It was the golden anniversary of the Williams Family Patriarch and his wife. They had been married for 50 solid years together.
All their children and the few grandkids that they already had were gathered in the house, with a few of their closest friends who had pretty much become family to them, joining them as well.
The entire living room was decked out in glittering lights, tiny wires filled with golden light that shined and illuminated the whole space.
The large five tier cake, each tier to mark one decade had already been cut into, and served to the guests. The champagne fountain had also noticeably reduced.
Everyone was having a good time. Forget great, they were having a blast. Despite the fact that Master Williams himself was bedridden and couldn't even come out for the anniversary, it was just his wife who was receiving all the gifts and good wishes.
“Madame Williams, this is one of the only two pairs of shoes from the greatest fashion designer the world had ever seen,” Lady Clarissa, one of Madame Williams' closest friends over the years, said.
“Well, who has the other pair now? You know I couldn't possibly share shoes with anyone.”
Madame Williams said with a snide smile as everyone laughed with her as if she had said something particularly funny.
Lady Clarissa stuttered out a nervous laugh. “Ehm, it's really only one other pair in the world,
Madame Williams. And that pair is rumored to be worn by the granddaughter of the Duke
family.”
Madame Williams sharp in drawn breath couldn't be missed. She looked at the pair of glittering silver slingback shoes in the thick black box on the table in front of her, filled to the brim and creaking under the weight of other gifts.
There was a new glint of interest in Madame Williams' eyes. “You mean the granddaughter of the Duke family wears the only other pair in the world?”
Everyone had stopped whispering to listen. The only thing better than having an exclusive pair of anything by a designer was having all the pairs said designer had made.
But what was even better than that, a million times more satisfying, was the existence of two pairs, and she got to wear one, and the person wearing the other only pair in existence was the granddaughter of the most powerful and wealthy family in their large City.
Madame Williams picked up the shoes, her long red nails caressing them. “So only I and the young daughter of the Duke family own this magnificent creation.” Now she could brag that she wore what the most fashionable and wealthy young girl wore as well.
If she wore what the Duke family wore, that meant they were all on the same level now, more or less. She smiled at Lady Clarissa. Her first genuine smile to the woman in the entire day. “Accept my thanks, Clarissa. I would never have thought that you were such a thoughtful and kind friend.”
That was as much of a thanks any one could get from her. Clarissa beamed, satisfied that she had been smart enough to get the pair of shoes.
Her husband wanted the support of the Williams Family for the launch of his new pharmaceutical company. Maybe the Williams family would enter a deal with them and allow their company to supply them drugs, and eventually they would partner up.
Timothy spoke up from the sidelines. He was standing behind his wife, who was the first daughter of Chairman Willis Williams and Madame Williams. “Mother in law, I got you a gift. It is right outside, if you would please follow me.”
His wife, Alora was preening with pride, and it could be guessed that whatever they had brought had to be extremely opulent.
Madame Williams got to her feet, wrinkling her nose. “I hope it will be worth my time and energy,
Timothy. I wouldn't like to walk all the way outside for nothing.”
Alora siddled up to her mother, careful not to press against her mother's expensive brocade material worth hundreds of millions of dollars. “It is well worth it, mother. Just come,”
Timothy and Alora led the way, with Madame Williams following, and the rest of them closely behind Madame Williams.
One person did not follow. He remained in the sitting room, wondering why everyone had to go out when the gift was for one person. It was Lawton.
Elijah Lawton was the son in law of Chairman Willis Williams and Madame Williams. He was the husband of their second daughter and second to the last child, Amanda Williams. He was also the most cursed and embarrassing member of the family.
Everyone wanted him gone.
Everyone except Chairman Willis that was. And to some extent, Amanda.
No one noticed that he didn't even follow the crowd outside. Quite literally, no one cared.
He snagged a glass of champagne and settled on one of the lush sofas to wait for them.
Outside the mansion that was the Williams residence, the latest model of a Mercedes Benz E-class was in the driveway, a huge red bow secured to the top.
Timothy handed a set of keys to Madame Williams with flourish. “For you, mother in law.”
Madame Williams was speechless. It didn't matter that she didn't know how to drive, she always had to appear in the back seat of the latest cars, flashing her money.
“Timothy!” She said, “Is this not too much? How do you always manage to spoil me more than my own sons?”
Her two sons rolled their eyes. One of them, the first son, Barry, had made a sculpture of their mother in their very courtyard, which had angered her because she said the sculpture was ugly, a hideous representation of her.
The second son, Charles had bought her a fancy new gun that was tiny and served as more or less a paperweight. It was a cute little thing, golden in color. She loved it, but of course it didn't compare to this car she could show everyone.
“Oh my God, I have got to enter inside.”
She rushed and opened the front door and slid in. She came out after a few minutes of admiring the interiors.
Lawton stood up from the sofa inside, taking his drink outside to the quiet backyard. He walked closer to the sculpture of Madame Williams and he couldn't help a chuckle as he looked at the face.
Madame Williams hadn't been lying. The replica of her had a face twisted in a grimace that made her look ugly. But what Madame Williams didn't realize, or maybe she just didn't want to accept it, was that that was exactly how her face was most times.
She always wore a condescending grimace on her face. Like everyone was beneath her and she suffered just to exist along with the rest of them.
Just then the youngest daughter of the Williams family, Allison came out of the house. She looked Lawton up and down and siddled closer to him.
Lawton shifted away. Allison always acted weirdly when it was just the two of them but she never hesitated to mock him in front of others.
“Hi, Lawton,” she drawled in what she probably thought was a sexy voice. Her dress had a low
plunging neckline and her boobs were almost all out. The dress was short and molded to her body.
She reached out a hand and ran her hand over Lawton's chest, pressing closer into his chest.
Lawton jerked away, his hand gripping his champagne flute so hard it almost shattered.
“Stop it, Allison.” he bit out, annoyed with her behavior. He felt nothing for what she put on display. He would never betray Amanda's trust or reduce himself to such a lowly man who cheated on his wife.
She shook her head and then laughed softly at him. “I know Amanda doesn't let you touch her.
But don't worry, I'm the only woman you have to think about anyway.”
Lawton shook his head. He couldn't understand why she was always like this. Why she wanted him. His only explanation was that maybe she liked slumming it up with poor guys such as himself.
“You have to stop it with sneaking up on me. Don't make me tell anyone about this.”
Allison laughed. “Go ahead and tell them. No one would believe you anyway,”
Lawton knew what she said was true.
She came to him again and this time pressed her entire body to him. “Kiss me, I know you want to.”
Lawton pushed her away, stepping around the sculpture to get away from her. Just then they heard the voice of the others approaching.
Allison's eyes flashed as her face twisted into a scowl that Lawton had rejected her advances again!
Her hand reached out and with a defiant and twisted need to punish Lawton, she pushed the sculpture.
“Allison!” Lawton yelled, his mouth wide open in shock.
They all walked back inside, Timothy and Alora extremely proud of themselves. That was when they heard a crash in the back courtyard.They all picked up their pace to go towards the sound of the heavy crash.It was none other than Elijah Lawton. He was standing beside the shattered pieces of Madame Williams sculpture. The same one her son, Barry, had gifted her at the start of the party this evening.He held his champagne flute in his hand, looking a little chagrined at least.Madame Williams shrieked. “Lawton!!! You have destroyed the sculpture my treasured son made of me. How dare you?!”Allison didn't even have to say a word for everyone to conclude that he had destroyed the sculpture. She stood there with a smug, satisfied smirk, her hands folded under her breasts in a way that pushed them up even more.Elijah stumbled back as his wife raced beside him, she held his hand. “Lawton, what have you done?”“You wriggling worm of the earth! You have destroyed mother's beautiful sculptur
“We are going to be homeless.” said Lawton's mother.Lawton rushed to her, joining her on the porch. “What do you mean? Why would we behomeless, mother?”The woman positively looked afraid. “Lawton, she said we've been owing rent for the last six months. She was furious and said she would throw us out.”“Just calm down, nothing like that will happen.”She looked up at Lawton, and then turned to look at Amanda as Amanda also climbed the steps and came up to the porch.“Didn't you people go to the anniversary so you would beg Madame Williams for help when she was in a good mood?”Lawton grimaced. He suddenly felt powerless and not a small amount of stupid. “I broke her priceless sculpture.”Lawton hadn't really been the one to break it. A maid had and he had quickly reacted, telling her to slip inside while he took her place by the shattered pieces as if he had done it.“Why on earth did you do that, Lawton? You know Madame Williams is our only hope.”Lawton shook his head. He opened h
Lawton looked panicked as he searched for the person who had called him that.“Young Master, it is really you!” A pale skinned, bald man in a very stately suit approachedLawton, spreading his arms as if to engulf Lawton in a hug.Lawton dodged him. “Sorry, sir, you've got the wrong man.”It was Mr Smithson, who ran the whole affairs of Lawton's real family back home. He wasn't mistaken of course, but he was from a life and a time that Lawton wanted nothing to do with.“I would recognize you anywhere. Young Master! Don't deny me.” Mr Smithson looked pleadingly at Lawton.Lawton sighed miserably. If he kept denying it, Mr Smithson would keep insisting and eventually reveal his secret. He went closer to Mr Smithson.The man's face pulled into a wide grin. “I knew it was you!”Lawton sighed impatiently. “Don't call me Young Master in public, Mr Smithson. I am no longer that.”The man's face went serious immediately. Mr Smithson always knew when it was time to get all serious and stony fa
Lawton and Amanda went into the hospital room and stayed with Lawton's mother. A few hourslater, they decided that one of them should spend the night so that the other one would come during the daytime.Lawton spent the night at the hospital, and when Amanda came the following morning she took over while he began to think of what would happen at Eden HQ.He had been there a handful of times as a kid. His father had kept him hidden, so that he would be safe. Even the paparazzi had never seen his face. After a while all of that had made him himself lose interest in anything concerning Eden.He had to go today though. He needed money for moms hospital bills and probably the rent too. If he was to be entirely honest with himself, he didn't want anything to do with Eden still.Because of his father and their disagreement.His only priority now was his sick mother. And only that was enough reason to make him go and see Smithson. Smithson had been his father's secretary both at home and in
Lawton couldn't believe that what was happening was actually happening. Was he really about to be thrown out of his own father's company?And before he met Smithson?He tried another route. “I'm simply asking, young lady, that you actually check Mr Smithsons schedule. You will see that he has an appointment with me truly. In fact, he asked me to come.”Julie barked out a laugh. “You're a liar, a scammer and a thief. No way will I let you into Eden so that people's valuable documents and the company's secrets can get out. Please leave whileI'm still asking,” she said, the threat evident in her voice.Lawton was still battling with disbelief. He almost wanted to snap at the girl, but this was a delicate situation. “Just check what I'm saying, is that so hard to do?”“And who says that I haven't checked?! The girl snapped back at him so fast his own eyes widened.“If you refuse to leave on your own, I'll have to call security now.”Lawton threw up his hands in frustration. “Why on earth
Lawton righted himself, furious as well as well shocked at how he had almost been removed from the place. Really, was this how low he looked?He straightened his now rumpled shirt and stared down at Smithsons head where he knelt. He hurried to him, exasperated now.Lawton grimaced. “Smithson what are you doing?” he bent to whisper in the man's ear. He really didn't want people seeing or even knowing.He glanced about wearily and saw that a few people had stopped to stare. But before, when he was about to be thrown out, everyone had gone about their business like nothing was wrong and no one was being manhandled.The receptionist quivered where she knelt. “Oh please, tender justice with mercy, Sir. I have done you a great wrong, but…but I didn't know!”Smithson got up and his eyes shot fire at her from where he stood. “You do this to visitors at thecompany? Is this how you've been presiding over your duties, young lady?!” he thundered. Smithson didn't wait for more, he did not want to
The secretary brought the food up and Lawton devoured it. He had something else that bothered him and it was the situation with his wife's family. But he would settle everything one by one, as time permitted him to.“Smithson. What exactly happened to father? Do you know?”“It was a fatal accident, young master. When the private security firm I contacted to investigatethe matter had investigated it, they reported to me that the cars had been tampered with. To kill whoever was in it. Thankfully, it had been just your father that day, as the rest of the family had missed the event.”The heavy feeling of wrath settled in Lawton. Someone had planned to get rid of his entire family, to wipe them out in one day. He couldn't allow it.“Your father knows you will handle everything once you've returned. He knows how you ended up with your in-laws. They are powerful enough people, young master.”Lawton nodded. They were, even though they didn't accept him and believed him to be useless.“They
The door opened again and this time a young nurse walked in, and along with her was a couple of security personnels.“Sir? Ma'am? We've been ordered to remove you from the hospital premises. You have not deposited the initial admission fees or even the treatment fees and the hospital cannot condone that.”Amanda groaned in a tired, torn breath and her head dropped into her hands.Lawton got up, approaching the nurse. “I don't understand, I'm sure it's been taken care of. Just check again.”The nurse arched an eyebrow. “Did you already make the payment yourself?”“No, not me. But the hospital fees have definitely been paid.”She scoffed. “Please, you can leave by yourself to avoid any complications. The hospital will not continue to give treatment to the patient as you have refused to be cordial in the arrangement.”Amanda got up. “I thought you said you would have the fees, Lawton?”Lawton nodded, digging out his phone from his pocket. He would call Smithson and ask if he had forgotte