Mistakenly Eaten

5. Irene's Engagement

Tearing open the envelope that had the fancy golden logo in which over a fire was written, ‘Secret Chef Hunter’s Society’, Seb and Lur immediately took out the letter and opened it up.

Adjoining their heads together, the two twins read the letter and then looked up at each other with nothing but sheer confusion and disappointment.

“Hey guys!”

They heard Althea jumping back and down the stairs, which made the two throw the letter back and in to the counter sink and the two immediately stood up and straight in front of the counter, hiding the letter and the envelope from Althea.

“Yes?”

They asked, looking up at her with sheer innocence.

Althea sensed that the two twins were up to something, “What is going on? You are acting quite suspicious.” She asked, standing up in the middle of the cemented stairway that faced right and directly towards the kitchen.

The two shook their head, pretending their best that there was nothing wrong on their side.

Althea sighed, shrugged, “You know what? I don’t have the time for all of this. I am already running late. Just wrap the fillings and I will get ready and let’s just leave for the venue in the next one hour, okay?”

With that she jumped up and back inside her room and the two siblings turned back and sighed in relief that Althea didn’t see the letter in their hands. They couldn’t let her see that letter, at least not the day of her sister’s engagement, when she was already occupied with a lot of pressure, stress and sorrowful thoughts.

But Lur shrieked the moment her eyes landed on the wet up and drowned and torn up piece of letter.

“s**t!”

She grabbed the letter and pulled it out of the sink but her heart drowned along with the piece of paper back and inside the water that was pooled up in the sink.

“Wait!”

Her brother told her and with that he also took away the piece of paper from her hands and drowned it back inside the water and torn it up entirely, dissolving it down and the opened up the drain of the sink, letting the water of the sink take care of the letter.

“What are you doing?” Lur whisper yelled at her brother.

“Letting mother nature take care of things.” He explained.

“How is that letting mother nature…”

“Listen, the reason why we picked out that letter first and before Althea was because we knew that there were high chances that those fuckers once again rejected her, right?” the he asked Lur, who nodded in agreement.

“This is her third consecutive year that she got rejected.” Seb admitted, making Lur shut up, “The last two times, we saw what she did when she got rejected. She acts like a sociopath. She acts as if she is alright and then says that she is going to direct all of her energy towards positive hopes for next year and she does so but in front of the world. Where did we find her after her first time she was rejected?”

Lur sighed, remembering what had Althea done after her first time she received her rejection letter.

“She had gotten drunk and we found her in the dumpster behind Penn’s Bar, crying over how disappointed she was in life and how she wished life would end for her.”

“How long did she keep on crying for?” Seb added.

“The entire night…”

“Nah uh uh… exactly?”

Lur sighed in exhaustion, “Eight f*****g hours.”

“Yes! And what did she do the next time when she received her letter of rejection?”

Lur cooed, rolling her eyes, “She killed all the rats that she could find in Gragnano.” She admitted.

“Exactly! She acts like a sociopath. Can anyone who knows or have seen Althea ever tell that she had the tendency to kill rats?”

Lur shook her heads.

“She is already quite upset with her sister’s engagement today. So, let’s not tell her anything for the time being and lets also just wait for her to be happy and let’s see if she ever received any good news any time soon or not. Then we can go ahead and tell her about the letter.”

“Althea and good news? We both know that for her to received good news, would mean to wait for at least three months.”

“Then for three months, the letter never arrived.”

Seb clapped his hand in a clean and dusted manner, as if that was their ultimate decision and soon Althea got ready in the dress that her mother got for her and the three left for the venue where the engagement was supposed to be.

It was an open lawn that Peter’s family was able to book and get for the engagement ceremony and belonged to the city hall. They had specifically gotten that hill, since it was infamous as a tourist attraction spot due to it’s placing in the city, where on its one end, people could enjoy the splendid view of the sun going down and on the other end was an open view of the entire rocky, bricked, perfectly yet curved pavements of the city, where the light of the setting sun shone.

The family had gotten that hill and invited all of their upper class circle friends, just to show off their power and their money.

Althea was already seeing a pattern and a behavior of that family and was extremely concerned for her sister who was willingly marrying in to that family.

Once she reached the venue and helped Seb and Lur set up the cooking area, with the rest of their employees and part time helpers that they had hired, she left her best friends to look after all the other preparations and immediately rushed to come forward and joined her mother by the entrance of the lawn, was a metal arch decorated with red and white flowers was set up.

Althea wore a red silk floral dress, that clung on to her body and insinuated her curves quite evidently.

Her long black voluminous hair flew down over her back and she had brought some on the front side as well. The dress had thin spaghetti straps, that revealed her sharp shoulder blades and collar bones. Every man straight to gay in the crowd had his eyes on Althea, or at least gave her a look, wondering who the beauty could be.

But most of the crowd was a part of the elite class and once they were asking about her from the groom’s family or her uncle’s family and were getting to know that she was a mere server at Pastalia, they would make quite the disappointed and disgusted face.

Althea’s mother stepped back and stood next to her daughter after greeting another guest in to the open venue.

She wore a white embroidered dress, that had puffed up sleeves up till her elbows and flared down and below the waist. The neckline on the dress was simple and conservative, showcasing how the woman like to carry herself. She had a petite figure, hair as thick and black as her daughter, even at the age of fifty five. She also didn’t look her age, since the only wrinkles that she had were thin fine lines around her eyes and her mouth, whilst her nose stood sharp and her skin still stretched and fresh.

She didn’t wear much heavy makeup, just like her daughter and almost look like an older sister to her, which many guests from the groom’s side, did confuse her for so.

She smiled, sparing a glance towards Althea and gave her dress a thumb ups, earning a scoff and an eyeroll from her daughter.

“Please! Don’t get me started. You are wearing a conservative dress and I look like a p********e you get from behind Penn’s bar.”

Monique chuckled up a bit at her daughter’s words, “But you look like one of those expensive hookers.” She added, making Althea laugh along with her.

“You look beautiful.” She smiled softly, patting her daughter’s head and grabbed her forearm and locking it in hers. “Where are Seb and Lur?”

“Pretending to be chefs.” She told her mother, who simply shook her head in disappointment.

“Those two deserve to be here with you. This is a family function for them as well.”

“Oh! You think they are back there involuntarily. Trust me, they volunteered for this only so that they don’t have to be at the front and watch this joke and atrocity unfold.”

Monique pressed her lips tightly and thinly, her grey eyes flickering with tears, as she tried to hold back her urge to cry.

Even she wasn’t happy with that engagement but what other option did they have in front of their daughter’s stubbornness.

“Thank you for agreeing to come here. I know why you took the responsibility of catering food at the engagement because they had been pressuring Irene with their power and taunting her how they were paying for everything and despite of you not being on talking terms with Irene, you still are doing of all this from your own personal savings and expense of your catering company and I am glad you have Seb and Lur in your life, who are also supportive and understanding.”

Althea rested her head over her mother’s shoulder and smiled at her, “I am just glad that I have a mother like you, who always appreciates and loves me. And I also know you love me more than you love Irene, right?”

She winked at her and Monique chuckled lights.

The entire crowd erupted in gasps and laughter as they all turned in to a particular direction and at the very same time, a lean guy around the height of five feet and eight inches, wearing a crisp brown suit and carrying a clean look, walked hand in hand with a petite girl, her hair long and black, curled over her bare arms as she wore an off shoulder floral dress that fluffed below the waist and ended right above her ankles. Her lips smudged with red lipstick and eyes clouded with heavy makeup, as she smiled and nodded at everyone that she passed by.

She entered the venue and Monique and Althea stepped ahead to welcome her but before they could’ve done so, an old lady in a black dress with her hair turned grey and her husband stepped forward, welcoming the couple.

“Oh, my pretty boy and Irene.”

She welcomed her son and his bride to be and immediately took them along with her to greet the guests.

Monique and Althea shared a disappointed look over the fact that they were kept to welcome the guests but the moment Irene and the groom arrived, they were pulled back and away and showed the fact that their presence wasn’t appreciated much for any other case and after Irene was introduced to the groom’s family, she was immediately greeted by Gustav and Romano and the rest of the guests, leaving Althea and Monique in the background.

Irene also kept her stature and her shoulders broad, as she continued being greeted by the upper social circle of Gragnano and Althea noticed how uncomfortable her sister got.

She knew the kind of zest and energy her sister had, there was no way she would ever stay happy in that family.

And she also felt bad for her sister, when all of the guests scattered away and Irene’s old and scornful mother-in-law, to be took her towards the side, when the poor girl did nothing but was just sitting at a table.

She began scolding Irene for sitting in that expensive dress and ruining the crease over it.

Althea was just standing behind her sister and listening to her getting scolded when the scornful woman just left and Irene turned out to be shocked and embarrassed to find out that Althea had heard everything.

She decided to ignore her sister, from whom she didn’t expect anything but yet another lecture.

They were standing at a far right corner of the venue, far and away from everyone else and also hidden away from people’s gazes.

Just as Irene was about to walk past Althea, she held her sister’s arm and stopped her from getting away.

“Today it is just a dress. Tomorrow, that woman would find a way to scold you over the way you look in something else or the way you carry an old piece of jewelry or the way you eat or…”

“What are you trying to say?”

Irene jerked away Althea’s touch, showcasing the fact that she wasn’t in the mood to listen to her sister.

“You know what I want to say and what I have been trying to say to you for the past entire month, ever since you got engaged or…”

“Or the fact that you are not happy that I am marrying in to a rich family and you still get to scratch plates and utensils at some stupid old restaurant?”

Irene c****d, now taking a different turn to hurt her sister from what she had argued to her about.

Althea felt silent, understanding the fact that Irene would get only more and more disgruntled towards her and see nothing but just an enemy in Althea whilst all she wanted was nothing but for her to live an independent life.

Irene scoffed, shaking her head and turning to leave but Althea decided to have the last word.

“I might get to scratch plates and utensils but at least I know that I am not married to a man who has nothing but a sense of generational wealth that a bunch of old people sit on and make him beg them to give him and his new shiny trophy wife pocket money. You think that you are making a smart decision now but you are doing nothing but acting desperate to snag a moment that you will regret in some part of the life and all I am trying to do is help you not have that regret. But I guess, you think you know better.”

With that Althea walked away from Irene, not having any remorse about her words. She had that argument with her sister already and she knew that it did nothing but got uglier.

Just four weeks ago, when Peter came to their house and asked Monique for Irene’s hand in engagement, Monique said that she would have to ask Althea first. She believed that Althea was an extremely wise and smart person, since she had seen her daughter working hard and taking responsibility ever since a young age and that’s why she never made any decision without consulting with Althea.

And when Althea came home, Irene was already stressed, knowing that Althea wouldn’t agree to the alliance and she was right.

Althea said a big no right away and told her sister that she was too young to get married, something that Irene expected her sister to say so.

“You attended a prestigious college out of the city and we sent you to Rome, it wasn’t so that you would come home with a shiny boy from some miser family and tell us that you chose this as your career. To be his trophy wife, do you really want that?”

Althea asked, stunned at the revelation that her sister was making such a poor choice.

“I don’t get it, you never had a problem with me dating him but now you have a problem with me, marrying him? What are you trying to say that we should stay in sin and not turn our relationship in to something pure and elegant?”

“I never had a problem with you dating him because A. I knew that he is a stupid guy and you are smarter and know your way around people who could hurt you and B. I never expected you to make such a poor and stupid choice. Even if he proposed, I always expected you to choose an independent life over everything else.”

“It is my choice and please, don’t say anything to Peter, I can not stand and listen to you talk ill about him. It is already difficult for him to make his family agree and yet he is still doing it for us and for me.” Irene defended herself and her boyfriend.

“I am not saying anything to him. In fact, I know his upper compartment is empty and his family know that. They know that being the youngest son of a rich family, he is stubborn and he would lose his mind if they didn’t agree to the marriage and that’s why they would agree to his choice but then they would force you and mold you the way they would want to and you would lose your choices. Can’t you see this is what has happened to our aunts who decided to marry in to rich family.”

“No! because all I see is what happened to Mom for marrying a poor guy. It was a life full of suffering.”

Irene didn’t hold herself back and continued slashing out at her sister. Althea gulped and controlled her rage and her anger. She could tell that Monique was listening to the argument upstairs, since their house was quite small and their volumes were too high.

“Don’t say a word about mom! We didn’t ever let you suffer no matter what our conditions were.” Althea grumbled back at her, lowering her volume and expecting in a subtle manner for Irene to do the same but she was beyond raged to even act wisely.

“Oh my God! Stop with this guilt trap of yours! I get it you never got to go college and I got a scholarship, so why are you so jealous about it? You never got to live a life and you are pathetic and sad and everybody looks down upon you but that was your choice and I shouldn’t be made feel guilty for any other choices that I make and marrying Peter is a choice that I want and you know why I want to marry him, because marrying him is my free ticket to get out of this stupid f*****g stink hole where I can’t even f*****g breathe openly that you and mom call home. You two are stupid and you two like to live in poor conditions and struggle because you are pathetic but not me okay? I want to marry Peter and yes, I may marry him for his money but I also love him. he is nice and carrying and loves me and I know that I will get the perfect life. Full of love, security and comfort. So, what wrong am I doing for choosing such life and making a choice different and smarter than your stupid f*****g choices. And I don’t care what you say, I will marry Peter in any condition. So, you better change your mind.”

With that Irene stormed out of the house, pushing past her sister and Althea also broke down in tears, carrying over how harsh and hurtful her sister’s words were. Monique came for her daughter and patter her back, pulling her in for a hug.

“I am going to tell Irene that she didn’t get a scholarship and that you took debt from Gustav for her education. It is about time, she realizes how much we want her to be independent and why you want her to live freely. It is because you have chosen to sell yourself for her. I can not let her make such a stupid decision.”

Monique got up to go after her sister but Althea held her hand and stopped her.

“No, Mom! She won’t listen to anyone right now. All she sees is an easy way out and even if we say no, she would go to Uncle Gustav and Romano and they might tell her the truth. We can’t let that happen. I don’t want her to feel any sort of burden or guilt. As she said, everything that I did was my choice and lying to her that she got a scholarship and sending her off to college was also my decision.”

Monique cried out loud for her daughter’s strength, for bearing such a big burden on her heart and her shoulders. She always stopped and asked Althea to not to take up such a burden on herself but Althea never actually listened to her and in fact, asked Monique to always let her choose on her own. And even though her choices and decisions hurt Monique, since she had to watch her daughter suffer, Althea never complained to Monique and in fact, made sure to give her mother as much comfort as she could.

And just as Althea watched from a corner, her sister smiling as Peter placed a big diamond ring on her finger, Monique hugged her daughter from the side and patted her shoulder.

“Thank you for being my daughter in this life time and thank you for everything you have ever done for me and Irene and even though, Irene never appreciated you, I know one day she will come around to accept the fact that she owes a lot to you.”

Althea softly smiled at her mother and her mother could tell and read all the sorrows her daughter carried behind that smile.

“Thank you for being the best mother on Earth and as far as Irene is concerned, I guess with her getting married, I might as well be free of her responsibility. So, one way or other she is not just helping herself but me as well and also she is a bit stupid, so should get a taste of her own choices at the end of the day.”

Althea shrugged, making Monique chuckle.

“Gosh! I just wish that you would get married soon as well.”

“Ew!” Althea stuck her tongue out at her mother’s words, “You know me Mom! I won’t settle down unless and until, I have had at least three affairs with different guys from different nationalities in different parts of the world.”

Monique smiled at her daughter’s words, “Then why don’t you at least begin with an Italian. You are twenty seven and I don’t find it healthy and you haven’t had your first kiss yet as well.”

“Whoa! What if your church sisters listen to your words mom.”

Monique stuck her tongue out, “Oh, all we do is talk about s*x after our recitals and sessions and besides, you know I have more of an active s*x life than you.”

Althea snorted at her mother’s words.

“Then why don’t you get married next?” she suggested her mother, actually wishing that someday her mother would also find the love that she lost when her father died during a storm, when he was out fishing one unfaithful night.

“Oh, you know me Thea, I only ever loved to marry once and that was your father. The most handsome, loving and dashing guy on Earth. He brought this rebel and free spirit out of me and dared me to love and live. He dared a girl like me from a rich and snotty family to make her own decisions and choices and made me elope with him, a poor fisherman. And not even for a single day of my life, I regrated my decision, no matter how I had to live. And even though, he was gone I still stayed the same and lived in this free spirit because this spirit is what he gave me for forever. This spirit is what will always keep him alive in my mind and my heart. And I see that in you. A strong willed woman and I see the reflection of your father in your eyes and your actions.”

Althea leaned her head over her mother’s shoulder and held her tightly.

“Well, then it is done that, I will not get married unless and until, I don’t find a love like you and Papa.”

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