You Make Me Laugh

“I like jokes and you like jokes too. That's perfect, right?

“You're lucky I have no time and this is not my party. I'll let you off the hook this time. When next you gossip about someone, make sure that they are not around.”

She gave the girls a last look before walking away and out of the powder room. From outside, she could hear their sighs and yells as they blamed each other for the situation they fell into a moment ago. They made a mental note to always avoid her when they see her next time. Her whole appearance screamed trouble.

Eve shook her head as she came out of the powder room. She straightened her dress and started making her way back to the hall where the ball was being held. She knew her way around every corner of the mansion and did not need anyone to show her the way.

Reminiscing her past in this house, Eve didn't know when her legs took her to the other side of the mansion where her room used to be located.

Everything here seems the same. The mansion that she had decorated a year ago. The only thing that changed in this place was the flowers. They were all changed from the flowers that she used to like to something else. She wondered who was responsible for this.

In her momentum of looking around, she failed to look where she was going and as she turned, her head collided with something hard and she groaned.

“Ouch. What the hell?”

She raised her head to see what or who she just ran into.

“You..you.”

She felt as if everything stopped existing for a minute and all she could see was the man who was standing in front of her. He was all that she could see at the moment.

“What are you doing here?”

She blinked, breaking away from the moment of froze at the deep voice of the man in front of her. She felt goosebumps on her skin as she looked into his eyes. No… She can't be thinking that right now. This was not what she came here for.

Realizing what she was doing, she immediately broke her gaze away from him and wrapped her hands under her chest as she stared at him with cold eyes. Yes! That's the spirit. That's what she's supposed to be doing instead.

“I was just looking around.”

“I didn’t ask that. I asked what you’re doing showing your face in this house, Eve? We ended a year ago.”

“Pfft,” she laughed. She was sure that if there was water in her mouth, she would have spat it off because of his words. Like… Come on, what gave him that confidence?

“What makes you think that I came back here to have anything to do with you? Maybe you didn’t get it back then in the hall, Mr. Hank. I guess I should spell it out.” She moved closer to him until there was just a bit of distance between them.

“I don’t want to have anything to do with you.”

“What’s your motive?”

“What?”

“Why do you suddenly appear in our lives after a year? What do you want, Eve? Tell me. Is it money? Do you want some money because you’re so pained that I didn’t give you any after our divorce? You just have to ask if that’s what you want.

“Oh, you make me laugh, Mr Hank. Money? I thought that you know that money is the least of my worries right now. I have the ‘Gray’ name as my surname. I don’t need some filthy cash from you when I can simply get it all, right?”

That’s what she wants. She isn’t here to take some money from him. Considering her current position as the daughter of the Gray family, some of his money would be too small for her. She isn’t here to take some money from him. She was here to take it all.

She is here to take all of his money, connection, and power in this country and throw him and his family in the streets just like they did to her. They were going to have a taste of their own medicine. That’s her vow.

“The Gray family name. It’s shocking. How did you convince Mr. Gray to make you his daughter for today? I bet all they say about you is true. You crawled up to an old man’s bed so he could give you a bit of money and fame, right?”

*Slap*

Eve clenched her fist resisting her urge to give him another dirty slap to reset his brain. That was what she would not take from him. Him questioning her character. How dare he talk to her in such a manner. That she crawled up to the old man’s bed?

That was what he really thinks of her?

She ignored his burning and angry eyes and proceeded to continue what she was saying.

“One more word about my character and you won’t like what is going to happen, Hank. I can take every insult from you and your undeserving family but don’t you dare question my values. I was brought up decently unlike someone standing here.”

Flipping her dark brown hair to the side, she continued.

“If you so much doubt my relations with my father, why don’t you check the internet? My father has posted the DNA results that prove that we are in fact blood-related. Check it and stop spewing nonsense that you don’t know. Mind your tongue if you want to keep the deal between you and my father.”

“How do you know about that?”

“I’m his daughter so of course I know. That deal is at stake here.”

How did she come to be the daughter of a billionaire and heir to a multi-billion company and many more from being the street girl who had to work as a waitress to take care of herself and her grandmother? That was a whole long story.

A long story that even she doesn't want to tell. Well, how about keeping it for another day? It would be a story for another day.

“Genevieve?” Someone called from behind.

She turned to see it was her friend Liam and he walked to her.

“You’re here. I was only speaking to Mr Hank. Why did you come here?”

“I didn’t see you coming so I had to come check what was keeping you. Someone said they saw you come his way.”

“Oh.”

“Nice meeting you, Mr Hank.”

The two men shook hands and from the side, Eve could see the glaring eyes of Noah. She doesn’t care. He can glare to death.

“Nice chatting with you, Hank. How about we call it a day? Don’t forget the deal between you and my father. We’ll see again.” She added that part to at least let him know that they weren’t done.

It is to let him know that from today, they will be seeing each other more often than he desires. She was going to haunt him with her presence and her words that he is going to find it hard to sleep at night.

She turned her back to him and holding the hands of Liam, she made her way out.

“Oh my goodness. Look at her, Noah. I can’t believe this.”

Melissa suddenly snuck up behind Noah. She has been listening to their conversation from the side and can now come out as she is gone.

“Were you eavesdropping?” He asked coldly.

“Of.. of course not. I wasn’t eavesdropping.”

“What do you want?”

“Noah, she’s back. I’m so scared. How dare she show her face here again after what she did to me? You have to do something about this, Noah. I’m so scared. Remember what she did to me right, she put me in this condition that I’m afraid to go out. I won’t be able to walk well for the rest of my life all because of her.

Think about that, Noah. She has done so much harm to me. We should get rid of her before she causes more harm to me. I… I feel like she came back solely for me. She… she wants to end my life. She doesn’t want me to be with you. Please do something. I’m scared. I’m… I’m going to die.”

She burst out in silent tears and looked at Noah waiting for him to at least say something.”