OUR EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Father??

Natalia's pov.

The priest is reading out the sermon to us but the crying that people are doing here is hard for me to even concentrate on what he is saying. I myself am in tears and I can't even control myself from shaking. Matt never left my side all these days and I'm glad he meant it when he said he won't leave me alone. I lean on his shoulder and he caresses my arm softly.

Laire has been like me these past few days. Devastated. She has also been there for me and I've never seen this vulnerable side of her. Jessi traveled here yesterday and she has also been with me like all the time. I look to my right and I'm surprised to see Thomas seated at one corner just starring at the priest. I think I even saw him wipe a tear from the side of his face. What is he even doing here? Does he know my mom? I'm sure he does, otherwise how did he even know she was Marcella?

I turn to look at the priest and the sermon is over. I walk over the casket since I want to see her body once last time before she finally sinks in and I'm surprised when Laire joins me but I just smile at her. She stands with me in silence as I watch my mom laying helplessly. I take a deep breath and just when I'm about to take a step back so that it can be lowered down, gunshots erupt in the whole area.

Everybody scream as they try to take cover while I just remain still, confused. Some men storm in and I watch as one walks directly to me. Thomas and Matt try to fight some but it's obvious they are easily outnumbered. In fact one shoots Matt on his arm and I watch as his body falls to the ground. For some reason I feel my body go numb and I can't cry or scream... I just stand there.

The men are not even masked so I can easily see their faces. I watch one walk towards me with a gun pointed at me. He has an ugly smirk on his face and I just don't like the look on his face.

"Well... Well well. Look who we have here. The one and only Natalia."

How does he even know me.

"I can see all of you are here. Claire... Thomas... Zach..." He points his gun to them as he calls each by name. " and finally, my precious daughter. Natalia."
"What??"
"Seems like Thomas has not gotten the guts to tell you about me." He turns to Thomas who is looking at him dangerously. "Or did you want to keep her for yourself and Marcella?? Oops, I forgot she was dead." He let's out a sarcastic laugh before turning back towards me.

"I'm going to tell all of you a story that involves Zach, Annabelle, Marcella, Thomas, Claire, and you my little baby girl." I flinch at him calling me that and I think he noticed. "So some eighteen years ago, Annabelle and I were engaged... Or can I say married??" He looks over at Zach but all he does is look down. "Zach over there was my best friend since preschool and we did everything together. We were inseparable just like the way Thomas and Marcella were. Everything that was mine also belonged to Zach for he was like a brother to me. Little did I know that he was after my wife. "He looks over at Annabelle and I had not even noticed she was here. " Annabelle, Marcella and Beryl were sisters. They too were also inseparable. But little did I know that tAnnabelle, my wife was having an affair with my best friend behind my back. Infact, they had planned to elope together and start a family away from me. Thank God Thomas, Marcella and Beryl were close to me and my good friend Thomas here,told me about their affair. " he walks to Thomas and pats his  shoulder. Thomas tries to hit him but my 'dad's' men get hold of him before he even gets to him.

" I let them escape because, my doctor had some time ago performed tests on Annabelle and he had told me she couldn't conceive. I had promised myself I wouldn't abandon her because she was my wife. But when I heard of her affair, I decided to let her go. Because what was I to do with a barren, cheating woman? So I let her go. But I promised to come for revenge for betraying my trust. "

" But Claire is Annabelle's daughter. " I manage to voice out my thoughts.
" Well, it seems you are the only one on the dark there. Annabelle and Zach aren't her real parents. But we will get to that part later. "

What?? So They weren't her parents? I look at Claire and she doesn't look surprised.

"You knew??" I ask her.

She nods her head and looks away from me.

"So to continue with our story."
He walks towards my mom's casket and stands close to it.

"Have you ever heard the biblical allusion of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?That's exactly what I did. I got together with Beryl. As much as I wanted to use Marcella since both her and Annabelle were fraternal twins...i couldn't go against Thomas because he had told me about Anna's and Zach's affair. So I used Beryl. She was the youngest daughter and the most naive of them all. So it wasn't hard to use her. She looked exactly like you. Your eyes, your hair. She even liked purple braids just like you. For the time we spent together.. I thought I was beginning to fall for her. But I guess all the daughters in their family were all the same. She left me for someone else. Just like the way Annabelle had done. "

All this is just to much to take in. What family is this that has so much drama and twists?

" Just shut up  Nicholo. "Annabelle stands and walks to... Nicholo. Or should I say my dad?

" Why should I stop. I mean, that's where the story all begins right? "

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