2 Faking Death
1918 Words
Six years later
"What did you do to my grandfather’s house?”
A beautiful woman with an elegant temperament and an indifferent expression walks into a mansion. Her voice sounded like a sharp arrow, disrupting the familiarity of the house. The residents were stunned to see her.
“Lauren…? Y-you are alive?”
Lauren’s POV
Although they had already received the news of my return, my uncle, Dan, wiped cold sweat on his forehead seeing me coming back from dead. Fear was evident in his eyes.
I sneered, "So what if I am alive? Are you disappointed?”
Ridiculous!
I wouldn’t have visited him after those six years if not for the news that had been circulated all over the internet. My uncle had auctioned our old house. That house means a lot to me. It was my grandpa’s house where I lived for more than ten years!
"Were you not satisfied with the company grandpa left you after his death? Why did you still have to go after that old house he left for my mom?”
Restraining back my anger, I confronted my uncle.
"You have been dead for six years and the old house is empty, just waiting to turn into ash! What else could we have done? How would we know that you can fake death too?"
His words stung me! They never cared, anyway.
"The house has long been sent to the auction house!”
A vitriolic voice sounded behind my uncle. It didn’t surprise me when I noticed my aunt Dolores butt in.
“It will be starting tonight. If you have the ability, go stop it. Anyway, we have no right to go back on our words since we sold it to the auction house in full."
Hearing her words angered me but I can’t lose my calm. Holding it in, I asked, "Is there really no way to recover it?"
Surely, they can do that since the house originally belonged to us.
However, I received my answer when my uncle’s eyes lowered with guilt. He couldn’t face me.
Dolores, on the other hand, adamantly looked at me and angrily spoke, "If you can't catch up, don’t blame us! Why do you care anyway, since for the world you are already dead?"
I can’t believe her!
"In those days, if it weren't for your hatred that almost killed Alex Watson’s child, would our Brown family be in trouble? The Brown Groups Company has run into bankruptcy, all because of you! Do you still care about that house getting auctioned for emergency rather than worrying about your uncle and his family?"
Dolores’ accusations were false, and it troubled me how unfazed she sounded when blaming her niece even when we did nothing wrong. She was more worried about the company and someone else’s son but not her own family!
"Trouble?" I looked at her in disbelief.
Is she joking?
"If you hadn't drugged Alex and me to sleep together and forced him to marry me, the Brown family would have gone bankrupt eight years ago! What are you so worried about now?"
My fingers curled tightly into my palm. If they had not meddled in the first place, I wouldn’t have been in this position. Maybe, I would be happily married with a loving family, if not for them!
My words might have pissed my aunt off.
She did feel wronged and sure her words proved when she said, "Do you think we hurt you, Lauren? If not for us, you could never have married into a wealthy family. You would have enjoyed all the luxuries and happiness in this world if you wanted. It is your own inability to not make your husband fall in love with you. So why blame us?"
Her ignorance and arrogance was stirring hatred in my heart. I needed her to stop because this is not what I came here for.
"Whether blaming you is right or wrong, I will ask a lawyer about it." Looking at my watch, I prepared to leave, but not before adding, "Since you cannot get the villa back, we will go through this legally."
These words sure would inflict some emotions in these heartless people.
"She, what does she want to do?"
I smirked inwardly after hearing my aunt’s worried voice. Dan looked up at me and when I refused to take back my words, he then turned to my aunt with some palpitations. Satisfied with the reaction, I left for the banquet to stop the auction.
However, my aunt seemed to have underestimated him as she sneered and consoled my uncle, saying, "What kind of whirlwind could an penniless person start to stop the impossible? Don't forget how she died. Alex himself did that. He even bought that old house.”
...
Ignoring her snide remarks, I got into my car and turned on the Bluetooth headset to make an important phone call.
Ring… Ring…
Soon there was a sweet voice of a little kid on the other end, “Mommy!”
My face lit up hearing my son, Jamie’s, voice.
"Baby, Mommy has something to do tonight. You must be good and listen to Lena?"
"Don't worry, Queen, I will take good care of Julie, the little sister." He sounded proud.
"It's ‘my’ sister! Mummy, tell Jamie to say, ‘my sister’. A sister can be anyone!" The sudden complaining from my daughter, Julia, interrupted us.
No matter how badly the day goes, their battering always lightens me up.
However, I sighed helplessly when I heard her cry because Jamie wouldn’t listen.
"Jamie, call her ‘my sister’ and coax her." I instructed, not wanting them to fight now.
Jamie refused. "No, I am her big brother! I will call her by the name."
And listening to that, Julie started crying more.
"Boo-hoo, mommy doesn't love me anymore. Mommy won't scold him! I want Jared and little Jasper here, not Jamie!"
She demanded in her soft voice, that melted my heart.
"Honey, Jared is shooting advertisements and Jasper is in the hospital getting treatment right now.” I negotiated.
“When will they come back to Julia? Do they also not want me? Julia is pitiful, boo hoo…"
I chuckled inwardly. With a faint smile, I got back to the point.
"Julia, Mommy is driving, and it will get dark soon if I don’t finish my work on time."
After hearing this, Julia immediately stopped crying. She sniffled, putting on a tough front.
"Mommy, I have stopped crying. I shouldn’t let mommy drive at night and protect her! "
My sweet angel’s words almost made me shed tears. I felt my heart ache a little.
Six years ago, the incident of me falling into the sea in that car made me claustrophobic. That’s why I cannot drive at night, anymore.
That night six years ago completely changed my life!
The only good thing I gained from that unfortunate marriage with Alex was my babies. I never knew I would give birth to not one, but four children!
In those days, Alex was ruthless enough to let me die in that scary, dark, cold-deep sea, and I was desperate. If it were not for the babies in my belly, I could not have survived, at all.
It was only for the sake of these babies inside me that I tried. With all the strength I had, I broke open the window of that car and escaped from it, struggling in the waves...
Fortunately, in the end, a kind-hearted person saved me. Later, I gave birth to four babies—Jamie, Jared, Julia, and Jasper.
Except for Jasper, my other kids are all healthy.
Thinking of my sickly little son, my eyes darkened and the hand holding the steering wheel gradually tightened.
Mr. Alex Watson, Rebecca… I'm back. I’ll make you pay for all this.
***
Narrator’s POV
"Has the new game engineer arrived today?"
In the luxurious Maybach, a handsome man holds a mobile phone, showing off his slender knuckles. His voice is like a deep and sweet cello.
The secretary on the other end of the call couldn't help but rub his forehead, cold sweat dripped down the side of his ears.
"No, Mr. Watson. She hasn’t arrived yet. Ruth is proud of her talents and so, always has a little temper."
"Temper?" Hearing that word, the handsome man, Alex, sneered, "Doesn’t she know who Party A she is dealing with?"
‘Who would dare show temper against me?’ Alex wondered.
"Tell Ruth to see me tomorrow, or she can say goodbye to the contract!"
Saying that, Alex angrily ends the call.
Ryan, who was driving, also felt strange and couldn't help but say, "Mr. Watson, is this Ruth dissatisfied with the clauses proposed by our consortium? Is that the reason she deliberately makes us wait so we can fulfill those conditions for her to join?”
Alex’s raised his eyebrow slightly.
"Who knows what is going on inside her mind? If she were not a talented and highly skilled high-level game engineer, and if her design concepts were not ahead of schedule; I would not have bothered with her in the first place!"
“There is no one who would dare to waste my time in unnecessary matters.’ Pondered, Alex.
“How long before we arrive?" Alex questioned, frustrated.
Facing the big-BOSS who had suppressed his anger, Ryan breathed evenly before carefully wording his answer, "Five minutes."
"Excuse me, Boss but why did you put the Lady’s old house up for auction after buying it from your wife's family? You must now participate in it yourself. Isn't this redundant?"
Ryan’s words made Alex unhappy.
“What lady?" Alex frowned slightly and continued, "It’s the dead woman, Lauren, we are talking about."
Ryan nervously held the steering wheel and did not dare say another word. They reached the banquet where the auction was taking place.
After getting out of the car in the parking lot, Ryan felt relieved of his burden now that he was standing in the open air.
But as Alex was about to get walk out of the lot, a little girl ran into him.
He was surprised to see the girl getting hit by his thigh. She immediately stumbled back a few steps like a drunkard and fell to the ground while bitterly weeping.
"Boo-hoo--!"
It rendered Alex and Ryan speechless. They did not know what happened.
Oblivious to all, there was a small boy hiding in the dark, watching them intently. He could not bear to look at the girl’s poor acting skills.
It was a feather touch! On top of that, she got hit ‘suddenly’ and fell to the ground ‘abruptly,’ crying. The little guy could not handle this.
“Ridiculous...” The boy smacked his forehead.
Although this little girl was not hit badly, the other party is a child, after all! Looking at such a lovely little girl crying so sadly, Ryan couldn't bear it. His heart melted.
Alex, however, was not so kind. He was ready to leave without looking at the little girl.
“Boss--” Ryan interjected, seeing his indifference.
"She is not my daughter. Once she is tired of crying, she will go to her parents.”
Saying that, Alex was about to leave when the little girl reached his thigh and hugged it tightly.
”Dad... (hic)... Dad, don't go."
Dad???
Hearing her call Alex ‘dad’ left everyone stunned!
- Writer
