Chapter 2 Her Homecoming Party

When Melvin arrived at their restaurant in Townsend, he immediately looked for her mother who was busy browsing their sales that day on the computer. "Mom!" he said. "Ow, Melvin you are here. How's your tutorial?" Sandra asked. Sandra was now wearing glasses and she also gained some pounds. Her long straight hair was now cut to shoulder length. But she was still as beautiful as she was before. "It's good. I have met an accident on the road today!" Melvin replied while putting on his vest uniform. "What? Are you okay?" Sandra suddenly turned around and checked her son if he got hurt. "I'm fine. I mean two cars have collided on the road on my way here. Nobody got hurt. Just that it's a bit funny!" Melvin explained while he chuckled. "What's so funny in meeting accidents? Thank goodness you're not the one who got hurt" Sandra went back to her desk and continued browsing. Melvin smiled at his mom while telling her what happened. When he was about to take the lists of deliveries for that day, he turned around and stared at his mom. "When will dad arrive?" "This evening, why did you suddenly ask?" "Nothing. I just want to talk to him about something!" Sandra then shifted her glance at her only child. "Is it about dating?" she teased. "Mom!" Melvin exclaimed. "I'm going now. Are these all the list?" he asked instead. "There's only one on the list," Sandra suddenly became serious. She got up from her seat and went towards him. She showed Melvin the address of the place and smiled. "Handle these packages with care. They are new customers and they said their children once tasted our egg tarts, they seem to love it!" "Okay! You look and sound serious," Melvin chuckled as he squinted his eyes on the address. It's written, Brent. A two-hour drive from their restaurant. "That's because this family was the family who helped us before. So, give these packages to them for free. I told them not to wire the money so if they will give you the payment..." "I will not accept it. Got it!" Melvin kissed his mom on the cheek before he left. He had a student's driver's license so he could drive his father's delivery car anytime. He looked at the address again and pondered while looking on the road ahead of him. "The Haven!" he whispered. Since he was a kid, his parents instilled in his mind their experiences in life. How do they manage to get out of the dark? When he was in the sixth grade, his father Milton, gave him his first life lesson. He brought his son to the prison to witness the lives of the prisoners inside. Then after that, he took Melvin to the graveyard. "Son, if I did not change, there were only two places that I was fitted to dwell in. The prison or the graveyard!" Melvin looked up at his father who was sternly staring at the place. At his age, he already understood what his father meant. "Don't follow the path I took, okay?" He then smiled and brushed his hair when he shifted his glance at him. "Yes, dad!" he smiled back. His mother's words when he was in high school also kept on ringing in his thoughts. "You're now a graduate but only in high school. You are not there yet but you are already in the middle of your success. Don't give up!" "Don't worry, I won't. With you and dad by my side, why would I give up? I've gotten the best parents in the world!" He smiled upon recalling that scene in his mind. "Melvin, these families were the ones we're indebted with. Always remember them!" "Hansen Empire and Lee Group?" "Yes! Especially the Lees!" Melvin and Sandra told him one night after their simple dinner. "Lees!" he muttered while driving. He was thinking about the past that he didn't realize he already arrived in front of Lee's mansion, 'The Haven'. "Do you need anything?" one of the guards asked. "I'm here to deliver something!" Melvin politely answered. When the guard scanned his packages, he let him in right away. Melvin drove his car in front of the mansion. He gasped in awe and admiration for how the place was being built. It was breathtakingly beautiful. It was not showy but it was also elegant. He parked his car in front and opened the backseat. The packages were wrapped intact and he was also careful in driving so he knew they were all in good condition. As he rang the bell, a girl in a ponytail cheerfully opened. "Are those the egg tarts from Hope Bakery?" Alyssa asked. "Ah, yes! They are. Where shall I place them?" Melvin asked while holding two styrofoam boxes. "Wait, I will call our servant!" Alyssa replied. When a servant in uniform arrived, she took the boxes from him. "These are heavy. Is it okay if I will bring them in?" Melvin asked again while he looked at Alyssa. "Yes, it's okay. You can bring them to the dining room. Follow me!" Alyssa casually responded. When Melvin placed four styrofoam boxes of egg tarts, he left right away. "Wait! We didn't pay yet!" Alyssa exclaimed. "It's alright. They are free. We're doing a promotion today!" Melvin lied. "Promotion? Don't you think that's too much?" Alyssa seemed not to buy his alibi. "No! It's just alright!" Melvin just smiled at her as he started the ignition. "Okay, as you said. Thanks then!" Alyssa had no choice but to accept his reason. Melvin had just driven off when Hyacinth went out of her room. She still heard the sound of his car leaving their mansion. "Who's that?" Hyacinth asked her cousin, Alyssa. "A delivery man from Hope. He is too handsome to be a delivery man for me. He is fitted more to be a model!" she chuckled. Hyacinth just smiled at her. "You like egg tarts that much huh! Can you eat all of these?" Hyacinth asked Alyssa while she was striding towards the dining room. "Of course, I can’t. But we can eat all of them. It's our welcome gift for you. They're all coming this evening!" Alyssa explained. When the evening came, the mansion was packed for Hyacinth's home welcoming party. All of her cousins and friends were present either to greet her or torture her with nonstop stories. "I asked my dad if we could go to Caribbean Bay this weekend and he said yes!" Arielle told them while munching some egg tarts. "Uncle Glen will always say YES to everything we ask for as long as we are safe and it is not bad!" Mariz added. "So, are you joining?" Arielle asked. "Brendan and I have time. I think we can go!" Cendrick replied. "We can all go too!" Vince Aliz raised his hand. They were in the middle of their conversation when Hyacinth arrived with her cousin Arvin. "You should be careful next time. You are in the hot seat again. You're just seventeen!" she was scolding her cousin who had another scandal dating a nineteen-year-old model. "Media is outrageous. I just picked her up in our hotel then they already made a story that something happened to us!" Arvin was equally upset. Since he turned sixteen, the media and netizens never stopped eyeing him. "Because they know that you're the heir of Hansen Empire so you should be vigilant!" Hyacinth concluded. "Okay, I got it!" Arvin replied as he sat beside Cendrick. She was their big sister and was taught to be strict towards them. "Sis, we're going to Caribbean Bay this weekend, you must go!" Alyssa immediately said upon seeing her. "Okay! We should have fun before the semester starts. Gee! Speaking of the semester! Wait here, I will just talk to my mom!" Hyacinth left their group and strode straight to the living room where her mom and her aunts were chatting. "Hello! Aunt!" She greeted every one of them. "What's the matter, sweety?" Rain asked. "Hmm!" she was a bit shy to speak for everyone's eyes were fixed on her. "Jacinth, do you want to say something?" Her aunt Rachel asked. "Don't be shy, sweetheart. What is it?" "Mom, I think I need a tutor for this coming semester!" Hyacinth anxiously uttered. Rain and the rest looked at each other first then they also glanced at her right away. "Which subject?" "Calculus!" Hyacinth twitched her lips while answering. She was embarrassed to tell them that she struggled in numbers and equations for all of the Lees were Math geniuses especially Arvin and Arielle. The two inherited their dads' brilliance in academics. "I can teach you!" Rachel suggested. "Really, aunt? Thank you!" Hyacinth was euphoric that she hugged her aunt Rachel tight. "Anything for my beautiful niece!" Rachel replie