Chapter 3 Three - Confronting Dad

"Let's go guys." I said as I put two bills on the table, my cheery self had perished already.

"What? Already?" Diya asked, giving me a confused look but Emma didn't because she somehow felt something wasn't right. So, she just looked at me with a worried face.

In a week, you will be mine again! What did he mean by that? I was so angry and felt like breaking the glasses but that might cost me since the restaurant was expensive as hell.

As much as any woman wanted to hear that from Mathew Watson but not me. I still felt an ache in my heart. I loved him yet he shattered my heart completely.

"Please, can we leave?" I asked, my voice pleading and Diya read my face for a moment before agreeing.

They put the bills on the table as Emma called the waiter. We left immediately after the waiter took the payment.

As we came out, I tried to stop a cab while two of them stood behind me but didn't ask why my mood suddenly became sour and I was a bit grateful for that. I didn't want to talk about it but as the seconds passed, my chest tightened. I needed to tell them.

A cab stopped as we entered and I was still silent as my mind rewinded all those times we had spent together. Old memories of us. There was this unsettling feeling in my stomach that would not go away even after nine years. I should have forgotten him long ago yet my heart was stubborn. It was an irony at how your beautiful memories could turn into nightmares in just a few seconds.

"I am sorry to ruin your night." I said as my voice became low. I was feeling bad dragging them along with me just because I wanted to leave the place.

"It's okay." Emma said as she squashed my hand. "What happened?"

"Mathew called."

"Who is that?" Diya asked as we both gave her a look and she shrugged in her defense.

"Stella's ex-boyfriend. Remember?" Emma asked back.

"Oh!" She nodded and suddenly her playful features turned into anger filled demeanor. "Why the fuck did he call?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. He offered the champagne and called me. He said I will be his again in a week."

There was a moment of silence as my words registered into their minds. And then both of them exclaimed in unison, "What?!"

"What did he mean?" Emma asked.

While Diya asked, a frown appeared on her face, "Wait! That meant the champagne... He gave it to us?"

I nodded.

"Okay. I need to vomit it out." Diya said as I chuckled. At least, they understood my feelings. After entering college, I was always very distant and would not talk to anyone. But Diya was the first one to follow me around. Since she had Indian genes and it was slightly visible on her face, people would try to bully her or avoid her.

Then we slowly started to get along when Emma came followed by Timothy and James. We didn't know when we became best friends.

I had told them I wasn't comfortable around men but strangely I was comfortable around Timothy and James. They never asked me the reason but one day, I told them and they respected me if I wouldn't go to any parties or I wouldn't meet their other friends.

Soon, I started to attend parties only if the four went otherwise I wouldn't and they always protected me from unwanted or disastrous situations. I couldn't help but feel them as my family. We had this strange bro-before-love bond among us however, Emma and Timothy came out as a couple. An adorable couple, to be precise.

If they weren't there, I wouldn't become this confident like I am today now.

"Damn! He even came here to ruin our fun!" Diya said with a distasteful voice.

I sighed.

My phone rang as both of them looked at me cautiously and I saw it was dad. "It's dad."

They nodded in relief as I picked it up.

"Hey, Dad!"

"Stella. I am sorry to call you now when you are having fun with your friends," he said apologetically.

"It's okay."

There was a long pause and somehow I felt something was off about him. "I wanted to say an Important thing but I couldn't call you before. Are you free now?" He asked and I sensed a bit of hesitation in his voice.

"Yes. Tell me."

"Do you remember Mr Watson?"

Now my heart pounded loudly in my chest. I was having a bad feeling. "Hmm." I hummed.

"Well, as you know, lately our company isn't doing well and Mr Watson has agreed to form an alliance with us." He said.

"Th—that is good. That's great news." I tried to say it with an excited voice but it came out in a breathy voice instead.

"Yes, but..." He hung his words in the air.

Now I was both curious and worried. My dad handled the whole business alone while my uncles went there to get only their shares and he would still not tell me or mom anything that was happening in the company. "But what dad?" I asked with a worried tone.

"But he wants you to marry his son, Mathew." Dad said and the ground beneath my feet perished.

"But dad!"

"I know. I know very well that you don't want to go back to that basta— ehem, I mean, him. But Mr Watson is my childhood friend and he said his health is declining now that he wants his son to settle down but he won't."

"So what does it have anything to do with me?"

"He had always liked you, Stella. Why don't you call him, yourself? He could tell you better than me." My dad said. "He practically has requested me and you know, I can't turn him down."

I desperately chewed on my lip as he added, "I felt very bad but I still said that the final decision will be yours."

I released a sigh. "Okay."

"And, Stella..." Dad took a deep breath and said, "I am sorry."

As he cut the phone I knew something had happened. The dejected voice of his made my heart break into pieces. My dad wasn't the person to break easily. For all these years, he fought alone and took our small company to where we are. But he said the company wasn't doing well.

Why? He never mentioned this and he would never tell us because he would think that would make us worry.

"What did he say?" Emma asked as she saw my tensed shoulders. I told them everything and they were astounded to find I was going to marry Mathew Watson. Well, I wasn't exactly as dad said the final decision would be mine. So, I needed to call Mathew's father. What could have made him plead with my dad to marry his son?

"But it must be important if uncle agreed to it, right?" Emma asked.

Thoughts ran in my mind. Emma was right. He wouldn't agree unless he is left with no choice. What could have happened?

I needed to call Uncle Gregory, Mathew's father. He could maybe tell me something.

I still had his number because he was an amazing person. Unlike my dad, he was very funny and would always take care of everyone around him. When Mathew and I were dating, he would often brag about me in front of my parents as if I was his own child and Mathew wasn't.

Mathew's mother was the same. A very warm hearted woman and I loved to go to their house. They were always so welcoming yet, I stopped calling them after we broke up. I knew they didn't do anything but I was so hurt that calling them would remind me of our times together when we were in a relationship.

I looked outside of the window as the sky high buildings glowed with lights and the roads were still crowded. This city never slept.

We reached the hotel where we had booked our rooms and saw Timothy just arrived with James. He was as handsome as before although he grew a beard.

We hopped out of the cab and did a group hug as we laughed. We made fun of James's new style as he had short hair but now he had long hair tied in a pony. His look certainly was cool.

"Man! You look amazing!" Diya commented as James grinned and Timothy caught his pony tail as he yanked.

"What the hell, man?" James shouted.

"I was checking if it was real or not." Timothy answered which made all of us laugh while James gave him a look.

We all indulged in chatting, laughing and reminiscing all those memories from our past and it felt so great being with them. I almost forgot about Mathew and the situation I was into.

As we were going to our rooms, Diya said everything to James and Timothy on the way as they looked at me with worried glances.

"Why did that bastard come to LA?" James asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

Timothy said, "Don't worry, we will not let him ruin our moods."

We chuckled. Well, of course. It didn't matter if Mathew came or not, we wouldn't let him interfere with us. This was our time, our moment. My moment. He had done what he wanted to but not anymore.

Little did we know, Mathew had already entered into our friendly moments, he had already entered in my life again with nothing but trouble and more heartbreaks.

But this time, I wasn't a naive little girl who would run away if he did something. I was Stella Harper who would fight back and let him taste his own spit.