The ride home passed in a blur. After paying the driver, Sandy quickly headed towards the house.
She could hear the noise coming from inside, indicating that the preparations for tonight's dinner had begun.
This meant the house would be swarmed with workers not bothering to go through the main door, so Sandy passed through the back entrance to avoid being seen.
Racing towards her room with her heart thrumming loudly inside, she rushed to the mirror, inspecting her reflection, her face red from the impact of the slap; she winced as the pain shot through her nerves.
Forcing a thin grin, it wasn't anything makeup couldn't fix.
A quick glance at the clock told her it was 7 p.m. The Clints would arrive by 8, and her stepmother Mariam would be at the door any minute.
Trying to Ignore her raging emotions, Sandy's hands trembled as she dashed into the bathroom for a quick bath, scrubbing her skin under the scalding water desperate to erase the feel of Michael's hand and lips from her body.
Her heart suddenly clutched with guilt as her mind drifted back to the stranger who had helped her. She didn't even get to thank him.
A film of tears flashed through her eyes, but she quickly wiped it off.
this wasn't the first time Michael had crossed a line, and tonight, Sandy vowed it would be the last. It was her fault for frequenting the same places as him, and she would never make that mistake again.
An hour later, Sandy was dressed in a black, net-sleeved dinner gown that complimented her pear body shape. She swept her hair up in a loose bun as she sat in front of the mirror, ready to begin her rigorous makeup steps.
Dinner with the Clints was always extravagant. Whether at her house or theirs, both families prided themselves on their glamorous appearances.
As her father would always say, "If you don't look good while meeting up with friends, then why bother meeting at all?"
She began adding finishing touches to her makeup. Thankfully, she had used ice to cool down the redness. Sandy hissed at the pain as she trailed her hand over her face, tapping it with her makeup brush, blending the foundation and power into her skin to cover up the parts that the first step could not.
The knock on her door echoed through her head as her stepmother's voice called out to her
"Sandy, are you ready yet? The Clients just arrived," Mariam said
"I'll be ready in five minutes," Sandy replied, hoping she wouldn't wait at the door.
Sandy let a sigh of relief out of her lungs when she heard Mariam's footsteps fading away, indicating she was no longer at the door.
After several beats, Sandy's lips curved into a thin smile. Satisfied with the coverage, she let her long, wavy brown hair loose from the bun to flow down her face.
She drew in deep breaths and exhaled through her mouth, calming her raving nerves. Then, she dashed out.
Entering the dining hall, Her stomach growled as the aroma of freshly cooked food hit her nostrils, easing her mind.
The smell of freshly cooked meals always does that to her.
Sandy's eyes scanned through the dimly lit room, her raving breath finally at ease as she was sure nobody would notice her face during dinner.
Her gaze locked on Mr. and Mrs Clint, then slowly drifted to Ivy and Frank.
Her face hardened.
Despite her best efforts to avoid them after the incident, her father still insisted on inviting the Clints, with Frank always tagging along like Ivy's lapdog.
Although Selene did not give her any real details about her behavior that day, she refused to believe the lies that Ivy and Frank told everyone.
Especially after just few weeks after Selene left, they suddenly decided to start dating.
No innocent person would do that.
She had purposely kept that information from Selene, and since she never asked, it was no use opening an old can of worms.
Sandy politely greeted Mr. and Mrs. Clint, deliberately ignoring Ivy and Frank.
The clicking sounds of utensils filled the hall as they all dug into their meal.
Sandy was particularly grateful for the silence, as most dinners were usually filled with Ivy and Frank bragging about Sterlings Holdings, a company Selene helped mold from scratch.
She let her mind drift to thoughts of her sister, pushing back the memories of tonight's incident although her cheeks still burned,a painful reminder.
Her phone beeped, snapping her back. It was a text from Selene:
"Hey, Sisi, I'm sorry for my reaction today. Something happened at work, and I got disoriented—hope I didn't scare you."
A small smile trailed up Sandy's lips as she began typing a reply.
Typical Selene, keeping her problems to herself, a new character she had recently developed.
"We still need to talk, Selene. You're not running away this time; I'll call you after dinner."
"Sure, kiddo, and good news! I got a nanny…"
Just as she was about to respond, her father's angry voice cut through the chatter.
"Sandy! No phones at the table!" he yelled, forcefully slamming his hand on the table, making her jerk.
Sandy could see Ivy and Frank snickered like children.
"Calm down, sweetheart—the food is spicy," Mariam said, calming him down.
Then, turning to Sandy, "Please, Apologize to your father. You know he hates phones at the table." she said
"I'm sorry, Daddy," Sandy mumbled.
"Has anyone heard from Selene lately?" Ivy immediately cut in, turning everybody's attention to her.
"All my efforts to contact her have been in vain," she said, pouting innocently.
Sandy couldn't help but roll her eyes at Ivy's fake concern.
"Rich words coming from someone dating her ex-fiancée," she muttered lowly but loud enough for Ivy and Frank to hear.
Ivy's face instantly turned red, but she remained silent.
"I've tried contacting her several times, but Selene has refused to acknowledge me as her father," Sandy's father said, his voice tight with hurt.
Despite his strong tone, Sandy could sense the deep pain in his words. She knew he missed Selene dearly; if only he knew that he was now a grandpa.
Sandy's chest tightened with guilt; her hands were tied, with strict instructions from Selene not to say anything about Cyrus to anyone, not even her father.
"Sandy!" Ivy yelled slightly, pulling the attention back to her. "Have you been able to get through to her?"
Without looking at Ivy, Sandy glanced at her father. Although his jaw was tightened, his soft eyes told a different story.
She needed to at least let him know that Selene was okay.
Sandy's face tightened with a grim expression. "Yes, Selene and I have been in contact," she said, tired of lying.
"Really? Why haven't you told me?" her father questioned, his gaze glaring with concern.
"Because I didn't want to." She Shrugged, "If Selene doesn't want to talk to you, I don't want to be on her bad side too," pushing her plate aside, she had suddenly lost her appetite
She saw her father open his mouth to say something but instead remained silent.
From the corner of her eyes, she could see Ivy whispering something to Frank, who had been quiet since the beginning of dinner.
Deciding not to continue with this annoying dinner anymore, watching Ivy and Frank behave like nothing happened after betraying Selene by their dating still made her blood boil.
"I think I want to go to bed now," Sandy announced, pushing her chair back.
Standing up She quickly said goodnight to her father and step mother, although with Mr. and Mrs. Clint. Not bothering with Ivy and Frank.
"Oh, don't go to bed yet," Ivy called, stopping her.
A cheeky smile formed across her face. "We haven't even announced the good news," she giggled, standing up and pulling Frank, her puppy, along, holding a glass of champagne in her hand.
Reluctantly, Sandy sat back down, not in the mood to cause a scene or annoy her father more. She rolled her eyes as she reached for the glass of champagne for some extra courage.
Ivy began her announcement, her eyes twinkling with excitement as she spoke.
Sandy, who was busy drowning out her voice as she drank, almost choked on her drink when she heard the final words.
"And finally, Frank and I are engaged!" Ivy declared, waving her engagement ring as applause erupted. Her lips were wide with a smile.
Sandy's ears burned from the words she had just heard from Ivy's mouth.
Her gaze fell on Ivy and Frank, the happy couple grinning from ear to ear.
Sandy peeled her gaze towards her father. "Is he really okay with this?" his face was plastered with a forced smile.
"And Sandy!" Ivy added, "Tell Selene she's invited to the wedding," giggling as she planted a kiss on Frank's lips.
Stand stood clutching the champagne bottle tightly under her grip.
"Excuse me"she murmured,a bile of emotions forming in her throat.
Retreating to her room, Sandy sank on the bed as her mind raced with thoughts.
How could she tell Selene that her once-best friend was now engaged to her ex-fiancée?