Dinner was extremely awkward as everybody ate in silence. The clinking of plates was the only thing that made up the background noise. Having Daniel and Monica on the same table with Vanessa definitely made the air tense. Selena just lowered her head and kept her eyes fixed on the food before her. She wasn't interested in any of their dramas. Monica, havingn't had enough of the awkwardness, slightly banged her hands on the table, rattling the cutlery and drawing attention to her as they all raised their heads to face her. “Okay this is ridiculous, we're supposed to be a family. We can't be having dinner like we're prison inmates or something, what's going on here?” Vanessa frowned. “Table manners Monica, I thought I raised you better.”She rolled her eyes at her mother's cheap gimmick to divert the topic of conversation. “Mother this is not the time, what happened while I was away?”Daniel's face twisted but he didn't want to talk about it, so he just set his spoon down harshly an

Ashley screamed loudly. "How dare you?!” She pounced forward, attacking Lola. The both of them got into a squabble for a couple of seconds, pulling and hitting each other until Lola managed to shove Ashley backwards. “The next time you lay your hands on me, I will make sure to break them,” Lola hissed, walking out the bathroom with powerful steps. The moment she returned to the table, Matthew raised his head and looked at her. “Why do you look angry? Did something happen there?” He asked, his eyes drifting between her and the entrance of the bathroom. It wasn't until he saw Ashley coming out that he understood what had happened. “I hope she didn't try to hurt you?” He was just about to get up when Lola gently reached out, grabbing his arm.“No, she didn't. Just ignore her, she can be a pain.”They continued to eat in silence and soon enough, the sound of approaching footsteps met their ears as Ashley got up holding the man she was with. She intentionally walked near their table, gi

They both turned their heads toward the sound sources, evidently worried. They charged forward to check it out without wasting another second, suspending their argument. Amelia was by the kitchen area, leaning on the kitchen island with her other hand on her chest. She heaved deep breaths. “Where did this dog come from?” she asked almost breathlessly, pointing at it. “It just came out of nowhere and scared me.” Charles came running into the scene. “My apologies. I was trying to take it out to the garden when it escaped from me.” She was still confused, raising an eyebrow. “You brought it here?” Matthew quickly stepped forward to avoid further confusion. “No, he didn’t. I was the one that brought it home.” “You want to adopt a pet? Can’t it be something else? Maybe a cat or something. They’re far more graceful,” she suggested, shuffling aside to avoid being close to the dog. Matthew quickly bent down to scoop the dog up, cradling it in his arms. “It’s a long story, grandma. Do

Lola could feel the bile rise to her throat as she held the picture up, she had to let go of it and look away. “Jesus christ,” she whispered in a low tone, moving away from the table. She turned to Karen who was already on the verge of tears. “Karen what is this?” she asked softly, voice filled with concern. Karen couldn’t look her in the eyes, so she fixed her eyes on the ground. She didn’t even realize when tears began streaming profusely from her face. “This can not be happening to me,” she muttered to herself, running her fingers through her thin hair. “Tell me what’s going on,” Lola pressed on, moving closer. She grabbed Karen by the arms to hold her still, “look at me, what’s wrong.”Karen was still quivering, her eyes already puffy and red. She moved away to go sit down on the couch, propping her palms against her knees. Her lips parted as she attempted to speak but she couldn’t say a word. “I’ll get you water,” Lola quickly suggested and then rushed to the kitchen area, sh

Anthony marched into the dean's office. “I would like to see Mr Donovan,” he said to the secretary. She looked up from her computer. “Oh, the dean is having a meeting right now. Is anything the matter? I can tell him later.“I want to see him now. How long is his meeting going to take?”“Give or take, maybe thirty minutes,” she replied. He exhaled sharply out of frustration. “I’ll wait.” He plopped down on the chair in the waiting area, tapping his legs impatiently as he waited. It didn’t take too long before the door clicked open and a man walked out, it was the deputy dean. “Mr Anthony, what brings you to the office?” he asked in a friendly tone. Everyone in the school had so much respect for Mr Anthony because he was one of the best among his peers. “I actually wanted to see the dean, I need to have a student reported for misconduct, he has to be kicked out of the school.”The deputy dean frowned a bit, his face falling. “Would you calm down a little? What is going on?” he ask