Amery & Caddel

Chapter 5: Everything Changes

This is THE chapter to read. 

Enjoy baby cakes

I walk into the dining room with my head up and shoulders back. 

Everyone is sitting in their assigned seats, waiting for dinner. My Dad sits at the head of the table, and everyone else sits neatly around him. 

Light conversation fills the room, nobody notices me quietly pulling out my chair and sitting at the farthest possible seat on the table. 

I take a seat, look down at my hands in my lap, and start picking at my nails, a nervous habit I never seemed to grow out of.

I feel like I'm being watched even though everyone is talking to each other, so I pull my head up. Roma smiles at my mom as she talks about who knows what. Evangeline looks bored. Elijah and Axel listen to my Dad say something. Ariana is very obviously staring at Maxwell... 

...and Maxwell is very much staring at me.  

For what seems like the 100th time tonight, Maxwell's blue eyes lock with my brown ones. I don't hold his cold stare for long before quickly directing my eyes elsewhere, which naturally land on my hands in my lap again. His stare is intimating enough to make me want to sink down into my seat and crawl under the table. Maxwell seems close to my brother and sister, so he's probably just curious about who I am, hence why he's looking at me.  

I hear Ariana scoff, so I look up at her sitting directly across from me. Her eyebrows furrowed, cheeks brunt red. Ariana wears a champagne-coloured dress, an opposite colour selection to my black dress.

She looks annoyed.  

"You okay?" I ask. She ignores me and begins talking to Mom. I roll my eyes.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my Dad stand from his chair, pick up his champagne glass, and lightly tap a butter knife against it. 

"Now that everyone is seated, I first wanted to thank William and Roma for agreeing to come tonight and bringing the rest of their family with them. Dinner will arrive any minute, and while we dine, we have some important matters to discuss for the future for both the Amery and the Caddel families." 

My Dad looks directly straight at me with a small smile.

"I also wanted to say how happy I am to have you here joining us, Mayella; it's nice having you home." I blush and nod my head in thanks when my Dad says this. 

After Dad's little speech, servers walk into the dining room carrying trays of food and place them infront of us. Everyone starts eating, and conversations about work, money, fashion, cars, rich people, poor people, more money, investors, finances, and partnerships break out throughout the table.

I sit in my chair quietly, pulling apart my lasagna. The only time someone spoke to me was when Roma asked me where I lived now. I told her I lived in New York. Telling her I lived in New York shocked her, she probably thought I lived close to my family in Boston. Roma didn't question why I chose to live in New York; she only said that her family also lives in the city.

An hour passed, and everyone had finished their food. I sipped on the champagne before me, desperately wanting this dinner to be over. 

I want to leave and watch Animal Planet all night on my laptop.  

All of a sudden, Mr. Caddel clears his throat and addresses everyone.

"This has been wonderful. Alaric, but I think it's time to discuss what we are all here for."