20

AUDREY
“Thank you for coming here again, Audrey, and I’m sorry about yesterday,” Juliet stated sincerely when I came back to the mansion the next day. I could tell that ever since Anton married her, he had changed a little bit.
“I’m used to it. This is where I grew up, and Dad has always been like that. There are worse days than yesterday.” I forced a smile to cheer her up. “Where’s Anton?”
“Upstairs with Edward. Apparently, ever since last night, all he did was complain, so Anton asked him if he could rest in his room today.” She smiled back at Chelsea. “Welcome back.”
Chelsea responded with a smile. “Thank you.”
“Oh please, come in. You didn’t have a chance to stay yesterday.” Juliet ushered us inside. Since it was still early, there were only a few people inside.
“We chose to use the house for Samuel’s wake because Edward requested it. After a short debate, we cannot complain anymore because you know—” she shrugged—“your father can be...”
“Difficult. Yes, I know.”
We walked close to Samuel’s remains, and I stared at his picture when he graduated from college. I couldn’t forget how happy he was when he emailed me the same picture and told me he had finally done it. If only I could turn back the time. I would’ve met him when he asked me. A teardrop fell on my cheeks again.
We exchanged a few conversations with Juliet while we waited for Anton.
“We’re going back to Dublin next week,” she said. “It’s hard for Anton to leave, but we have to go back to work.”
“And he’s going to be alone.”
“Yes. I’m afraid.”
“So, who’s going to look after your father then?” Chelsea asked.
“Mila will stay. Her niece is coming here next week to help her with the chores,” Juliet explained. “The budget has been tight, but if there are someone Edward trusts outside the family, it’s Mila. He is oddly pretty and seems normal when he speaks to her.”
“Mila is Dad’s nanny. He looks at her like his mother,” I said.
“I guess that’s it. By the way, Cecile hasn’t shown up for days. Anton is going to try to find her before we leave. I’m really sorry for what happened to the house, Audrey. Anton and I were trying to settle the papers, but it was you who needed to see the mortgagor or the Scotts. The mansion is still under your name, but it won’t stay for long.”
I clenched my fist in anger. I didn’t know how Dad’s mistress managed to mortgage the house. No, we couldn’t really call her a mistress when she was married legally to him. They were pretty new. Only three years. She could’ve used her status.
This was my mother’s house. It was given to her by my grandfather, and this was the only memory I had of her. They could take everything away from us, but they couldn’t let the Scotts take this from me.
“Or you could talk to him in advance when he comes here,” Juliet added.
I looked up at her, a little puzzled. “Talk to who?”
“Charles Scott is coming here today in person, which is strange because he usually sends his assistant once a week. He called Anton the other day. He’s probably going to talk to him about the house. It is such a bad time, but we’ve got a little time, so maybe I think it’s better if you personally meet him.”
“I know Charles,” I said. “He was Samuel’s childhood friend.”
The last memory I had of him was of a little boy with eyeglasses and short for his age. Dad introduced and arranged a marriage for me and his dad when I was only fifteen. They promised to marry me to Benjamin when I turned eighteen. I couldn’t imagine when I met the old man. The image of a fat man with huge hands and scary eyes had stained my pure mind.
It was the reason why I was driven to run away. It was when I met Liam Cross.