The Beautifully Damned and the Eternally Blessed (SAMPLE)

Chapter Eight: The Suspects (Mr. and Mrs. Booker and Melina Booker)

The Booker Family (Gerald, Melania, and Melina), the family...

Back in Atlanta...

Gerald Booker, his wife Melania, and their eldest daughter Melania vowed to never have any more dealings with Derrick Ra'Keem Booker since he refused to marry Yvonne Battle years ago.

The three of the were still livid on that fateful memory back in 2002 when Derrick was told by Jamal of how they planned to kill him and make it look like a suicide while Yvonne would be incorporated into the family since she was deemed an equal asset to the family. When the exchanging of vows came up, no one would be prepared enough for Derrick's speech.

Ladies and gentlemen, this bride and my family are the main factors of how my life got to where it was today. Yvonne and my family all but wanted me to stifle my dreams of living my life while they got to live it up. I had to go through hell while they were on cloud nine. And it wasn't until today when I decided to make this decision known after what Jamal told me. I won't be marrying Yvonne Battle, nor will I be subjected to this abuse anymore. I am leaving my family and the city of Atlanta for good and will be getting as far away as possible.

Needless to say, Gerald and Melina were ready to trade blows with him with the former being knocked out by his son's uppercut while Melina was unfortunate enough to be spat on the face. All of the guests were left  stunned as videos of the family plotting the groom's death and sexual escapades were played on the screens in the church sanctuary.

Since that failed wedding day, Gerald and his family vowed to make sure that Jana didn't fall into the same pattern and arranged everything down to the last letter so Jana would be the perfect daughter. What the family didn't expect was that Jana was already planning to defect from her family as well since they arranged for her to marry Asher Lancaster (the heir of a whiskey and tobacco company). And when Jana found out of his affair with Melina (which would result in the latter's pending divorce arrangements by her husband), it gave her the reason to attack her family and formally end the planned nuptials.

It was now the middle of summer as the trio (who was joined by Asher with him now set to marry Melina) gathered in the sunroom of the family manor. "I still can't believe that Jana officially severed ties with us," Melina (a well-known yet infamous DA who was involved in a kids-for-cash scheme in private) said dourly. "And all because we talked shit about Derrick."

"Well, it's no surprise that we're not attending her graduation," her mother huffed as she sipped on her glass of limoncello. "But it is  scandalous for her to abandon us. She should be grateful that the abomination is out of our lives. And she should be spending time with Asher instead of humiliating him all over the media. Her appearance on WXIA news was distasteful with her airing the dirty laundry."

"If it weren't for her owning her own accounts, I would've made sure that she was destitute with no chances of her getting a job anywhere," Gerald intoned, eyes narrowing in silts. "Because of her stint, all of my clients have been  doubting me for my integrity and my business acumen. A few of them decided to drop me for my competitors."

"As long as no one catches on that they've been funding our lifestyles, we should be in the clear," Melina cited. "Anyway, I've been hearing a lot about Solaris Couture and Derrick's final fashion show during New York Fashion Week. Of course, we all know that Derrick's mega rich and all, but I bet he didn't leave any will or shit. It'll all be put under sale and the money back itno the state of New York, anyway."

"Of course," Asher, who remained quiet until now, commented, sipping on his glass of whiskey. "Derrick will likely leave his workers with nothing and they'll probably have to resort to working in fast food to survive. As far as I'm concerned, Solaris Couture  is dead."

Just then, one of the butlers arrived with a tall Asian woman. "Miss  Yeun has requested to see you all," he said. "She says that Derrick had invited you all to the reading of his will and a month-long celebration of his life during Fashion Week."

The shock on everyone's faces was apparent as the female lawyer extended invitations to everyone for the events as well as a cash payout of one-hundred grand if they accepted (which they all did eagerly). "Mr. Booker has been keeping a close eye on you all and he wanted to make sure that his special guests were taken care of after he passed on," the lawyer intoned, giving them a hard stare. "He knew that you all hated him because he didn't fit in with your beliefs, but he still believed that you all should get what you deserved."

Gerald hummed, turning to his wife, daughter, and Asher with the three all nodding in assent. "We'll be there," he said. "Make sure that our accomodations are second to none and of first class. My family and I deserve nothing but the best."

"But of course," Diana replied curtly. "I'll see you in two weeks' time. If you'll excuse me." With that, she took her leave.

"Wow, so Derrick did leave us with a little somethin-somethin'," Melina purred. "All the more reason to make sure that our private businesses get a nice funding."

"And we can use next month to curry favor with everyone so we can get a little extra with our inheritances," Asher commented. "I think that this could work out in everyone's favor."

"But we'll need to keep  Jana and her brood out of the loop," Gerald reminded everyone as he took his seat. "No doubt that the boy left her something, and we can't allow that to happen."

Little did he know, however, was that someone was watching every move via the hidden cameras that were set up around the manor. And thanks to the various maids and servants, the wheels of justice were in motion. Soon, nothing would be the same.

There's nothing more to be said about Gerald, Melania, Melina, and Asher. All of them are rotten to the core and wanted to exude control over Derrick and Jana yet got nothing for their gains since the two of them cut ties with them. But are they sinister to want Derrick dead, or is there more than what meets the eye?

But coming up next, we meet the last two suspects with one of them showing genuine heartbreak over our designer's death while the other is...well, let's just say that there's always a wild-card.

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