Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

1

"Lydia, you are expected home for dinner tonight. Your sister was engaged and is introducing her fiancé to the family."  Fanny Fletcher, Lydia's mother tells her or rather demands of her.

"Like you and father haven't met this man before she was engaged." Lydia says more than a little smartly, her sister is the favorite child, but they watch her constantly. Lydia was more than a little happy about not being with the family. She left home as soon as she could and never looked  back. If she could she would break all contact with them, but she just can't quite bring herself to do so. Especially not her little sister, should she ever treat her like her parents do then she would break contact and lose no sleep over it.

"Well, of course we've met him. But you need to meet him before the wedding." There is a matter of fact tone in her mother's voice that shouldn't have set her on guard, but it did. There is something going on.

"Fine, what time tonight? I'll break my plans and I might bring someone with me as well." Lydia smiles to herself, Azra Barney, her fiance as of last night, maybe he'll be free and she can introduce him to the family. She's avoided it since her parents hate her and they are her only living relatives left.

"Fine, just make sure to let me know if you do so we can make sure that there is a place for him. Be here at seven." With that Fanny hangs up. 

"Love you too, mom." Lydia says to the phone. She shrugs to herself and calls Azra up. His unusual name was what first brought her attention to him. She had had him checked out of course. Her parents might not care about her but her grandparents had loved her. They taught her that you can't be too careful about people.

Because of her background check she found out that he was the only son of one of her competitors. A competitor that was in financial straights. Her company was poised for a hostile takeover, which she had put on hold until she could determine if Azra was serious or just using her.

She's fairly sure that he's serious.

She frowns a bit. He's never pressured her to have sex and in fact, he's been more than respectful in that area. She had been pleased since she didn't want to feel like that was the only reason he was with her.

She puts her concerns away for now. She loves him but she'll have another look into his background just to make sure that she didn't miss anything.

She's already had her auditors go over the books for his father's company. They aren't finished yet, but they've found a lot of discrepancies. Lydia has placed forensic financial people to find the missing money and try to retrieve it.

Calling Azra with a smile on her face, she can't wait to talk to him. She's never loved any one like she does him.

"Hey you, wasn't expecting a call from you during work hours." Azra says warmly, but like he's out of breath.

"Yeah, I got an unexpected call about a dinner tonight. I was wondering if you would like to come as my date?" Lydia replies warmly.

"Ah, sorry Lydia, I can't come tonight. I have a previous engagement that I can't get out of. My parents are expecting me to do it and have pinned their hopes of me setting the deal."

Lydia lets her smile fall, "I understand, it was sprung on me last minute as well. I still need to cancel my plans to make this dinner. Good luck with your meeting."

"Thank you, love, I'm sure that it will go good. If it does then my parents worries will be over." Azra had made no bones about how worried his parents were about the business. They've put feelers out for investors or partners. Lydia doesn't think any one looking over the books would agree to investing or partnering with Azra's father in charge of the company.

"I hope it goes well for you then. Let me know when you are done? I'd love to celebrate with you." Lydia tells him softly doing her best to hide her feelings.

"I love your positivity, Lydia, it's one of the best things about you." Lydia isn't sure that that was much of a compliment. She's not a slender blond beauty, but she's never considered herself ugly. For once she would like to be called beautiful though.

Shortly after that they hang up and Lydia calls to cancel her other plans.

At least her best friend offers to come with her to the family dinner. "Thank you, Ann, but I think it would be better if I don't take you. For some reason my family hates you."

"Probably because I tell them they suck as parentals and need to be nicer to you. They do understand that you are the one that controls how much they are allowed to receive from the company, right?" Her friend Ann works in payroll and is aware that a phone call from Lydia and the parents would receive nothing. Ann has never understood why Lydia gives them such a generous payout when they've been nothing but cruel to her growing up.

"They were there when the will was read, even have their own copy, but I don't think they've ever paid much attention to that part as long as they get lots of money each month." Lydia replies now much less happy about life in general. Any time she has to think about her parents it makes her depressed.

She's never understood just why they hated her so much. 

She was pleased when the business was left to her and not her parents.

Her parents were a lot less pleased by that, but then they realized that they wouldn't have to work in order to receive the money and they were much happier. 

Her grandfather left her basically every thing with the stipulation that her parents receive a stipend from the company, upon her discretion. There were a list of contingencies that would allow her to cut the stipend off fully. There have been times when her parents have come perilously close to fulfilling those parameters. To the point where Lydia has had eviction notices for all three of them drawn up. Not just drawn up but presented to the court. 

She's even given verbal warning to her family, but they didn't listen. It was only because Lydia didn't want to throw them out of the only home her father has ever known that she hasn't yet.