Tangled in the web of love.

CHAPTER FOUR

ARLENE

Of all the Wests, My Grandparents were my favourite. My Mother was just there, somewhere in the middle, not a favourite, and not my least favourite person. Aunt Emmaline—Emmaline as she would rather be called, was my least favourite person.

I always wonder how two warm, and loving people could bear such cold hearted women. The sisters were almost alike, my mother was always aloof, and detached, especially to me, her other children saw a little of her motherly side.

She was a business woman, shrewd and intelligent. She had ran West cooperation from the age of eighteen, and had kept getting the family richer and richer.

Emmaline was the spender, and self acclaimed fashion icon of the family. What my mother got for brains, she got for beauty. While my mother closed deals, she stole hearts and and their accounts. Emmaline was notorious, but she was beautiful, and she always got away with whatever.

They were both wealthy women in their rights, cold hearted and hated each others’ guts. At first, Emmaline had hated my mother vicariously through me, but after her boyfriend had made a move on me, she had hated me for me.

I sat before my dressing table, wrapping my hair in a band. I had declined lunch so I would have some time to settle in before the dinner party tonight. A dinner I would have gladly skipped, but Nana insisted. Emmaline's jackpot was coming.

I wished I had gotten a name, I would have done a little research on him.

And surprising enough, Aunt Emmaline had not made any posts about him on any of her social media platforms. I had sacrificed one night, digging through her pages, just after Nana had told me she was getting married. I hoped to see who the unfortunate man was. Emmaline loved nothing more than herself, and her love for money contested the love she had for herself. It was difficult to tell which she loved most.

Well, I get to see him tonight, and offer my condolences.

I had over five hours to prepare for that meeting, that and the rest of whichever West or Foster will be available. But, first things first. I needed to bathe, return Clarence's call—he’d blasted my phone until I returned it to airplane mode, sleep and then meet the family.

So, bathe first.

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By the time I sashayed down the stairs, I was a good fifteen minutes late for the dinner party…get together…whatever, and the whole Wests and Fosters were already seated, laughing over several arrays of appetizers.

Vera had come to get me just before dinner began, the remaining Wests had arrived, and so had the Fosters. I took time to look good and presentable. It had been seven years since they last saw me in flesh and blood, or even saw me at all. I needed to make an impression.

The table stilled the moment I walked in. I treaded further, swallowing hard, forcing a smile as I approached the empty seat beside Nana. Bless her for saving me a seat by her side. My kids weren't at the table. Vera said they'd been touring the house all afternoon, and once they had dinner, had plopped tiredly on their beds, falling asleep almost immediately.

I took note of the faces, nonchalance, anger, surprise, guilt and Vance.

What was he doing here?

And how were they all comfortable with Vance being here, and not me?

“Come here, my love” Nana beckoned on me. I took a seat beside her. All through my walk, I could feel Vance's eyes, keen on my every movement.

“What is he doing here?” I asked my Nana in a whisper.

“He works with your mother, he is now part of the family” Nana shrugged.

Now part of the family? Just like that?

“And is Aunt Emmaline comfortable with that?”

“She throws a tantrum whenever they meet, but that's it. Don't worry about him, but if he disturbs you…”

“He doesn't disturb me” I interrupted her, pissed at how easily they let him in, let him stay, and how hard they made it for me, their flesh and blood.

“Are you sure?” Nana asked, her eyes observing mine. I stared away, meeting Aunt Emmaline's ice shards.

“Yes.” I said to her “Good Evening everyone. Sorry I'm late.” I directed to the table.

“Hello Arlene” Theresse greeted first, passing me a tray filled with crab cakes and horseradish cream, her blue eyes regarding me curiously. While my mother looked like Nana, Theresse took after my mother in loves, and shrewdness.

“Theresse. How are you?” I forced a smile, taking the rest from her. “Thank you” I muttered.

“Good. I'd ask same, but you look good yourself. Ireland did you well”

“Thank you. Yes, the country is splendid.”

“Hi Arlene” Ethan hollered, a small smile touching his lips, amidst the guilt his blue eyes reflected.

“Ethan” I nodded. Last time I was here, we were forming a bond, then I fell pregnant and disappeared, and whatever we had either died naturally, or remained stunted. Although I secretly hoped it was the latter. I could definitely use another West or Foster ally here.

“I saw your kids,” Theresse continued. “unbelievably ethereal” she complimented, a genuine smile touching her plump lips.

“Thank you” I glanced briefly at Vance, he was still staring.

“Yeah, yeah.” Aunt Emmaline interrupted. “Beautiful children, but you never got to tell us who fathered them”

“Emmaline!” Nana warned.

“What? I want to know” she said smugly, “or don't you want to know?” she taunted.

“I don't think that matters” Ethan said. “She's family, her Kids are family, that's all that matters” I fought the surge of emotions that coursed through me. That was one thing I've always wanted these people to say. That I was family.

“What if the father is a serial killer?” Emmaline continued unperturbed.

“Emmaline!” Nana warned again.

“Just wondering out loud “ she shrugged.

“I'm so sorry, love” Nana said to me, squeezing my hands.

“You've barely had a glass of wine, and here you are, all intoxicated.” my mother spoke up, his gaze not leaving her plates.

“Wine does not intoxicate me. Something I got from father” Aunt Emmaline slurred. I knew where this was going, and it wasn't going to end well.

“But you, what did your daughter get from you?” She asked, hissing. At my mother's silence, she cackled. “You don't need to answer, we all know you lot are good at taking men that aren't yours”

“Emmaline, that's enough!” Vance spoke up.

“The niece fucker speaks!” She chortled.

“Here we go again” Theresse muttered.

“Arlie, sweetie pie, don't you have some news to break to Vance?” Aunt Emmaline taunted. I squeezed tight on my dress.

“Like what?” I asked her.

“ Like having ki…”

“Sorry I'm late” A calm baritone cut through the tension filled atmosphere, shutting it down with its effect. We all swirled to the direction the voice had come from.

“Baby!” Emmaline gasped, she got up from her seat, running towards the voice.

The unfortunate man.

He stepped forward, entering into the light and every visibility, and my blood ran cold.

It can't be!

Dark piercing eyes swept over the room full of Fosters and Wests, and then me, my breath hitched at the intensity of his stare, heat zapped through me like electricity, digging up a memory that I had fought to forget for the past seven years.

It was him. My memories in flesh and blood.

“And that's Arlene, my sister's first daughter, who happens to be our wedding planner.” I heard from a distance.

“Arlie?” Grandma's gentle but firm touch, brought me back to the present. At some point, the table had rose to meet him where he stood. I got up, forcing a small smile.

“Uhm, hi. Hi” He regarded me slowly, amusement flashing in his eyes, then then he was back on aunt Emmaline, his fiancée.

“Yes, Arlene” she chirped, “Meet Remi Glasstone, Chairman of Glasstone Cooperation, my fiancé” a smug smile touched her lips.

A sixty something years old pot-bellied man? Oh I've never been so wrong. Nana was right. Definitely, a Jackpot!

“Not Chairman, yet” he stretched his hands towards me. I eyed it suspiciously, a memory of hands flashing before my eyes. I stared up at his face, glistering, yet deep black, straight nose, tip lips. No iota of recognition. I took his hand, fighting the emotions that roared to life, transporting me back to a time, one very powerful catalyst that changed the trajectory of my life. “It's a pleasure”

“The pleasure is mine” I held his gaze, watching, waiting for a shift. I got nothing.

“Okay okay!” Aunt Emmaline broke us up, pulling him away, she gave me a dirty look, them drew him back to the table. “We've got several appetizers, but the bloody marry poached shrimps Estevan calls it, is simply superb.

As I sat through dinner, listening to his voice and my aunt's busy hands, I couldn't get over the thought of what a worst mistake coming back here was.

I intend on confronting my past, but never in the numerous scenarios had I thought about this. That the father of my kids was the man my aunt intended to marry. Worse still, he didn't remember me.