It Should Have Been Like This (The Revised Version)

Chapter 56: Reunion (1)

I moved around the kitchen with the agility of a gazelle, determined to get everything done as quickly as possible. Today was the big day, and the others would be arriving soon, but I still had some cooking left to do.

Suddenly, Chef Russo returned with his daughter. My kids already loved her, and she was a talented cook too — well, except for Zachary, who seemed to have a bit of a grudge against her.

Unfortunately, Chef Russo had come down with a sudden cold that morning, leaving me to battle the meal on my own. Thankfully, his daughter and Savia stepped in to assist me, along with the two maids that Rominic had called in to help. I didn't thank him directly, but I knew he understood how grateful I was for his assistance. If he didn't, that was his problem.

"Lavender!!!" The familiar voice of Rominic suddenly rang out, and I felt a surge of frustration wash over me. I wiped my face and signaled for the maid to watch the stove, then hurried out of the kitchen.

I take back everything I said about Rylee returning — she was pure mayhem, and Rominic was a catastrophe. They argued constantly, and their fights always ended badly. The most painful part was how Nic seemed to know the outcome of every fight, yet he still chose to challenge Rylee anyway. They were acting like children.

I aggressively pushed the door open, and my eyes fell upon the scene. Rylee was sitting on Nic's legs, which were folded against his back, with his head imprisoned in her underarm. The position looked incredibly painful, and I winced at the thought of the discomfort Nic must be enduring. Not that he had much choice but to bear it, I suppose.

"Rylee, what did we discuss about killing him?! The both of you are acting like children!" I exclaimed, exasperated. Where had Phineas gone off to now?

"He started it!" Rylee retorted, unwavering in her grip on her brother.

"She started it!" Nic shot back, struggling against Rylee's hold.

I placed my hands on my hips and snarled. "Rylee, get off your brother. I don't want him broken when we are expecting guests," I warned.

Nic snorted dismissively. "More like vermin," he muttered. I scowled at him in response.

I looked at Rylee, and she smirked, then twisted Nic's neck. He cried out in pain. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he pleaded.

"Rylee, please let him go," I tried to reason with her.

"Not until he apologizes," she retorted stubbornly.

"Over my dead body!" Nic spat. I facepalmed with a grunt, exasperated. These people were going to be the death of me, at this rate.

I dropped my hand and clicked my tongue as Nic hollered in agony once more. "Just apologize– wait, what did you do this time?" I asked, dreading the answer.

"He called me a flat-ass bitch and dared to compare me to the whore Phineas cheated on me with," Rylee spat, her voice laced with anger.

My eyes widened in disbelief. "Phineas cheated? That's impossible!" I exclaimed.

"You deserve it, wall ass!" Rominic fired back, his tears welling up. "Why wouldn't he cheat on you? Dating a male wall is already daily torture. You don't even have boobs. Linda was a babe and he sure had a good time fucking that slut!" She angrily yanked Nic's hair, but I could see the pain and vulnerability beneath her outrage.

As strong as Rylee is, Phineas is the only man who can truly break her. I couldn't believe Phineas would cheat on her — it simply didn't seem possible.

"Aaaah! Ow! You can beat me all you want but it won't change the truth," Nic moaned, and there it was — Rylee burst into tears. She stood up and ran past me, fleeing the room in a rare display of vulnerability.