Brianna paled, wishing she could disappear from all those eyes turned on her; however, she was most disturbed about only one because her one wish was for those eyes to care!
When her eyes landed on Ian, her long-ti crush, it was as if she had found her prey after long searching. This was imdiately after Brianna had entered what looked to be a waiting or receiving room of a sort.
Her eyes did not budge, and she did not blink! She was afraid of losing even a second of his looks. Her eyes hungrily scanned him from his long hair that had been braided loosely at his back on this day, as well as his neatly trimd beard, and she swallowed dryly.
’Why does Shelby get to enjoy his company? The company of MY husband-to-be? Who is she? She is nothing but the daughter of a criminal! She does not deserve to be by him! She does not match him in any way! She-’
Brianna let her thoughts dance wildly as she relished what she could do once she beca the official mistress of the Thornston household.
’We will settle Shelby quite well in the countryside so that she does not feel sad about this. I know that she does not have the audacity to be sad as she stole my crush first but-’
"Brianna?"
"Huh?" She dragged her eyes away from her love with impatience, marring her features at that interruption. She turned to her two friends.
Imdiately Brianna did, she nearly bit her tongue!
’Didn’t they say that Shelby was in an accident? Why did she look that way?’
Brianna had expected huge bruises and bandages all around Shelby, but at that mont, all she could see was Shelby looking like her usual beautiful self, if not more.
That irritated her.
’How can Shelby, a nobody, look even better than I do?’
Brianna would never be caught saying those words out loud, never!
She took in Shelby’s shortened hair that had been combed to perfection, hugging her face like comforting clouds. That was when Brianna found herself saying sarcastically as if she had forgotten her surroundings!
"Nothing shows that you were in an accident. You look as healthy as ever!"
It was not necessarily the words she spoke but how she spat the words out as if she had eaten bile. Her facial muscles scrunched up to show her displeasure at the fact that her best friend looked as healthy as a fiddle after an accident.
She belatedly realized her audience and turned to see many eyes on her, including the people she had not thought were there!
If she could take her words back at that mont, she would have done that.
"Did you just insinuate that my wife looks too healthy?"
Ian asked quietly, his eyes narrowing to show his displeasure.
"I-"
Brianna twisted her hands together nervously. This was not because of what she had said, but it was stemming from one single fact!
’Why did Ian have to be here at this mont to hear this?’
"Do you an to say that my wife should have gotten more injured from the accident?"
"I- I an, I didn’t an it that way, I-"
Ian did not bother to look at her and walked up to Shelby, kissing the top of her head.
"Never mind her words." He whispered firstly to her and then asked a little more loudly.
"Are you sure that she is your friend?"
Shelby nodded and whispered back to him,
"I know she did not an that... but thanks Ian."
Ian sent one hard look Brianna’s way, making her lower her head as he walked up to his seat in the room. Ian did not beckon Shelby to be with him this ti because he knew that her friends were around and she would like to be with them.
’I have to seriously question her and let her re-examine her choice of friends going forward.’ Ian thought to himself.
Geneva was the next person to send a hard look Brianna’s way. Even Alex, who was usually not interested in such, shook his head in disappointnt and left the room directly, but not before he sent a look Shelby’s way to make sure for himself that she was indeed okay.
Alex noted the slight bruises on her face and sighed. He also kissed his wife lightly on the cheeks and was gone.
Ava stood on the side, hands clenched. It had been a few emotionally draining days for her and the last thing that she wanted was a ’Brianna drama!’ However, that was exactly what Brianna did!
Brianna had lowered her head, her eyes narrowing with anger at Ian’s reaction.
’Why is Ian behaving this way? I knew it! Shelby brain washed him on ! Why would she do that? Isn’t she my friend? Why? Just Why?’
Before Ava could say anything, Geneva interjected in a very cold voice,
"You’re Abi’s daughter?"
Brianna raised her head imdiately and nodded like the good girl she portrayed herself to be.
"Do you expect to understand your gestures, young lady?!" Geneva snapped.
"Yes, Mum,"
"Is this how your parents raised you? To talk trash about the people you call friends?"
"I-"
"Do not interrupt when I am speaking, young lady! Your parents may be lenient with you and let you goof around with such nonsense, but not in this house!"
’What’s with this old hag?’ Briana thought to herself while maintaining so sort of humbling appearance.
"Just look at what she put on to her married friend’s house?"
Geneva clicked her tongue in disappointnt, thinking to herself, ’This is the trash that Abi wanted to co and manage the Thornston estate and business in my absence? Over my dead body!’
"Also, why are you calling mum?"
"I- ...because both Shelby and Ava call you-"
"Don’t you have your mother at ho? I would never have a disrespectful girl like you as my daughter. Also, I don’t even understand why these two would have you as a friend when you clearly do not have their best interests at heart. It is their decision whom they befriend but you will never be on the level that they are so do not think yourself in the sa brackets and think to call such!"
Geneva as usual had no filter in her mouth but her words made Shelby feel bad. Shelby exchanged a look with Ava, sharing an understanding.
"I’m sorry, Mrs Thornston," Brianna whispered, gritting her teeth. She willed herself to bear the humiliation in Ian’s presence, as it was the worst she had ever experienced.
’This old hag will be gone soon enough! There is no need for to react just yet...’
"Co over here, Shelby. Let look at those wounds." Geneva turned to Shelby and her voice softened.
Shelby walked forward to her as Geneva let out a worried sigh.
"You had us all worried to death! Do not go out there by yourself again. I knew it was a good idea to keep you in here...."
Shelby let the older woman talk and talk for a while as she was fawned on. Geneva scanned Shelby from head to toe, her worried heart settling when she saw her okay.
"Just look at all these bruises, they-"
Geneva reached out to try to touch them, but Shelby stopped her by gently placing her hand on hers.
"It’s all okay mum, I am all okay now, thank you. I promise that I will take better care of myself going forward." Shelby sighed in relief when Geneva stopped her hand. The last thing that she wanted was for Geneva to touch the make-up and find out that she was all okay beneath it.
"Hmfp! You nearly hard my future grandchild!"
Ava and Brianna’s heads snapped in their direction. Even Ian smiled and shook his head.
Without saying anything, Shelby knew what her friends wanted to ask: ’Are you pregnant?’
Ava looked delighted and mischievous at the sa ti because Shelby talked to her about almost everything, Ava knew that she could not be pregnant, but she could not help but tease Shelby silently.
Brianna, on the other hand, was fuming!
’What a slut!’ She thought!
’She says one thing with her mouth and then does another thing with her body! With that witchy good look of hers, that is all that she is good for anyway.... Opening her legs! I should grant that wish for her, though, just not with my man!’
"Haahahahah...." Shelby laughed nervously,
"Mum! It’s not like that. I am not pregnant; I have not-"
"Well, who knows if the little guy is already in here?"
Geneva stopped Shelby midway and then rubbed her lower tummy fondly. She then changed her tune and snorted and then told her,
"I have told you ti and ti again to screen your friends. This one is-"
Shelby sighed.
"You need to listen to on this, Shelby! I-"
"I’m sorry Mrs Thornston. Shelby-"
Brianna interrupted their conversation to Geneva’s annoyance.
"You know that I didn’t an that, right, Shelby?"
Shelby turned to Brianna with a complicated expression, but she could not bring herself to say anything. Brianna, mustering her courage, walked up to her and placed her hands on Shelby’s.
Geneva did not bother reprimanding Brianna again.
"Do not stand there and go take a seat, Shelby. You are barely well so do not strain yourself."
Brianna took the initiative, as the visitor, to gently pull Shelby towards the nearest seats, which were opposite where Ian was.
Ava took this scene in and then said, "I’ll get so snacks and refreshing drinks for us, Mum."
Geneva smiled; all grievances gone and, in its place, a subtle excitent at the ntion of Ava’s snacks. Ava did not take long and ca back with a small tray and a couple of maids. She headed to Ian first and placed the tray beside him on a small side table.
"Here is so small bites for you, Master Ian? Would you like us to pour you so tea?"
Ian nodded absentmindedly; his eyes glued to his wife across the room. This made Ava smile slightly. She let one of the maids pour it for him. However, for so reason, Ava noticed the maid’s slightly startled stance and slightly trembling hands.
At first, she thought that the girl was frightened of Ian, as was most of them in the estate, but turning slightly, Ava noticed the maid’s eye glued to Shelby and Brianna’s direction in a bent posture. The teacup was full and spilling over but the maid was lost in whatever had caught her attention fully shell-shocked!
Ava followed the girl’s sight and instantly regretted what t her sight. "What the actual fuck!" Ava cursed, turning to see Ian still looking in that sa direction, and her disappointnt in him soared!
*********
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