IRENE'S POV
Theodore George's house was already filled with sympathizers.
Some faces were unfamiliar, blurred by grief or distance, while others belonged to people I saw almost every day—or at least at the endless parties my parents hosted.
I walked Serene to her room and as I sat her down, I realised how puffy and red her eyes were.
She had cried her eyes out at the hospital and also on our way back, her chest still rose and fell from the aftermath of her cries.
I sat her down and walked out to get her a glass of water when I overheard two people in the kitchen.
Their words came out as whispers and it was a deliberate attempt to not let anyone passing by overhear them.
But I leaned in closer to the door determined to know what those two people were talking about.
I immediately recognized one voice, a voice I wouldn't miss even in my dreams. Mrs Gray's voice.
It was getting really dark and the kitchen was dimly lit. I pressed my head forward but was caught off guard by a hand on my shoulder.
My breath hitched and I was hesitant to look back.
"Sylvia?" My mom's voice cut through the silence and I noticed the voices in the kitchen went silent.
I pulled my mom away from the kitchen and turned her around towards the living room. The guests had already thinned out.
"Why were you peeking through the door like a burglar trying to rob a house unnoticed?"
"I was trying to hear the conversation going on inside the kitchen but unfortunately I couldn't." I replied quietly.
There was no point lying to her, I was caught red-handed and lying would make things worse.
To some extent, I was happy she was the one that had caught me peeking.
"You don't do that in people's houses." Her voice was gentle as if talking to a 3 year old.
Her eyes were keen and they looked at me the same way they did 4 years back. A look of joy embedded in worries that were yet to pass.
"Yes mom." I grinned and walked away after getting a glass of water.
I had thought of staying back with Serene for the night but she can manage, if I can then, why can't she now?
A smile curled up my face as I bid her farewell and left with my parents.
As soon as we got home, I retired to my room but not without setting up my duties for the following day.
The next morning, a howl jolted me awake and I shot up my bed instantly. I wondered what happened but from the person's voice, they sounded hurt and angry.
I rubbed my eyes, dived for the bathroom and washed my face as fast as I could.
My toothbrush hung half way out my mouth as I walked out of the room to know what the howling was about.
From the stairs I saw Mrs George, Serene's mother and my heart sank. She just lost her husband, what more could make her cry and howl by this time of the day.
It was only 7am by the way.
Her bag lay discarded in the living and her arms set firmly on her hips.
Never in my 24 years of living have I seen a woman of her calibre stand the way she did.
My eyes followed hers and my parents stood not too far from her. My father's arms were crossed while my mom sat, sipping wine so early.
"What's the problem Mrs George? Is everything alright?"
I asked as soft as I could hoping to avoid an angry widow lunging at me.
"I wouldn't be here as early as 6:30am if everything was alright Sylvia, so don't ask me that."
Her voice trembled with anger as she spoke.
"So this has been going on for over 30 minutes, how comforting."
I shot a dagger look at my dad and he waved me off.
He knows damn well I wasn't going to leave, not now, not ever.
"Mrs George, I see no reason why our invitation should get you this agitated." My dad, Frederick, spoke.
"Oh! Really? I think we should go over this again…"
"It's not necessary."
Mom's voice cut through but all that did was annoy Mrs George more.
"You two, called us your friends, we were supposed to be families Frederick, families.. but you went on to hosting a party the next minute your friend died."
Tears rolled down her cheeks and she wiped them off immediately as if she didn't want to look weak.
"All you two care about is your selfish gain from the endless parties you hold."
"You're trying to cover your own heads by leaving ours open, how dare you send me an invite…."
Her sobs pierced the room, and for a fleeting moment, I felt the weight of her pain. But then the bitterness crept in—these were the same people who, given the chance, would have left us just as exposed.
"For goodness sake I'm still mourning George." She broke down into tears, the invitation card slipping from her hands as she dropped to the ground.
"Mom!"
Serene dashed in through the door.
She must have realised her mom wasn't home and had gotten the invitation as well.
I turned to look at my parents, wondering why they couldn't wait after the burial before they made their predictable party move.
Well, all works fine for me.
Serene with the help of Jidah walked her mom out of the house but before going she shot me a cold look and I was sincerely bothered for the first time.
I sighed, casting the mere thought of it bothering me aside.
I turned to look at my parents and shook my head as I walked back to my room, my toothbrush hanging loosely in-between two fingers.
By 9am I was set to meet my therapist.
I needed today's session more than ever—not just to talk about Beth or my hallucinations but maybe to unpack why I felt absolutely nothing watching a woman fall apart in our house.
I also planned to get the best dress for this party because I know It will turn out incredible with all that has been going on.
Where there is drama, there's Sylvia, sitting at the corner watching with my keen eyes.
The thought of seeing Jonathan at the party brushed through my mind and I sighed.
I thought I had forgotten about him and dealt with my feelings for him but my encounter with him yesterday has proved otherwise.
I turned on my phone and it started to ring immediately.
Jordan was calling.
I had no intention of picking the call whatsoever, I won't let him dismiss my thoughts and feelings anymore.
He has tried his best and that ends well with me.
I turned on my do not disturb and headed for therapy. If anything, I needed someone to tell me that feeling nothing at all was still a feeling.
The therapy session ended too quickly and I had come to the conclusion that Mrs Gray was tired of me.
But something else gnawed at me, I sensed a lot of tension in her today, her random fake coughs and her jittery glance at her phone which sat only inches away from her twitching fingers.
Was she involved in this scandal too? Was she part of them?
There was fear in her eyes everytime her phone beeps and it looked as though with each beep her heart raced.
I didn't want to overthink it. Instead, I found myself drawn to a boutique across the road.
"What's a party without an elegant dress?" I thought as I made my way into a boutique just on the other side of the road.
A dress caught my attention. Black, flowy, armless and laced with black beads along the chest, revealing just the right amount of cleavage and a slit that ran from thigh to foot.
Marvelous!
I paid in cash and left the store.
At home, the house was already buzzing. Designers moved in sync with our house help, arranging the interiors for tonight's spectacle.
Jidah reached for my bag and I gently pushed it into her hands, my eyes trailing over the decor. Arms folded, I walked around the living room like I was instructing them on what to do.
Jidah returned moments later with my phone.
"You have a call, ma'am."
I grabbed the phone and headed for a quieter corner before dialing back.
"Hello, who's this?"
"Why are you doing this?"
Jordan.
I hung up.
I turned to leave—but just then, a pair of scissors slipped from the designer's apprentice high above and grazed my right arm. I flinched as the blade left a cut on my skin.
I winced and she hurriedly jumped off the ladder she was standing on.
"I'm so sorry ma'am." She apologized, kneeling in front of me, I was no more than a year or two older than her.
She looked up, her eyes wide, confused and searching.
"I.....?" The word hung up her throat.
I stepped back and walked away.
"Not now, I won't be interrupted—not when I'm this close."
My heart pounded as I turned away and from the polished stairways, I caught her reflection—still kneeling, her curious gaze trailing after me.
It was exactly 6pm in the evening when the party kicked off. I hadn't come out of my room after an encounter with the girl.
I dared not.
I could hear the music downstairs, the chirping sound of the wealth-driven guests as they donned their favorite masks for the night.
Masks to shield their true intentions and thoughts.
At 10pm, I got dressed and headed downstairs. As I walked down the stairs, all heads turned towards me, their murmurs filled my ears just like a song turned down low, bitter but also too true to ignore.
The mahogany door swung open and the eyes left me.
"Who had stolen my moment away from me?"
Serene and her mother cat-walked into the house, drawing the crowd's attention like ants to a sweet.
Wonderful.
How well this has turned out and how much better it was about to get.
I smiled softly walking down the rest of the stairs.
The whole crowd went hysterical as soon as they walked in and their whispers were just as loud as the crickets on a rainy night.
We all walked outside our big porch where the party was supposed to hold and my father raised his glass to toast.
His lips curved into a practiced smile.
And then it happened
A body fell from the balcony, landing in front of him with a sickening thud.
The crowd went wild.
I paused, my fingers tightened around my wine glass. My heart pounded—not in shock but in recognition
I knew who it was.
And I was pulled years back to when it all began.