Dinner Horrors
1273 Words
–MIA–
“Come again?” Brandon asked with open eyes
“My sister is the fashion designer. I'm into interior design” I foolishly repeated. I didn't understand why he looked so shocked
“Your stepmother said you're the one who was a fashion designer”
My jaw dropped.
I knew posing as Emma was going to be hard even before I decided to do it. What I was not prepared for was the slip-ups and the amount of information Alicia had provided the Millers. What was the need to inform them that Emma was a fashion designer?
“I tried to do fashion design for a while but it never stuck. I guess she forgot I had abandoned the skill and my sister picked it up” I hated how easily the lie rolled off my tongue. I was not a liar but this whole thing had turned me into something else.
“I hate liars, Emma. Be careful”
**********
I found it hard to sleep all through the night, I kept having dreams where Brandon would burst into the room and accuse me of being an impostor.
My phone suddenly started to ring, bringing me out of my thoughts. A frown fixed on my face as I saw it was Alicia calling.
"What's the hold up, Mia?" I could hear the venom dripping from her voice.
“What are you talking about?”
"You promised to help with your father's medical bills after you got married. You're married now," she said dryly.
"I got married yesterday. How do you think it'll make me look if I started asking for money, a huge amount of money, just hours after getting married? It makes me look like a gold digger, like our family is so desperate"
I looked through the expensive dresses in the walk-in closet to distract myself from the anger I was feeling inside, all the clothes had been shipped to fit Emma's size. The attention to detail scared me. What if this hoax got exposed?
"The hospital doesn't care if you got married hours or years ago. They need the money to keep providing him with drugs and his physiotherapy. Do you want him to die?" she yelled at me
Alicia had never had a job as long as I could remember.
"I will get the money to you as soon as I can." I dropped the call, not wanting to hear her nag.
I opened the door and found Brandon standing silently behind it. I wondered how long he stood there and how much of my conversation he heard.
I swallowed a hard lump in my throat and managed to mouth a simple, "Good morning."
He didn't respond but slowly scanned me with his piercing gaze. It felt like he was inspecting his goods at a warehouse just to be sure it was the right package. I swallowed hard, hoping he wouldn't notice the difference between the real me and who I'm claiming to be.
“Why are all the clothes too big for you?” A cool breeze rushed through my spine. Did he already find out so soon?
"Alicia must have made a mistake with the measurements. I lost some weight recently. " I said.
Placing the blame on Alicia was the only thing that came to mind. I hoped it worked.
“My family will be coming for dinner tonight. Order a dress that fits” he handed me his card. I wanted to refuse but from the look in his gaze, I knew arguing would bear no fruit.
……
It was 6 pm sharp. The kitchen was sizzling with different delicacies. The chefs and waiters were walking in and out of the dining hall, ensuring the table was set properly and the dish was up to the Miller's taste and standard.
It was not like my family dinners where I was tasked with making all the dishes. The only thing I had to do here was get ready and wait for my husband to get back from work. It was Joshua Miller, Mimo, who was Brandon's sister, and a guy I had never met.
The Millers all arrived at once in what seemed like a convoy. Joshua Miller was the first to come forward.
"That crackhead went to work, right?" he said to me, spreading his arms for a hug.
"Yes, he did. But he should be back soon," I said, embracing him. He was the only family member whom I trusted enough to be close to.
"Hey, Mimo, nice to see you again," I said, embracing her small physique. I wondered if she looked like their mother since she didn't have the father's or brother's height.
"You still look stunning as ever," she replied.
"Speak of the devil," I said as Brandon's car pulled into the driveway.
We all waited for him and walked to the dining hall together. The table was set with different options from roast turkey to linguini, mac and cheese, ravioli, chicken Caesar salad, tuna casserole, and a lot of drinks.
"It looks so tasty. I can't wait to dive in," the strange man who I've learnt is Marcus said. He picked up a plate and asked the waiter to serve him. They were so rich that even their cutlery looked rich.
"You didn't even have the basic decency to attend my wedding, but you want to have the first bite?" Brandon said with a smirk.
"Oh, I was busy with work, and I only arrived late yesterday. Besides, Dad said there was going to be a proper ceremony in a few months. I'll be there," Marcus replied, biting into his piece of turkey.
"So, how is married life like, Brandon?" Joshua asked.
"I don't exactly know what it's like since you guys are here breathing down our necks just a day after our wedding," he replied wittily.
"It's not like you were going to spend your honeymoon with her anyway. You were already working even yesterday!" Mimo added sarcastically.
"Dad, you've been married and widowed twice. You know what married life is like." The room fell silent immediately. Brandon was very loose with his words. He said whatever he wanted, not caring about anyone's feelings. Right now, he kept on eating even after leaving a sour taste in everyone's mouths.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Emma? It's the truth. How did you think this one got to be a part of this family?" he said, pointing to Marcus. I immediately understood that his mother must have brought him from another marriage.
"You didn't have to say it like that," I scolded, stirring my ravioli with my fork.
"You should really get used to him and his remarks. He only cares about his feelings, and he kind of hates Dad," Mimo whispered to me, causing us to giggle.
That was my life now: a mistress to a wealthy billionaire who had a reputation for being cold. Family dinners where my father-in-law is in a cold war with my husband, my sister-in-laws whispering to me, and a brother-in-law who was indifferent. Occasional family dinners and maybe a few parties where I would have to pretend to love my husband.
A terrible, terrible destiny.
“Uhm Emma your phone has been making weird noises” Mimo said pointing to my phone.
“Oh,” I didn't even notice it cause my attention was fully on the bickering family. I looked at my phone screen and it was loaded with messages but the one that caught my eye was.
“I'm outside your gate” I froze.
- Writer
