De La Rosa ( A Danna De La Rosa Novel)

3

The door violently swung open and my heart dropped like a stone in my chest. My family, with their fake smiles and empty eyes, stood around the lavish dining room table. Elijah snatched me up, twirling me around in a sickening display of joy. But inside I was drowning in a whirlpool of emotions - fear, anger, and sorrow all consuming me at once. The sight of the extravagant feast, filled with all my favorite foods and drinks, made my stomach lurch with disgust.

"What is this?" I managed to choke out, trying to keep my composure. But deep down, I already knew what they were celebrating - the anniversary of my mother's death and another year spent in captivity. As Elijah rambled on about how special this day was for "one of the world's most powerful women", I wanted to scream at him for his ignorance and callousness.

"Please, can we just go to sleep? It's 6 am," I begged, hoping they would drop this mockery of a celebration. But they refused to listen, determined to parade my pain and loss in front of me as if it were something to be celebrated.

And then it happened - our estranged father walked through the door, welcomed by Elijah's rage and Jasmine's weak attempts to calm him down. I couldn't bear to look at him, not today. Memories of my last birthday party flooded my mind and I needed to escape.

Leaving behind the false facade of a happy family, I fled down the hallway, trying to drown out the echo of my own footsteps in my mind. My bare feet felt frozen without socks and each step only reminded me of how cold and numb I felt inside.

But soon enough, Elijah caught up to me, pleading for me to return and take part in the celebration because it's what our mother would have wanted. But they would never understand how conflicted I truly felt about this day. "Fine," I grumbled as we made our way back to the party, knowing there would be no escape from the painful memories and forced happiness. "But no singing."

As I entered the room, a thick tension immediately engulfed me. Despite my efforts to remain calm, I could feel my heart beating faster and my palms becoming sweaty.

My father's presence loomed over us, his strained smile betraying the true state of our family. The mere sight of him made my blood boil, but I tried to keep my composure as I took my seat at the table.

Elijah's eyes were filled with anger as he glared at our father from across the table. Raphael, always the peacemaker, tried to lighten the mood by filling our glasses with champagne. But even the sound of clinking glasses felt forced in this broken family gathering.

"Let's make a toast," Daniel suddenly suggested, lifting his glass. "To family, no matter how flawed and fractured we may be. We're still bound by blood and love."

I reluctantly raised my glass and noticed the vulnerability in my father's eyes as he drank.

But before I could dwell on it, my father stumbled over to me and embraced me tightly. The stench of alcohol on his breath was suffocating, and I couldn't stand being near him. Elijah quickly pulled him away from me.

"Why are you here?" I asked coldly.

"We need to talk," my father slurred.

I scoffed. "Talk? After all these years?"

"Please," he pleaded.

I hesitated for a moment before giving in. "Fine. Everyone else, leave."

Raphael and Daniel looked shocked. "Leave? We can't just leave you alone with him," Raphael protested.

"I won't argue with either of you today. Just go or I'll have you removed," I warned them.

Reluctantly, Jasmine stood up and brushed her long bob out of her face. "Where do you want us to go, D?"