Just Dessert
Just Dessert
Angela was so shocked, her eyes were glued to Dorothy who was waiting for her to say something, but she didn't know what to say. That blog post was one of the first ones that were posted and gained traction. The writer stayed anonymous and knowing her own need for privacy, she respected the other.
Dorothy had followed her socials—well, Galatea K.S.'s—and she even had a good number of following because of her own take on the books she read where she gave constructive feedback and genuine review, throwing in a piece of life advice every post. Angela had several interactions with her, the blog handle was very familiar. Dorothy had a good head on her shoulders.
Angela had no idea the woman behind the blog was sitting across the table from her. She had a fan right in front of her! It was the strangest thing to meet a long-time friend for the first time even though they really weren't friends. Just the thought of Dorothy reading her books, giving them praises, and now they were having dinner together? Not to mention, her father was dating her! The two met because of Angela! That was just wild.
She didn't know how many seconds had passed but all three of them were waiting for her reaction. Her feet seemed to know what to do before her brain did because the next thing she knew, she had rounded the table and pulled Dorothy into a hug.
This was why Angela felt like Dorothy was familiar even though it was their first meeting. There was already a connection between them.
"It's so nice to meet you," she whispered, her chest feeling warm.
Dorothy was surprised that it took her a few seconds to reciprocate Angela's hug, a smile brightening her features. "Oh… Trust me, it's my pleasure to meet you."
Charlie felt warm seeing the two, he had wanted to tell Angela and Oliver about Dorothy for a long time. He scanned the table and his son raised a glass to him. Charlie tilted his own towards Oliver before taking a sip. He was elated to have dinner with everyone he loved that night.
The rest of the dinner went by smoothly and when it was time to go home, Charlie told Angela and Oliver that he'd drop Dorothy at her hotel, making them exchange glances.
"Hotel?" Oliver questioned. "Why don't you stay at our house, Dorothy?"
"Yeah, why not?" Angela chimed, her brows rising in question. "Unless she has work to do, I don't see any reason for the night to end so fast. And we can play board games."
"Yeah, because you want to win all the time." Oliver rolled his eyes.
"You're just scared I'm going to beat you at every game." She stuck her tongue out.
Charlie looked delighted as he looked over his woman. "Yes, Dear. Why not stay with us like I initially proposed? It indeed doesn't make sense for you not to stay with me when there are plenty of rooms to spare."
"I don't want to impose." Dorothy smiled.
Angela thought Dorothy was very thoughtful and respectful. It showed how she was brought up with the way she acted and spoke during dinner. It was a breath of fresh air with her there during a family dinner.
"You're not," Charlie insisted. "Tell you what, you can make us that breakfast special you brag about tomorrow morning. These two have a weakness over food. Spend the night with us and all you have to do is make breakfast in return."
This made Dorothy chuckle. "That sounds like a good trade."
Charlie and Dorothy rode together while Angela got into Oliver's Ferrari.
"Can we drop by at the bay? I feel like eating some gelato," Angela asked as she craned her neck at the window to peek at the open stores.
"I suppose." Oliver signaled to turn and then slowly parked at the first available spot. They walked for a couple of minutes to the best gelato shop in the city. Angela got a scoop of cacao and another of tiramisu while her brother chose pistachio. This was the first time the two had the chance to be alone since she came back because he had been so busy with work lately that by the time he came home, she was already in bed.
So she decided to open the topic about their mother as they strolled back towards where he parked his car. Angela didn't know how to start the conversation. Oliver was a flight risk when it came to that and she didn't want to start only to give him the chance to put a stop to the subject. She took a big bite of the dessert for courage, it melted and slid down her throat. She stopped in her tracks and gulped before opening her mouth.
"Mom saved us from her father the last time I saw her."
Oliver froze on the spot, his back going rigid as she caught up to him. His hand stopped halfway to his mouth, the giant glob of gelato piled on top of it. His eyes shifted towards her but he didn't speak and Angela took the chance to tell him what happened last Monday. He kept quiet but the furrow in his brows deepened, the scoop of gelato shoved back into the cup as if he'd had enough of it.
It was too much information and definitely not for the faint of heart. After her long tale, she bit her bottom lip, waiting for him to say something. What was he supposed to say to that, though? His breathing hastened and his neck flushed—a sign that he was angry.
"Oli, talk to me…" she muttered softly in almost a whisper.
He scoffed, his jaw tightening at the same time that his eyes glistened. "What am I supposed to say? I've been a failure all my life. I can't even protect my own sister."
"What are you talking about? You're the CEO of Su Corp. People respect you there. You're not a failure—"
"That's by default because I'm Dad's heir."
"…and you've protected me plenty—"
"Yeah? Like I took care of Evan the many times he had put his hands on you?"
She swallowed. He'd known about Evan's death already but he still blamed himself for not being able to do anything to him. "You always take care of me. About Evan, that's not on you. Evan was—you know I don't want to talk about him. We're talking about mom here."
Oliver closed his eyes, dispersing uneven breaths. When he opened them again, they were cold. "So what? You're asking me to forgive her just like that? Because she killed her own father, is that it?"
Angela hadn't spoken to her mother since Monday. She was afraid to know what had happened to her but Gael reassured her that if he heard anything about them, he'd tell her right away. There hadn't been any news yet and that made her nervous.
"I'm not. I'm just telling you that I've thought about her and that I'm no longer as…angry as I was before because I understood why she did what she did even though it still hurts when I think about it."
"You may have had a connection with her while you were there, Anj. But it has been months since you first saw her. She had contacted you on several occasions but I haven't heard a single word from her until last Monday when now I know she could've easily done so with a single phone call given she's so powerful in that fucking criminal hub!"
Oliver flexed his jaw and shook his head. "You may have forgiven her after what she did—"
"You think it's easy for me?" Angela's tone raised a tad, her eyes turning watery. "To forget what happened? I chased after her and she didn't even look back! It still haunts me to this day!"
He slammed a palm against his chest. "You're not the only one she left!!!" His voice rose an octave he hadn't ever used on her before, which caused the tear in her eye to roll down despite her trying to keep it in.
She sniffed and nodded. "You're right. You did spend more years with her than I had."
Now that she thought about it, Oliver's inability to stay in a long and serious relationship might have something to do with their mother abandoning them. Much like she was before Gael.
Angela thought about not mentioning something she had considered, but a chance like this with Oliver might not come so easily next time, so she just nipped it in the bud. "I'm…thinking about inviting her to the wedding. I'm sure she'll probably decline it, but I just want to try."
Oliver huffed. He looked down at the cup in his hand, only a fourth was consumed. His muscles went frigid. Spotting a trash can nearby, he threw it in with force, muttering a "Whatever" as he took off towards his car. He was done. "Hurry up so we can go home."
She released a long sigh, rubbing her chest at the dull ache there. "Well, that went well."