Chapter 17
The Parrish’s villa was still brightly lit.
Everyone in the villa was laughing happily.
The next morning, the bells pealed through the sky.
The wedding of Kyla and Antonio officially began.
My mom, Aileen Parrish, and my dad, Samuel Parrish, were beaming. There was a fresh rose adorning their tailored dress and suit.
Naomi was discussing with the bridesmaids where to hide the wedding shoes to make it hard for Antonio to find them.
Aileen looked around but didn’t see Grace.
Frowning, she asked Naomi, “Naomi, where’s Grace? The wedding is about to begin. Is she gonna be late for Kyla’s wedding? Where are her
manners?”
Naomi replied, “Perhaps she doesn’t wanna see Antonio marry Kyla. You know she’s had a crush on him for years.”
Aileen became even more displeased.
“Rosalind, tell Grace to come out. If she’s not here, people may point fingers at us, especially Kyla, again.”
The servant, Rosalind Watkins, nodded. As she was about to leave, Naomi stopped her.
17
“Antonio is gonna be here soon. Go and help set up the garden, I’ll go tell Grace to come out.”
After a pause, she asked, “Which room is Grace’s?”
“The storage room,” Rosalind answered.
“What?”
Everyone, including Naomi, was stunned.
Samuel didn’t get it. “Why would Grace live in the storage room?”
Rosalind lowered her head. “Her return back that year was so sudden that no room had been prepared for her. Mrs. Parrish said she could stay in the storage room temporarily.”
Yet, this “temporary” arrangement lasted for twelve years.
Aileen frowned. “I planned to prepare a room for her later, but then I forgot. Why didn’t she remind me? I’m her mom. Did she think I’d mistreat her? She’s nothing like me at all.”
Kyla, dressed in a custom–made wedding dress and wearing a veil made of expensive yarn, said while sitting steadily on the bed with a Simmons.
mattress.
“Our storage room is big enough for her. No matter what, it beats being homeless, right? I think she’s fine living in the storage room.”
Naomi subconsciously felt something off as she heard Kyla’s words, but she said nothing.
Frowning, she walked to the storage room at the end of the hallway.
As she pushed open the door, she was almost choked by the heavy dust.
Chapter 17
She stepped back right away.
Covering her nose, she walked in. The small, dark storage room was almost entirely filled with discarded items.
Grace’s bed was next to a row of shelves packed with stuff.
It wasn’t exactly a bed; it was just a thin wooden board placed on a few buckets.
Beside the board was a big water tank with a lid, on which placed a worn- out desk lamp, a diary, and a stack of papers.
Those were all Grace’s belongings after years of living here.
Naomi was so shocked that she couldn’t even utter a word; she even forgot to continue to cover her nose.
Little did she know that Grace, her own sister, was living in such a shabby place.
It was the Parrish’s villa, the place where the Parrish family lived, Grace’s home!
The room was so small; she didn’t have to look around to know Grace.
wasn’t here.
Where was Grace then?
Naomi found it odd.
She walked to the water tank, which was probably Grace’s desk.
“Dad! Mom!” she called out to Aileen and Samuel.
Meanwhile, she picked up the diary and the stack of medical reports
ranging from old to new
“Grace isn’t here. Here’s her stuff.”
Just as Samuel wanted to take a look, he heard the commotion outside.
Antonio was here.
“Maybe she’s throwing a tantrum and has gone out. She’s so spoiled. Come out. Naomi. Antonio is here to pick up Kyla,” Aileen said.
Samuel had to walk out with her, and Naomi stood in situ.
With the bouquet in his hand, Antonio stood in the living room; there was no joy on his face, and he simply didn’t like a groom–to–be at all.
He looked around and frowned when he didn’t see Grace.
“Where’s Grace?”
He asked about Grace first, which annoyed Kyla a bit.
She said delicately. “Antonio, she probably didn’t want to see us get married, so she went out. Don’t blame her.”
Aileen echoed, “Antonio, I’m sorry. We’ve spoiled her. Ignore her; today is your wedding day with Kyla.”
Antonio couldn’t help but feel a bit pissed off.
He had told Grace clearly that it’d be a wedding in name only. How come she just didn’t get it? She was so stubborn and willful.
Taking out his phone, he sent her a message on WhatsApp.
“Stop being so willful. Where are you?”
