Arranged Alliance

Reunion of friends - Part 1

Nora Duke

I was sitting in the dining room with my stepfamily. Dad was not home because he had to go to a lunch meeting, so it was only us. I was scrolling on my phone. They arrived and everyone was eating food. There was silence when Ms. Sana broke it.

"Did your father tell you that we are meeting his friend?" She said, not to look at me.

"No what friend?" I asked. I was kind of not interested.

"Your father's friend. Oh god. Do you even live here? Be ready at 7:00. We are going to a restaurant where we're going to meet them. Right mom." Lucy said in a disbelieving tone, that everything happened in this house by telling me. I rolled my eyes at her. Once there was a moment when I thought she was my friend and I almost accepted her as a sister. Almost.

"Understand what Lucy said," Sana said in a stern tone.

"Understood." You wretch.

"Good", she chirped.

"Mom, I am going to a party, so I am not going to go there." Lucy said to her mother.

"Well, my beautiful daughter, you know you can do whatever you want, and I will never stop you but this special, so postpone this party and come with us on time." She cooed and stroked her hair. I wipe my face and drink my juice, uncomfortable with the motherly gesture.

"But mom I- " Lucy was cut off by Sana stuffing some food in her mouth and shut her up.

"I am done", I stood from my seat and headed to my room. I sat on my bed and got some files for the presentation of yesterday from the office, but my mind was elsewhere, a friends' reunion. I didn't know dad had such close friends to have dinner with them, but then again, I didn't even know that he would marry another woman. There was a knock on my door that snapped me out of my thoughts. I sat up straighter and put my nose in the file. Sana walked in with a frown on her face. I scowled and was not welcomed.

"Why are you here?" I asked, not looking at her.

"I was here to tell you that you are not going to come with us," Sana said, snatching the file from my hand. I pursed my lips.

"It's not like I want to come with you." I mumbled, but she heard it.

"I mean that you are going to go in another car because there are some gifts and some stuff I've ordered, so you have to take them with you. You got them." She spoke. I nodded my head, not moving my eyes from the file. "Nora" she called.

"Hmm." I don't want to answer her. She stood in front of me, held my chin and made me look into her eyes.

"Don't open your mouth there, don't tell them that I am your stepmother and, most importantly, they don't have to know that you are only the daughter of the duke, you will tell them that Lucy is your blood sister-no step-sister, got it?" she said in a sweet tone patting my cheek harshly. I looked at her like she was crazy. I stood up as she took a step back, distancing.

"Why do I tell them that a daughter of yours is my blood sister?" I said, pointing my finger at her rather than at me. "I don't even consider her my step-stepmother." She glared at me. A smirk played on my face as her confused expression went, "Do you think that I am a fool to say anyone's brat is my blood sister." Her hand met my cheek in a harsh way.

"How dare you?" She said, grabbing my neck, "How dare you call such a thing to my daughter." Her nails dug in my neck as she grasped it tightly in her hands. Silent tears ran from my eyes but I wasn't crying, my breathing was decreasing. When she realized that my breathing was going to end, she pushed me on the bed hard. I rubbed my neck and glared at her. She glared back.

"You know that you are here because of my father." I said as soon as my breathing became even. "If it wasn't for my father, you wouldn't be here... or killing my mother." Her eyes went wide. I chuckled, "What? You thought that I didn't know the reason you were here? I know that he brutally killed my mother and godmother." She grabs my neck again harshly, grasping it tightly. Her breath was hitting my face like a hammer. I almost stopped breathing.

"You are nothing, you get that? You are nothing like my daughter, everything, everything that you have had to be hers. Even your father. You were never meant for this, my daughter was. Not you, not Sophia." She said in a desperate one, it looked like she was telling herself-more to me, or my mom. She slammed me on the floor hard. I coughed and gasped for breath. She grabbed a fistful of my hair and faced me to her. I let out a shrieked scream as angry tears streamed down my face, "You think that I don't know what you're planning for me. "She tucked my hair, "I killed your mother for peace but you know what it wasn't enjoyable." She said in a twisted way and a creepy smile crept into her face, "But then I got to know that Sophia has a daughter, so why not treat her like your mother treated me." Tears streamed down my face as she tucked my hair harder. It was like she was ripping my hair, "I get weird fascinating and enjoyment whenever I treat you like a b***h. Because if Sophia can't suffer, that her daughter can, right?" I shook my head and grasped her hand whenever she pulled my hair. "And about your father," she scoffed, "he is one hell coward I know."

She slammed my head on the dress and walked out of the door mumbling about something to get ready and slammed the door shut. I locked it behind me and walked to my dress. I saw the girl in the mirror. Blood shed eyes, face wet because of tears, hair mess like someone was trying to rip it, red marks on the neck like someone strangling hard off, almost killing her. The girl was a mess. The girl in the mirror was me, the original me. And she was a mess.

I bandaged the wound on my forehead and put cream on my neck, washed my face, put drops in my eyes, brushed my hair, wiped the cream and put foundation on my neck and the scar on the leg that was behind my knee to my ankle, wore a black dress with full sleeves that had come to my knee, it has pockets. I put pink lipstick and some makeup on. I looked in the mirror and the girl who I was looking at wasn't me. It was fake me. That was only pretending she was looking pretty. I wore black heels, took a purse, put a phone in my pocket and headed to the living room.

All of them were about to leave and I came and my dad looked at me. His hand on Sana waist. She wore a silver dress, her blonde hair in curls, a proud smile on her face. Standing beside her was Lucy, she wore a royal blue sleeveless dress that came to her knees with silver pump heels. He was just giving her a kiss on the cheek. I looked away.

"Your mother told you that you are not comi-" I cut off my dad.

"I know it." I mumbled and walked past him, slamming my shoulder with his shoulder. Stomping my feet, I get into the car, got headed to the gift shop. I try not to cry in the car and focus on the outside. We arrived at the shop. I quickly took the flowers and gifts, got in the car and went to a restaurant. We got out of the car. I grabbed flowers and gifts. I saw dad's car in the parking lot. They arrived. I walked in and asked the receptionist for a reservation with Duke. She led me to them, giving me a weird glancing glance, but I didn't care. They treated me more badly than that.

The receptionist showed me the door. I nodded towards her. I went in without knocking and stumbled on my heels. The flowers and gifts were going down with me but two hands grabbed me from my arms, cold hands. I flip my hair from my eyes so I can see who the person is. It was a guy. He was black, the same as mine. 's eyes were full of worriedness, he had a v-line jaw, he was quite good looking.

I see everyone's attention is on me now. I nodded at him and pulled out from him; he helped me by getting the flowers and gifts from my hand. I introduced myself, "Hello, my name is Nora." I caught Sana's eyes, "a-the eldest daughter of my Duke's family." I stuttered. A woman came over and gave me a warm smile and hugged out of nowhere. I didn't hug him back and held a confused expression.

"I thought you were some mates or something, come sit." She said. I immediately pulled out from her. Mate? From where do I look, mate? I saw a kid in his teens or something slapping his forehead. The guy from earlier pulled out a chair from me beside Lucy. I stared at him, then at the chair. "Sit." She said,. I did. The woman also sitting on her chair beside her was an old man who was handsome for his age. He has black hair and a little mix of white, he has so much brown that it looks almost yellow. He smiled at me and wrinkles appeared under his eyes. I nodded at him. As I look at their table, they have eaten. Without me? Why am I feeling emotional talking about not like they waited for me ever.

Suddenly, all the adults stood up and Sana announced, "Enjoy kids. We are going to talk about something, okay? Enjoy." All of them walked out. I looked at dad but he didn't look back at me.

"My name is Violette. You can call me Violet." The girl beamed, instantly grabbing my attention, I gave a difficult smile. She was wearing a violet-colored dress and hugged her figure from every direction. She has short brown hair and eyes like her father. She was a cute girl.

"My name is Seth. I am her older brother." The boy who slapped his forehead said. His expression mirrored mine. He has black hair. I started to look at the restaurant interior. "Bro, introduce yourself." Seth whispered to the guy who saved me from getting embarrassed that a guy cleared his throat to get attention. I turned towards him.

"Hi. My name is Nicholas." I nodded and looked at the painting. "You like that painting." It was the painting of four friends. Two girls and two boys at the side. All of them smiling and arms with each other's shoulders. They looked like they were happy and sadness never touched them. For a moment I want to be painting. I nodded, looking at him. "My father made it," Nicholas said, proudly. I look at him and he also looks at me at the same time.

"I like it" I said, smiling, a genuine smile. He smiled back. Then there was silence for some minutes until a door opened and a waiter came. He gets the drinks and serves us all.

"Excuse me Ma'am." He gets my attention.

"Yes? " I said.

"Are you Nora?" The waiter asked.

"Yes" I answered.

"This is your glass and plate. Your father, Mr. ordered it for you." The waiter said politely, bowed and ran away. I grabbed the plate of pasta and started to eat it.

"Your father really cares for you," Nicholas said. I looked at everyone. The siblings were in a fight and Lucy was on her phone.

"Yeah, I guess so." I chuckled a bit, then answered.

"So, what do you do?" He asked.

"Nothing, just handle a business." He nodded and his lips thinned. "What do you do?" I said, wanting to converse,

"I do what you do" he said, smiling. I started to eat again. I ate my pasta and stared at my drink when some laughter got to my ears. Dad came laughing, there was another man, Mr. Bretons. He was older, just like my dad. I was staring at my juice, which is the most interesting thing in the world.

"Nora, you didn't drink the juice, it's your favorite, drink it." My dad said. I took a sip and gave him a satisfied nod, Dad cleared his throat and turned toward Mr. Bretons. "Meet him, Nora. He is my best friend, James Breton. He's also your mother's friend." I nodded at him. Mr. Breton tilted his head and spoke words I didn't be true.

"You are just like Sophia, Nora" he said.