Chapter Sixty-Two-3

We arrived at the venue and unlike the New Year's Eve party, the surroundings weren't bustling with loud chatter anymore but instead, each guest was engrossed in casual conversation; talking to each other in low voices as they wore formal attires akin to me and Evan. But this was not a party, a party was what we were greeted with last time we were here, but this? This is the world Evan and I have no choice but to step into whether we like it or not. In this world, money and business are all that matters. We strolled inside the venue as Tiffany came into view, looking every bit of otherworldly as she was clad in a sleek black suit embroidered with Swarovski crystals while her hair was tied into a tight bun on top of her head. Back at home, she looked like a typical mom who loves cooking and gardening, but here? You can tell she runs this place by one glance at her. "Oh, kids! You're here!" she cheered, her usual chirpy voice still present as she hugged us "The party is about to start and I'll be doing the announcement while you two will be joining me." I gulped just thinking about it as Evan answered "Okay, anything else?" "You'll also be giving speeches about the partnership and the wedding soon to take place, as well as your relationship status, you know, just to make it believable that it's all real." Evan stared at his mom, stern "Because it is." "Oh, you know how the press is, they like to believe all of this is just a PR stunt and how it's a way to exploit our children and that would make the engagement seem sketchy." I mean, if that's what the press thinks they aren't technically wrong. I resisted the urge to make a snide remark, not wanting to upset Tiffany as she added "So there will be certain questions from them that may seem intrusive because they will try to convince everyone that all of this is arranged, but in the end just don't answer it. No one in this room is powerful enough to prove that anyways, so you have the right to ignore them." She then left us with the reminder that the announcement will be in less than ten minutes, and for us to get ready as she will call out to us to join her at the stage to share a few words. I exhaled a quick breath that was lunged deep in my throat "God, this is making me so nervous. What if some jackass decides to ask a question that'll catch us off guard?" "Again, we have the right to ignore them and not answer, like my mom said everyone here is just colleagues and the press wanting to get some scoop because you are Wayne Carter's daughter. None of them are truly significant enough to throw some dirt at us." Despite the convenience of his words, I still find myself feeling tense just thinking about standing on that stage and answering questions about my relationship with Evan. "I'll go get some water for you if that's what you want?" I nodded immediately at his offer "Okay, just stay right here and I'll be back soon, okay? And if anyone comes up to you to ask you questions about us, just ignore them and wait for me." He sent me one last reassuring look before backing away and heading to the bar to get me some water, as I stand here in the middle of the party, wondering where the hell my mom could be- But like a struck of luck, I catch a glimpse of familiar wavy brown hair and wholesome doe-eyes as my mom walks into the room, dressed in an elegant red dress that reached her feet that was bounded on the waist with a gold belt, her facial expression indecipherable as I watched her from across the room. I ran up to her as she looked around the party, her eyes darting everywhere but me "Mom!" I called out. Startled, she locked eyes with me and I immediately took notice of her vague mannerisms because she resembles how I've been acting these past few hours, just weirdly on-edge. "Where have you been?" I asked as soon as I was in front of her "I've been trying to get a hold of you the entire day but I couldn't reach you but thank God, you're here now." She didn't reciprocate my enthusiasm, if anything the uneasiness in her eyes intensified as my eyebrows furrowed at the sight "Mom?" I asked, "Are you okay?" By now, I noticed her hands were shaking "M-Maggie, I... the reason why I got here so late and wasn't present during these past few days i-is because I received some news." Before she could explain further, however, a voice interrupted our conversation, and I turned around to see Tiffany up on stage, a huge smile on her face as she tapped the microphone in front of her to gather the attention of the guests. "Welcome everybody, thank you so much for coming today to celebrate the engagement of my son and his wonderful fiancee, Maggie Carter-" "Hey," Evan popped up behind me as he held onto my waist "I got you your water but it seems as though mom will be calling us to go up the stage soon." Sparing Evan a quick nod, I look back at my mother as she watches Tiffany with an anxious look in her eyes "Mom, can you please tell me what happened because I'll be up that stage with Tiffany soon and you're freaking me the hell right now." Her palms were still trembling and by this point, Evan caught on with my mother's vague behavior as he proceeded to ask her "Veronica? Are you okay?" She looked at Evan then at me, her eyes glossy as she gripped my hands tightly in hers and jerked me forward "M-Maggie... he's here. He found out." Perplexed, my heart started racing at her weird implication as I continued to probe her "Who is? Mom, who's here? And found out about what exactly?" I pressed on "Mom, please answer me-" "You. He found out about you and Evan-" But just like that, the room went silent as the clinking of a champagne glass disrupted Tiffany's speech and stopped my mother from finishing what she was about to say, making us turn around to see who caused this sudden reaction. As soon as I did, however, did I feel my heart slam against my chest like an out-of-control car swerving down the road to meet another vehicle ahead. Met with the ear-piercing sounds of windows shattering and metal colliding with metal; that's what it felt like as the plethora of emotions burst inside of me upon seeing him. Him. Here. He's fucking here. "I'm sorry to interrupt your speech, Tiffany. But I'm afraid that there's a misunderstanding." The room was dead quiet as Tiffany remained frozen in her spot as she watched the man she's all too familiar with emerging from the crowd, his gaze narrowed and his jaw clenched as he stared back at her with a venomous look in his piercing gaze. A look that I knew all too well, the kind that could only translate to none other than complete and utter resentment as he opened his mouth and spoke once again: "Because no daughter of mine is engaged to anyone, much or less to your fucking son."