"Take care of my coat, it's Mink fur. If you damage it, I'll kill you," Kaitlyn warned the maid attending to her.
"Or better still, I'll throw you in jail for years to come. Take care of it" she said, and dumped the large leopard print coat in the open hands of the maid along with her bag, which almost hit the maid in her face.
"I'm here!!" Kaitly squealed, almost too excited and walked with her noisy heels to the large table filled with food and numerous bottles of wine.
"Why exactly am I here?" Kord said in a stiff voice and pulled out a chair noisily before sitting next to his husband, Eric.
"Cheer up, energy vampire, we're here to enjoy" Kaitlyn said and popped a bottle loudly.
"I wish I didn't have to see your ugly Botox-filled face every single time family is mentioned", Kord fired and before Kaitlyn could reply, Carrie popped out of nowhere and grabbed the bottle out of her hands.
"This is not the time to misbehave, control yourself. Kord that is no way to talk to your sister," Carrie said, and walked away with the seized bottle of wine.
"I wished that wretch was not my sister", Kord replied almost too loudly, and Eric choked on a laugh.
"I wish you weren't born, remain in nonexistence", Kaitlyn fired back.
"Womp wimp, look who's here", Kord chuckled and motioned for a napkin. Eric hurriedly reached for it.
A loud clink of glass stopped Kaitlyn's comeback.
Footsteps were heard from the doorways and soon they appeared.
The elegant and gloomy-looking couple walked into the room, Michelle hanging on Kingsley's arm desperately.
"Kingsley! Finally! I need help with your siblings", Carrie said to welcome her son.
"Keep it classy kids, fight after dinner" Kingsley said and sat down on a chair, leaving Michelle to struggle with her seat on her own.
"Hm, the garbage collector and the garbage", Kord muttered and picked up a glass of water. Kingsley threw him an angry look but refused to give him a reply.
Carrie waited for Michelle to sit down and give her husband an angry look before she began.
"We are gathered here today to celebrate this wonderful family", Carrie began, but Kord stopped her with a snort.
"I wouldn't exactly call this family that," he muttered and chuckled before sipping water again.
"What's that Kord?" Kingsley attacked him.
"Oh nothing, I'm just pointing out how ugly everyone in this family is", Kord said and slammed the glass of water on the table. The liquid sloshed over the glass and on the table.
"Now is not the time, baby", Carrie pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.
Kord rolled his eyes at the endearment. "I'll speak whenever I want to Carrie"
"She's your mum, address her as such", Michelle said, but Kord was already throwing her an annoyed look.
"Don't talk to me, I don't fucking like you!" He snapped at her and Michelle smiled awkwardly before she backed down.
"What has gotten into you?!" Kingsley yelled at his younger sibling.
"Uh, I dunno? Sympathy? Empathy? Honesty? Conscience? Which obviously everyone seated at this table lacks, except my sweet baby and my husband." He gave Eric a sweet smile and ruffled the head of his daughter Flora, who sat with headphones and was occupied on her iPad.
Kaitlyn and the rest of the table rolled their eyes.
"Jesus!" Kingsley muttered and exhaled angrily.
"Who's the empty seat for?" Carrie pointed to the next open seat beside Kord's.
"Your daughter" he replied nonchalantly.
"Who?"
"Evangeline" Kord replied without missing a beat.
"Who's that?" Kaitlyn chipped in rudely.
"Kord…"
"What?!"
"Do you have to spoil this event?"
"You adopted her, didn't you?" Kord faced the whole table. "Isn't she the daughter dad trusted you to take care of?"
"Eric, control your husband please" Michelle said, and Eric laughed.
"Why? He's done nothing wrong, he's just saying the truth", he shrugged, also sharing in Kord's hate for the family.
"Thank you baby", Kord smiled and picked up a wine glass this time around, pouring himself a large drink.
The table suddenly went silent, watching him.
"What?" Kord finally snapped. "I'm just saying the gospel truth. Staring at me like that will only make your eyes sore" he added with a smile and continued sipping his wine.
"I wish you had gone with her" Kingsley finally broke the silence.
"What was that brother?"
"He said he wished you had been locked up with her!" Kaitlyn repeated and emphasized every word. "I couldn't agree more."
"Children please!!"
"You are all acting like animals, your sister is out there rotting in a cell with criminals, and it's all your fault. But you're here dining and spending the money you stole from her and partying..."
"She was guilty, she ruined his life and tried to kill him, and she was sent to jail for her crimes", Kingsley said, straightening to meet his brother's angry eyes.
Kord swallowed the whole wine in his glass before he threw his glass on the table.
"You framed her, stole from him and her after killing him and locked her up. Eva is innocent!" he yelled.
"I don't know what you're talking about, we all saw her attack and kill him, right Kaitlyn?" Kingsley smiled, no iota of remorse in his attitude.
"That's the sweet truth", Kaitlyn chuckled in agreement, and that only seemed to anger Kord the more.
"Then explain how he is still alive!" Kord scoffed. " Maybe I should ask him, or maybe I will tell him the truth...!!"
A heavy slam on the dining table froze Kord right on the spot. Kingsley rose to his full form.
"Shut your fucking hellhole! I have had enough of you and your tantrums throughout the years and I have chosen to ignore them, but no more! You will not bring up any topic regarding that girl..." he warned Kord, but his threat was met with the same energy.
"Like hell, you will stop me! I will tell him the truth so he can see you all for what you truly are, every single one of you!" Kord yelled back, and suddenly the table was reduced to an arguing mess.
"Very well then, if you want your mouth to leak and spew nonsense, bear in mind that you're not innocent this..." Kingsley continued to attack his brother while everyone picked sides and Carrie tried to calm her angry children to no avail.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Kord stared daggers at his brother.
"I mean, the event that started all of this was planned by you and Eva. We decided to step in and make everything right, and now we have a perfect family now that she's not here. She was the vagabond you bonded with and connived with to steal the ring and ruin his engagement that day all because Eva wanted him for herself, and then you caused the accident!" Kingsley continued to spew lies.
"You fucking...." Kord hurriedly stood up from his seat, an accusing finger pointed at Kingsley. "Lies!! Lies!! Lies!! I hope your fucking pants are on fire!!"
"That's how I remember it happening. You were part of the plan too, you even supported the wedding....!
"You weren't even there when it happened, you know nothing that happened that day!"
"But Michelle was there, and she would tell him exactly how I say it happened! Right Michelle?!"
Michelle swallowed hard and looked away. "Right"
"You have no one on your side, Kord. If you decide to open your stupid mouth or dare tell him anything, it will be your word against mine and trust me, prison won't look good on you either. We will forget you, and you will rot to your bones there!" Kingsley finished, his voice was almost two octaves high.
Kord had been stunned into silence, his fists balled, his body shook with fury, he was thinking about attacking his brother while Kingsley waited for his brother to make the next move.
"I hope Karma deals with you till you have no strength to beg for mercy", Kord finally said after the squared off and sat back down in his seat. Kingsley followed a second later still not backing down from the stare with his brother.
"Keep hoping" Kingsley replied and grinned slowly. Michelle tried to hold her husband's house, but he pushed hers away.
"Now, where were we?" Carrie sighed and resumed after the table had calmed down.
The door opened and everyone turned to look at the owner of the heavy and chill footsteps.
"Well, well, well. Look who's here."
"Hello everyone, I come bearing gifts" Vince Sterling walked into the room, a small smile on his face as his eyes scanned the room.
"Hi Uncle Vince", Flora finally smiled and took off her headphones.
"Hey sweetie, how's my favorite baby doing?" Vince walked to her side and gave her a kiss on her forehead.
"I'm fine, daddy got me a toy I didn't like", Flora complained and Vince quickly glanced at Eric for a second.
"The nasty one?" he asked and Flora nodded.
"Yeah, the nasty one"
Vince sighed and gave Eric a disappointing look before exchanging a handshake and a hug with him.
"If you keep looking at Eric like that I'll get jealous Vince", Kord suddenly chipped in and Vince laughed.
"Someone has their panties in a bunch tonight, what good Kord?" He faced Kord and gave him a pat on the shoulder.
"You know, same old feast with the demons…" Kord said and refilled his glass.
"Jesus" someone muttered.
Vince chuckled. "I was correct, you sound worked up" he said, and pulled out a seat for himself.
"Hey Vince, come sit next to me" Kaitlyn quickly lit up, but Vince was already setting his wine on the table.
"Thank you Kaity, I'll take the seat next to Flora. I have some gifts I want to share with her" he said, and patted the girl's hair.
"Wow, picking the spoiled brat over me", Kaitlyn muttered, but Kord immediately picked on it.
"Don't talk about my daughter like that, or I'll empty my wine glass in your face," he warned.
"Kord honey relax…" Eric quickly stepped in.
Vince paused and scanned the angry face at the table. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Not really man, just some kid angry about getting his toys stolen from him", Kingsley said and picked up his own glass, pouring himself some wine.
"Look who's talking. If you want to talk nonsense about me, I want you to chip in and talk about your ugly dealings or your wife, who keeps having abortions so she won't have a baby for you" Kord said and sipped his wine, a triumphant smile on his face.
"What?!" It was time for Kingsley to be horrified, the look on his face became stale.
"Tell him the truth Michelle! Or I will", Kord continued.
"Shut up and stop saying nonsense!" Carrie yelled at her son, but Kingsley was already pressing his wife for answers.
"Is this true?"
"He's just trying to be petty" Michelle said, avoiding Kingsley's eyes.
"That does not answer my question!"
"And oh Kingsley, before you hit her, I want to ask if mum knows how the company keeps losing money and how you're in deep debt from taking out loans and buying new cars every day", Kord revealed. Carrie gasped and Kingsley groaned.
"I might kill that kid", Kingsley wiped his fury-stained face.
"Kill yourself first", Kord attacked.
"That's rude!" Michelle chipped in.
"Don't talk to me!"
"Shut up Kord, your hate is making you look ugly..." Kaitlyn tried to attack Kord, but he quickly defended himself.
"With your botched surgeries you look filthy..."
"Don't finish that", Kaitlyn warned, "Vince you don't want to sit next to that ugly angry thing..."
"I'm actually fine here", Vince spoke up for the first time since the argument began.
"Oh you want to spin the block with Vince?, I see how you look at him…" Kord pressed and Kaitlyn rolled her eyes.
"Oh shut up Kord!"
"You've had too much to drink, come on, I'll take you home" Eric said and held his husband's house.
"I'm fine Eric, I just think this family has to know how evil they are," he said and eyed everyone angrily. "Take Flora home"
"It's not our fault you married a mechanic, and you're a miserable stay-at-home husband, you need to focus on your family, Kord", Kaitlyn piped in and Kord laughed before clapping in her face loudly.
"First of all, he's a car dealer. Secondly, don't you dare speak about my husband with your jag-toothed mouth ever again. I didn't divorce you and leave you penniless begging for scraps. Bryan did and that's because you were a lying pretending bitch who's hooked on drugs and addicted to surgeries..."
"Mum, do something about him...!"
"Mum? Really?… Carrie is busy selling herself out to get you branded deals and make you look successful so you can get more money buy drugs and shove snow up your nose!" Kord yelled.
"There's a child at the table, Kord…" Vince said, but he was already too angry at that moment.
"No! You! Even you didn't treat her right! You bullied her because of your misery and made her…" Kord faced Vince.
"What are we talking about here?" Vince looked around in confusion.
"Someone shut that stupid fool up", Kingsley groaned.
"I have a licensed gun, pepper spray and a taser. Whoever gets as close as five feet from me will be sorry for themselves throughout the day and trust me, I won't feel remorseful one bit", Kord warned, and everyone remained in their seat.
Eric cleared his throat and stood up to pick up his daughter.
"Okay, come on baby, daddy is a little… hot tonight" he said, and kissed Kord on a tense cheek before taking Flora out of the room.
"Anyone else?" Kord asked, though he could scarcely find breath for the words.
No one uttered a sound and when Kord turned to leave, no one uttered another sound.
"Fuck this!" Kord cursed and dumped his napkin on the table.
"Sit down and eat dinner with us please" Vince stepped up to plead with Kord.
"No! I have to go", Kord said, pushed his chair and angrily stomped out of the room.
His throat burned and he wanted to cry.
Kord hated them for making him cry.
"I hate all of you!" He yelled before he slammed the door shut.
Kord had been feeling so down today, knowing she was supposed to be out today after the wrong that had been done to her, but his anger was triggered when he saw that no one felt remorse for what they did.
"Nine years is too much! She's innocent, let her go please!" He remembered pleading with the prison warden nine years ago.
"If you keep that act up, I'll have no choice but to lock you up till the morning", she had warned him.
"I'll behave please! I'll be good, I promise. Just let me see her". His drunken sobs filled the night.
"No can do son…"
"How much do you want? I'll do anything…" Kord fished out his wallet. "Anything"
But the warden sighed.
"She doesn't want visitors, she's revoked that right by herself…"
"No! That can't be right! Tell.. Tell her it's me Kord. Kord Van Cleve, her brother, she can't turn me away…" Kord cried desperately.
"Especially the Van Cleves. Eva wants nothing to do with any of you" she said.
"No… no… that's not true, she is my sister… I …" Kord broke down, crying.
"Go home boy, and pray she comes back to you in one piece" the warden said and made to walk away, but Kord was not done.
"But that's not fair… that's … this is injustice, the real culprits are walking around freely..."
The warden paused and turned to face him.
"Do you know something we don't? Because if you do, and you don't speak up, you know you'll be in much bigger trouble. How would you like to switch places with your beloved sister?" She raised an angry brow and Kord swallowed hard.
He was silent, wiping his nose and trying to keep his tears at bat.
"That's what I thought, go home and let that murderer pay for her crimes…" she said, and Kord lost it.
"Heartless bunch of bastards! Criminals, piece of shit….!"
He was arrested that night. He spent the night in a cell with a black eye till Eric came for him in the morning.
Kord snapped back to the present and tried to hold himself back, not wanting to end up in that same position, but he was already too pissed.
"Where is she?!" he yelled.
"Gone", the warden shrugged, bored and not paying attention to Kord.
"Where?"
"No idea, she's become a ghost"
"What? She was supposed to be released today, so I'm here to pick her up.
"It's been years, Kord, she wants nothing to do with any of you. Forget about her" the ward
"I…"
"Eva has gone with the wind"