Chapter 21: Chapter 21

I woke up from the loud noise outside. When I opened my eyes, Deniece was already in my room, reading a book from my shelf. She clearly didn't understand the idea of privacy between us.

"Hey, did you know that Shakespeare is gay?" She asked out of nowhere.

I glared at her because of her nonsensical words.

"Shut up; he's a great writer," I defended while putting on my robe.

"Yeah, but he wrote the most idiotic, tragic ending for a love story," she teased me.

"It's too early in the morning; just shut up."

We both got startled when I heard the loud noise from outside again. I looked at her, and she just shrugged her shoulders, implying that she didn't know what was happening.

As I opened the door, I walked quietly downstairs and headed to the living room to look around the house. There, I saw my dad in a wheelchair. I haven't visited him in his room for two or three consecutive days, just to distance myself from him. All I can see are his nurses and guards assisting him until he recovers from the flu he had like a week ago.

I saw some pieces of porcelain glasses below his wheelchair. It looks like he dropped it accidentally, or maybe on purpose. The nurse near him is currently sweeping the mess I think he made.

"Dad?" I called.

He moved his chair to turn around and looked in my direction. There's still an IV drip on his hand. His eyes are still dark from his heavy eyebags, and he probably lost weight because of the treatment he's receiving.

"Did I wake you up?" He asked with much concern. I avoided his gaze for a second and looked at his feet instead; they were full of small wounds.

I shook my head and walked towards the kitchen to get a first aid kit. When I got back to him, I sat on the floor and helped him with his wounds.

"Is this from what happened earlier?" I asked.

"I got mad because of the unbearable taste of the porridge," he complained weakly.

"You could've just called me upstairs," I pointed out instead of creating a mess.

"It's fine; from the taste of that porridge, I can see that Lucille's not around to cook for us today," he chuckled softly afterwards.

My father is a kind man after all. He managed to give his employees a job and a home at the same time. He's not much of a bossy person, and he's fond of having a great time with his colleagues. It's just that, when it comes to his own family, he's a little strict and controlling. I still don't know why, but I don't want to know it anymore.

Speaking of food, I know someone who might cook for all of us today.

After I put band-aids on his feet, I immediately guided him to the dining table and offered him books to read.

"Stay here, dad," I said while arranging his chair. "I'll call someone for help who's very much available for the job."

He just smiled and nodded.

Meanwhile, I ran back upstairs to my room, and when I saw Deniece still reading while Iying on my bed, I snatched the book to get his attention.

"What the hell is wrong with you, girl?" She asked angrily.

"Where's your brother?" I asked hastily.

"You were with him last night, so why are you asking me that question?" She asked back as she snatched back the book she was reading.

"His room?" I asked again.

Deniece sighed before she stood up and signaled me to follow her.

"Your house is not so big that you didn't even know where he put his things," she lazily replied.

I rolled my eyes at her and just followed her around the hallway.

On the contrary, our house is quite big, and there are some hallways where I don't usually go. Besides, there are fifteen rooms upstairs, so I don't want to knock on them one by one.

Deniece sighed before knocking on the door at the very end of the hallway. Kendric picked the room that we don't usually use. We knocked three times before Kendric opened the door, and Deniece immediately turned around upon seeing his brother almost half naked in front of us. He must've taken a shower early this morning.

"You need something?" He asked me right away.

I couldn't take my eyes off his body. I hate to admit that his body can be compared to those guys that walk on runway shows; it's too good to look at.

"Stop staring, idiot." Deniece pinched my arm, and I glared at her for a moment.

Kendric laughed at Deniece's words and looked at me again.

"What can I do for you, miss?" He said as he was trying to tease me too.

I bit my lips and said, "I was going to ask if you could cook for us for lunch."

He's busy fixing his hair while still looking at me, so I speak up again.

"Our cook wasn't around, so I just want to ask for a huge favor today."

"Yeah, sure," he said as he smiled again. "Wait for me in the kitchen downstairs."

I had already walked away from his room while I was dragging Deniece with me. She's just laughing the whole time after what I asked for his brother.

"Really? That's your way to make your dad like him enough to cancel your preparations for your engagement?" She asked while still laughing so hard.

"Stop teasing me, okay?" I said as I tapped her shoulder once.

I didn't set it up for a reason. But when Deniece told me what she thought about what I did, I started to think about so many ways that I could stop my engagement now that Kendric is here and he might get close with my father if they try to bond some time. Maybe this could be a way to get myself free and happy without any responsibilities I keep thinking about.

"This is so outdated," Deniece said again. "Your ways are so outdated, girl."

"What do you want me to do then?" I asked her when we got to the kitchen. I closed the door to keep the maids away from us while we were talking.

"Tell your father about your relationship with him!" She said.

"What's our relationship, then?" I asked her again.

She paused for a second and scoffed.

"Both of you are not so ready with what you're doing, huh?"

My lips parted upon hearing that from my best friend. She totally understood what was going on just by looking at me and talking to me right now.

"You should have told me that you're not ready enough to fight for him!" She tried to keep her temper as she clenched her fist.

"I'm ready, okay?" I told her. "I'm ready enough for all these things."

"Then how long are you planning to keep all of this from him?" She asked bluntly.

This time, I paused for a while and sat on the chair beside our countertop. My knees got weak, and I'm about to cry.

I don't know. That's my answer for now.

I don't know when or if I'm still going to tell my father now that all I care about is his condition. This life is so draining.

I heard how Deniece took a deep breath and sat next to me. She gave me a hug and spoke again.

"I'm worried that the two of you might just break each other's hearts."

"I know that thing too," I whispered.

"But I'm always here, okay? Just tell me what to do, and I'll be very willing to help," she said while softly tapping my back.

When we heard the door slightly open, I wiped my face as I realized that I had cried a little and fixed my hair. Kendric entered the kitchen, and he smiled at me.

"Did I interrupt something?" he asked.

I just shook my head and told him to come. He immediately walked towards the counter and opened our refrigerator to look at the raw ingredients we had. The maid suddenly appeared and informed me that my father had gone upstairs for a moment to drink his medicine on time and would get down again for lunch.

As Kendric started to cook, I got out of the kitchen and went upstairs to look for Dad. I'm about to open the door of his room, but it's already slightly open, and I can hear him talking to somebody.

"Please go home; I promise I'll get all of our money back," he weakly said through the phone, and I sneakily watched him outside of his room.

I can't hear the other line's response, but my father's face is almost about to cry.

"Don't do this to our family."

I covered my mouth as I heard it. Is he talking to my mom?

I took a few steps away from the door and picked out my phone from my pocket. I tried to talk to my mom for the first time since they went away to London.

When I heard the operator say that the line was currently busy, I sneakily looked at my dad's room. He's still on his phone, talking to someone. I just smiled and ended my call for my mom. I sat down in the hallway across my dad's room and sighed.

Maybe he's trying to win us back.

The nurse saw me sitting, but I told them to sit with me until Dad finished his call. When we both heard the bell that my dad rang every time he needed something for assistance, I let the nurse enter his room, and I stood up and went downstairs.

I went to the dining hall, and I already saw Deniece and Tyler, who were practically enjoying their glaring contest. I laughed at it and tapped Deniece's shoulders.

"Keep it up, girl!" I cheered for her.

The maids were busy arranging the table for lunch, so I helped them out. While I'm busy putting the utensils away, Kendric comes out of the kitchen holding a big plate full of seafood.

"I heard that your dad loves shrimp, so I prepared it," he said before he went back to the kitchen, maybe to get the other dish that he had prepared.

"Stop smiling too much," Tyler noticed. "Your face is ready to get ripped apart by your ridiculous smile."

"It's because she's genuinely happy, so stay out of it," Deniece defended, pulling me beside her to sit.

"Stop it, you two," I said, trying to stop their little argument.

When Dad came to join us, both of them got silent. They pretentiously smiled, and it's pretty obvious that both of them felt uncomfortable with dad's presence for this lunch today.

"Monique, can you move beside Tyler?" Dad told me.

I looked at Tyler, and he just nodded. As I made my way across the seat I took a while ago, Kendric came out of the kitchen too with the last dish he had prepared for us.

We stared at each other until Dad spoke.

"So you're Deniece's long-lost brother?" He greeted Kendric with a quiet question.

Kendric looked at my dad and answered.

"Yes, sir."

"Come, sit beside me," Dad gestured his hand to the seat I had earlier.

Meanwhile, I continue to move and sit beside Tyler. When Kendric noticed the arrangement we have, I saw how his jaw clenched.

"So what do you do for a living?" Dad asked Kendric bluntly.

"I own lots of businesses around the city, and I'm a chef by profession," Kendric answered.

Tyler suddenly tapped my legs and placed his phone on my lap. On his phone, he wrote something that I expected from someone I called a witch in this house.

'You got busted by the SPY.'

I looked at him and scoffed. I cleared my throat and turned my attention to my father.

"Dad, you might want to—" I was interrupted by him.

"What is your name, young man?" Dad asked again.

"Kendric, sir," he answered shortly.

Dad tasted the food that Kendric prepared, and based on his expression, he liked it. He took a few more bites, while the four of us were also quiet the whole time.

I'm about to speak up again, but Dad interrupted me again with his killer question that I anticipated.

"What is your relationship with my daughter?"

I saw how Kendric paused from eating, and when he looked at me, he smiled. He turned his gaze to my father and spoke.

"I'm courting your daughter, sir."

Just kill me now.