Shelby opened her mouth and closed it, not sure what to make of that information.
Deep inside, she was not even sure if she was surprised, but what Shelby was certain of was that pang in her heart! She could feel her innards clench at each word falling from Geneva.
She tried to think that it was okay, but she was still hurt! However, she could not hold herself to that emotion because she knew that Brianna had liked Ian first, but did that make it alright? Shelby was not sure. Shelby just felt that she did not have the right to feel anything like she was at that moment.
Frankly, when Geneva started talking, Shelby had been prepared for anything but that.
’Didn’t Brianna already give up? She-’
Shelby zoned off back to the restaurant where she had met Brianna a while back and even the words that Brianna had said:
’Come on, Shelby, lighten up! I am here to spend the day with my friends, so what’s with this negative attitude?’
At that time, Shelby had been very sceptical of Brianna. Shelby knew Brianna as they had been friends for a long time. Even with Brianna’s obvious shortcomings, Shelby had been glad to have her as a friend.
This was because most girls did not like Shelby for obvious reasons. Why would they like her when their boyfriends could not hold themselves when Shelby was nearby? Shelby did not blame them, but she did cherish the two friends.
That day, as Brianna had handed her those lovely earrings as a wedding gift, Shelby had had an internal discussion with herself and thought that she had been misjudging her friend; it turns out that it was not!
She thought about Ian’s casual comment about Brianna as well. Ian did not even know Brianna but had slightly disliked her. His actions and his words depicted that, but Shelby was unsure.
At that moment, when Geneva was outlining the events, Shelby remembered one thing Ava had told her: "Brianna never gives up on anything."
However, after all these internal discussions, Shelby still came to one conclusion: ’ Maybe it’s her parents! Maybe it has nothing to do with Brianna. Brianna would never let me hang out to dry.... Yes! She wouldn’t.’
Alex nodded absentmindedly as his wife explained the events to him.
"Are you listening?!"
Geneva narrowed her eyes at him as Alex added, "I trust you dealt with it?"
"Of course! I wouldn’t be Geneva Thornston if I couldn’t handle this!" She replied smugly, and Alex smiled. He wasn’t overly surprised at the information. The Port was the only thing that moved Alex, but Alex knew Ian better than to even think along those lines.
Shelby was startled out of her chaotic mind as Geneva called out to her.
"Do you want to call her, or would you want me to?" Geneva barked out, her tone booking no room for anything else.
"I-" Shelby scrambled and pulled out her phone, nearly dropping it in her haste; she dialled Brianna’s number.
It was answered on the second ring.
"Did you just remember that you have a friend?" Brianna snapped!
"Do not Brianna me! What is wrong with you? You even had them send me away yesterday! I thought you said you were my friend!"
Brianna was in a very foul and angry mode then. With her mother by her side in her bedroom, she could not see reason.
’Shelby had the audacity to call me?’ She thought.
On the bed, Abi was also wary and doubtful about the timing. She had exhausted her arguments with her daughter. In fact, Abi wanted nothing more than to break off all ties with the Thornston family because of what she had planned, but her daughter did take after her; Brianna was too headstrong! Even when Abi had told her not to answer the call, Brianna went ahead and did so.
Of course, Brianna also had her reasons for doing this. She was at the age where she felt that she could go out and get what she wanted herself without waiting for her parents. She already had the ball rolling, and she would only show her mother the results.
’There is no need to talk about the plan before it is hatched!’
"Come on, Brianna, I am sorry about last night, okay?"
Geneva’s mouth dropped open. Katie’s eyebrow shot up ever so slightly as if nothing had changed on her face. Even Alex was surprised as he turned to look at Shelby.
Their singular thoughts were, ’Why was she apologizing? Did she not hear the tell-tale events?’
"This daughter-in-law of mine needs serious social training!" Geneva muttered under her breath.
"I thought you and Ava had decided to alienate me after you got married."
"A-lienate you?" Shelby closed her eyes, mustering the courage to speak with Brianna in a normal way. Actually, it was not difficult for her as she had spent the better part of her life apologizing for things that she had not erred in. She could feel the piercing-like gaze from Geneva, but she refused to look at her.
"I am not doing any such thing, Brianna ...."
Shelby sighed, "Would you like to come over for a visit?"
Brianna’s phone was on loudspeaker, so even Abi was taken aback.
"Why not? Don’t you want to come?"
"I mean... I never said that!" The wheels in Brianna’s head started turning really fast, as did that of her mother, Abi.
"I would love to visit, Shelby!"
Gone was the hostile tone and all other characteristics that came with it.
"It’s settled then. How about this weekend?"
Brianna beamed, but then a thought occurred to her,
"Will your mother-in-law be okay with my visit?"
At some point in the conversation, Shelby had also put her phone on loudspeaker upon a gesture from Geneva.
A suffocating silence ensued as Shelby tensed up. She had no idea why, but the little faith that she had put in Brianna flew out of the window when she asked that question. There was no way that Brianna should have been concerned about Shelby’s mother-in-law in any way, as her scheduled visit had nothing to do with her.
It would have been just Shelby and her friends. Even if Geneva did not like Brianna, Brianna had no way of knowing this, so why bring up that question at that moment?
"Of course! Why would she not? Why did you ask Brianna?"
"It’s nothing! I just want to be sure of everything! Anyway, thanks for the invite and see you!"
The line dropped, and Shelby stared at the phone unseeingly.
In the Mush household, Brianna had calmed down a lot after the call.
"What did you just do?" Abi asked,
"I told you not to pick up the call and you went against me! How do you expect me to help you? Also, why did you agree to go there?"
’Most importantly, why is Geneva Thornston okay with Brianna visiting the estate?’ Abi only thought the last question but never uttered it out.
"Mum, you just told me that you were tired! In your own words, you said: ’Brianna! I offered everything but the old bat would not budge. I’ll deal with them in my own way.’"
Brianna slighted her tone to mimic that of her mother.
"I don’t know what you want me to do, Mum. One moment, you tell me to stay away from Shelby! You tell me that she was up to no good because of her looks and then you also tell me to smile and keep my friends even if I hate their guts! You told me to bid my time with them and that my opening will come."
Brianna looked her mother square in the face,
"Exactly what do you want me to do, mum? Do you want me to meet them and keep them close or shun them?"
Abi was flabbergasted. She never knew that a day would come when Brianna would use her own words against her.
"I thought as much. I will keep the appointment and handle this the way I see fit, mum! Now, please excuse me; I want to have some alone time."
Brianna got off the bed and walked into her bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her while her stupefied mother struggled to come to terms with what had ensued.
Abi relaxed and then muttered, "My little girl grew up and can now handle her own! I am so proud of her!"
This did not mean that Abi was not suspicious of this invite. It was so unlike Geneva. How could she be okay with Brianna, especially after their meeting earlier? Abi knew what Geneva was capable of, but at that moment, she could not read or understand the situation.
"Unless the Shelby girl lied? But why would she?"
A little later, Abi walked into her bedroom to find Abram waiting for her.
"Is everything solved?" Abram asked eagerly. However, the smile died off of his face upon seeing his wife’s mannerisms.
"It was not?" Abram asked, his face paling up as if the world was coming to an end.
"Unfortunately, not!" Abi clenched her hands tightly as she remembered that humiliation that Geneva Thornston had subjected her to.
"What of our baby? What would Brianna do?"
"Don’t worry my dear Abram. It’s not over until it’s over! Geneva Thornston will regret it! It will be sooner than she expects!"
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