Chapter 11 Be sensible.
Dahlia
"Who is she getting married to?" I asked, my voice trembling a little. Deep down, I was still hopeful. Hopeful that my father was still in the dark about Sofia's involvement with Jason. Hopeful that he hadn't colluded with my enemies.
After my question, deep silence materialised in the room, punctuated by a current of tension, so strong it was stifling.
" Who is Sofia getting married to?" I asked, this time, my voice steady, but my composure faltered when I saw my father's panicked face.
He hesitated, turning to lock gazes with the mother and daughter pair, as if communicating with them silently.
When he turned to face me, thin beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.
" It's..It's.." The ever eloquent Chairman Brooks was stuttering. He couldn't even find his voice.
At that point, did I still need him to say it out loud? The truth was staring back at me, wasn't it? Mocking at my entire existence and I stood there, acting composed, like my heart had not just been shattered.
" It's just some second-generation heir Dahlia. You probably don't know him." He revealed, nervously, and I nearly scoffed.
A second-generation heir? A man I didn't know? Who were they trying to fool? In their eyes, was I that easy to fool?
"Her fiancée has nothing to do with you, Dahlia. It should be the least of your concerns. Since you are already done with your wedding preparations, you should just relax and wait for your own wedding with Jason." He added, frantically, and the small flicker of guilt that cropped his eyes didn't escape my observant eyes.
My wedding with Jason? Just the thought of it brought a bitter taste to my mouth. Like hell there it was still there.
From how he was acting, he was fully updated on Jason's plans. He was just trying to fool me, but what surprised me was how easily he lied, on my face, no less.
Did our father-daughter relationship mean anything to him? All those years, was the love that he claimed to have for me genuine?
But love? I would be a fool to think that he had any love for me. What father would collude with the enemy to harm his daughter?
What father would condone such shameless acts? But again, why was I so surprised?
He had cheated on my Mom with Sofia's mother. What did that make him, exactly? It was no wonder he supported Sofia's and Jason's shamelessness.
They were cut from the same cloth. Perfect for each other.
" You must be tired, why don't you go to rest first?" He suggested and looking at him, at how impatient he was while dealing with me, I couldn't help but sneer.
He couldn't wait to join them.
" So, you are going to legalise your mistress's position then." It was not a question. It was a statement, one uttered between clenched jaws, the words coated with disappointment as they came out.
For a brief moment, guilt flickered in his eyes, but soon, it was replaced by resolve. He just shrugged his shoulders, like he couldn't be bothered to explain.
" Your mother and I are already divorced, Dahlia. I can't keep on waiting for her forever, you know?" He asked, the disinterest in his tone almost insulting.
" Like I told you, I am doing this for Sofia. Since she is marrying into a proper family, her family has to be united, too." He added, his gaze softening as he turned to look at Sofia.
And from just his body language, I would have been a fool not to see through everything.
It turned out that they had been a united front from the very beginning, while they played me for a fool, and I had been too blind to see everything for what it was.
And the small smirk that tagged at the corners of Sofia's lips? That confirmed everything. She had won, and it was written all over her face.
Her mother had not only succeeded in acquiring the Mrs Brooks title, she had managed to embarrass my Mother too.
If the news were to get out, what do you think the upper society would say? The real wife lost to a mistress, and that made her unfit for her real wife title.
And as for Sofia? She knew how deeply in love I was with Jason. Hell, the whole city knew how much the Brooks' daughter was obsessed with Jason.
And by her successfully swaying his heart, what did that make me? A loser. Then how was I supposed to lift my head and face the world, after that?
The mother and daughter looked pleased, clearly, very proud of themselves. In their hearts, they had won.
What they didn't know was, I no pinger wanted to keep the Brooks surname. If anything, I had a far more powerful name, a name that couldn't be mentioned in the same room with the Brooks, the Banks powerful name.
As for Jason? She could have him. The girl who was once obsessed with him was no more, after all. My heart no longer leapt at the mention of his pathetic name.
Another man, a more powerful figure controlled my heart. My heart would miss beats when we held hands, and although it seemed too early to talk, I think with Dalton, I finally understood the meaning of falling in love.
What I had felt for Jason was simply obsession, a stupid childhood crush that had me losing senses, but with Dalton, things were different, calm, steady, promising.
Just the thought of him, and the short moment that we had shared had my heart leaping in what I couldn't accurately describe, and for a moment, I no longer felt hurt.
Not by my father, and clearly, not by Jason. If anything, I was supposed to thank them. My father's betrayal made my leaving and cutting ties with him easier, while Jason's betrayal had directly led me into the hands of the love of my life.
Losing out? They were mistaken. By the end of the day, there was bound to be a loser and clearly, that person wasn't going to be me.
In the meantime, I was going to play along, to act like I didn't know their plans.
" Well, I wish you all the best then...You and she are perfect for each other." I offered, softly, and their looks darkened. They knew what I meant.
" No wonder my Mom wanted nothing to do with you." I threw as I made my way upstairs and as I passed him, I felt him stiffen.
" Dahlia?" Right before I could disappear, he called out and I paused in my steps.
" Sofia is currently pregnant. " He revealed, and that successfully captured my attention because I turned to face them.
"Your room is big and spacious. "
" I was hoping that you could give it to her."
" Be sensible. "