章節 23: Tension Questions

She looked at all the people who were also looking at her. It seemed that everyone was waiting for her answer. She could see how they gulp, waiting for her damn answer. She could see how hard their stares were. It wasn't easy to receive those stares from ugly rich people.

She looked for help in her brothers' eyes, in her parents' and her grandmother's but their eyes were saying "it's on you. You're alone in this one, Liana."

She heaved a deep breath, " the wedding's in three weeks, I think? B-both o-our parents de-cided it already. Uhm...I don't really know...they haven't been giving me magazines to choose. It's just a small wedding," she stuttered all through out explaining.

Bianca scoffed and asked her once again," what? So basically, your wedding is not prepared? It's in three weeks. How can you say that it's a small wedding. My wedding was-" her mouth immediately stitched up hearing a shout.

" Stop it! " Karina slammed the table, startling everyone.

"discipline your wife Nathaniel. No Stone is disrespectful." she emphasized the last sentence, looking straight in her eyes.

"A small wedding would be fine. Besides, their wedding can't be exposed to the public." she further explained. She tried to lift the tension in the air around them, although she couldn't do it. It was too heavy for her.

"you should not rush their wedding, they haven't graduated yet. Let them have their after college life, you idiots" her grandmother corrected them while winking at her. She smiled and made a finger gun to her grandmother.

Her grandmother conveyed her expression and gave her her piece of mind instantly. She would protect her granddaughter from all the bad spirits inside the filthy room.

"Li's right. They're still in their early twenties," his grandmother, Diana, also supported them.

Bianca, Nathaniel's wife was enraged by their statements. No one can describe how enraged she was by their 'kind words' for the new couple.

"grandmother, how could you say that? I married Nathaniel when I was 23. This is unfair," she referred to Li who was simply enjoying her dinner. She was, as if saying, 'I don't care about you' and that's what she said next.

"shut it Bianca, this event isn't about you. It's about my baby granddaughter." Li snapped. Liana thanked God for giving her her grandmother.

There was a silent/awkward moment when Jun's elder sister, Cassandra broke the silence. She sensed a sensitive topic but no one could predict if she was pressing them or helping them.

"I can help you choose your dress, if you want." she forced herself like as if she didn't want to say it.

"uhmm-"

"that would not be necessary. Nathaniel owns a clothing line. Plus, we just released a new batch of wedding dresses." Bianca cut her off before she could say what she wanted to say.

"I know a wonderful place with glittery dresses. Just ring me up any time," Cassandra scoffed, mentally rolling her eyes at Bianca.

It was like they were having a competition on whose going to convince Liana whom to choose. Meanwhile, the young lady was nervously playing with her hands and hoped that Jun, just once, might save her in the situation she was in. Before she could tug Jun's suit, someone answered for her.

"Livie doesn't like glittery and sparkling diamond dresses," Christian and Justin both answered for her whilst giving each other a high five at their backs.

"she prefer simple but elegant dress. Exactly like her." Justin winked playfully at her and she swore, someone threw daggers at him. She just couldn't figure who it was.

"what?" both Bianca and Cassandra shouted, a little higher.

"simple one?" Cassandra scoffed, not believing them.

"does she think that we can't afford?"

Christian suddenly remembered something about what Ashley told him a long time ago, "you know what? Expensive things are bullshit. Our Livie knows when to use her richness and when not to. She's nothing like you," he thanked himself for remembering Ashley's random words that came out of her mouth.

"ladies, let her pick her own style. It's not like you're the bride to be anyways," Justin scorned at them. The women just rolled their eyes at his statement.

"Justin, your manners," his mom whispered while pinching his side. Justin immediately shut his eyes and mouth, feeling the pain.

"she prefer her best friends to choose her wedding dress and everything," Christian added.

Ignoring the two men, Bianca decided to press pressure more to her. She was so immersed in pissing her off.

"how did you two meet by the way?" Bianca fluttered her fake long lashes that almost dropped from her eyes.

"we were classmates since 1st year college," Jun interrupted her, annoyed at her question.

She then smirked before saying, "really? How come she didn't introduce you as her boyfriend?"

Cassandra nodded and looked at her younger brother, "yeah, how come you didn't introduce her to us? Or is it just me who wasn't updated?"

His mom, Tamara, snapped her neck before looking at her eldest daughter, "will you stop these questions?"

Suddenly, Liana dropped her wine glass on the table before taking a deep breath and looked at Bianca before she said, " okay Bianca, first, the reason why I didn't tell you about this was because I don't think you should be informed. Second, why do you care anyways?"

Jun looked at her before smirking. Jun then answered his sister too, "Cass, just to let you know, you never cared for me when we were kids and until now. Why are you suddenly interested about my life? Is Liana that interesting that made you insecure? And yeah, you're the only one who's not updated." he then left a smirk. Both looked at ecah other before giving a high five below the table.

Justin and Christian burst their drinks out from their mouth as they laughed out loud. Their parents looked at them before trying to stop their laughter too. They tried to slap the backs of the children. Their dad asked for forgiveness from their behavior right after they calmed down.

"That's it! I'm out" Bianca slammed the table before shamelessly excusing herself but Liana stopped her.

"Bianca, did you forget that you're a mother of three and with your actions, shouldn't you be ashamed?" she looked up to her while giving a half hearted smile. She looked back at the guests and her own family and she swore, she saw how disappointed her husband was.

" Liana, I didn't know you would say that to Bianca, " Nathaniel said before grabbing the kids with them and left the scene.

"How about you Cassandra? Do you want to embarrass yourself more? The door is widely open for you, don't be shy," she said, not caring about the stares she was receiving.

She looked at her family with their disappointed faces and she couldn't help but frown at herself too. She forced herself to go out for her heart couldn't deal with the intense disappointment they gave. She deserved it anyways.

"I'm sorry everyone but the dinner over," Karina softly said while giving a hard glare to her daughter.

She approached her daughter as people, one by one walked out through the door, "Liana, let's talk," she said.

Crossing her arms, she asked, "why in the world did you make a scene?"

"Mom, 21 years of my life, I never disrespected you, but I'm sorry to say that I did it today, for the first time. Tell me mom, do you want someone to disrespect your own daughter?"

"are you provoking me young lady?"

"I don't know mother," she bent her head down, waiting for her mom to go away. Thankfully, she did.

"Liana, my darling. I am so fvcking proud of what you did just now," her grandmother shouted from the other side of the place while walking towards her granddaughter.