"Hi, Margaret!"
Devin faked a genuine smile at her grand aunt. " It's Devin Nana. Devin." She drawled before reaching over to hug her.
Her aunt let out a birdlike chuckle, and Devin thought about the bridge again.
Laura, her grandmother's sister was what they liked to call eccentric. Any other word would be rude. She was the eldest of the two older women but was more free-spirited than most. Above all she was reasonable. Sometimes, it made her wonder if her grandmother was not raised by the same person.
" I didn't think you would come." Laura continued. "Maggie said you still haven't spoken, and I told her to stop egging you. She's always going on about family and shit like that. She reminds me way too much of your mother."
Devin just nodded. Laura liked to talk a lot. Sometimes, members of the family tune her out just to get some thinking in. Devin preferred her to her own grandmother though. Despite the chatter. Sarah was a living breathing Queen who knew her own power and the weight of her words. She was also a pain. Causing pain without even having to lift her bony finger. And considering how gallant she still was, she wasn't going anytime soon.
They party was outdoors as all Sarah's events were. That was the only thing Devin liked about her parties. It was outside.
Laura dragged Devin all the way to the drink table. As if by some unconscious habit, they began eyeing the crowd. Devin spotted her sister, giggling with her friends. Lynn was there too. She whipped her eyes off them before they would notice and dragged her gaze elsewhere.
Then it met Sarah's. One could tell she had been watching Devin for a minute, or longer. She was uncomfortable and she wanted to run, but despite all that she couldn't break away from the cold woman's gaze.
" She's still so creepy." Devin whispered to Laura, who was still standing beside her.
Laura steered before turning Devin's face away by her chin. " The trick is to not look too long. I swear she gets a thrill from doing that," Laura nods over to the table at the other side. " Who's that handsome young man?"
Devin knew who she was talking about.
Dynos.
The man had showed up without letting her know first. Maggie had earlier announced him as her boyfriend and has been mingling since. Devin took a large swig of her drink and wished that it was something stronger.
As if knowingly, Laura laughed. " Sarah doesn't care if you have someone with you, why'd you bring him?"
" I didn't. He wanted to come." Devin replied.
Laura nodded. " Is he rich?"
" Nana!"
" What? It's a valid question. You've never brought a guy before. Ever. If he's here and you're indulging him, it means there's a valid reason you keep him around," She made a look as she brought her drink to her lips. " Is he at least good in bed?"
" Nana..."
Devin walked away from Laura and headed straight to where Dynos was sitting. Dynos looked up at her with a grin that said he was expecting her. What annoyed her was that he probably heard the entire conversation she just had with her Nana.
She forced a smile and spoke in her most alluring voice " Hi... boyfriend."
He smiled, pulled her by the base waist with one hand. " Hello... girlfriend."
Shock ran down to her toes in an instant. Her nerves ended when started kissing her palm, his eyes glued onto hers. Devin didn't know what was worse; the fact that she just had butterflies or the fact that everyone nearby saw that happened.
Shameless....
Devin gently pulled her hand back and bent by his ear. " What the hell do you think you're doing here?" She whispered.
He whispered back, " I'm supposed to be wherever my Mistress is... Is there a problem?" His voice was so innocent it was aggravating.
Devin shot up straight and walked to the gazebo at the other side of the house. Dynos followed right behind her, with an arrogant whistle.
"Did you want me to follow you? Or should I go sit back down? Cus I kind of got the impression you wanted me to follow you."
"Shut up. Shut up. Shut Up." She paused to catch her breath. I don't know why you're here, or why you keep showing up at things, but I allow it. Why? Because it's not like I can stop you."
"Your point mistress?"
Annoyed, she charged up close to him. "This is my grandmother's goddamn elitist party." She spoke in harsh whispers, hoping no one would overhear. "I only made an appearance for show that I still kind of care. But now, you've made me look like I'm trying to prove a point."
"Aren't you?" He said thoughtfully. "From what I heard at the hospital, it seemed like that's what you've trying to do all along, failing terribly might I add."
He spoke in the usual mocking tone that drove Devin insane.
He cleared his throat, wearing a stoic expression on his face. "Also mistress, I'm not here for you." He smiled she bore a confused look. "Like you said, this is an elitist party. My lawyer invited me as his plus one since he had no one he wanted to bring. This is merely business for me."
"And pleasure tormenting me." She added.
He smirk played in his lips. "Yes, that too." His eyes carefully took her in, as if the proximity of their closeness finally hit him. "You look sun-dropped today."
"Sun-dropped?" Devin had never heard that one before.
"Mhm-mm. Sun-dropped." He sucked in his breath and gently tucked her hair back and smiled.
An 'Oh,' was all Devin could manage to let out. She tried not to smile at all, but like the fool she was, she was blushing. She was pleased that he noticed, even if it wasn't that special of an outfit. She wore a lavender colored knee length sundress with a heart-shaped neckline and wore her hair down. She didn't intend to go overboard for Sarah's birthday. Now she wished she had.
"Miss Elroy?" The butler called from behind Dynos.
"Yes?"
"Your grandmother wants all her kin in the library."
Devin frowned. "Her kin?"
This was odd. Why would she call for them in the middle of her party? Her kin? That sounded like legal business. Maybe she was going to finally cut her out form the family tree. Sarah was crazy like that. She would do it as a birthday gift to herself.
In the library, she sat beside Maggie by the windows. They room was deathly silent, that was the way their beloved grandmother liked all of them to be. The room was filled with her cousins and their parents, whom she had not seen in ages.
"What the hell is going on?" She whispered to Maggie.
Maggie hesitated, "The will."
"What?"
Everyone in the room whipped their heads in their direction.
"Damn it, Devin." Maggie whispered. "Sorry," She apologized to the others. "Devin, I need you to please behave and go along with this okay. It's literally me and you against them."
Devin sat there in silence. They really only had each other. Sarah had three children, their mother was the first out of all of them, so to her she was basically the heiress. That was how things ran. Her two other boys did their best to overthrow her, despite being close to one other. They won when their mother married a man outside Sarah's wish.
It was a story pulled straight out from the garbage, because in the end, it all went down to shit. Sarah really tried to hold up everything she had for her daughter; she was her life's work after all. But Elaine, their mother always went ahead doing things that she didn't like. Sarah fought with Elaine all the time, always meddling with her affairs at the company and at home. Elaine had enough of it and threatened to remove herself from the family and go off on her own. Of course, Sarah was having none of it, so like a bitch she went to her sad sons and asked them to take care of something for her.
Their father's car.
She couldn't hold down food for days after she found out. She kept silent for months about it till Christmas and Sarah announced in front of the whole family that she was setting Maggie up as CEO and Devin as her cooperative. Devin threw up in front of everyone and yelled at Sarah to go die for her sins.
Everyone thought that it was just a drunken outburst, but in the morning when they went to find her, she was gone. She never bothered to explain herself because she knew that Sarah understood. She kept it from Maggie because she knew that if she did their mother's inheritance would go to their uncles and that her death was in vain. It didn't matter that she had denied her share, Maggie was good at her job. She married the guy that was good for her and the family and had a little boy. Their mother was somewhat avenged.
She could never forgive her grandmother. Her very presence sent chills to her bones.
The reading of the will started as soon as Sarah walked in. Her presence made her blood boil. Yet, she could say nothing to her because of how terrified of her she was. Everyone sat up in their seats. She sat at the desk beside her lawyer, Peter. She nodded, and the will reading proceeded.
The horrid thing went on for almost an hour and she had not heard one good thing from it. Peter started off from the uncle's side of the family. Youngest to the oldest. Everyone was clearly nervous, Maggie knee kept knocking and against her sister's
Devin grabbed her knee and mouthed, "She can smell your fear."
Maggie squeezed her hand hard and mouthed, "Behave" back to her.
Peter cleared his throat as he began with them. "Now as for Elaine Elroy's kin. Her property in Iowa and Texas belong to Magnolia. The estate in New York is to be shared between the Magnolia and Margret. All jewelry and vehicles are to be shared at discretion between yourselves." Peter paused to look around like he was about to start an uproar. He cleared his throat and went on, "On the passing of Sarah Elroy, all her shares to the E co. will be handed to Magnolia."
"YESSS!!!" The two sisters jumped out of their chairs and screamed in unison.
The whole room was in an uproar. No one seemed pleased in the slightest except for the sisters. The day couldn't be any better.
"Yes! Eat absolute SHIT Uncle Michael! And your kids!"
Sarah hit the table with her wooden mallet. "Shut up, all of you!" She glared at everyone in the room before nodding at Peter again. "Continue."
He cleared his throat. "Magnolia only has rights to these shares and title only after Sarah passes, and if ...Margret takes charge of the Elroy art gallery before the entry into august, this year."
The room went silent. Everyone turned to Devin instinctively.
Devin and Sarah's eyes both caught each other in a death stare. Only the elder Elroy's face wore a smile. Devin knew she was being backed into a corner. She had to choose between her hatred and her mother's legacy. The answer was more than obvious.
Sarah had won, and Devin hated her even more.