Bed of Nails

Chapter 17

Whose birthday is today?

I stopped thinking about it as soon as no name popped into my head. I will know once I go there. I decided to get ready and leave before Isabella decided to call me again. I was standing in front of my closet, deciding what to wear. I kept staring at my clothes for a good ten minutes. I don't know if it was a birthday party or just a gathering. I exhaled exasperatedly and decided to wear a simple yellow A-line dress. It had small, colourful flowers on it. It was nothing fancy, just cute. I let my hair down and applied a gloss to my cracked lips. I soon left to go to the villain's mansion. It was within walking distance because they are my neighbours.

I have grown up playing with Xanthus and Isabella. I have spent most of my childhood here, more in their house than mine. Dad was always busy with work; did he ever have time for me? My days were spent with the villain's family. They never made me feel like an outsider. Every time, it makes me wonder what it's like to grow up in such a family. It made me desire even more to be part of a family like this. A guard opened the gate for me. I smiled at him and walked inside. I went straight to the kitchen once I was inside the house. I could smell all the delicious aromas even from the door. They were all busy making food more delicious. After all, they are a family of chefs.

"Xanthus, cut them properly," his mother scolded him.

"Mom, I'm cutting it properly; stop scolding me," he grumbled, and he cut the remaining things.

"Xanthud, don't argue with your mother. If she says it's not properly cut, then it's not properly cut," Grandma said in her firm voice and continued kneading the dough. Both of them were very strict with him when it came to cooking.

"I'm doing it properly. See, I have cut all of them in half an inch," he cried out, looking at them.

"Potatoes are supposed to be cut into slices, not into half inches," his mother said with narrowed eyes. He gasped when she said that.

"But—" he stopped in the middle of arguing when his grandmother looked at him with narrowed eyes. He grinds his teeth in frustration.

"If I ever have my own restaurants, I will never hire any women," he grumbled under his breath, as if promising it himself. He doesn't like when he is bossed around. I chuckled, looking at the chaos going on in the kitchen. It was always a sight to see.

"What's the occasion?" I asked, plopping on the empty stool in front of the kitchen counter. Isabella handed me carrots to peel. I nodded at her and started peeling it. "It's my grandson's birthday today," Grandma said with a happy face. All the grimaces she was showing a second ago vanished from her eyes. I looked at Xanthus.

"Oh my god, I forgot your birthday," I gasped, looking at Xanthus.

"Happy birthday," I said while side-hugging him. He just exhaled and continued cutting vegetables.

"He is not the only grandson I have," Grandma said with grimness in her eyes. It made me look at her with furrowed brows. She was disappointed in her pupil for cutting the vegetables wrong. Xanthus has accepted his fate. It was not new for him.

"They are talking about Erick," Isabella chirped while stirring something in the pot. She was helping her mother. My eyes widened in realisation. I was invited to his birthday party.

"It's going to be his first birthday celebration with us," Mrs. Villain said in excitement while giving more potatoes to Xanthus, who sighed in annoyance. I covered my surprised face and smiled faintly at her. I helped them get food ready. Not much was left to do when I came, so I ended up helping make a salad. Grandma didn't say anything to me when I cut the uneven cucumber slices. Instead, she praised me. Xnathua glared at us. I suppressed my smile. Once we were done, I went to Isabella's room with her. She was taking out a new set of clothes. I decided to ask the question that had been bothering me.

"Haven't you guys celebrated Eric's birthday before?" I asked in confusion while looking at her. She turned her head to look at me.

"Erick used to live with his mother in a different state, but they shifted here two years ago for her cancer treatment. We only learned about their shifting here when his mother passed away last year," she said, and my eyes widened at the new piece of information.

"He lost his mother to cancer." I gasped when she said that. how hard it would have been for him.

"What about his father?" I asked further while still looking at her with wide eyes.

"Uncle Thomas was never in their lives. He was always busy with his business. Eric's mother was a single mother. Grandma asked her to come and live with us when Eric was little, but she refused. She didn't want to be a burden on us, so that's why she moved back to her hometown." Isabella filled me with all the information I needed on his background. My heart stirs up after learning things about him. I couldn't help but find our situation very similar to mine.

He was alone, like me.

"Let's go," Isabella said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Hmm," I hummed, and then followed her.

"Erick is here," Isabella said in excitement when she saw him sitting in the living room with Xathus and his dad. I followed her with slow, steady steps. He was wearing a white button-down shirt and blue jeans. looking handsome like always. My heart started to beat fast. As if sensing my eyes on him, he turned his head in my direction. Last night's incident flashed in front of my eyes when our eyes clashed. He didn't even look at me for more than a second and went back to talking as if he didn't recognise my existence.

I don't know why, but my heart felt a sting at his aloofness.

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