"K-kristine how did you know about that?" I was shocked that she already knows, if she did all these while then why did she still associate herself with me?
She disengaged from the hug and stared straight at me "Jena, I'm Kristine.. Diwil" she said almost in a whisper with difficulty.
My heart skipped several beats at what she just said and my gaze turned sharp on her, who did she say she was? Kristine Diwil? No! No!! Alfred is from the Diwil family?
The same family from Mr. Kennedy, the owner of Ken's Palace who was murdered at our restaurant??
"Who did you say you are again??" Not wanting to believe what I just heard, I asked again to make sure I heard right.
"Jena, please calm down.. I can explain, I'm Kristine Diwil, yes! but I have no hand in what happened to your family" Kristine looked very remorseful
"So you knew everything right from the very beginning, then.. why did you become my friend?" I couldn't conceal the hurt in my voice. Why? Why? Why? does she have to be from that family? I know Mr. Ken has a daughter named Kristine, but I didn't expect it to be her!
"Is it out of pity? do you pity me Kristine?? do you?? Is that why you seem very kind to me?? are you trying to make up for the pain your family caused mine??"
"You think you being friends with me and your gullible kindness will be able to make up for all the pain I felt??" I harshly questioned her, my emotions were already getting the best of me.
"Jena it's not like that... please, I really want to be your friend genuinely, you're my type of person and I've always wanted to associate with you right from school until I got transferred"
"But I couldn't because of this same issue concerning our families, I didn't know how you will take it" I could see she was very sincere and I knew I couldn't stay mad at her
"But still, this is-"
"Jena please don't be like this.. I also lost a father, Mr. Kennedy Diwil was my father and he had died just like that!"
"I.. I'm sorry I said that" I said with my head bowed, that was true, she also lost her father and if anything she should be the one mad at me.
Even if we had no hand in the death of her dad, the fact still remains that he died in our territory and we should at least give an explanation. And I wanted us to remain friends.
"You don't have to be Jena, I totally understand" she smiled at me "so are we still cool?"
"Yeah obviously, do I have to spell it out?" I almost rolled my eyes at her
"I'm actually very sorry for keeping this from you and I know your family is innocent" she hugged me again, seriously what was with this girl and hugs? but nevertheless, I hugged her back.
"You said you know my family is innocent, then do you know who killed your father?" I asked her as we disengaged from the hug
Her expression darkened "I already have a hunch but I need solid evidence"
"Who...?" I was unsure if she would answer or not but she did after a short pause
"My father's wife"
"What..? your mother?!"
"She is not my mother!"
"Your father's wife? what is she then? your step mom?.. what about your mom?"
She had a far away look as she answered "Actually.. I don't know about my mother"
I never saw that coming and shock was painted on my face, Kristine doesn't have a mom??!!!
"I'm the adopted child of Mr. Kennedy Diwil, he never revealed to the public that I was adopted because he loved me and took me as his child but his wife can't stand me"
"She used to tolerate me a little initially but a year after I was adopted at the age of two, she had her own child and never missed an opportunity to remind me I was a stranger in the family"
Kristine was going to tell history now, so I patiently listened as she continued...
"I was very sad and heartbroken that she didn't regard me anymore, not like she did at first though but at least she used to ask me if I needed anything, I tried to get close to her, did everything to please her and make her look at me like a mother would but it was all in vain. She would turn me to a maid and hit me whenever my dad was away and I would sulk in my room all alone at the end of the day"
"It was her that sent me to this place to study at Rivers High and I got transferred back to the city when my dad returned"
"This continued for years until I couldn't be bothered about her again, I decided to be a thorn on her skin, just like she was on mine. I didn't also tell my father about about how double faced she was because I didn't want to cause any problem in their lives, I didn't want them to argue because of me. But now, I wish I did".
"I don't know but she always saw me as a threat, she wants her son to inherit everything and leave me with nothing. If we were cool I won't bother because I'm not even a Diwil but now.. I can't let Ken's Palace Restaurant fall into the hands of her dumb son, he is going to ruin it!"
"Her child is Caleb?"
"Yes, you remember him?" She asked and I nodded, my family was previously part of the upper class so I knew one or two people and Caleb is too much of a proud dimwit to forget.
"And I've always known she wasn't sincere about my father, he was going to find out something and she killed him!" Her voice carried a venomous and cold undertone.
"I just need to find out what she is hiding and get enough evidence to send her to jail and clear your father's name! now she is together with my father's senior brother, uncle Dan Diwil, who is also Eula's father, he divorced his wife a long time ago"
"Since the only person that cares about me in that family was murdered, I have no one to lean on. They almost threw me out but grandfather let me stay and of course I won't let them have their way with me also"
"I found out later that my father already willed some of his properties to me, but they hid it from me, including Hills Academy, he owns it but hadn't paid any attention to it, so I just reclaimed ownership and I'm going to renovate it".
"I will manage on my own without an inheritance as I'm almost an established make up artist but I can't let them ruin my father's hard work after successfully killing him"
"But.. each day, I miss my dad more.." she sounded very hurt about everything she just said and I reached out my hand and wiped a tear already trickling down her face, this would be the first time I see her break down like this. She is always having this sassy look and a wicked smirk on her face like she's up to nothing good.
I didn't know she had it this bad and I decided to do what she always did to me, I gave her a comforting hug and allowed her sob a little before she stood up and went to the rest room.