chapter 19: Joyce's engagement party

Wesley couldn't sleep. He kept thinking about his life. He had always hoped that some variables would change. He kept yearning for some love and care from his family but what he got was disappointment after disappointment. He was tired of all this. He decided to move on and take everything as it comes. Rozinah had opened his eyes. He nolonger hoped for anything. He would live peacefully and enjoy life . At least he had a true friend in Lino, Rozinah and Lily. They were now his family.

After sorting out his thoughts, he slowly drifted to sleep. He was nolonger sad. Tomorrow would be a new day to pursue peace and happiness.

*********

Rozinah woke up to news of Joyce's engagement party. She decided to do something for them. She wouldn't attend and neither would she let it happen in peace. She searched for her grandfather's contact and send him a secret message revealing the engagement plans. She knew her father wouldn't allow his family to attend. They didn't get along well.

Walter Johnson had just finished eating his breakfast when he received the text message. He looked at the contects and became angry.

" What does this bastard take me for?" He cursed.

"Who are you talking about ?" His wife Eunice asked.

" It's your unfilial son. Can you imagine his younger daughter is getting engaged tomorrow and he didn't even tell us." He said seezing with rage.

" You mean Joyce is getting engaged?" Gladys their granddaughter asked coming down from upstairs.

" Yeah I just received the information. We must attend the party tomorrow." He said leaving for his study. He had to go and exercise his power as the head of the family.

" Call your mother and inform her ." Eunice told her granddaughter. She knew even her daughter, Joan would be angry. Her brother had been neglecting them since he took over the company. His new wife didn't even get along well with them. She was always picking on them.

Gladys left for her room. She was always angry when something good happened to Joyce. She never liked her. Anyway she decided to attend the engagement party and make some contacts.

***********

Amanda was busy helping Joyce choose a dress. She wanted to make her look stunning.

" Mom are you sure that bitch will make an appearance?" She asked

" I know she will come." Her mom responded feeling sure of her plan. They have been looking for Rozinah but she was nowhere to be seen. They had even started thinking she had left the city.

" I hope she comes." She said taking another dress to go try it on.

" Okay let's focus on what brought us here." She said smiling and continued searching through the dresses.

Ethan had told her to lure Rozinah out and leave the rest to her. She couldn't wait for tomorrow so that she could deal with her. She was nolonger favoured by her husband. He still doubted her story about Amaira. She had exhausted all her strength trying to convince him.

" What about this one mom?" Joyce's question brought her out of her thoughts.

" It looks nice . But let us exhaust all options to find the best." She responded.

*********

Joan was so angry when she received a call from her daughter. She had an impulse to call her brother and ask him but she calmed down and decided to go back home. She had been living with her parents since her husband divorced her. She had noticed her brother didn't involve them in anything since he married Amanda. She remembered Rozinah had scored higher marks in the college entrance exams but no one informed them. Although she knew they didn't like Rozinah, but they would still try and reap the benefits that come with her good performance. She would find out what has been happening at the party. She finished her work and left for home.

********

Rozinah sneaked into the hotel the engagement party would happen and installed cameras around before quickly disappearing. She went back home and met Lily chatting with Wesley.

" Where did you go? I came to your room and discovered you were not around." Lily asked. She had prepared coffee and took some to her room but she was nowhere to be found. She guessed she had important matters to handle.

" I went to prepare something for the engagement party tomorrow. I need to see the joke when the time comes but I didn't want to attend so I made some other preparations." She said sitting down before Lily passed her a cup of milk tea.

" You are always up to something." Wesley said smiling.

" Not like I always cause trouble." Rozinah responded.

" Her birthday is coming up in a week." Lily said.

" How do you plan to celebrate?" He asked looking at Rozinah.

" We would go on a trip to the mountains and camp for at least two days. Would you join us?" She asked after the explanation. She had considered everything and had decided to go for nature.

" Okay I will. It will help calm down after everything that has been happening." He said feeling happy.

After discussing the details, Wesley left after promising to join them tomorrow and watch the engagement party. He just liked it when he spent time with them. He enjoyed their company. Lily had become like a mom to him. He could now ask her for advice on some matters. He felt fulfilled and happy.

********

Amanda and her husband woke up early to prepare everything. After breakfast, Johnson left for the company to put things in order before attending the party. Amanda was left to help Joyce dress up. The makeup artist had already arrived and would soon be done. The shoes and the dress had already been cleaned. Amanda was the first to get her makeup done and went into the bedroom to dress up. She had also prepared a beautiful dress for herself. She looked in the mirror and appreciated her look before leaving for Joyce's room to help her out. She met Joyce on a phone call with Ethan. Ethan had already arrived at the venue with his parents and friends. They were now waiting for her arrival. She promised to be there soon before ending the call and allowing her mom to help her change into her dress. After confirming all the jewelries, they left for the venue. On the way, her father called and said he would be there soon. He had already left the company.

**********

Rozinah watched as the family of three entered the venue. They had invited most of their friends but couldn't invite their family. They had been silently watching as the cameras kept flashing. Joyce couldn't wait to be by Ethan's side . She walked faster than her parents who were enjoying the attention and answering questions from the media. Everything was progressing well until an old voice sounded through the venue just as Ethan had given Joyce the engagement ring.

" If I didn't come, I wouldn't have witnessed my granddaughter's engagement moment." Walter said walking in with his wife , child and granddaughter. They were held up with traffic and arrived late.

" Grandfather,you are here?" Joyce asked rushing to greet him.

" Where should I be? You didn't even dim it necessary to invite your own grandfather." He snorted.

Murmurs erupted around, the guests couldn't believe how a family could exclude the elders from such an important occasion.

" They are so shameless." Someone said.

" They don't respect elders."

" I knew something was wrong when I didn't see theur family patriarch present."

People kept commenting making the Johnson's feel ashamed.

" Father, I didn't want to disturb you. I know your health isn't good ." Amanda said trying to shift the conversation but her mother in law couldn't allow it.

" Mmmh when did you start caring about us? You don't even call talk less of visiting us." She said .

" Okay grandma, you are now here. Let us continue with the party." Joyce pleaded.

After her plea, her grandparents calmed down and continued with the engagement party. Just as everything had finally calmed down, something happened.

As the guests were busy enjoying themselves when the screen went blank and the music stopped. Before anyone could react, a video of Ethan with another lady in a hotel room started playing. Everyone was shocked. Just as the Johnson's family were getting angry and scolding Ethan, another video started playing but this time it was Joyce with an adult man. Gasps could be heard around. Everyone started looking at the two people with disgust. Joyce couldn't imagine someone made such a video of her. She didn't know how to defend herself. She lowered her head in shame.

Ethan on the other hand didn't know what to do. On one hand he had betrayed Joyce but on the other hand she had crushed his image. After some thinking, the two families decided to talk about everything because Joyce was already pregnant. They politely send the guests away and only family members were left to discuss the matter and come up with a solution.

" What is all this. I can't believe my own granddaughter has turned out this way at such a young age." Eunice couldn't control her anger. If she knew all this would happen,she would have stayed at home.

" I know she made a mistake but now she is pregnant with Ethan's baby." Amanda said.

" What,you mean she is also pregnant and no one bothered to inform me?" Walter asked stamping his walking stick on the ground.

" But with all this happening, we can't blame anyone. They are all at fault. We need to consider the child first." Ethan's father said . He couldn't afford to loose this opportunity. He had gone so far in this plan to quit.

" Yeah they can only learn from their mistakes. The marriage will still hold." Joyce's father added. He was ashamed that his own daughter could do such things and someone even recorded them. He will deal with her later.

After a few words, they reached an agreement and the engagement came to an end. Rozinah watching all this couldn't help but laugh. They valued profits than anything else. They will always compromise when profits were involved.

" What kind of families are these?" Wesley couldn't help but ask. He was marvelled at how they all resolved such a matter easily.

" Welcome to the world. This is the kind of people I have served." Lily said laughing.

" I can't imagine I used to believe these hypocrites were my family." Rozinah said shaking her head.

" Anyway, I have come to realize that family is nolonger about blood relations." Wesley said .

" They even forgot they were targeting me to attend." Rozinah said smiling.

" Do you mean they had planned to deal with you at the engagement party." Lily asked sounding worried.

" Not just that, they wanted to kidnap me." She responded.

" Thank God you didn't attend." Lily said sighing.

" They would never give up." Wesley said.

" That is why am trying to distract them from their plans. I will create new plans for them and make them follow my lead to keep myself safe." She explained.

They discussed some issues, mostly about her birthday and had dinner before Wesley left for his villa.

******

Immediately Joyce and her family arrived home, her grandfather started asking her questions.

" When did you start disgracing our family values like this?"

" I am sorry Grandpa." She replied

" Will sorry change anything. If I knew this kind of thing would happen,I would have just stayed at home. I have been disgraced in public." He said angrily. Before Joyce could respond, a slap landed on her cheek.

" Is this how you were brought up?" Her father asked slapping her." Is this what your mom has been teaching you?" He added looking angrily at Amanda who had been lowering her head. She felt guilty.

" You all have disappointed me. You nolonger treat me as an elder in this family." Walter said.

" Am sorry father." His son said.

" You don't even come visiting our parents." Joan added.

" I have been busy with work." He defended himself.

Just as the argument was becoming intense, Gladys decided to chip in.

" Where is Rozinah, I haven't seen her around." She asked.

" Yeah , where is she . At least she made me proud with her college entrance exams." Eunice her grandma said.

" She has been missing from the day the results were released." Amanda said before her husband could say anything.

" And you are just telling me. Send people to search for her." Walter said before leaving for his room to rest. Everything had taken a toll on her.

" Hope you have not been maltreating her that she had to run away." Joan said leading their mother to rest.

The family of three was left in the sitting room looking at each other with their own different thoughts.

" Talk to your daughter. Before the marriage happens, she will have to stay at home and reflect on her behavior." Her father said before leaving the house. He decided to go and cool off.

" Mom." Joyce called but her mom just looked at her and left for the kitchen to give instructions before heading upstairs.

" Didn't I follow her guidelines?" Joyce was left feeling confused and lost. Her mother had always adviced her to do whatever she wanted so long as she got enough benefits. She now felt like a stranger to her. She always congratulated her when she brought news about a new boyfriend. What happened? Joyce collapsed on the couch seeming lost.

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Rozinah had just gone to bed when she received a call from Felix.

" Hello, what happened?" She asked. It was rare for Felix to call especially at night if it wasn't an urgent matter.

" Nothing,I just wanted to share the good news with you first." He said happily.

" Okay go ahead."

" We got to crack a new invention that is going to take us to another level. No other company has made a touch screen laptop so far but we have." He gave the details.

" You have done a good job Felix. When do you plan to launch it into the market? And remember to give everyone a raise and as for you,it's time you got shares." She praised him.

" What ,you mean you want me to become a shareholder?" He couldn't believe what he had just heard.

" Yeah, you deserve it more than anything else. I will send you the necessary papers to sign. I will give you twenty percent of the shares." She explained.

" Okay thanks so much madam. Let me let you rest. Good night." He said hanging up. He was so happy. Rozinah had always recognized his efforts. He felt lucky to have met her. He went to sleep feeling happy and fulfilled. His life had taken another path since he met her. He would work hard and repay her kindness.

**********

At the Johnson's family, most of them didn't come out for dinner. They requested to be served in their rooms. Only Gladys came out with the hope of meeting Joyce . But she didn't come out. She ate her food at the dining table alone and left for her room disappointed. She had planned to taunt her. She always felt proud and now was the time to crash her ego. Anyway another chance would come. She thought as she went back to sleep. Her mother had adviced her to mind her movements around the house, she didn't want to leave soon. They planned to stay for some time before going back to their villa. They needed to get some benefits while still around. She went back to her room and send some messages before going ahead to sleep.

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Amanda on the other hand couldn't calm down. She had noticed how everyone cast questioning glances at her. She knew they blamed her for Joyce's misconduct. To make matters worse, her husband hadn't come back. He always came back for dinner no matter how angry he was. But now he was nowhere to be seen and wasn't responding to her calls. She couldn't sleep. She didn't know how Joyce could allow someone to get a handle on her . Now all her motherly teachings were bring questioned. No one was concerned about her feelings. She knew her friends will start criticizing her. Her place in the rich society had been challenged.