Is It Revenge Or Love?

Lele

~Jaylene~

I walk up the steps to the double doors that mark the entrance of my parent's estate. I swear I hate being here, and I wish I could go back home. I try to avoid this place any chance I get, but I’m stuck here tonight.

Mom begged me to come to the house. She said there was an event that they wanted me to attend with them, and I couldn’t say no. I know I couldn’t say no because I’ve already said it too many times, so I can only grin and bear it.

My parents are wealthy; my parents, not me. No, I haven’t been disowned. It’s more like I disowned them. It’s an involved story, but that can come later. My parents are the owners of the Woolflyght company, a textile company that’s been in my father’s family for generations. Luckily for them, they’ve been able to adapt to the times and continue to be successful. I could have inherited the company, but I wasn’t interested. I’ll leave that to my brother when he gets out of college.

I’ve been avoiding this life since high school and have done a good job of it. My parents continue to try to get me to come back, but nothing has worked. They have also been trying to match me with the children from their circle of friends, but I’d rather be alone for life and be a cat lady.

I sigh and ring the doorbell, not having even kept a key for easy entry. The butler opens the door. “Hey, Jonesy.” He pulls me in for a hug, one of the few people I genuinely enjoy being around.

“Ah, Ms. Jaylene. It’s so good to see you. You’ve stayed away too long.” I nod and step back.

“I know, but you know it’s nothing to do with you.” He nods and winks at me, stepping out of the way so I can enter the house.

“Your parents are in the study.” I nod and head down the hall to find them. I smooth the skirt of my dress, trying to prepare myself for my mother’s comments. She’s very formal and very deliberate in everything she does. She told me it was a formal affair; I know what she expected me to wear. I did not do what was expected. I went for a formal silk dress. The top is asymmetrical, with a big bow for the right shoulder. The skirt is column style and fits just loose enough. The kicker is the color. Mom would prefer black or navy blue, but I decided on a bright, bold red. I felt like it went better with my mahogany skin tone. I like to wear colors that pop to things like this to stand out from the crowd.

I take a deep breath before opening the door to the study. My father, Benny Mackey, sits at his desk, with my mother, Georgia Mackey, standing beside him. They are having their customary pre-party drinks. As I walk in, their eyes fall on me, and the response to my dress is automatic.

“Lele, dear. Didn’t I tell you it was a formal affair? Don’t you think that color is a bit much for this event?” I internally sigh and roll my eyes. I take the seat in front of my parents and daintily cross my legs.

“Hello to you too, mom. Dad.” I nod to them both, but there isn’t much response. “You did tell me that it was a formal affair, and I dressed for the occasion.” The look on Mom’s face tells me that she has more to say on the subject, but she’s interrupted by Dad.

“We were waiting for you. Now that you’re here, we can go. We don’t want to be late.” He downs the rest of his drink and stands from his seat. He takes Mom’s hand, and they walk toward the door, not waiting for me to join them. This is how it usually is, so it doesn’t bother me. I stand and follow them outside to the limo.

As soon as we settle into the car, it takes off. I turn to look out the window, not interested in small talk. I know my parents aren’t interested in my life, so there’s really nothing to say. “Oh, dear? We have someone for you to meet when we get there. Mind your manners, will you?” I knew this was a ploy to introduce me to the son of some well-to-do family. They are so keen to marry me off, but only to a man of their choosing and a certain upbringing. The great thing about this is that I’m a grown-ass woman who can do as she pleases. It’s great for me, but a hindrance to them. “I really wish you had done something with your hair.” I keep my face trained on the window, watching everything whiz by. My hair is fine; she just hates it. I keep it cut short in a bob style. I have blond highlights that I feel compliment the black. Nothing I do is good enough anymore, and I’m sick of trying.

It doesn’t take us long to get to the venue. It’s a five-star hotel, and I assume the gathering is in its ballroom. My parents exit the car first, leaving the driver to help me out after. I don’t really care about the order in which we get out of the car; I just want to go.

The lights of the camera flash practically blind me, but I keep a smile on my face, and my head held high. I learned how to deal with the popularity that comes with this life long ago. I love my simple life because none of this is an issue. We walk into the venue and down a long hall. Soft orchestra music can be heard from the end of the hall. The doors open, and I can see there are a lot of people there already. There’s a huge staircase toward the back of the room. It goes from a single staircase and branches out on each end, curving to the landing. It’s actually quite elegant, and yes, this is the type of hotel we are in.

The ballroom is nicely decorated in gold and silver. There are round tables all over the room, but there is enough space between them for people to walk or stand. There’s no bar, but there are waiters walking around with drinks on their trays. As one passes me, I quickly grab a glass of champagne, wishing it was something stronger. I follow my parents as they walk the room and speak to people they know. I smile and nod here and there, but I am in no mood to converse.

There are bowls with small flowers and tealights for centerpieces on the tables against either silver or gold tablecloths. There are lights strung up all around the room, giving it a soft glow. I gulp half of the champagne in my glass and try to summon the strength to deal with the foolishness. “Jaylene, come here, love.” I take a minute to control my emotions before strolling over to my mom. She’s standing next to Dad with a man between them, his back facing me. “We want you to meet someone. His parents are close friends and you two would be perfect together.”

I can feel the bile rise up at the thought of being farmed out to the most eligible male. It’s beyond disgusting, and I hate it. The man slowly turns around, and my breath is caught in my throat. Son of a fu.cking bi.tch! His eyes rake up and down my body, and a smirk grows on his face. “You remember Deon Gage, don’t you love?”

“Long time no see. I’ve missed you.”