EMPIRE OF LUST

CHAPTER FOUR

HEAVEN

Age Eighteen.

The buzzing alarm clock caused me to jolt from whatever nightmare I was having this time and I opened my eyes immediately, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

Another night, yet another nightmare.

When am I finally going to get over these nightmares?

I looked around to be sure I was in the comfort of my bedroom and I heaved a loud sigh of relief.

I hate these nightmares.

Pulling myself up, I turned off the still buzzing alarm clock and got off out of the bed. I didn't bother thinking about whatever nightmare I'd had earlier, because I know I'll never remember it, just like the others I'd been having forever.

Instead, I clouded my mind with happy and exciting thoughts, one of which was my birthday, which is today.

I've finally turned eighteen.

Yippie!

Second, it was the party I'm going to be throwing later tonight.

It's going to be the best party of the year and I've Georgie and Melina taking care of everything. Trust them to give me the best.

My ringing cellphone disrupted my happy thoughts and I deflected my attention to where it was plugged, walking towards it.

I bet it's my papa calling.

He's always the first to wish me on every one of my birthdays. Other times, he was always present, waking me up with birthday songs and gifts, but this time was quite different. He has gone on a business trip and won't be back until the day after tomorrow.

Guessed right, it was his name on the caller screen.

I unplugged my phone from its charge and accepted the call with excitement,

"Hello, papa."

"Good morning and happy birthday to my favorite little princess." His excited voice boomed from the other end and I flushed,

"Papa, I'm not a little princess anymore. I'm eighteen and I'm an adult, so I'd rather be called a queen now."

"You're and will forever remain my little princess. Happy birthday to you, little princess."

"Thanks, papa." I mouthed to him, twirling a loose strand of my air,

"You're welcome, birthday girl. Don't worry, papa's going to get you a surprise gift this time."

I know what the surprise gift was because I overheard him talking to Georgie about it, the night before he'd gone for his trip, but I feigned curiosity, begging him to tell me what it was.

"It wouldn't be a surprise anymore if I told you what it's now."

"Okay." I caused my voice to drop, pretending to be a little sullen.

"Don't worry, it's something you've always wanted."

That was his clue, before he called it a day with me, promising to call back later.

After our call ended, I went to my page to check for messages and I already had tons of them, all wishing me happy birthday.

My best friend, Natalie, had already posted my photos on her page, and so had my boyfriend, Hunter, and they were already getting tens of thousands of likes and loves.

I don't post my photos on my birthdays. Rather, I post screenshots of birthday wishes the day after, to appreciate those who'd posted me on their pages.

I got an epistle of text from my boyfriend and best friend and a few other friends, like Levi, Dylan, Creed, Sophie, and my aunt, Leigh.

I got wishes from everyone else, except one person, and I'm not even surprised he has neither texted nor called me.

He'd never wished me anything for the past ten years I've known him and for the half he was gone, he'd never contacted me for anything.

Although we are siblings, I prefer our estranged relationship and his absence, to his presence.

He'd tormented me a lot as a kid and that had traumatized me so much. Most times, I suspect his torment was among the reasons why I still have nightmares every night.

Several times, I'd wished he wasn't my brother and there wasn't any form of relationship, nuclear or extended, between us.

Thinking of all the torment he'd made me go through as a kid, from skinning my cat alive and leaving its bloody corpse on my bed, to locking me up in the dark basement for several hours, despite knowing I was afraid of the dark, amongst the other things he'd done to me. The one sentence I can use to describe him is,

"He's a sadist and a manipulative and psychopathic monster that doesn't deserve to be loved or accepted by anyone."

I discarded the thoughts of the monster from my head, as I traveled into the bathroom to freshen up for the day. I've less than an hour before school and I can't afford to be late today of all days.

When I came downstairs later on, Melinda had already prepared my breakfast and Georgie was waiting to drive me to school.

"Happy birthday, Heaven."

"Happy birthday, Heaven." They wished me, as I joined them in the kitchen.

I thanked them, as I took a seat near the breakfast bar, keeping my blazer and my bag on the second stool.

"Finally, I'm eighteen."

"Yes, Ms. Casteel, you're now an adult." Georgie seconded from where he was standing and I flashed him a smile.

"Thank you, Georgie."

Melinda served me my breakfast and I nibbled on the little I could feast on, before getting up from the stool.

I grabbed my blazer and my bag and a hollered thank you to Melinda, before turning to Georgie, telling him I was ready to leave.

My school, Wilmer Academy, lies in the heart of Windsor County and it's the most elite school in the county and California as a whole. It's dated back to the mid-nineteenth century, the era of scientific and technological evolution.

Papa had been to Wilmer Academy during his days and he claimed that was where he met the love of his life, my mama. Killian graduated from Wilmer five years ago, as the valedictorian of his class and the soccer team captain, and I'm graduating this year, as the valedictorian of my class and the leader of the cheer squad.

Papa is one of the school's biggest patrons, so I get recognition for his generosity towards the school. My boyfriend, Hunter Miller, is the captain of the soccer team, and we are like the king and queen of the student body.

We arrived at school a while later and I alighted the car, after reminding Georgie about the preparation for the party tonight.

He assured me he had everything in his control and I bade him goodbye, before joining the other students in the school hall.

I navigated my way through the crowd, to our special spot in the hall, but neither Natalie nor Hunter was there, so I turned to go find Hunter in the boy's locker room.

Just as I wanted to leave, a student approached me with a smile on her face and handed me a piece of paper to me.

She disappeared into the crowd of students, leaving me puzzled. I averted my attention from the piece of paper and opened it.

"THEATER OF DREAMS."

It was Josh's bad handwriting, causing a smile on my face.

I shoved the note into my blazer pocket and left the hall, with one destination in mind.

When I arrived at the school theater, it was dark and all the drapes were drawn.

I hate the darkness, so I don't go inside. Rather, I stayed out there and fished out my cell phone to call Hunter.

Just as I dialed his number, the lights came on instantly and their voices thundered,

"SURPRISE!!!"

I was startled, almost throwing my phone away. Averting my attention back to the room, I released a heavy sigh of relief.

Bryan and Josh were holding a banner that read,

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HEAVEN."

The fright from earlier vaporized into thin air and was replaced by a feeling of ecstasy.

I rushed to Hunter, who was carrying a DIOR custom bag and I hugged him,

"Happy birthday, girlfriend " He whispered to me, kissing my forehead. Still wrapped in his embrace, Natalie brought my cake, wishing me a happy birthday.

I was asked to make a wish before blowing off the candles, but I didn't. I was too excited to make any wish, plus, everything I should wish for, I already have.

A loving boyfriend, a forever best friend, and a happy family.

What else could I wish for?

"Thanks, bestie." I blew Natalie a kiss from Hunter's side and watched in amusement as she struggled with Josh for who to catch it first.

Other students joined us in the theater, capturing the moment with their phones.

I bet it's going to be the talk of the school till the end of today.

After the entire celebration, the bell rang for the first period, which, for me and Natalie, was Chemistry.

We bade bye to Hunter and the boys and went to our lockers, which were right next to each other's, to get our chemistry textbook when my phone buzzed from my pocket.

I fished it out, to see if it was an important message from Papa or Georgie, but it was from an unknown number.

I opened it to see its contents, while Natalie helped me lock my locker.

"Unknown number: I hope you celebrate your birthday the same way you came into the world, naked and screaming."

Who the f**k is this person?