When Fate Decided to Play its Part

Chapter 53: The Beginning

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE: Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

The Beginning

--

In this world, many people have similar features as the others despite having no blood relation at all, so seeing someone familiar is not uncommon- but it is not common either. So, seeing a person that is oddly familiar to her, Althea was not even disturbed.

What disturbs her was the way she looks at her and her smile. She was pretty, she cannot deny that. She has this milky white and as shiny and smooth like a crystal ball skin that was obviously tended by a renowned dermatologist, it even glows since she was wearing a red backless and sleeveless party dress. Her red lip was plumped, and it looks bouncy, her hair was even gorgeously tied with loose hairs hanging. She screams an aura of a goddess with wealth.

Yes, again, she is pretty. And she looks smart. And feisty.

But then again, why is a beauty looking at her like she was a cow who was being guided towards the butchery? Althea had no clue at all.

They were just staring at each other in silence until Althea cannot bear it anymore. She tried smiling at the lady. “You… Also want to use the bathroom?”

That was a stupid question, she knows. But what kind of thing does she needs to say to her to escape an awkward silence? How to speak with a weird person? Also speak weirdly. Oh, right, she forgot to mention, she is still at the door! She is not even entering!

She is just standing there- how weird is that? Althea’s awkward smile faltered, and she decided to ignore her when she did not even give any answer to her question.

Whatever, she should do what she wants.

After deciding that, she turned back to face the mirror and looked at her arm that she was just soaking by water. The hot feeling that lingers earlier was gone and was replaced by the cold one. It even got colder as the air hits it. And Althea does not like the cold, just the whiteness of the winter.

She picked up the handkerchief she placed on top of her purse and began tapping the wet arm gently, ignoring the stares of the other.

April laughed in her mind.

To think it was really her. Althea, the one who went missing for seven years. Even the school was wondering why an honor student suddenly started taking a long absence without any letter or verbal notice, but then, the honor student did not even come back after many months until it was counted as years.

To think she will have met her here again, and coincidentally, this time of the year. Their reunion. And the only year where Sheryl manages to convince Tyler to come with her here. April laugh again just by imagining Sheryl’s regret that she made him come.

‘Ahem,’ April cleared her throat mentally and inhaled. ‘Let us calm down and do our work here.’

“Althea Grahams?” She called her out. When she turned to her, April feels proud that she can still remember her surname. She smiled at her. “I am here to guide you to the next venue of the party.”

She turned the tap off and looked at her, asking, “Next venue? We switched?”

“Yes,” April said with a flawless smile. “Unfortunately, a hose was damaged at the top floor where your previous venue was, and it ended up leaking down. Since it was a disturbance, some wanted to go home and end the party there,”

April pause, letting her digest her lies. She was hoping that she will not catch her lies, since Althea had a reputation for being smart before. Seeing that she keeps on listening, she continued her very well- planned lies. “But some of the guests does not want to and decided to switch venues. So, we are on the next floor now.”

Althea was silent after that, April grew nervous.

She does not want her plans to fail!

Then, she begun nodding. “Is that so? Did Victoria send you? Is she already there?”

Victoria? April almost spats her eyes out and choke on her own saliva. There is only one Victoria at the party she was in and that was Tyler’s mother! She actually knows her? What a small world!

April was composed despite the internal chaos of the new discovery made in her mind. She smiled again. “Yes it was he-“

Her eyes wondered down and was distracted by her wiping her arm with a white handkerchief, she was about to ignore it, but a mark caught her attention. She immediately paused, Althea noticed it and casually covered her arm with the handkerchief, not letting her see more about it.

April got her intention, so she continued her words like she saw nothing. “Yes, it was her. Madam Victoria was already there, so, when will we get going?”

It was a mark, a scar- to be exact. The scar looks like her arm was wrapped by a rope tightly for days that it even left a mark on her. Without even looking at the other arm, she oddly knows it has the same marking. There was also slashing scars- small and big. No wonder she was wearing a long-sleeved dress.

Althea pulled the sleeve down again and picked up her purse from the sink, she got out first. “Guide the way.”

--

The others were dancing for a while now in the center. Tyler glanced at them lazily as he leans on his seat. It was a bad choice to come with her here.

He can see nothing her but a bunch of stupid people and leeches. The toxicity of comparing yourself to others and making the people lower than them jealous- pathetic. He was even trying his best to ignore the leech next to him who was still blabbering about his achievements and saying that one day, he wanted to work with him.

No. Tyler does not need someone like him. He was too full of himself. It’s the worst.

Then the MC of the night climb up on the stage, carrying his microphone and his big shinny smile. The music lowered down, the people who danced began sitting down on their respective seats, then he spoke with enthusiasm.

“Who’s ready for the next event?!” Shouts and laughter were heard. “Like every single shameless person here in this floor, I am also very, very excited of what’s next.”

He laughed; his cute fat body was shaking slightly. “Are you all ready to see the past you? When we were all ugly ducklings?”

“Shut up!” Someone shouted from the crowd. “And start already!”

It induced another round of laughter. “Okay, okay- let’s hold our horses, aye?” He laughed and looked towards the direction where the technical is. The operator showed a thumbs up. He nodded to him and looked back at the crown again. “It seems like it’s ready. Then please, enjoy the show.”

The beginning of the slide was just as boring as what Tyler thought it would be. Although he can hear laughter and teasing to the person on the pic, he really cannot go along with them. This was not his batch, he knows it. He does not belong here.

Seeing that the slide will be still long, he stood up and silently went to the door- trying to leave the venue as stealthily as possible. And when he arrived at the unguarded open doors, he thought he can finally slip out.

“Dude,” a familiar voice called out in a hush. Tyler looked back to see his old friends from high school. It was Dave and Aaron. Tyler nodded.

“Where are you going?” Dave asked him, he was also the one who called him.

“…” Tyler does not know where to be honest. “Just, going out.”

“Wh-“ he was cut off by the sudden silence of the venue.

The people here were just laughing earlier but now there was a complete silence. The three was bewildered and turned to look. Dave had his eyes widen in shock, even the occasionally emotionless Aaron, and the suddenly cold and emotionless Tyler has their eyes slightly wide.

They knew she was planning something- but to think this was what she was planning.

Althea and Tyler were together since high school, and this is a high school reunion. Although both are not on the same grade- the latter being one year ahead- Tyler was always going to her every single day. He was with her every single programs and events in schools. So, there’s no way you can’t see pictures of them together.

And that time, Tyler was the one who was too clingy, and the slide and the next slides after the first made them remember everything from the past. Especially the man who was standing next to them.

Dave did not dare to look at him, instead, he looked at Sheryl instead. And, she was, without even checking twice, downright furious. She was glaring at the projected pictures. The pictures where Tyler was too sweet and cling to his ex. The picture where his eyes showed his feelings for her.

A relationship she destroyed in the past, thinking that she will get the emotion and affection he was giving to her.

But she did not. Not even an ounce.

Everyone was silent and they do not even know why.

That was the scene when April showed up, along with the girl on the picture. Althea.