It was Clara. I was shocked and on the verge of tears. Meeting Clara again triggered my past memories and I felt a whirlwind of emotions.
In a trembling voice, I managed to utter her name. “C-Clara? What are you doing here?” I asked with a shaky voice.
Her response was swift and charged with surprise, as her voice carried the weight of the annoyance within her and she shot back, “No, what are you doing here?”
Suddenly, a hand held onto me. It was Rhett, his gesture a silent message of support.
“That has nothing to do with you.” He shot back. “What are you doing at my parent’s house?” He interjected as I turned to look at him. His gaze was fixed on Clara’s, demanding an answer.
Clara looked at our hands in disbelief and she scoffed. Just as she was about to respond to Rhett, another voice called out.
“Clara, what’s going on? We’re in someone else’s home.” The voice said, drawing nearer which I recalled as familiar.
As the familiar voice drew nearer, a sense of recognition dawned on me. It was none other than Clara’s mother, the woman who had once played the role of a wicked stepmother in my life. As she appeared before us, I could feel my emotions welling up within me, and I held tighter to Rhett’s hands. His hand held tighter back at me, with a reassuring touch.
Evelyn’s gaze met mine, and I could see the shock in her eyes as she took in the sight of me. But the sight of our intertwined hands seemed to capture her attention more, bringing out a look of disbelief.
“Laurel?” She uttered as if happy to see me, a devilish smile playing on her lips. And then, just as if a cup had broken, she laughed heartily, the laughter’s mocking notes filling the air.
She approached me slowly, as she circled around me and Rhett, her gaze never leaving my face.
Finally, she stopped before me, her eyes boring into mine.
“So… we finally meet again,” she said, her voice reminding me of my past encounters with her.
She then looked down at me and Rhett’s hands and scoffed, pointing at our hands in mockery.
“What is this?”
At that moment, I found myself speechless. It was then that the sound of approaching footsteps announced the arrival of Rhett’s parents. The woman who stepped into the room was a vision of elegance, her tall frame carrying an air of refinement that seemed almost effortless. Her poise and the grace with which she moved spoke of a life lived in luxury. It was not difficult to see where Rhett had inherited his striking features, for the resemblance between mother and son was too clear.
As my gaze shifted to the man standing beside her, I saw the same air of luxury emanate from him, his bearing exuding an aura of confidence and grace. At that moment, I realized that Anita had indeed inherited her mother’s poise and beauty, and her father’s confidence and grace, a reflection of the good relationship between them.
“Is everything okay here? Why’s there so much noise?” Rhett’s mother asked, her gaze sweeping around the room until it met mine and she stopped. She then looked down at Rhett and I’s hands intertwined.
“Mom, what are these people doing here?” Rhett asked her as he pulled me along with him to where his parents stood.
“Wait. When did they even get here?” Anita questioned, confusion written all over her face.
“Oh, Mrs. Simon,” Clara suddenly said, sulking up and smiling at Vivian, Rhett’s mother.
I could see the look of disgust written all over Vivian’s face as she rolled her eyes at Clara and dismissed her with a disapproving look. That made me smile; she mirrored Anita in more ways than one.
“Who’s this?” Vivian broke in, her gaze fixed on me and Rhett’s intertwined hands. I couldn’t place my head around what she was thinking as her expression was unreadable. I looked at her husband, and his gaze was also fixed on me and Rhett.
“I told you I’ve got big news for you Mum, but why are there unwelcome visitors here?” Rhett spoke with annoyance filling his tone as he looked at Clara and her mother who were now standing together.
“Miss Caddel, I guess our discussion is now over. Please leave,” Vivian said firmly, a hint of authority in her voice as she gestured for us to follow her. “Come in,”
I looked back at Evelyn and Clara as they stood there in shock and shamelessly turned their backs to leave.
Me, Rhett and Anita followed Vivian and her husband, and we arrived at a beautifully appointed guest living room and Vivian motioned for us to take a seat.
“Mom, what were they doing here?” Anita asked, her tone filled with curiosity. “It just doesn’t sit right with me. I mean what could they possibly be doing here?”
Vivian hesitated for a moment as if choosing her words carefully. “They keep asking us to convince Rhett to take Clara back,” she finally said, her voice heavy.
My eyes widened in surprise. “What?” Rhett echoed, shock evident in his tone as he turned to his mother in disbelief.
Anita’s reaction was one of pure astonishment, as she suddenly started laughing. “They’re so delusional,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I mean, it’s been a year. Can’t they move on?”
Rhett’s voice was filled with anger as he turned to his father. “Since when has this been going on?” He demanded.
His father’s voice was concise but carried a weight of significance. “Six months now.”
“Six months!” Rhett exclaimed, his shock evident as he stood up frozen in place. I held onto his hands and he seemed to calm down a bit and sat back down on his seat.
“We can’t let this continue, Mom,” he began, frustration evident in his voice. “We have to put a stop to their visits.”
But Vivian’s gaze was fixed on me. “I’ll handle it,” she said, her eyes never leaving my face.
After a few moments of silence, she spoke again with a firm voice. “Now tell me, who is this?”
I felt my chest tighten as I realized that I was now the centre of attention. All eyes were now on me.
Rhett took a deep breath and held onto my hands.
“Mom, Dad, we'll be getting married.”