No Freedom

"Trance, I've missed you! This is a surprise. Why didn't you inform me that you're coming home?" The happiness and confusion in my voice were evident.

I still couldn't believe that he was here even though I can clearly see, touch, and even hug him right now.

"Well, you said it so yourself. This is a surprise" he grinned.

"I thought you aren't home until summer. Are you here for good?"

He shook his head. "No. Mom's birthday is coming so I just went here for that."

I pouted at my brother. "Oh! I thought I'd finally have you in the office! I need your help. I feel like dying while working!" I complained.

He giggled. "Don't worry, I'll spend more time with you while I'm here so I can guide you before I leave."

"Why do you need to go back there, anyway? You can still manage the situation there while you're here. Why do you have to monitor everything there personally?"

"Well, that's because of what Mom wants."

I wrinkled my nose. "Yeah. As always. It's always what she wants. And her rules, And we always have to follow—"

"Is there any problem with that, Raciella?" Mom's cold voice resounded.

I stiffened and my eyes widened. Geez! I forgot that she's also here!

Trance giggled at my reaction and flicked me on my forehead.

My mom continued and asked coldly, "By the way, where's my welcome hug from you? Don't tell me that you didn't miss me for the past month?"

"O-Of course, I did!" I said almost instantly and walked toward her. I gave her a light kiss on the cheek and hugged her. "Welcome home, Mom."

"Thanks," she said and smirked. "And unlike your brother, I'm staying here for good."

Her declaration almost made me jump. What?!

She's the one to stay here for good? No freaking way. She seemed to notice my unsaid complaint because she grinned even more.

I mentally groaned and wished she was only joking. But I don't think she is. She never joked!

I realized that it was true when she told everyone in the house to unpack her clothes from her three pieces of luggage.

My fear materialized. It means I can't go back to my usual nights anymore!

I slept that night wishing this was all a dream. But the next day, I was proven that my nightmare is real. And because my mother is here, I woke up earlier than usual—someone woke me up, actually.

"M-Miss Raciella! Your mother will get angry if you don't get up from bed now. The visitors are already here. The event organizers are waiting and you need to go downstairs!" I almost hear Mina's hysteria. She's tugging my arms to stop my body from going back to bed.

"I'm still sleepy, Mina. Let them wait! They're not my visitors, anyway," I muttered and tried to go back to sleep.

"Miss Raciella!" Mina's helpless voice seemed to be on the edge of crying. "I'm the one who's going to be scolded if you aren't going to get up and take a bath now..."

I moaned and assured her. "Don't worry about it, Mina. My Mom won't scold you. She doesn't like scolding our servers. If she's going to scold someone, it would be me..."

"That's why you need to move now, Miss! The event planners for your mother's birthday party are waiting downstairs and your mother asked you to come down."

I opened my sleepy eyes and raised my brow. "Oh? Let her handle that then. It's her birthday party so why do they need to trouble me from my sleep? I'm not even interested in the party!"

I mentally smirked when her face went pale because of my stubbornness. She's more worried than I am. "Miss! It's the instruction of your mother—"

"You still aren't up?"

Mina and I suddenly jumped from my bed when we both heard and saw my Mom at the entrance of my room. My earlier sleepy eyes are now wide and my body suddenly became energized.

"You should have woken me up a bit earlier!" I told Mina as I was frantically wearing my bedroom slippers. I swiftly moved and walked to my comfort room as she hang her mouth open because of my blame and abrupt change of disposition.

Her eyes are now wide from horror as I leave her with my Mom.

I groaned inside my bathroom. It's still too early!

After taking a bath and wearing my usual office dress, I went down and found a lot of people scattered in our living room, most are event planners like what Mina said.

"Good morning, Raciella!" I was greeted by one of them. Her name is Helga, the most expensive and longest event planner of the family for all our parties.

I don't want to be rude so I stopped by and went near them. I smiled and greeted her back.

"Good morning," I said, greeting the others as well.

"You want something for the party? Maybe you have something you would like to suggest?" Helga asked, she's bubbly and too friendly.

I shook my head and smirked. "As if my idea would be better than yours, eh?"

She grinned, seemingly happy with my indirect flatter. "Are you sure? It's your mother's birthday party but there are a lot of guests your age. Maybe you have some preference to please your friends?"

"Nah. I don't have many friends anyway. I doubt that I know even one of the guests my age you were saying. And you know me, I'm not fond of a party like this," I answered. I only like the party at a bar, I almost added and grinned.

She pouts her lips and nods, seemingly understanding what I'm saying. I excused myself after that so I could eat my breakfast.

The other maids told me that my mother instructed me to go to the library after breakfast because our family attorney has arrived.

My eyes narrowed and tried to think why would our attorney be there? I suddenly remember my mother's upcoming birthday and she's turning forty-five. Great! It seems like now is the time for my father's will to be read.

Since I don't really eat much in the morning, I quickly finished my breakfast and headed straight to the library where Trance and Mom were already seated.

I kissed them both and greeted them good morning. I sat beside Trance while Mom is on the other side of the long table. I watched the old attorney behind his spectacles as his assistants help him with the documents in front of him.

"Shall we start?"

I was only listening at first regarding all the properties my father has. I wasn't actually interested in this, especially the company shares. I let Trance and Mom asked while I only listened. But when my name was mentioned and the properties that would be mine once the conditions of my Dad's Will were followed, I was suddenly attentive.

I was in awe when I heard the portion of my Dad's inheritance will be equally distributed to Trance and me. I also have the right to take over the company if both Trance and Mom wanted to step back. I was surprised that Dad wrote this will! I mean, isn't it unusual for the daughter to have equal rights with a son? Others usually give more inheritance and shares to their firstborn, especially their son.

But Trance doesn't seem to mind, though. He's like that. He also doesn't care about our wealth before. He even left home when he was in college to live a simple life and work on his own. The only time he went back was when Dad died and Mom needs his help. He was so sweet and indulgent to me when we were young but something changed a bit when he went back. He's still sweet and indulgent but he became a bit more serious. I'm guessing that it's because of our father's sudden death.

I have no problem if he's going to inherit the company, I can even give him my shares. I only want the freedom to do what I want and not be imprisoned by the company.

My only problem is the condition of the Will. I can't get my inheritance yet until I turned twenty-five. That's three years from now! Unless I get married before that, I will remain under my mother's roof and abide by all her rules!

Geez! I will have to wait another three years before I can finally be freed from my mother? Not to mention that I can't even last a single day on her radar, let alone three years more?

It means I have to work my ass off in the company to have my own money if I don't want to rely on her. I feel suffocated just thinking all about it now. I suddenly wished I'm married! But it still isn't freedom, though. Unless I find someone who will agree to get an annulment after I acquired my inheritance.

I groaned when I realized that my thoughts went too far already. My choice would be either get married or stay living with my controlling Mom.

And both mean no freedom!