a hint of disappoinment. Must be because he was sad the company alone couldn't cover the expense.

"That'll be all the rest of you need to know. Serve lunch."

"Yes sir." I heard the elderly woman say from a distance. Her voice was all too familiar…

'Nanny Imelda?' my eyes beamed with joy. It's been a number of years since I last saw her.

Our eyes met and I waved at her excitedly as if forgetting the…other people in the room. She bowed and her beautiful eyes which reflected motherly love, shone. But it didn't last…and I wasn't surprised, as she literally dashed into the kitchen the next second. I debated waiting for her till she was out with the others.

I wondered if Madam Yolanda was still working here. I really hoped she wasn't anymore, because my family weren't fair to her to say the least. As I reminisced on the few times they were able to embrace me with the motherly love I never knew existed, someone snapped her fingers in my ear.

"Hey." The woman folded her arms. It was none other than Aunt Policia—as I loved to call her.

If anyone amongst them would endure the itchiness of an intrusive question, it certainly wasn't her. I could barely stifle the urge to sigh, because she had just reminded me of my problem of submitting the large sum. And on top of that, she was going to bombard my eyes with questions.

Or no.

Before a blink, the arrogant woman reached for my neck and snatched the diamond necklace off me.

"Hey!" I protested.

"What?" She smirked, before throwing it to her equally arrogant son.

"Why would you do that?" My terrified eyes sparkled, looking from it to the woman I wished to do something hurtful to. My voice was laced with every tone of terror as well.

"Why? Are you scared you'd be unable to return it to the man you borrowed it from?" She mocked, pouting. "Now listen to me and listen well." she straightened up "On Friday at the party, you should make sure to arrive at the venue wearing something similar to this. Afterwards, you'd have to prove the source of your income, understand?" She maliciously pointed at me.

Staring with a blank expression, my lips remained zipped together.

"That's of course…if it's not stolen as my husband says."

I smiled, maintaining a blank expression with my folded arms. Just then, Nanny Imelda walked in with three other new girls, carrying huge bowls of whatever.

'I wonder why she came back to this family of mine.' I thought to myself. Now that she was here, I could leave.

So I stared deep into Aunt Policia's red eyes as if I was about to give her a dead rude response. "Hmm…" I pinched my chin "your eyes tell me that…" I stepped back and dropped my arms, as I blurted in a more serious and unexpected manner…

"You're too much of an old woman to be this desperately nosey."

She clutched her chest, gasping and chuckling in a mix of disbelief and discomfort that even laughter couldn't conceal. I knew how much she detested being reminded of her menopausal age.

"Bye Nanny Imelda." I briefly nodded at her, not dropping the look on my face.

If I walked in with my strides carrying confidence, knowing it was a school of sharks waiting, stepping out unfazed simply meant I was victorious. And I truly was.

Even as their "how could she just walk in and…" echoed, I strutted out satisfied.

To be honest, Aunt Patricia had just made me realize that providing such an amount was at my fingers. Literally!

If one of the eyewear costs 10 Thousand, selling off 3 of them was propelling enough. Or what about the bag?

No, that was too much.

'Ha!' I exclaimed with joy.

***************

Smiling at myself, I slowly got to my feet and headed straight for my workspace. The room where I expressed all the freedom I felt. Ever since I can recall, my passion for furniture has been a constant in my life.

I was unsure at first, because I didn't think it was a girl's thing. But since I got the approval of God and myself, it's been one of the few things I pursued passionately.

Sadly, I lack the resources to put my furniture and house decor company together. It's why even after months has passed, I've only designed a couple of collections that has remained unseen by anyone other than myself.

It wasn't until recently that I began establishing my online presence as a furniture designer. The company I collaborated with received the designs yesterday, leaving me with only my personal projects to focus on.

'I guess it's time to add a new collection.' I smiled.

As I picked up a board, I suddenly remembered my…husband. I wondered what he was doing now.

He seemed like a really busy person, else I would've texted him a 'thank you' once again.

I know he's stupidly rich, but he was too generous, courteous and gracious. If not for the mounting anxiety about meeting my family which overshadowed me, I'm sure digesting everything in his car on our way to the family house—would've caused my heart to race. Much like it was now…

'Stop it Faye! What is that?' I scolded myself. At once I picked my drawing ink seeking to distract myself. Then I proceeded to title my collection and sort of outline it, because naming my designs before I started helped lay the foundation sometimes. Whether or not the inspiration was readily flowing.

"Alright…" I breathed.

As the ink met the paper, "HER NEW HOME" emerged.

"Home? Her new home?" I pondered aloud. Almost instantly, vivid images supporting this concept rushed to my mind.

I couldn't deny myself the satisfaction of the grin that made its way to my face.

I began sketching, inwardly deciding to visit a pawn shop, or another high end store to trade each of whatever I was going to sell to them, for a thousand less.

****

FABIAN

"Fivio."

'Yes sir.' Fivio answered at the other end of the call.

"I'll be making a stop at the jewelry store tomorrow, make sure to add it to my schedule. Thank you."

It was awkward getting something for Atalia in Faye's presence the other time, but tomorrow wasn't so bad…