Chapter 2

A Chapter by estellenorean

I can handle this situation. I know it may be a little too late but at least they told me at the right age where I can understand it, though they told me at the wrong time.

Chapter 2

Hailey POV

The car ride home was as silent as it was awkward. Dad was furious. He gripped the steering wheel harder than he should and turned the car sharper when he shouldn’t. The scholarship must’ve been more of a shock to him than it was to me. I still remember it clearly when I stood up and got that envelope.

I got up from my chair and headed towards the stage. Dad stood near the door of the gym with the look of disapproval on his face; sweat running down his face. Kylie handed me the envelope with my plane ticket and the school requirements. I thanked her but frowned right after. I saw right through her. She had the face of an angel but there was a plastered smile on her face and dark intentions behind her. It felt like a thousand daggers were being aimed at me just by looking at her.

I hesitated when I got the envelope. I had the thought that I might regret this soon. The whole hall was staring, not at me, but on Kathryn who stood up when my name was called. Tears formed in her eyes and she sat down with an expression of complete humiliation. She met my eye and looked away.

“Seems like someone was too overconfident,” Kylie sneered. I couldn’t help but feel. I know she really wanted this scholarship but maybe it just wasn’t for her...

“Look who’s talking,” Devon glared at her. He turned and looked away. Charles was completely concentrated on one thing, impressing the girls.

The crowd however can’t even notice the cold, uncaring atmosphere between these three. The principal then made his announcement. “Once again let’s give a round of applause to Hailey Summers for having been chosen as the Scholar. We hope you’ll make the school proud,” the crowd burst into applause. I didn’t like the attention. And neither did Kylie but I’m sure she wanted it all to herself. I rolled my eyes. “Enjoy the rest of your summer.” The people and students started leaving and so did the three student representatives of Simone Clarenze University left as well. My dad rushed to me before Vira and company did.

“We are leaving,” He declared. I stared at him as he grabbed my arm and pulled me out off the gym.

I waved at Vira, “I’ll talk to you later,” And saw her excited face. “Dad, you seem worried,” I laughed at him.

“Oh, you think,” he had a serious expression. I was struck. He opened the car door rather harshly. I got in quickly. Afterwards he got in too. I was so confused. Is dad angry at me? Did I do anything wrong? Once he started the engine, the car went as fast as it could possibly go. Like I said earlier, he was furious. I wonder what mother would think. He brought the car to a stop in front of our house, a small house with 2 floors and a small garden. I got out of the car. I noticed dad was no longer inside and assumed he went in before I did.

My sister Ashley was sitting on the dining table while reading a book. “Hey, so how was it?” she asked, not looking up.

“Well, how should I say it? I got a scholarship to a school overseas,” I raised the envelope and show it to her when at the same time dad grabbed it from behind. “A scholarship you won’t be using,” I turned around and saw dad in a much better condition than earlier. He held mother by the hand who was also preparing to leave.

“Lock the doors after we leave. Don’t open it at all. Just open it when I text you it’s us,” he fixed his tie and gave me the keys to the house.

“Where are we going?” he completely ignored my question. Dad headed for the car.

“Hailey, listen to your father. He knows what’s he’s doing, I think,” Ashley and I laughed. “Don’t let anyone in ‘kay? We’ll be home later,” she smiled and left for the car as well.

“Wait! Where are you going?” I went after them but they already left. Seeing I had no hope, I went inside and locked the doors of the house. Afterwards I got something to keep my mind on and sat on the kitchen table with Ashley for a few hours. She stared at me. “What?” I shot her a puzzled expression.

“You’re pendant’s open?” She pointed. I looked at it but Ashley pulled it from my neck. The chain broke and I touched my neck. Man that hurt. Ashley opened it eagerly. She turned it a couple of times. She placed it closer and farther again and again. Her head bolted up and asked, “Who is Angela Evanson?”

I raised an eyebrow and grabbed the pendant from her. It was small but it was readable. It was there, the name Angela Evanson, in a script form. Why was that here in my pendant? I closed it. That was probably some error. My cell phone rang. I picked it up and answered it. “Hello?” I asked.

“Oh, hi! Can we talk?” the person on the other line asked. It felt as if she knew me so well. Ashley looked at me.

“I’m sorry, who is this?”

“Don’t you remember at all? I’m Ariana,” Even when I can’t see her, she seemed to be smiling.

“Sorry, I don’t know you at all. I think you have the wrong number-” I told her.

“Hailey, be more respectful,” a stern voice commanded; my eyes widened. How did this woman know my name? “Please let us in. Can’t we talk for a while? We’ve been waiting outside for ages.”

“Goodbye,” I said to the phone.

“Look outside the window,” I heard her say before I managed to hung up. “Look outside the window?” I accidentally said allowed. Ashley frowned. She stood up and faced the window. She moved the curtain. She called at me. “Hailey, you’ve got to see this.”

I still held the phone. I walked towards the window and saw a car parked outside with a woman standing beside it. Guards were at the door. She smiled and waved at me. She knew we were in the kitchen? I hung up the phone. I looked at her. She seemed to be complaining and dialed in her phone again. She talked to someone. A few moments later there came a crash from upstairs.

“Oh no,” Ashley and I said. “Should we go up?” she asked.

“I don’t think so,” I quickly dialed dad’s number and called him. Nobody picked up. I called again; still no one answered. “Ashley, don’t go anywhere, Dad-” I turned to see that she was no longer there. My hand met my face. I assumed she went upstairs. “Damn it,” she is going to get me in trouble. I went upstairs and found that my room was the one entered. I heard muffled sounds. I opened the door to see it was locked. “Ashley, are you there?” I shook the doorknob. Damn this! I took a step back. I had to remember what I learned in a martial arts class I took before and kicked the door open successfully.

I saw with my own eyes, Ashley was being held by a guy with a mask; his one hand holding both her hands and the other covering her mouth. When the intruder saw me, he pushed Ashley away and focused on me. Am I supposed to fight this guy? He attacked me; I had no choice but to defend myself. He tried to choke me but I threw him down. He suddenly ran and jumped off the window. I rushed to Ashley. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine,” she coughed. “That guy was after something.”

“What could that be?” I pulled her up.

“He was looking in the drawers and your little boxes were being searched through. And I also noticed that your necklace is missing,” she pointed. She was right. We got downstairs and saw the door open. “Ouch,” I said. The woman earlier, Ariana was her name, came out of the dining room and smiled.

In the end, we had to wait for mom and dad to get home. Ashley and I sat on the couch. Ariana sat on one of the chairs, leisurely. The guards who came with her stood at the corners of the room. I looked around. The living room was fine as before except the door was torn down. I looked at Ariana and asked her. “Who exactly are you? What do you want from my family?”

“I might have caused a misunderstanding here, but I don’t want any violence. I’ll tell you once you’re parents get here,” she reasoned.

“Can’t you just tell us now? There’s no reason not to.”

“I want to but I can’t tell you yet. I’m under direct orders from my superiors and they mentioned to negotiate only to your parents.”

“But why kick down the door when you can just wait outside? You are giving us more trouble.”

“I’m supposed to,” she smiled. I had no more comebacks for that. “You didn’t answer my question before. Who are you?”

“To make it simple, I’m Ariana Evanson.” I raised an eyebrow. Maybe she can tell me something.

“Who is Angela Evanson?” I asked. She didn’t look shocked at all. She just stared blankly ahead. She abruptly stood up. “Your parents are here,”

I heard a car engine outside and rushed steps toward the house. Dad’s face was priceless when he saw the broken door. It changed to an angry one when he saw Ariana. So they knew each other from before. “Ariana,”

“George, let’s have a talk,” we were more than shocked. She was younger than dad, but her voice clearly expressed that she was more superior to him. It just gave me that horrible feeling. “I’m here to take back what my parents gave away. Do you remember?”

“I do. Can we not rush this?” he said.

Mom entered the house. She looked at Ariana. “Ariana, how long has it been? 3 years? Why don’t we sit down for a while,” she suggested. That would be a good idea.

“To put it simply, I will bring Hailey back to England. She will study at Simone Clarenze University with the scholarship she has received,” we heard Ariana say. Ashley and I were sitting with them.

“Bring me back? What do you mean bring me back? I’ve never even been there,” I was confused. I didn’t know what they were talking about.

“Well, it would be hard for me to explain. George, Ally, would you care to do so?” Ariana asked them. They looked so uncomfortable. I feel sorry for them. “Or if you don’t want to, I won’t force you but I have to take her with me.”

“Wait, when will you take her?” mom asked. It might take time so…” she couldn’t finish her sentence.

Ariana sighed. “I’m sorry but this will be immediate. I’ll have to leave with her tomorrow,” dad squeezed mom’s hand.

“I’m sorry if I’m interrupting here but this conversation is getting us nowhere. I have no idea what all of you are talking about. And if all of you are hiding something, just say it already! I’m tired of trying to keep up. Just tell me!” I told them. Mom and dad looked down. “I promise I won’t get angry at all.”

“You didn’t know this much Hailey, but we’re not your real parents. Your real parents are in England. Ariana here is your real sister. None of use in this family is related to you. We didn’t mean to lie to you.” Mom told me. I couldn’t believe her. I mean we were together for 17 years. I never even felt that I was never related to any of them.

“But did I end up here if I wasn’t related to you at all,” I stayed calm. I can handle this situation. I won’t be like those other girls who freak out when they find out the truth. I know it may be a little too late but at least they told me at the right age where I can understand it, though they told me at the wrong time.

“It just so happened that your father was in England. He was hired by the Evanson Company at that time. He was assigned a small job; it was small enough to not bring attention to him. During that time their company was in a crisis. There were a lot of threats and it was more of a number than they can handle. You were just born. They didn’t want you to get up with that mess so they gave you to your dad. He didn’t know what to do. We were a childless couple then so he just took you with him. So until now, the media doesn’t know that the Evanson family has another daughter. Nobody knows you are the missing daughter of the Evansons aside from your real family and us. We didn’t know it would lead to this though. We’re really sorry, Hailey.” Mom held my hand. It was a lot to take in.

“But why do I have to go to England?” I asked again.

“You still have that scholarship. It would be a waste to give it up,” Ariana spoke those words calmly.

“It was all a set-up wasn’t it?”

“Part of it was. But as we searched, you do have the right grades to qualify,” she said in between. “But, I would also like to go back to the topic earlier. We will be leaving tomorrow,” she stood up and patted me on the shoulder. I was going to say out loud ‘isn’t it too fast?’ I just knew of my current situation. Why can’t I stay any longer? I have family and friends. I can’t just leave them behind. Ashley hugged me and she was crying. I assumed Ariana already left.

Mom and dad told me to go to bed. I should have time to myself for the next few minutes. Like I said earlier, it was a lot to take in. I took Ashley to her room. I went in mine afterwards. I tried to sleep, but my mind was full of a lot of things like how will I tell my friends and what will happen to everything I’ll leave behind. But more importantly, what’s going to happen to me?

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