But we all know

Thelma could not focus in Music class. Her tummy kept rumbling. She felt drained and tired. Like life was being sucked out of her. So, after the class, she texted Mr. Joe to pick her up early. Not that she'd ever stayed late in school before. She usually left school 30 minutes after classes were over. Her parents did not want to expose her to any bad influence. Thelma was a sheltered child.

"Hello darling, how was school?" Gladys greeted her as she walked into the living room. For just two people, their house was huge. At 8,800 square feet, they had two living rooms, two dining rooms, two kitchens, five big bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a screen room, a library, an anteroom, two pantries, a box room, two garages, and a very big store. They also had quarters for the domestic workers. Her mother, Eliza, did not believe in living with the help.

Many of the rooms in the house were in twos because Eliza did not like hosting her clients in the same rooms they had dinner. Thelma thought it was a little foolish. They hardly ever ate together as a family. Since their separation, her relationship with both parents had deteriorated.

Thelma smiled as she walked into the dining area, "It was good. How was your day?"

"Nothing too serious. I went to the store and bought you some fruits. Your fruit salad is in the fridge." Gladys said proudly

with a napkin over her shoulder.

"Really?" Thelma hurried to the fridge to grab her prized possession. Her eyes beamed when she took her first bite into one of the apple chunks.

"Thank you, Gladys." She managed to say in between chunks of fruit.

"No problem, chérie," Gladys said as she wiped the dining table.

"When are you going to see your daughters?"

"Next week. I am not sure yet. Why do you ask?"

Thelma shrugged, "I just wanted to know. I know aunt Chloe has some things she wants to send me so... I guess you can bring them when you're coming back?" Thelma batted her eyelashes.

Gladys smiled at her. Thelma and her 21-year-old daughter, Chloe, had always been very close. They became closer when Chloe came to stay at the quarters after her father passed. She always admired how easy it was for her daughter to build and cultivate solid relationships with people. In that regard, she felt she had done right as a mother. She considered Chloe as one of her achievements.

"I'll try," Gladys said. Of course, she would. Thelma was like her very own daughter. She practically raised her and taught her most of the things she knew. Thelma did not wait for her response though. She was already going up the stairs to her room.

She sighed as she opened the door to her room. Her room was neutral and feminine at the same time. Thelma was very specific about what she wanted in her room. She pressured her mom to let her work together with the interior designer.

She had a color scheme. The colors she chose ranged from greys, pinks, golds, bronzes, whites, and blacks.

The whole room was white with gold and bronze framed pictures hanging on the walls. On the left side of the room, her majestic queen-sized four-poster bed sat elegantly. Although Gladys had them changed regularly, the current curtains shielding her bed were rose gold. The bed frame itself was bronze with the chiffon rosegold curtains shielding them.

Behind the bedframe, was a very big window with white window panes. By the left side of her bed was a dusty grey bedside table as tall as her bed with three soft-touch drawers. The bedside lamp on it was grey as well with yellow, orange, and white lights.

She had a big stylish grey and black patterned chair with silver legs in front of her bed. On the right side of the room, close to the wall, she had a white desk and a in front of it was a very soft and comfortable chair in the color blush pink. On the left side of her bed was an oval mirror with a gold frame.

She took off her boots and put them away in her closet before sitting on her bed. She brought out her planner and notes from the classes she had. She sighed as she opened up her planner. She scanned through her planner to find out what was next on her agenda. According to her planner, she was supposed to be doing her homework and reading for the classes she had tomorrow. After that, she had to finish the novel for the week and get ready for her outing with her father.

She walked into her closet to pick out what to wear after her shower. On the corner of her closet, she saw a blue shoebox in front of her shoe rack. That was weird. Her father didn't buy her things without telling her. Unless.

She bent down to pick up the box. They were Adidas. She put it on her island and opened them. Yep, they were an apology gift. She shook her head as she walked out of her closet annoyed.

She picked up her phone from her bed and searched for Allen. He picked up immediately.

"Hey, baby. I was just about to call you. Did you see the shoes? Lovely, aren't they?" The deep voice asked smoothly like nothing was wrong.

"Dad, come on. We were supposed to go out today," Thelma whined.

"I know sweetie. Today is just not a good day... You know we-"

"When is then? It was a good day three weeks ago when we picked a date," Thelma interrupted her father. He didn't respond. Thelma knew that silence meant the conversation was over. She sighed.

"So when are you planning on coming over?" She asked quietly.

"To be honest sweetie, I might not be in Okonia in the next month. There are some meetings I have to see through with some potential partners. I also have to prepare for this presentation I have with my sponsors. I might cook for the New York governor in a fortnight as well so there is that too. My schedule is just really packed at the moment but I will check my planner and tell Michelle to get back to you."

"Michelle? You hired a new PA? What happened to Ariona?" Thelma asked amused. She smiled softly as she sank into her bed.

"Yeah. Honey I have to go. I will call you as soon as I get the chance to though, okay? Daddy loves you!" Allen said hurriedly as he cut the call.

Thelma sighed. She wanted to tell him how much she loved the shoes but her time was up. Having two CEOs as parents could be exhausting sometimes. They always had something to do and a meeting to organize or something. At that moment, it was more frustrating than anything else.

It was okay though. She would just have to replace the father-daughter meeting with something else on her planner. She scowled as she took off her clothes. She was bummed. She could not suppress that emotion. She thought of how different life could be if she was born by two different people in different circumstances.

She pursed her lips together as she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Ew.

"Hey Siri, play paradise by Bazzi."

Gladys pursed her lips when she heard the music blasting from Thelma's speaker upstairs. The only time she played music like that was when she was in a bad mood. Only three things could put Thelma in a bad mood. Her parents, her period, and her uncle. It surely was not her period. She knew that because she took out her trash this morning and cleaned her room. Gladys sighed. Allen wasn't coming. She thought of going upstairs to talk to her but she knew it would not help. Thelma hated talking. Gladys sighed again, squeezing the napkin in her and nervously. She would get over it. Thelma always did. She was une fille forte. Life was not easy for anyone. Not even the richest. She would get over it. Gladys shook it off and retreated to her quarters.