Shards Of The Heart

Chapter Four

Father of the Year

"Father when did you get here?" I asked him nervously. I don't remember a time when this man I called dad ever made me feel not intimidated.

"This is my house isn't it I live here unlike you who left years ago like some runaway bride." His words were calmly said but cut like a knife. "I thought you decided to not be part of our family anymore so what made you come back huh? money, fortune, inheritance?" My granny used to tell me that my father missed me alot ever since I left home but after hearing what he's saying right now while starring at the dead look in his eyes I can clearly tell she was mistaken.

"Father it's really late right now can't we bond some other time." honestly to tired and jet lagged to argue with anymore hostile family members.

"Actually we have something very important to discuss, it'd do you good to have a seat." when he say that I wasn't making any effort to move from where I stood he continued. "Your mother has had a few concerns about your arrival prior to the engagement." stepmother  I correted in my mind with a mental eye roll.

"What concerns?" I asked actually curious about what sick games that woman was playing. "Well seeing as you and the groom have a past..." before he could even continue any further with his statement I interrupted him. "Tell dearest stepmother that she can take her concerns and shove them right up her artificially engineered ass because she knows as clearly as I do that all she's trying to do is cause unnecessary drama." I said really seething with anger at the very moment. How dare she think she has the right to tell my dad to come into my room to tell me such nonsense.

"Enough Scarlett, I did not teach you to disrespect your elders like this!" My father said now standing in front of me.

"No father you taught me nothing so don't come here pretending to be a self righteous father." I turned around and opened the door wide for him to which he just starred in utter shock. Never once did my father ever think I'd speak to him in that manner, hell even I surprised myself. "When your ready to leave you'll close the door behind you I'm going to freshen up, Goodnight dad."

Without looking back I headed into the direction of the bathroom.

**********

Early the next day I woke up to prepare breakfast for everyone, more like a peace offering. I went to the bathroom to freshen up and got dressed in a simple yellow summer dress which was excellent for the heat.

When I got downstairs I was met with the maid who gave us drinks last night. "Goodmorning, sorry I didn't mean to frighten you." I said to her with a soft smile after I saw her jump at the sound of my voice.

"Goodmorning Madam I hope you had a wonderful night." She replied in a almost robotic professional voice as if she'd spent hours rehearsing those very lines. Now she has a different maids outfit from last night which is the same design but blue in color unlike the black one from yesterday.

"Please call me Scar or Scarlett, I'm no Madam." before she could reply someone interrupted her by saying: "Yes why bother yourself by calling her Madam, Roshan when she's one of your own, the daughter of a dirty house help." She spat those words like a snake with venom. I took a deep breath in abready to attack mode but stopped myself. " Goodmorning to you too step mother, I see you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, as usual." not that there is a right side when it comes to her.

She just looked at me with hatred before turning to Roshan who looked rather shaky after step mothers sudden appearance.
"Roshan I want you to prepare a full French breakfast for my daughter and son in-law, everything should look like something from a magazine got it." She ordered.

She pivoted and headed in the direction of the front door."And when my husband comes home inform him that I've gone to meet my friends at the country club." She left without another word after that.

"Well you heard her royal hynass, let's get to work." I turned and grabbed the extra apron which I put on and got started with work. Not after convincing Roshan for awhile to let me help her. We spoke for hours and I found out that we both took courses in hospitality and she wants to be a chef.

We set the entire table as per the instructions. While I was doing the final touches on the long dinner table someone walked into the room. As I turned around to look I bumped into their hard chest and before I could fall they grabbed tightly onto my waist. I knew the scent of this person all to well and with the way my heart was beating so fast it also knew. I looked up when his hand shifted to my face to remove the hair stuck on its side. He said nothing as we starred at each other.This was a very compromising and intimate position but still non of us made a move to turn away.

I almost died when I heard someone clearing their throat from behind us.