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1089 Words
AURELIA
“I didn’t think you would be from the Hales family, Aurelia. You never acted like it. Were you waiting to graduate first before you started properly associating as a Hale?” Freya, the only person I'd normally spoken to at school, said as we walked towards the professor’s office. We needed to complete our clearance before the graduation date, the reason for me being at school today.
“My surname is literally Hale.”
“It’s a common name. I’m Freya Woods. Everyone bears Woods.”
“I don’t know anyone who bears words except for you,” I said, glancing at her.
She chuckled, but then stopped abruptly. “Isn’t that Theron Draix?”
I traced her eyes, and they fell on him, in a suit and tie, like he normally was.
“What’s he doing at our school?” Freya wrenched the question out of my mind. And yes, what was Theron Draix doing at my school?
His eyes fell on me before I could look away. I let out a breath. There was no avoiding him now.
“He’s coming towards us,” Freya squealed.
“Can you give me a moment, Freya?”
“Don’t tell me you know Theron Draix?” she asked unbelievably.
I shrugged. “He’s my neighbour.”
Her mouth fell open as Theron closed the gap between us. I took a step back.
“Aurelia,”
“What are you doing in Ashmoor?” I narrowed my eyes.
“I came here for business,” he replied.
I couldn’t tell if he was lying or not. I don’t ever recall seeing him in school in my past life.
“If you're done with business,” I gritted my teeth. “And don’t come back till I've graduated. The fact that I see you everywhere I go kicks me.”
Theron let out a breath, his hand smoothening against his hair. He was frustrated. “Have I offended you, Aurelia? Tell me what I have done, and I will fix it. You're acting this way…”
“It’s irrational. I’m childish, aren’t I?” I raised a brow.
Confusion clouded his face. “What? No. Of course not. I would never think that.”
I scoffed halfheartedly. He was just the same as Mireya, a snake. I doubted he would leave Mireya, even if he found out the truth about his survival. For a split second, I regretted it.
Maybe you should have just left him in the fire, an inner voice said.
I regretted everything, and watching him made those memories rush back to me. I shouldn’t be with him, because I hated him. It was just a matter of time before I exposed his relationship with Mireya.
“Leave me alone, Theron. Don’t cross paths with me. It’s annoying,” my voice came out harshly as I turned, walking away from him. Two weeks from now, Theron would come with sickly flowers to present at my graduation. In my former life, I cried. In this one, he would regret bringing them to me.
~~
“What do you think about these cookies, Miss Aurelia?” Madam Camila stared at me inquisitively.
I frowned, looking up at her. “It’s horrible.”
Her face morphed into something unrecognisable as she took a step backwards. “It’s that bad?”
Laughter escaped from my lips as I turned to look at her, “It’s a joke. How did you come up with this recipe? This is the best cookie I've ever had.”
“I’m trying to propose it to your parents’ company. There is a project which your company started last month. If I can win, then they’ll fund, train and give me production support. I’m interested in joining it.”
My eyes narrowed. “There’s something like that?”
Madam Camila smiled, nodding. “You know I’ve always wanted to be a baker.”
“I know that. You should try it out. If you add brown butter notes or a caramel undertone, it’ll be impossible for you not to win,” I said.
“Really?” Her eyes widened. “Thank you, Aurelia. You are such a great help.”
As Madam Camila walked back into the kitchen, I pulled out my phone, dropping the business book I was reading on the table. I’ve never heard of a project like the one Madam Camila talked about in my past life.
The search came up.
THE HALES CULINARY INNOVATION PROGRAM.
People submit recipes, and the winner gets developed into an official Hales Food Products recipe. I clicked my tongue. I didn’t think there was anything like that. How come no one had informed me all these while?
My phone vibrated in my hand, and I stared at it. Mom.
“Come meet me at Queen’s Mall. We need to get your dresses prepared for Monday.”
I groaned. This was a hot Saturday already. Why couldn’t I just stay indoors?
“Madam Camila,” I shouted across, “I’ll be back soon.”
Without changing my clothes, I wore my flops, walking out of the house, and that’s when I saw her.
Theron’s mother.
Her driver stopped the car in front of me as she wound down.
“Mi querida,” she called with a perfect smile. “Have you been avoiding me lately?”
I bit my lips. How do I hate Theron exactly when his mom is such a loving woman?
“I’m not, Mrs. Draix.” I muttered, walking closer to her, “I’ve been busy for the past few days.”
“Where are you headed? Hop in, my driver will drop you off.”
I had no option but to get into her car, as the driver sped off.
“I saw you on TV, Aurelia. You looked absolutely stunning."
“Thank you very much.”
“Are you thinking of working in the company?”
“Uh, yes. I think it’s about time I should start following in my parents' footsteps. So I can take over the company one day.”
Mrs. Draix took my hand in hers slowly. “Remember, whatever you do has to be something that makes you happy. Don’t follow the trend, mi querida. And if you need help, my family is always there for you. Don’t hesitate to call Theron when you need anything, bueno?”
I nodded calmly, flattening my lips. How would she feel if she found out what Theron had done to me?
- Writer
