𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝟐 (𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄)
Rachel Wang, a girl who makes her own rules and lives her life the way she wants, would never let anyone tell her what to do, the sole reason for which she left her home to live an...
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As much as I thought of having a peaceful Christmas, all of my manifestations seem to have jumped from the roof of our villa as soon as my father arrived back home in the evening and hugged Demi lovingly, wishing her a Merry Christmas while I just stood there, only getting a small nod of his head when I greeted him with the same.
Demi joined us last night past midnight, and she just told everyone that she wanted to surprise everyone with her visit this year, although I knew about it. She decided not to tell our parents that I already knew about her coming home for the celebration because she thought that dad might get upset because she didn't inform him first, but she isn't wrong about this.
My father had always craved a sense of authority, and if that ever wasn't satisfied for him, he'd become his worst self, which is the last thing we all wanted on a day of celebration.
As I poured juice for everyone in the kitchen, I could hear my parents and Demi laughing and talking in the living room. When she came last night, it was too late for anyone to have a good chat with her because everyone was exhausted from the day, as was she. By the next morning, it was Christmas Day, and she and I were bickering and gossiping while decorating the house before going grocery shopping, not letting Emma lift her finger while dad had to see some of his friends during the day.
It was late evening when we finished and were drained from all of the preparations. So we both got dressed and began cooking food for the night. Having Demi around again seemed like a big weight had been lifted from the air surrounding this house, allowing me to breathe easier. It was fun.
Placing the glasses filled with grapefruit juice on a tray, I make my way to the living room as well, taking the tray in my hands. My eyes landed on the faces of Emma and my dad, who were laughing at something that Demi had said, and looking at the beautiful faces of my family, my own lips stretched into a pleasant smile.
Emma's eyes meet mine when I near the couch where all were seated, and when she's about to get up from her spot to help me, Demi grabs her arm gently before standing.
"Just sit and enjoy." Demi winks at Emma while helping her to sit back. "We sisters will take care of everything; don't make our incoming sibling work."
"Incoming sibling." I look at her with amusement as she places each glass on the table. "What a talent you have for coming up with such unusual names."
"At least she's genuinely happy about it." My father's words grab my attention, causing me to turn around and face him on the couch. "Unlike people who just pretend."
My smile fades as soon as he finishes his sentence.
Everyone in the room fell silent. The atmosphere became heavy and unbearable again. It was obvious that his statement was directed at me in an ugly way, and my lungs again hurt to breathe while the corner of my eye began to sting.
"No one's pretending anything, Dada." Demi's slight jerk brings my focus back to the present as she takes the empty tray from my hands. "It's just hard for someone to show their true emotions—people like you, for example."
