C H A P T E R 10
?Happy times come and go, but the memories stay forever.?
The irritation in his eyes was gone and I just stared at him as he gave a breathtaking smile to my parents. Then his eyes landed on Olivia. He looked at her for a moment, frowned a bit until his eyes fluttered to meet my wide eyes.
And then in a picosecond, his charming smile dropped and his lips pressed in a straight line.
His eyes hardened and they openly glared at me causing me to shrink back a little in fear.
Nobody's gaze, or rather glare had ever intimidated me so much.
He looked extremely scary when he glared at me like that.
It was like he was trying very hard to send me six feet under with his glare.
Probably sensing the tension at the table, Mrs. Jenson cleared her throat. "Well, this is getting awkward." She muttered under her breath.
"Um...let's start dinner," Olivia said as her stomach made a low grumble.
"Yeah," I said, looking away from Ethan Evans' murderous glare.
Soon enough, four servants came out of the kitchen.
They started laying down the plates, forks and spoons.
I silently watched them do their work, inconspicuously stealing glances at the man sitting opposite my best friend who just might be planning my grand murder for as petty a reason as pushing him into the pool, accidentally.
He wasn't looking, well actually glaring at me anymore, for which I was thankful.
But he had this deep frown on his face which told me he was irked.
As the servants served us the steak with a side dish of mashed potatoes which we were having for dinner, along with some side dishes I didn't know the name of because I never had the pleasure to taste them before, Ethan started a conversation with dad about business.
"I think I'll have to make a trip tomorrow to France to check up on Slice Of Life.
There have been complaints from the customers about the poor quality of food, irregular service and also the hotel staff's behavior due to which we have noticed a rapid decrease in customer base over the past few months.
Our profits have gradually decreased. We'll have to fire some employees, train the remaining ones, ensure better quality and quantity, make the prices affordable to all.
I think we'll be able to pick growth pace and profit increase rate in about three months," He finished with a poker face.
Mr Jenson nodded slowly. "So I think you'll be back from Marseille around Wednesday night, right?"
"Yes, sir. I think I'll be back by then."
"Good because I want you to supervise my Encore casino from the next day of your return. I'll trust with it's decisions for the next two month. But I'll take the final call."
"Yes sir, thank you."
Mr. Jenson's eyes crinkled at the ends as he smiled.
"You're doing great, Ethan. I'm sure after two months or so, you'll be able to handle your own family business just fine.
Peter will be so proud of you," he said, before taking a sip of water from his glass.
"I don't know why Peter would think that I'll be able to train you more better than him.
He is the top in the Forbes list of the most influential businessmen after all. "
"Yeah he is, but according to him you are more experienced."
"I don't know. I don't agree."
"And he told me you're the most modest person too," Ethan gave a small smile to Mr. Jenson.
Mr. Jenson chuckled and shook his head.
"No talk about work at the dinner table," Mrs. Jenson said, looking at Ethan and Mr. Jenson.
"Of course, darling," Mr. Jenson said.
Then he glanced over at me and surprise flashed across his still handsome face and I almost got a heart attack at the thought of him finally realizing that I was not Juliet.
"Juliet! I'm so sorry. I know I've been a terrible dad to you."
"Oh no Mr. Jen-DAD!" I almost shouted. "I mean no dad, you're really amazing."
He smiled ruefully at me. "I wish I could make things right between the two of us."
Ethan cleared his throat before shoving a piece of steak into his mouth. My dad glanced at him.
"Oh! I'm not sure if you remember each other," He said, glancing at him hopefully. "I hope you remember her. Or has two years apart made you two forget each other?" He laughed.
"How can I forget her? I didn't," he said sickly sweet.
My dad looked at me. "I guess Juliet doesn't know much about what has happened here.
Juliet, Ethan will be staying with us for a few months so he can learn from me.
He just graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business with an MBA degree.
He's twenty three. He's going to take over Peter's business in a few months.
And I think he's deserving and can handle it very well. "
Stanford Graduate School of Business? That was like the most prestigious business institutions in the whole wide world.
"Cool," I said flatly to which I saw Ethan's eyebrows rise ever so slightly.
"And this is Olivia, Juliet's friend," my dad said, gesturing to Olivia.
Olivia gave Ethan a tight lipped smile before focusing back on her food, which she was oh so gracefully shoving down her throat.
We continued the rest of the dinner in silence.
It didn't feel like I was dining with the world's richest people.
If any, I just felt like I was having dinner with a family, well an almost family because I was the one who filled in the daughter's place.
I thought dining with rich people would be an awkward event in which I'd embarrass myself, one way or the other because sometimes these people were just too intimidating.
And to top it off, there had to be Ethan who threw glares my way every now and then.
I tried my best to ignore him but it was difficult, given he was sat right opposite my best friend.
The silence was not awkward and I took special care of how I was eating, ensuring I didn't do anything stupid or make annoying noises with the plates and spoons.
Thank God for my mom teaching me table manners and dinner etiquettes when I was young, they were especially useful now.
If I were to eat like how I did back in my normal life, I'd be seen as someone worse than a cave woman.
"This is so delicious, Mrs. Jenson," I heard Olivia say.
I looked up at her to see her shoveling a big piece of cheesecake into her mouth.
Olivia has a very serious relationship with food.
More than a boyfriend, she cares about food the most. Anyways it wasn't like she had a boyfriend.
So for one's own safety, it's very important that no one should touch her food.
She took it as a very serious offence to her and the least she would do would be to pummel you to the ground.
"I wish I could make food like that. The last time I tried, I almost burned down the kitchen and the food was coal black," Mrs. Jenson said with a sheepish smile.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Jenson. If I was in your place, I probably would have burned the whole mansion down. Good thing, Juliet knows how to cook or I'd be starved dead." Olivia said and I stomp on her foot. She let out a whimper. We didn't know if Juliet knew how to cook or not!
The woman frowned. "Juliet knows how to cook?" She asked us incredulously. She looked so surprised as if Olivia just told her that I was a pregnant virgin.
Olivia, realizing her slip up, gave a bright smile to cover up. "Y-yeah, she can. I taught her."
I face palmed myself internally. She taught me? She freaking taught me?! And what was she saying a minute ago about burning the whole house down if she attempted to cook?!
"But you said you're not good at cooking," my mom said with her brows knit in confusion.
"Y-yeah...I don't but I did. I mean I used to know...how to cook but when I taught her, I forgot how to." That made no sense at all.
"Um...okay. But Juliet knows how to cook is just, wow...I don't know what to say, it's amazing. Juliet had never entered the kitchen, except if she wanted to tell the chefs to hurry up with the cooking. So this is such a big shock to me," she said.
We didn't sat anything.
"So what can you cook, Julie?" She asked and my eyes widened when I realized she addressed me as Julie. I stared up at her, gulping nervously as I waited for her to speak up and tell us how pathetic we were for trying to act like Juliet.
"J-Julie?" I stammered when she said nothing further.
"Well, yeah. You told me when you were young about how you don't like your name at all and wished it was Julie instead."
"Uh...yeah," I said, clearing my throat. We weren't caught after all! "Um...I can cook pretty much everything. Not any recipes that chefs cook though, just simple food."
She nodded. "Something is better than nothing. I was afraid you wouldn't even know how to cut a tomato."
Dinner was done and everybody went about their business.
My mom probably was in her room after giving me a good night kiss on my forehead.
It was awkward but I didn't mind. Dad and Ethan were nowhere to be seen.
After dinner, the two had immediately left the dining room and I assumed they had gone to work.
It was currently eleven at night and Olivia and I were sprawled on the couch in the enormous living room watching reruns of Supernatural on the huge flat screen. I was far from sleepy and no one was around although the servants must be around here somewhere.
As we were in one of the episodes of the second season, I happened to glance over at Olivia, only to see her eyes closed and soft, almost inaudible snores escaping her mouth.
I looked over at the grandfather clock hung just above the huge flat screen TV and sighed as I read the time to be almost one thirty.
I never went to bed this late. But from the time I was kidnapped, my sleeping and waking up schedules had been disturbed but right now, they were the least of my concerns.
I got up from the couch and walked towards the flat screen to turn it off.
Everything seemed too quiet after that. I wondered if anyone was awake this late.
With still no sign of tiredness or sleepiness, I decided to look around the mansion.
No one was going to stop me anyways. In their eyes, I was the daughter of a very powerful and rich man who owned all of this.
I exited the living room, leaving Olivia sleeping on the couch.
I think I'd wake her up later. I entered the extravagant kitchen.
I was a bit hungry and decided to find something to eat.
Walking around the kitchen island, I made my way to the too big refrigerator.
I opened the door and as expected it was stocked to the brim.
The freezer was my heaven with all those ice creams and popsicles stuffed in it along with frozen veggies.
I randomly picked a popsicle from the popsicle bag in the freezer, which turned out to be a banana foster popsicle. I unwrapped the covering around it and wrapped it around the stick of the popsicle before putting it in my mouth, relishing the sweet taste of it.
I looked around, examining the kitchen. It was huge and I was amazed at how their chefs prepared everything for them. They made lip smacking food and I made a mental note to compliment them on their skills whenever I caught them in the kitchen.
As soon as I finished, I dumped the wrapper in the kitchen bin and washed my hands before walking out to see a still sleeping Olivia.
It was a bit chilly for a summer night and the place seemed too open.
I looked around to see if anyone was there.
Finding no one, I turned around towards the hallway adjacent to the kitchen.
It was dark and there were a few rooms lining the hallway.
I wondered if there were many people living in this mansion because until
now, I'd at least seen half a dozen bedrooms and I hadn't even seen the whole mansion yet.
I stepped out of the door at the end of the hallway and the swimming pool is the first thing that caught my eyes.
Beyond that was a big, beautiful garden which extended to the extensive fencing around the mansion.
I could see the beach from here. It was slightly far away from the mansion but I could faintly see the waves lashing against each other.
I walked ahead until I was stood at the edge of the swimming pool. I had a sudden urge to go to the beach. The last time I went to a beach was five or six years ago on a family vacation with my real mom and dad.
I just stared out at the ocean before me for quite some time. Sleep had yet to claim me and my tiredness from before had dissipated. The cool beach breeze made me shiver and I glanced at the full moon above in the clear night sky, dotted with twinkling stars.
After a few moments, I heard soft footsteps approaching me from behind. I turned around on my heel, presuming it to be Olivia. But I was mistaken. It was not Olivia. It was someone much worse.
Ethan Evans.
I turned back around, my back facing him as I became well aware of his stare, or rather glare boring into my back. After a few seconds, I heard him take a few steps closer until he was standing next to me.
"Long time no see, Juliet. Where had you been?" He asked after a while. I jerked my head to the left to look at him but he wasn't looking at me. He was staring at the ocean like I had moments ago, a small smirk gracing his lips as if he was plotting a great evil plan.
"Um..." I trailed off, not sure how to answer him. "Places."
"Hmm..." He hummed, "I wish you'd go back to where ever you were. I was quite enjoying my stay here until you showed up."
I kept quiet. I didn't care if he had an ugly history with Juliet and I certainly didn't want to create more trouble for myself.
"Poor me. I'm really unhappy to see you again." He said, placing his hand on his chest in mock pain, as if I was the reason he was in pain. Overdramatic loon.
Don't say anything. Don't say anything. I chanted to myself. But my control snapped at his next words.
"Dad told me you had ran away. Couldn't believe it at first knowing that the only thing you liked at all was playing Barbie dress up.
And you running away from all of that? Impossible.
So where did you ran off to for the past year?
Singapore? Hong Kong? Paris? Or is the world too small for you now?
I wouldn't be surprised to know you still haven't changed.
Still the same irresponsible, uncaring, selfish and pathetic bitch feeding off of her dad's money.
" Oh! He did not just call me a bitch!
"You should have stayed there. When are you going to leave? "
I turned my head to him to give him my best death glare. "Well, I must ask you the same seeing as this is my house you're staying at for over two months." I held up my two fingers. "When will you be leaving?" I asked, pointing a finger at him.
"This is not your house," he said sternly and I looked at him, my eyes flying wide open as I slapped a hand on my mouth.
He looked at me weirdly. "This is not your house.
It is your dad's. You didn't earn your dad's money.
You didn't buy this house. It's not yours.
It is Mr. Jenson's." He finished and I lowered my hand from my mouth as I breathed a sigh of relief.
He almost gave me a cardiac arrest.
I thought he knew I was not Mr.
Jenson's daughter.
"Well, of course he owns all of this," I snapped back. "What I meant was that I live here. And you don't, you dumbass."
He shook his head at me. "Still the same mean girl with that annoying Barbie botox face.
Do you even know anything else other than partying and spending all of your father's money on useless things and travel.
I'm sure you learnt nothing at all these two years.
You are utterly useless." He said. "When were you not? " He muttered in the end.
My blood ran cold at his rude words. I felt the sudden urge to defend Juliet and I took a step dangerously close to him. He looked taken aback by my move but stood rooted to the spot.
"You don't know me as much as you think you do so you have no right to talk rubbish about me.
I know exactly who I am and I don't need to know it from you.
So zip that hole in your face up," I said in a dangerously low voice.
I stepped back and I saw him take a sharp breath through his mouth.
"And if you're being such an inconsiderate jerk just because I threw you into the pool, then let me tell you that it was an accident.
I didn't see you standing at the edge of the pool and I was.
..in a hurry. So I'm sorry about that," I said in a tone that hinted that I was not sorry at all.
He narrowed his eyes at me before his lips twitched up in an evil smirk.
"You know you're standing on the edge of the same pool."
It took a second too long for me to realize what he exactly meant but when I did, it was too late.
He had already given me a slight push towards the pool, making me lose my balance.
I tumbled down into the pool. I gasped for air as I fell deep into the chilling cold water and struggled to resurface for air.
I moved my hands around and swum up, taking air through my mouth as my teeth chattered at the cold temperature of the water.
Behind me I heard Ethan laughing like a mad man as he clutched his stomach and laughed some more at me.
"Shut up!" I snapped. He recovered from his laughing fit and stared down at me with a blank face.
"You're wet," He said, his poker face still on.
"No shit Sherlock," I glared at him.
He ignored me as a small smirk spread across his pink lips. "Am I making you wet?" He asked before once again breaking into a fit of hysterical laughter.
I glared at him before splashing water at him, which he smartly saw that coming and quickly scrambled out of the way.
He gave me one last smirk. "Have fun, loser," he said before turning around to leave.
I groaned and looked skyward. My stay wasn't going to be pleasant.
Ethan Evans is a jerk. I hadn't known him for long but I could safely say that he was a childish and abominable man.
He disappeared into the ridiculously huge mansion. The water was so cold, I couldn't feel my hands and legs. I got out soon after and bumped into Olivia who took me to her room and gave me some clothes to change into, which Mrs. Jenson had given to her.
After that, I retreated to my room, half hoping I could catch Ethan lurking around somewhere so I could stick a pole down his throat.
It was our first meeting and it certainly did not go pleasantly.
I just hoped our subsequent meetings wouldn't go similarly.
I would be more than glad to avoid encountering him at all.
I snuggled into the warm and comfy queen sized bed, pulling the comforter over my head and curling up into a ball.
I shivered slightly as I was still a bit cold from the chilling water from the swimming pool.
My hair was slightly damp. And I drifted off to sleep with plans on how to get back at Ethan Evans.
But I knew I was not that childish as him to actually do that.