Unforseen Love

Chapter 6

Iris's POV

It's been a few gruesome days since the day my Dad asked me to get married to Julian Harrison. I agreed, but for now, that was the least of my concerns. My father got heart surgery, and it was the most nail-biting day of my life. I was worried about him. Even though the doctor had assured me that the procedure would be done quickly, and it was not risky, I couldn't help but worry. You never know when things might go wrong.

After waiting, my father's surgery went well, and he was moved back into his ward. All that was left was for him to recover and get a clean bill of health. The worst was over, but everything else was far from over. We received notice that everything has been repossessed, and we will need to move out of our house.

It was a sad moment once again. It's not like it was a surprise, but it was just so sad to be losing the home we had been living in for years. So now my mother and I are back at the house trying to pack up our things and move out. Luckily, we still have our ancestral house so we can move there in the meantime.

I was in my room, packing clothes, shoes, bags, and everything I owned. Doing that, I realized that I had many things I didn't need, so I packed them separately for charity. I was almost done with everything when my mother came barging into the room.

" I can't do this. I don't want to move. I'm not going anywhere!" She whined like a baby and plopped on my bed.

I sigh. I can't believe that I have a childlike mother. She gets like this when things don't go her way.

" What now Mother?"

" I don't want to go to the Hart ancestral house. I just don't want to."

I stopped folding clothes and turned.

" So then, where do you want to go? The streets? Or perhaps you can afford to buy yourself a house. Tell me what you want?" I spoke out a little rudely.

She looked taken aback by my tone.

" Why are you yelling at me?"

I sighed and turned away from her. " Sorry. I didn't mean to speak to you like that, but can you please finish packing? The moving company will be here any minute. I don't want you to complain later because you left something behind in a rush."

I thought she would listen to me, but she started again.

" Do we really have to move there?" asks Mom.

" Yes, Mom. That's our only option at the moment or do you want us to go seek refuge at uncle's place like beggars? I bet Aunt Rebecca would have a blast to see us helpless at her doorstep," I said.

Wait for it. I could already hear the gears turning in her head as she imagined that scenario.

" No!" she yells.

" Absolutely not. We will never go there even if we have to move to the ancestral mansion. I would rather go there be at Rebecca's doorstep."

That did the trick as expected. I don't know much about it but Mom and Aunt Rebecca hate each other. They can never be in a room for a minute without tearing each other apart, verbally. If no one intervened, I'm sure they would beat each other up. And both of them like to brag and show off about their lifestyle, trying to show who is better than the other. The drama is endless.

" Then that settles it."

" But you don't understand Iris. That mansion is really haunted, I swear," she says, crossing her fingers.

" Before you say, I'm dramatic listen to this. It's about your grandfather."

" What about him?"

She exhales nervously and traces the cross on herself as she silently utters the holy trinity. I sigh, almost losing my patience with her delay.

" As I was saying, Iris. Your grandfather was a grumpy, stubborn old man who was always angry," she begins.

" He hated everyone and wanted to be alone, so the house help never survived for a month. God, I know I shouldn't badmouth the dead, but that man was horrible."

I rolled my eyes. I don't see where this is going. What does Grandfather's horrible personality have to do with us moving to the mansion? I'm trying to put together the pieces, but I just don't get it nor am I interested in this whole thing.

" Mom, if there is a point to this, can you please get to it?" I tell her.

" Fine. The point is," she says, with emphasis on the 'point', " Your grandfather's mean spirit surely haunts that mansion. And if we go there, he will haunt our asses off so it's better not to go."

I groan in frustration. I knew it. She is making an excuse not to move again, but this has got to be the worst one. Ghost, really?

" Mom, come on. Stop it now. Spirits and ghosts?"

" I'm telling you. Okay, okay. Just listen to me," she pleads her case.

" If that's not true, why did no one want to live in the mansion? That place is huge and luxurious. Who wouldn't want that? Nobody wants it because it is eery and spooky. Even your greedy uncle, who would have wasted no time getting his grubby hands on it, avoided it. That must mean something."

Well, she might be right about that. Not the part about the ghost stuff, but the part where Uncle has not tried to take that mansion for himself or objected to us moving there. Sounds fishy but that does not mean the place is haunted.

" No Mom. I don't believe in ghosts. Besides, I told you that the mansion is the only place we can go to. If it's haunted, we can get an exorcist to put your mind at ease. That or we go on our knees and beg uncle and aunt for a place to stay. For the last time, which one is it?" I ask with a serious tone.

She looks at me without answering as she tries to think of something else, but after a few seconds, she sighs and finally gives in.

" Ugh fine. I'll go finish packing." She storms out and bangs the door like a rebelling teen. If she is like that, then who do I take after because I'm not like her? I shake my head and sigh. With everything going on, I have to deal with her too. This is exhausting. I threw myself on the bed sprawled out and then stared at the ceiling wondering how the hell things got to this point. I wish all this never happened, and it was all but a nightmare that I would wake up from. Exhaustion and stress took a toll on my body and mind. I slowly drifted to sleep.