Bare

seven - lots of squats?

Roy

You'd think being a successful world-known designer would make my father open-minded, liberal, and modern, etc...

But no.

Success isn't related to a person's personal beliefs or opinions.

It also isn't related to how nice of a person you are: you could be an asshole and be successful and you could be the kindest person on earth but still a loser (depending on the general standards of success and failure in society).

Take Khalid Wazen for example, a cheating homophobic sexist man but a successful one.

I hate him. Or I want to hate him.

I try so hard to hate him but I end up yearning for his approval instead.

That's who I am and always was: a liar terrified of disappointing his father.

'

Livia

"Bonjour." is the first coherent word coming out of my mouth this morning.

I rarely use French, despite speaking it fluently, unless it's for basic small words like 'Bonne nuit, Bonjour, Merci...'

"Took you long enough." Roy perks up instantly, leaning against the counter.

"I stayed up late last night."

"Really?" Daniel asks from where he's sitting at the table, a cup of coffee in his hand.

I don't bother with a reply, knowing him and his sarcasm. I take the toast and peanut butter jar from the kitchen cabinet for my breakfast.

"Anna's getting a divorce." Roy says, very casually, putting his phone down next to the sink.

If I was drinking something, now would be the legendary moment where I spit it all out and have my eyes pop out of my face.

"What?! Why?"

God, social media can be so deceiving; she seemed to be having the time of her life according to her Instagram stories. 

"We don't know yet." Daniel replies, his voice strained, taking his eyes off his phone screen to shoot some daggers at us.

"She informed us by text on the family Whatsapp group so 'we could know before it was out in the press.' " Roy mimics, sounding genuinely amused.

This is why Anna is my favorite sibling.

I'm not in that group –voluntarily- but I'm very curious as to how she phrased it.

"So... Dad and Caroline know about this? What's their reaction?" I munch on my toast while waiting for the water to boil for my tea.

Funny I'm already getting all the tea.

Shut up Livia.

"They didn't answer but Anna said she'll be here by tomorrow morning so we're guessing mom will be here tonight."

"I'm sleeping at William's." The words are automatically out of my mouth and I raise my hand as if we were in court, emphasizing my announcement.

"No, no one's getting out of the house; we don't know when the news is gonna surface all over the media." Daniel warns and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. "And also, both of you, not a word gets out about this, not to your best friends, not to your boyfriend if you have one-" He gestures to me. "Absolutely no one."

I glance at Roy and sense he has the same surge of annoyance inside him at Daniel's words.

"I don't give enough to shits to willingly mention any of you in any of my interactions with others- except if they happen to ask me if we're related." Then I calmly take a sip of my tea, watching his expression morph into one of discontent.