Chapter 44: Forty-four

It was a good thing that Maisie dragged Betty along. The people who were also invited to the party were not her crowd, they brought a whole new meaning to the word snooty rich people. They all looked down on her because she was an orphan and certainly not a self-made millionaire since she was working for Zach. They made Vivi look tame.

“This is why I don't like hanging out with these kinds of people.” Betty said as she drank a glass of champagne “You mean your kind of people.” Maisie asked with eyebrows raised as Betty glared at her.

“My parents are not this rich but yes. God, they are so pretentious and backstabbing.” Betty shudders.

“Like Vivienne," Maisie said with a nod at Zach's stepmother who pointed some people to her and gave her a wave. Without being close to them she knew that the woman had just told her friends that she was Zach's girlfriend and her friends had just replied that they didn't see what Zach saw in her. The truth was that she didn't see it too. Would she had honestly had a chance with Zach if they hadn't spent time together while he was a ghost?

“Maisie would you stop that kind of thinking now. You are good enough for Zach, in fact, he isn't good enough for you. I don't know why you settled for him.” Betty said with a glare on her face.

“How did you know my thoughts.”

“You always get one look on your face which means that you think that you are not good enough.” Betty explained.

Maisie knew that Betty was gearing up to give her a speech about why she needed to boost her ego, but she was not in a mood for that prep talk. “What were we talking about.”

Betty sighed; she knew exactly what Maisie was trying to do. She was trying to escape the lecture she had coming, and she would let her escape for now. “We were talking about rich snobby people and how Vivi is a baby when it comes to acting snobbish where this crew is.”

“We are not talking about that girl. I don't want rumors to go about that I was talking about my boyfriend's ex. If anything mistakenly happens to her, I will be blamed.” Maisie said as Betty frowns.

“It won't happen mistakenly. I will make sure that she won't survive from it and all I need you to help me do is hold the flashlight while I bury her body.”

“Bethany.” Maisie warns, calling Betty by her full name to show the girl that she was serious.

“You sound a lot like my mother.” Betty said then she saw some girls walking towards Zach who was talking business with some men. “Oh hell no.”

“What.” Maisie asked.

“You have stayed away from your man for so long. Let's go lay claim on him.” Betty said as she tossed back the rest of her drink.

“I don't want to seem clingy.” Maisie said as she put her drink down.

“You might not want to seem that way, but you are giving the bitches a chance to sink their claws into your man.” Betty tells Maisie as she drags Maisie towards Zach who had started to look uncomfortable.

“Hey, babe.” Zach said with relief when he noticed that Betty and Maisie were coming closer, he shrugged off the hands of the girls which were crowding him and giving him all sort of prepositions, he had wondered if his father had missed the memo and invited hookers instead of socialites to the party.

“Hello.” Maisie said with a smile as Zach met her halfway, smiled at her, then kissed her which he had to cut short before it came too streamy.

“Hi! I missed you.” Zach smiled as he raised his head from Maisie's.

“I missed you too.” Maisie said.

“I would say me too, but it is clear that you didn't miss me.” Betty said as Zach turned to look at her.

Zach smiles, well he wouldn't say that he will ever miss Betty, he was more grateful that she stayed away. And as soon as he was done dealing with the issue on his plate, he would try to convince Betty to go back to where she came from so that he can have Maisie to himself. He hated sharing Maisie with anybody. And that includes her best friend.

“I would say I miss you...” Zach started but Betty waved away the rest of his words.

“Puh-lease, we all know that would be a lie.”

“Zach it is time for your speech.” Zach heard his father say and he released a sigh.

“I got to go ladies.” Zach said as he kissed Maisie again. “After the speech, we can leave. I am tired of looking at this crowd of pretentious people.”

Betty smiled at that. Maybe there was a chance that she could like Zach even though he had hurt her best friend “awn, there is still a chance for you Zach.”

Zach moved towards the podium without answering Betty because he certainly didn't know how to answer her. As he stepped in the podium, he was offered a drink, and everybody turned to pay him attention. “Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. I want to thank you all for coming to this gathering which was held for my recovering slash brother engagement party, even though I haven't seen them anywhere since I have arrived.

“I want to thank you for all your well wishes for me during my comatose and for being with my family during the times it must have been hard for them. Thank you.” Zach said as they clap then he continued. “I didn't know that I was to speak today in front of you guys but unfortunately I didn't prepare anything so that is all I got. Anyway, I would like to congratulate the couple even though they are not present, and I know that some of you might think that I have ill wishes against them since Vivi was my girlfriend, but I don't. I am kind of relieved instead, I would like to meet my perfect match in Maisie just as Jeffery met his perfect match in Vivi.” Zach said as the ladies made soft noises like they were moved by Zach's words.

“Anyway, to the future bride and groom who are probably somewhere inside spending quality time together.” Zach said as he raised his glass even as the guest chuckled at his words then they mirrored his movement and echoed his sentiments “To the bride and groom.”

Zach tilted his glass back as he drained the contents of his cup. He talked about Jeffery being a perfect fit for Vivienne and he knew that he could have said better things about the couple, but he knew that if he had, he would be lying. The only compliments he could have given the couple was what he gave them.

Zach dropped his glass on the table closed to the podium and jumped down from it. He had done his part, there was no way his father and stepmother could make him stay here, all he wanted was to be in his apartment taking a bath with Maisie right there with him.

He moved towards Maisie but suddenly felt dizzy, he felt himself collapse on the ground and heard people mutterings, he heard Maisie's shrill voice from a distance and then he heard sirens before he finally slipped into unconsciousness.