A Rich Heart

Her secret

After a day deep in the water, we walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner. We were at an Asian cuisine, by request of Stephanie.

"So Holden," I said at the table. "What did you do before you came to work for my mother?" I asked.

He smiled at me and leaned his head on his hands. "I was a real estate agent."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "And you quit that to become a chef? In somebody's home?" I asked incredulously.

"Hey Rhee," Brandyn piped up. "Do you want to try this bubble tea? It's amazing."

I ignored him and stared at Holden awaiting his answer.

"Let's not make Holden uncomfortable." My mother suggested. "Maybe he just lost his interest in real estate."

I rolled my eyes. "Stephanie, why don't you tell us how your modeling is coming." I suggested to change the conversation.

"Actually, I'm going to school to be a fashion designer," Stephanie announced. I'd already had this conversation with her, so I tuned everyone out and had a dinner date with my food.

When we arrived home, I was exhausted so while everyone else watched some movie, I went upstairs to sleep. It was only eight o'clock, and I knew I would be up in the middle of the night, but my head was pounding and the bed was so soft, I couldn't help it.

It was early morning in California so I knew I couldn't call Leo yet, I decided to go to sleep and when I woke up later, I would call him.

()

As I predicted, I awoke around two in the morning feeling suddenly hungry, I wrapped my bathrobe around myself and tiptoed downstairs.

I retrieved a pack of cookies from the pantry and one of those mini bottles of milk and headed back to my room. On my way to my room though, I passed my mothers large stack of mail. She was always so lousy about taking care of her bills, I sighed ad set my food down. I began to go through the stack to make sure she didn't have anything due too soon. 

As I was rummaging through the letters, my eyes landed on a shiny corner. Curious, I slipped the thick paper out from underneath the pile and inspected it. It fluttered out of my fingers, as my eyes began to burn. I didn't believe it at first, but there the letters were shining up at me, as if mocking me.

The pleasure of your company has been requested at the union of 

                              ANASTASIA LEIGH SMITH and HOLDEN TIMOTHY WILLIAMS

I stared at the invitation, it was taunting me from its spot on the floor. I didn't move until a fat tear plopped onto it breaking me out of my trance.

I shook my head trying to wake myself up from the nightmare that was becoming my life.

I slumped to the floor as the tears continued to spill down my cheeks, this was what my father had been upset about. His despair made my discovery even more heartbreaking.

I didn't know how long I sat there staring at the floor, I wasn't only upset that she'd gotten over my father, I was upset that she didn't find it something significant enough to tell me. She'd lied to me about it, and now I knew that had been what Brandyn was upset about at breakfast.

A noise some time later made me look up, I saw a shadow pass me and immediately recognized it as Holden. 

"Where are you going?" I asked. My voice came out faint and cracked from lack of use. 

He turned with a start and looked at me in surprise. "What are you doing down here Rhee?"

I glared at him, "you're a liar." I accused angrily. My voice sounded childish and defeated but I couldn't care less.