An outcast!
Later that day, Taylor sat alone in her office, lost in her thoughts. She remembered her loving father and how he had passed that same day three years ago. She had just come back from fashion school that night and was shocked to see an ambulance driving away from the house. Her heart shattered and her world took a drastic change when she learned it was her father's corpse being driven out; it was said that he slumped and died. Her life with him was almost perfect; he pampered her well and paid attention to everything that concerned her; she was daddy's favorite girl. Jenna's stepmother had always been cold and harsh towards her; she missed every school meeting, never showed up on graduations, excluded her during shopping, and was the last to wish her a happy birthday. Her father was aware of her unforgiving and cruel behavior towards Taylor and decided to get her a personal maid, old enough to be her mother, to take care of her personal needs since Jenna was never available for her. She had lived with the knowledge that her mother died at childbirth and that she was immediately collected by her father at the hospital. She understood the impact her father's decision had on their marriage, how Jenna felt betrayed and was heartbroken, how she threw a fit rejecting to nurse her as a baby or raise her as her own child, how she wore a disdainful look whenever she was in sight, and after many years she was used to it. She could see from a tender age that Jenna treated her brothers better and didn't care for her, but she was able to live with the vaccum of not having a mother because her father's effort to fill the space was great. "For twenty-three good years that old wretched witch treated me like garbage and never failed to remind me I was a lowly daughter of a mistress and would never amount to anything great," she said to herself, fighting back her tears. She stared at her father's picture and sobbed loudly. She clenched her fist and decided to attend the remembrance.
Hours later, she drove into the garage of a big mansion painted all white, exhaled sharply, stepped out of the car, walked to the doorway, and rang the doorbell. She nodded her head continuously and prepared mentally; she hasn't been at the house since she was miserably kicked out, nor has she seen Jenna. The door was opened by a maid who welcomed her warmly. She walked into the living room and observed the family portraits hanging on the wall; all her pictures were taken out. The portrait contained her four brothers, Jenna, and her late father. She moved around the room, and with every step she took, memories flooded her. bittersweet memories of the life she enjoyed and the hate she endured. It felt like it had been thirty years since she was last there when it was only three years ago. She walked towards the hallway and met her eldest brother, Matt. Matt stared at her expressionlessly, "I can't believe you came," he said flatly, standing firm and showing subtly that he was dismayed by her presence. "I can't believe so myself," she responded, matching his sour countenance. The aura became tense as they stared at each other in severity, but Josh came to their rescue. Matt wasn't around much while they were growing; aside from the fact that he was much older, he was a man of few words and rarely expressed himself, so it was hard to figure out his thoughts. "You're here! "I'm glad you made it," Josh rushed to her, beaming with excitement. He took off her coat and walked her to the dining room, leaving Matt behind.
At the dining table, where Bob, James, and Jenna were seated, she walked in nervously and greeted them politely. "Why is she here?" Jenna fired at Josh for ignoring her greetings. Josh gave no response and instead pulled out a chair for Taylor to sit on. "It's nice seeing you again," Bob said. She noticed a twitch in his face and could tell it wasn't nice to see her... none of them were happy she was there except Josh. "I wish I could say the same," she responded in contempt. Matt walked in also and took their father's seat, with Jenna sitting to his right and Bob to his left. James sat next to Bob, while Josh sat next to his mother, but Taylor was seated opposite Matt, in the second-largest chair by the table, which was a few inches away from them all. "The guts and effort, I must say, are hereditary." "Showing up here after it was clearly demonstrated that you don't belong here," Jenna said harshly. Taylor took a bite of her steak and gulped down some wine, pretending she couldn't hear her. "Mom, please, for the sake of our father, let us spend tonight in peace," Josh begged. "No! "I will not have a bastard child, an outcast at my table, desecrating my late husband's memorial." Taylor's initial plan was to come in honor of her father, hear what the lawyer has to say, and then leave, but Jenna was saying too much than she could handle. She was known to be the type to never talk back, but that night, she couldn't stomach the insult. She observed the faces of everyone at the table and saw how indifferent they were; it was only Josh trying to stop his mother from lashing her by whispering and touching her hands. "Mom, please, just for tonight," she heard softly while the other brothers concentrated on their food; it seemed like they were cool with their mom's attitude. She dropped her cutlery on the table loudly and exhaled sharply, "Bastard?" She scoffed, "Okay!" She shrugged dramatically, "But how sure are you four that we are not also bastards?" She asked derisively. "Excuse me!" James said with a fiery gaze. Jenna's mouth was open in awe. Everyone at the table stared at her in disbelief. "Are you crazy?" Bob asked. "Actually Yes! "Living all those years with a crazy woman has made me so," she fired as hot blood pulsated through her. Josh bowed his head in defeat. "How dare you, lowly dirty little...," Taylor hissed, interrupting Jenna, "have you told them who their real father is, especially these three, especially Matt, Bob, and James?" she said, pointing to Matt, Bob, and James, "because no real son of my late father will be a partner to bullying, oppression, and this hatred?" she said in disgust. James, known to have a very short temper, launched at her but was stopped by Bob. "That's enough Taylor, get out," Matt's voice reverberated through the room. "Not yet," a voice came upon them. It was that of the lawyer, Ryan, who was also their late father's very good friend.
A few minutes later, they were all settled to hear what the lawyer had to say. The lawyer brought out a document and passed it around to them. Taylor wasn't really interested in what he had to say; their father left them nothing except the house; his company was in huge debt when he passed, and all the assets he left were liquidated. So what else was left? She thought to herself, but the lawyer had a big bomb to drop.