Dear fiancé: I am beautiful again

Jealousy

Chapter Eight - Jealousy

Gabriella's POV

"James, what do you mean by my parents are not who I really thought they were? Tell me, what did you find?" I asked. My voice was laced with curiosity and my heart raced extremely fast as I had not gotten a response from James.

"James, are you there?" I called out his name in haste as I felt chills rush down my spine.

Fortunately for me, I heard James clear his voice over the phone before replying. "I am still here Gabriella, actually there are a lot of confusing things related to your parents but what I think is most essential in finding your brother is a feud that happened between Mr Victor, your father, and Mr Jude, your father's brother," James said.

Uncle Jude, Dad, and Mum had spoken about Uncle Jude a few times, but it was never about anything remarkable. Most times it was just a funny memory and whenever I bothered to ask them where Uncle Jude was, Dad and Mum would just wave it off, Dad especially.

"So what was the feud all about? How does it have anything to do with my brother too?" I asked as I slowly braced myself for the worst. I was already slowly putting two and two together, and I knew what James' next words would be.

"Apparently, your dad and Mr Jude fought over your grandfather's wealth. They were never on good terms. To cut the story very short and simple. Your dad got all the wealth and Uncle Jude was arrested for embezzlement and mishandling of funds." James blurted out.

My mouth opened wide in shock as I tried to process what was going on. My grandfather had wealth. How rich were my parents? Most importantly, why were they so determined to hide their wealth until death?

I tried to fathom the reason why they would do that, but I was too confused. My parents barely ever told me anything about themselves or about their family's heritage.

"I know you probably have a lot of questions right now, but I need to tell you that during the time you were in a coma, your uncle got let out of jail and I think he might have a hand in your brother's kidnap. I do not have enough evidence to back up this claim, but I just want you and, I to be on the same page here," James said.

I began to pace the room. Uncle Jude was now a suspect. I muttered a word of gratitude to James and I told him to keep me fully updated. I hung up the call and I found myself sitting on the couch in the living room. My mind was finding it difficult to process the shocking truth James had revealed to me.

My parents, the people I thought I knew, had a dark past. A feud with my father's brother, Uncle Jude, over wealth and power had ended in tragedy. Uncle Jude had been sent to prison, and my parents had thought they had put the past behind them.

Now, with my brother missing, I could not ignore the feeling that Uncle Jude's past grudge was connected to my brother's disappearance. I felt a chill run down my spine as I thought about the possibilities.

Suddenly I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder, startling me from my thoughts and jolting me back to reality. I raised my head up to gaze at the culprit, it was Lucian gazing at me with a look of concern plastered on his face.

"Are you okay?" He asked in a soft tone.

I nodded my head at him, not wanting to burden him with my family's drama.

"Look Gabriella, I am really really sorry about my mother's behavior today. Do not let her get to you please, she can be really difficult sometimes." Lucian apologized.

I wanted to tell him that his mother was not the reason why I acted so gloomy, but I chose not to tell him. Instead, I waved it off, trying to reassure him. "It is fine, really. I am just tired."

The next morning, I pushed aside my worries and decided to put my focus back on my revenge plan.

Today was my first meeting with George and the other shareholders. I dressed in a nude colored business suit, my hair pulled back in a neat bun. I applied basic makeup on my face and as I stared in the mirror, I could not help but admire my own beauty.

I drove straight to work in Lucian's red convertible. I arrived at the company ten minutes earlier than the time of the meeting. As I walked into the conference room, George and a few other people were already seated.

I caught George's eyes widening in admiration. "Gabriella, you look stunning," he said, his voice dripping with sincerity.

I smiled politely, taking my seat at the table. The meeting began with George discussing the company's financials and future plans.

Things were slowly going smoothly, and my interest was beginning to grow when, all of a sudden, the door to the conference room flew open, and she stood by the door, her face suddenly covered with anger. "George, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked. I caught her sneaking a few glances at me.

I felt irritated at how Tami had suddenly barged in. Everyone in the room eyed her weirdly, but it looked like she did not care at all.

"Tami, we are in the middle of a meeting. Let us talk later." George said with a nervous chuckle. I caught him trying to hint at her to leave, but she clearly chose to ignore it.

"It is important." Tami snapped at him.

George's brows furrowed in confusion mixed with a hint of anger.

Suddenly, Tami's voice echoed in the room, "George, I'm pregnant! We are going to have a baby!" A smile suddenly broke on her face.

The room fell silent, I felt Tami's eyes on me. I felt slightly uncomfortable with the news that she was pregnant. I no longer had feelings for George, yet for some weird reason, I felt discomforted by the news.