Chapter 8-The Audacity.
955 Words
Vanessa's POV.
I bit the tip of my finger anxiously as I stared at my phone again.
Still nothing.
No missed calls.
No texts.
Ryan still hadn’t contacted me since I stormed out of his office earlier.
It was already night, yet he hadn’t made any effort to reach out to me.
Didn’t he hear me when I said I would tell my father to cut ties with his company?
“Should I call him?” I muttered to myself.
I immediately shook my head.
How could I call him first?
He was the one who offended me.
In fact, he had always been the problem in this relationship.
“Miss Vanessa,” a maid called softly from the doorway.
“What?” I answered without even looking at her.
“Your father is back.”
That immediately caught my attention.
“So?” I asked flatly.
“H-he said I should inform you… and that you should see him in his room,” she replied nervously.
“Get out,” I said calmly, without even bothering to frown.
The maid quickly lowered her head and hurried out of my room without another word.
Because why would a mere maid argue with Vanessa Hudgens—
the daughter of millionaire Philip Hudgens?
Even though I didn’t want to, I still had to go see my father.
I stood up from the couch in my room and dragged my feet all the way to his bedroom.
“Hey, Dad. Welcome back,” I greeted tiredly.
“Yes, sweetie,” he replied warmly.
“How was your day?”
“It was boring,” I muttered as I dropped onto the bed.
“Why?” he asked curiously as he sat beside me. “I thought you were spending the day with Ryan.”
“Yeah, I was…” I sighed. “But I kept calling and texting him, and he refused to answer me. So I went to meet him.”
“And I kinda… might have threatened him a little,” I admitted hesitantly.
“With what?” my father asked immediately.
“I told him that if he didn’t apologize to me, I'll tell you cut ties with his company”
My father exhaled heavily, placing a hand on his forehead.
“Vanessa… why?”
I hated seeing him stressed like this.
Deep down, I knew he needed Ryan more than Ryan needed him.
And the truth was…
I actually loved Ryan.
It was just that he never seemed to truly understand me.
“Daddy, I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I was just angry.”
“It’s okay,” he assured me. “I’ll see him tomorrow.”
“Are you sure you aren’t mad at me?” I asked quietly.
“No, my love,” he replied gently. “But you have to be careful when you’re angry with Ryan. You know he’s been the one supporting this company.”
“I know,” I murmured guiltily. “I’m sorry.”
“Come here,” my father said softly as he pulled me into a hug.
I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes briefly.
“I love you, honey,” he murmured.
“I love you too, Daddy,” I replied quietly.
Harmony’s POV.
Oil crackled softly in the pan as I stood over the stove, turning the food carefully with a spoon. The smell filled the apartment, warm and comforting, almost enough to distract me from how exhausting the past few weeks had been.
Then my phone rang.
The sharp sound cut through the quiet kitchen, making me glance toward the counter where the screen lit up and vibrated against the surface.
I wiped my hands quickly on a towel and reached for it.
An unknown number flashed across the screen.
Something in me hesitated. For a second, I almost ignored it. But curiosity won.
“Hello?” I said cautiously.
“Hey! Harmony?”
I pulled the phone away from my ear and frowned at the screen.
How did this person know my name?
“Who is this?” I asked.
“It’s me. Your sister, Nora.”
“Oh… okay,” I replied causally.
I placed the call on speaker, turned off the stove, and grabbed a plate so I could serve myself food while she talked.
“So, how are you?” she asked.
“I’m fine.”
A brief silence followed.
“So what exactly do you want?” I asked bluntly.
“Ummm…” she hesitated. “Things are kind of tight for me and Josh right now. I was wondering if you could help us out financially?”
I paused mid-motion.
Sometimes I honestly wondered if Nora was truly my sister.
For one tiny second, I thought maybe she had called to apologize. But no. She only called because she needed something.
Who asks for help from the same sister they betrayed?
Honestly, I didn’t even have much money left after moving here, buying furniture, and settling into my apartment.
“No, I can’t,” I replied calmly. “Ask Mom.”
“Oh come on, Harmony,” Nora scoffed. “What is your problem? Can’t you just move on already? You’re my elder sister. It’s literally your responsibility to help me when I’m broke.”
I frowned while my grip tightened around the plate.
The audacity.
I didn’t even bother responding this time. I ended the call immediately and inhaled slowly, trying to calm myself before anger completely took over.
After a few deep breaths, I carried my plate to the couch and sat down to eat while the TV played softly in the background.
Nora has nothing on me.
- Writer
