Kazia
It's funny how I insulted him this morning, yet here we are in this room together. Now I feel guilty for what I said to him earlier; he's such a sweet person. "I'm sorry," I whisper, even though I know he can't hear me. I wish I hadn't called him useless because, right now, guilt is eating me up.
Aidan moves about his home space while I sit and watch a movie in the living area. I'm curious to know what he's doing as he constantly makes noise, but I don't say anything. After a while, the noise stops, and the room falls silent.
I jump out of my chair, frightened by his sudden touch on my skin. "Didn't mean to scare you," he signs as he hands me his notepad and a brand-new phone. I'm not sure if I should be glad about his recent gestures or feel suspicious—this man is still a stranger to me.
"Read it," he signs, indicating the notepad.
Apparently, I'm not allowed to eat in the main house unless his father and his food safety team are around. Weird—has anyone actually died of food poisoning here? I guess that explains why Aidan cooks for himself and gets his own groceries.
For my safety, I'm not supposed to go out without informing him, and he should be the only one I ever tell my whereabouts. Okay… should I be scared right now? I must also not accept gifts from anyone in the house, especially packaged ones. If I'm ever in a situation where I can't refuse a gift, I can accept it, but I must never open it. I should dispose it off at any given chance, still try as much as possible not to accept gifts.
My mouth hangs open for a moment as I try to process all of this. Am I living among family or foes? No wonder Aidan never interacted with anyone here before; he must have been a victim of something himself. I heard he wasn't born deaf or mute—it was caused by a terrible accident he was involved in some years ago.
If he says these are the rules I must follow, who am I to disobey?
…
It's good to be outside again after weeks of being locked inside, thanks to my husband and father-in-law. I still haven't heard from my father, but Aidan and I planned to stop briefly at my home as soon as he's done with whatever he's doing.
"So, how have you been doing?" Jules asks me. Aidan had left me with her to go "do something" with her husband, and since then, she hasn't stopped talking about herself.
"I've been good," I say, even though it's a lie. I hadn't really paid attention to her until now, being more concerned about seeing my father.
"Wow, that's surprising. How did you manage to survive under Mrs. Armani and her daughter?" she asks, surprise written all over her face.
"You should be careful with her," she says, looking around as if to check if anyone is watching us. She gestures for me to sit closer, and I do. I wouldn't mind learning a thing or two about my new family.
"I heard she killed his brothers because she wanted her son to take over the family business. That was after she supposedly killed their mother, the real owner of the Armani businesses," she says in a low voice, probably to avoid being overheard. We're at a book cafe. It's not crowded, but people move around us occasionally.
"Aidan almost died too, but he survived. He was nearly involved in a car accident—apparently, a bomb was planted in his car. Luckily, he hadn't entered before it exploded. Even though he was a good distance away, he was still affected." I can't help but look at her in horror. All this happened to him? I thought he was involved in a normal car accident; I didn't think there was more to it. And I didn't even know he had elder siblings.
"There's no evidence to prove Mrs. Armani planned everything, but everyone thinks it's her. I mean, isn't it obvious? Tragedy began as soon as she moved into the Armani household. First, the founder of the Armani business empire suddenly died of food poisoning, then four siblings were involved in a fatal car accident—only one survived but lost his hearing and voice. Poor Aidan, he was only fifteen when this tragedy struck," she says with a pitiful expression.
I guess that's why he distanced himself from the family. How has he managed all these years? I know he's grown now and can take care of himself, but what about when he was just fifteen? How did he manage to survive?
I feel a sudden pain in my chest as I think about how frightened he must have been and how much he must have missed his mother and siblings. No child should ever have to go through that.
"Please don't tell anyone I told you this. You seem like a nice person, and I'm only telling you what to expect from your stepmother-in-law," she pleads, and I promise never to mention it to anyone. Though it's a bit unsettling, I'm grateful she gave me a heads-up on what to expect in my new home.
I'd always thought my stepmother was wicked, but it seems I may have met her superior. Mrs. Armani is truly evil if she did everything Jules accused her of.
"Aidan didn't introduce you to me, and I forgot to ask your name. Would you mind telling me?" I didn't think she'd even ask, since she'd been talking about herself without showing much interest in who I am.
"My name is Kazia," I smile.
"Wow, Kazia, that's a beautiful name. I might name my child after you if it's a girl. I'm pregnant," she says, casually rubbing her flat tummy in excitement.
"Two weeks," she adds, likely noticing the confused look on my face.
"Congratulations! I'm happy for you."
"Yeah, thank you."
"If you don't mind, we could meet up sometime and talk, you know… I could use a friend right now. But of course, if you're not interested, I'll understand."
Honestly, I don't think it's a bad idea to be friends with her. Apart from talking a bit too much, she seems like a good person. Besides, Aidan leaving me with her means he trusts her.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have suggested it. I mean, we only just met, so it might seem a bit weird to you."
"Weird? No it's not, I really don't mind. We could use each other's companies you know." She didn't hide the excitement in her and honestly it made made me sort of emotional. I hadn't been able to make friends because of my step sister. I'm so glad I can finally have someone to call friend.
We exchanged contact details and chatted for a while before our husbands arrived.