Both Daniella and Jessica sauntered out of the boutique, each of them holding two shopping bags in their hands.
Daniella was highly relieved that they were finally done after a long time of shopping.
Throughout their shopping, Daniella's face was cold all the time, and would only utter a brief sentence when her mother asked her a question.
Just as they were reaching where Jessica's car was parking, Daniella heard her name from a far distance. She looked up and saw a familiar figure approaching them with fast strides.
Matthew.
She couldn't resist the urge to roll her eyeballs as she proceeded to the car; however, Jessica's words ceased her action.
"Isn't he coming here because of you?" Jessica reprimanded with a slight scowl and then switched her gaze onward right when Matthew reached where they were standing.
"How are you doing, Daniella? It's good to run into you here. Should we go back in and shop more? I have nothing important to purchase, just some little stuff," Matthew beamed, facing Daniella and ignoring the woman standing next to her completely.
"Hi, Matthew. I'll get going now," Daniella said perfunctorily, without sparing him a glance twice.
"Let's go now, mom," she looked over at her mother and notified, only then did Matthew realize someone else was with Daniella.
His eyes and mouth opened wide in disbelief while ruffling his hair in embarrassment.
"I'm so sorry, Aunt. I didn't see..." he broke off and wished the floor would open and swallow him whole.
Jessica chuckled in amusement, "It's alright, dear. You have no business with me in the first place," she poked fun at him, who in turn itched his nape awkwardly.
"No, Aunt. It's really nice to meet you," Matthew said, he was smiling, not knowing his teeth were in contact with the sun.
"Me too, dear," Jessica retorted and then put forward a pace to share a parting hug with him.
Matthew was stunned and could effortlessly tell that this woman was nice and carefree.
"Do you like my daughter?" asked Jessica in a motherly like tone.
Daniella interrupted firmly, "Let's go now, mom. I have a lot to do at home," she was beginning to get annoyed with their conversation.
Jessica smiled tenderly at her daughter, "Just a minute, sweetheart. You can go wait for me in the car,"
Daniella didn't continue to stand there, she walked over to their car, unlocked it, and first kept the bags she was carrying in the booth then later opened the passenger side door and slide in.
She retrieved her cellphone from her jean pocket and stared at it, her fingers hovering over the screen in conflict.
She was thinking of calling her dad when in the past, she would have done it without any resistance, but things were a bit different now, her daddy doesn't love her as much as she does, so she better back off and let go of all kinds of ridiculous feelings she felt for her dad.
In the night.
Liam walked into the dining room while Jessica was arranging the dishes with varieties of meals on the table.
"Where's Ella?" Jessica looked over at her husband's face and asked after she was done, looking quite exhausted.
"I thought she was here. Let me go get her," Liam said and turned around to walk out; however, Daniella had arrived in there.
Their gaze met for a heart-stopping moment that took her breath away.
Momentarily, she peeled off her gaze from her daddy's face first, ignoring the prickling sensation in her cheeks, and then scooted a chair backward.
Liam secretly drew in a deep breath and went to sit on his usual seat opposite his daughter.
"So, tell me, Ella. What do you think about Matthew?" Jessica tried to lighten the suffocating atmosphere?
"Matthew is just a friend, mom, and that's all," Daniella retorted sharply, without sparing her mother a free glance as she continued to slice her steak.
Jessica smiled gently, "But you are very much aware of his advances, don't you?"
Daniella shut her eyes briefly and opened them again in a fit of frustration, "I already told you, mom. He's just a friend,"
"But he likes you so much, Ella. Why can't you give him a chance?" Jessica said patiently, hoping she would be able to convince her daughter.
"Who's Matthew?" Liam, who had stayed silent and, watching both mother and daughter's mouths suddenly asked.
He could no longer continue watching them when the conversation was starting to get clear to him.
Beaming, Jessica darted her gaze to this handsome man sitting in their midst and began, "You need to see the love this guy has for your daughter, Liam,"
"According to him, he would definitely do anything just to see our Ella happy and with everything I saw, I believe he's the ideal match for our daughter,"
For a moment, Liam felt like heavy rocks weighed on his chest, making it difficult to breathe.
"So, with only what you saw, Jessica, you believed him already? You've seen through his intentions and want your daughter to be with him?" anger rushed up in his heart and his words became harsh without restraint.
"How could you trust a man you just met for the first today with your only daughter? Huh!" he continued, banging the table in the process.
"Don't you know that he might just be pretending only to attain his objective? Wake up, Jessica. He's a college boy, I know them very well," he nearly shrieks.
He was as overbearing as a kid who realized that someone was competing for his favorite toy now.
After he completed his words, he stood up and left the room immediately without sparing none of them another glance.
"You're overreacting, Liam!" Jessica shouted after him, but he was already long gone.
Daniella, on the other hand, didn't even react during the whole ordeal as she continued to bite on her steak nonchalantly.
Jessica stared at her daughter's face in silence and thought inside her heart that, those two were being weird, and it was then she realized that Daniella hasn't been behaving like she normally does with her father.
"Are you quarreling with your daddy?" she asked slowly.
Daniella didn't respond but stood up instead, "Good night, mom"
She also evacuated from the place. Jasmine was now left alone with her own thoughts as she kept on staring at Daniella's back view that had left.
The following day...
"Damn, Ella! I completely forgot that Mr. Fabian gave us an assignment in his last class. Have you done yours?" Mandy raised her chin to look at Daniella's side face as they walked slowly in the hallway, heading out to the cafeteria.
"No," said Daniella sharply with her arms folded beneath her breasts as they walked.
Mandy just shrugged off her shoulders. It seemed she was not surprised by Daniella's response.
Daniella was a quick-witted and intelligent lady, who loathed to study but would definitely come out in flying colors after any examinations.
Mandy envies her brain most time and wishes she could also be like her.
"Ella, are you okay?" she suddenly asked her friend after discerning the murky expression on her face.
"Have you by chance caught a glimpse of a lady near Uncle Liam just this morning?" Mandy said the only reason she was sure that could cause her friend's mood to be sulky.
Daniella clicked her tongue while she suddenly stopped walking and then turned her head to her left-hand side direction to face her friend.
"Can we not talk about my daddy?" she asked calmly, but her eyes were carrying no tinge of warmth.
Mandy let out a gasp directly and covered her mouth with her hand as if she just remembered something.
"I know it now, Ella,"
Daniella's brows furrowed, "What do you know?" she asked.
She darted her eyes around first before inching closer and whispered, "Uncle Liam is still mad at you for getting drunk and almost got raped, isn't it?"
Daniella just rolled her eyeballs and continued with her slow pace and listened to how Mandy kept on ranting beside her.
She didn't have the mouth to tell her friend what was bothering her this time.
How on earth could she tell her that she was begging to be fucked mercilessly by her own father? How?
"Boom!"
This sudden voice startled the living soul in Daniella. She flinched and almost tripped over, but the culprit had already caught her wrist and made sure she was standing right before letting go of her hand.
I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry,
Daniella puffed out a long deep breath while combing her hair backward with her fingers.
"What's up, Matthew? Any frat party? Remember my friend and I are always available," Mandy beamed and as she spoke, she snaked her arm around Daniella's shoulders who was a bit taller than her by a half-inch.
Matthew chuckled softly, "Come on, Mandy. I met Ella's mom yesterday, and I'm still feeling the elation from yesterday. She's just so kind-hearted,"
Stunned, Mandy's eyes and mouth open wide in disbelief as she immediately took her hand away from her shoulder.
"Why didn't you tell me Aunt Jessica is back, Ella?" Mandy scowled at her friend who in turn scoffed and responded dryly, "Not like you have any unfinished business with her,"
After she said that, she put forward a pace and soon saw her daddy with four ladies walking alongside with him. Two on either side while he was in their middle, conversing merrily with them.
A scaring thunder struck across her heart, feeling like invisible knives were wrenching her heart again and again.
She stood frozen in place, gnashing her teeth and waiting for him to meet her gaze.