Page 73 of One Nightstand With My Ex's Uncle

EMILY’S POV.

I hid my hands behind a jug of orange juice, and felt the need to leave the place.

“I have no idea.” I said, and she smiled.

“Isn’t it disturbing to sleep with your fiancé’s relative?” She asked, and my eyes shot to hers.

“What?” I asked, finding it hard to breathe.

“I mean I’d find it disturbing. Wouldn’t you?” She asked John. “If you slept with your fiancée’s relative, wouldn’t you feel disgusted?” She asked, and John smiled.

“If it’s for revenge, then I guess it’s fine. Revenge should be worse than the first offence.” He replied, and Mandy’s face fell.

“I do not think the same way.” She said.

“Is it a true life story?” Alpha Raymond asked, and Mandy glanced at me briefly, before turning back to Alpha Raymond.

“I think it is.” She said, looking like she was giving it a thought.

Lucas next to me was just eating, and scrolling through his phone. He didn’t seem to be bothered at all.

Sadie kept on smirking, and it felt like I was the only one who was disturbed by Mandy’s stupid tricks.

“The lady ought to be hanged.” Lady Mira said, and I nearly choked on my saliva.

Hanged? Wasn’t that too extreme?

“Sleeping with a relative is a bit… bit too much.” Derella added, and shrugged. “But it’s their choice, isn’t it?”

“Except of course, if she didn’t know he was a relative.” Lucas said slowly, then raised his eyes to meet Mandy’s.

“That sounds less shitty.” He said.

“I also heard a funny story about a woman constantly sleeping with her married boss, and acting like an angel in front of his family, while hitting on his relative, and eyeing their money. How’s that? Doesn’t it feel pathetic?” He asked, and Mandy blinked hard.

“It’s completely the guy’s fault. Maybe she had no choice.” Mandy defended herself, looking shifty, and I almost smiled as I saw John staring at her like he wanted to shove his fork down her throat.

The story was to similar to his and Mandy’s, so he had caught on.

“I’d say the girl should be hanged for messing with a married man. She has the choice of saying no. Maybe hanging is a little old-fashioned, but I’m pretty sure prolonged years in jail would do.” Lucas replied.

“Jail? For such a simple case?” Mandy asked, coughing slightly.

“It’s not so simple when the opponent knows too many people in the court of law, and in the prisons too.” He answered, coolly.

“I guess there are lots of sexual stories going on at the moment. Maybe none of them are real. Just attention seekers.” She said shiftily, picking up her fork and knife, and Lucas smirked.

“Maybe.” He replied, and went back to scrolling.

“That was intense. Someone would think you both are directly involved.” Lady Mira said, chuckling. “You know what’s so funny. I sense the enemies to lovers thing happening.” She added, and the elders laughed.

“That’s quite true. They start out as enemies, then become lovers.” Derel said, with a nasty smile, looking from Mandy to Lucas.

“Why did you come out with Lucas, Emily?” John asked, and I looked up.

“Uh?”

“You and Lucas came out together.”

“He helped with work.” I began, only for Lucas to speak at the same time.

“I helped out.” He said.

“With work?” Lady Genevieve asked.

“John happened to give her a handful of work right before dinner preparations, so I helped out when it was getting too late.”

“Why would you help out?” Lady Mira asked.

“Because we’re friends.” Lucas replied boldly, and my eyes dropped to my food.

“Friends?” Lady Mira laughed.

“Friends?” Lady Genevieve asked.

“I choose my own friends, and nothing stops me.” Lucas replied flatly, and a blush colored my cheeks.

“Emily’s quite nice.” Sadie chipped in, and Lady Mira clapped her hands hastily, looking like she didn’t want to touch on a displeasing topic.

“Well, off that topic. The family company established in our names is fifty years in mere days. Preparations have been going on for a month, so this is to remind the family of things. Mandy, you’ll be there, right? Do well to bring Katie too. The Golden jubilee celebration is going to be a huge one.” Lady Mira announced quite excitedly, and the tense mood was lifted.

Everyone talked about the celebration, with happiness, and excitement, and I was simply glad for the topic to be off the whole cheating stuff.

~

I was given a silver sequin dress from Katie, who said John picked out what he wanted his secretaries to wear.

It was a nice dress, and had no arms, and a slit from my upper thigh. The truth was I was going as his fiancée, but John just wanted me to wear what he chose.

“You look beautiful, Emily.” Sadie said, attaching pins to her hair, without even looking at me.

“But I feel like shit. Mandy seems to be waiting for an opportunity to attack me when Lucas isn’t around, and so far she hasn’t found it.” I said, tugging on my shoes. “What will happen when she finds it?” I asked.

“She can’t just blow it like that. Relax. Even if she does, things will sort themselves out.” Sadie replied, and I rolled my eyes.

“Because you’re an innocent eight-year-old Granger, who has nothing to do with all this. Thinking about this, it’s all John’s fault. I wouldn’t have gone to that bar in the first place if he hadn’t been so unfaithful, and shameless.” I said spitefully, and she began to sing a cartoon song.

“Are you even listening? You seem to listen at all the wrong times.”

She didn’t reply. She kept on singing, and I shook my head.

We all went out when it was evening, and I rode with John instead of Lucas. He didn’t say a word, and I was more than grateful for it. I was unwilling to have any form of conversation with him. Even being with him alone in the car disgusted me.

We got to the location, and it was a large hall. Rich cars arriving, and richer people getting down in expensive suits. They were all around. Influential people, talking and laughing, and making more connections.

Ladies in elegant dresses, looking every bit like models. I felt so small, walking with the Grangers, who had every bit of pride, and confidence with them.

The servers bowed, and the people struggled to get an audience with any of them. I sat with the kids at an elegant table, listening to the sound of the violin playing, and the influential people sending forced laughter, and faked smiles just to get recognition.

I watched a mother talking to her daughter strictly, looking like she was going to spank her. It made me wonder what the girl did.

The girl nodded severally, and smoothened her gown. Her mother smiled, patting her head, and I watched as the girl made her way to us.

Why was she coming to…?

“Hey Sadie.” The girl said, with a smile.

“Hi. How do you know me?” Sadie asked casually, checking her out.

“We all know you. Here, I got this for you. I know you love pink. It is also my favorite color, so I thought we could share our love for pink.” She said, holding out a cute, little crocheted pink stuffed toy. It was a bunny’s head.

I scoffed silently. How crazy. The parents were even using their kids to curry favor. There was nothing they wouldn’t do just to get on the good side of the Grangers.

“This is cute.” Sadie said, taking the bunny, and I could see the girl’s hands shaking. She glanced over at her mother who watched her, while pretending to be staring at the picture of the family on a table.

“Do you like it?” The girl asked, looking a little desperate.

“Yes, I do. Where’s yours?” Sadie asked, and the girl looked at herself, and touched her blonde hair.

“Uh, I…”

“You love pink, but don’t have one? How can I take this? It feels like I’m stealing it.” Sadie said, and the girl looked scared. She began to breathe faster, and glanced again at her mother, whose expression was fast turning into a scowl.

“No, no! You’re not stealing it. I… I like you more than pink.” She said, even more desperately, and I instantly felt a disliking for her mother.

Whether she hit her constantly, or abused her verbally, it was telling on the little girl. She looked like she would die if she didn’t get on Sadie’s good side.

“They told you to do this, right?” Sadie asked, rolling her eyes.

“No! No, they didn’t. I’m… I’m just…”

“If you sit with me, will that be okay? Will she think you’ve done well?” Sadie cut in, and the girl glanced at her mother once more.

“She wanted me to talk to you.”

“Then let’s talk, so you wouldn’t get into trouble.” Sadie said, smiling. “I do need someone to talk to about the latest cartoon I’m into. I’m going to get all the dolls!” She said, scooting over on the huge chair, so the other girl could sit.

The girl glanced at her mother with a relieved smile, seeking for approval, and her mother beamed at her, sending a wink.

“Is she happy?” Sadie asked.

“Yes, yes. She smiled.” The girl said, with a bright, and cute smile.

“Great. Now let me tell you all about my cartoons.” Sadie said, and I smiled. Her maturity proved great at times like this.

She had succeeded in calming the girl, who looked interested in Sadie’s story.

I watched her mother leave in satisfaction, heading over to Lady Mira who was wiping something off her dress.

She took out a napkin, talking, and laughing about something, then began to dab at what had apparently stained Lady Mira’s dress.

After wiping, she followed her around, and I shook my head.

“Sadie, let’s play princess.” I heard another girl say, and I turned to look at her. She was more confident than the first girl, and she looked a little older than Sadie.

“Nope.” Sadie replied, without even looking.

“Come on. Don’t just sit there with Emeraldo’s daughter. Everyone knows they’re trying to latch onto your family.”

“Isn’t that what you’re trying to do?” Sadie shot back. “Get lost. I’m not really in a good mood.”

“Sadie. Let’s just go around once. Then you can get back to stupid Emeraldo.” She said, and Sadie turned to her. She got up, and gave the girl the meanest look on earth.

“You should leave. It only takes me saying your dress is ugly for my mum to write off your family from lists of connections.” She said, coldly, and the girl gave the other girl a glaring look, and turned away, walking quickly from Sadie.

Sadie returned to talking to the shy girl, and soon Derella and Derel were occupied with teens their age, who flirted, and sent sweet, and charming smiles their way.

It didn’t feel like a ceremony or celebration, but a market. They all were out to get connections, and recognition.

When the ceremony finally started. The five siblings went to give short speeches. Alpha Raymond, Alpha Will, Lady Genevieve, Lady Mira and Lucas.

When Lucas gave his speech, I could see the young women paying more attention. If even Sadie was having people come to win favor in her sight, how much more Lucas, with his unbelievable looks?

“So, we’re going to start our night officially, with photos of the company right from its first year. We’re going to show the changes it has undergone. Enjoy.” Lady Mira announced, and they came to sit.

I poured myself a cup of water, and drank, then threw a smile at Lucas. A way of saying his speech was good.

Then murmurs broke out, and I looked at the huge projector. Instead of images of the company’s growth, there were pictures of me of Lucas!