His voice was loud and his expression was icy.
"This is an old wound. I don't know why you're panicking so much about it."
"And if you want any explanation from me, you better keep your voice down."
"Actually, I'm not telling."
"Why?"
"Because I don't wanna talk about it."
"But.."
"If you love me, you'll respect my decision not to talk about it."
"Okay."
Julie's mother walked into the living room, a warm smile on her face as she gazed at her daughter. "Hey, sweetie, how's the pregnancy going? You're only in your second month, right?" she asked, sitting down beside Julie on the couch.
Julie let out a tired sigh, rubbing her temples. "It's been a wild ride, Mom. I'm exhausted all the time. I feel like I'm constantly running on a hamster wheel and getting nowhere."
Her mother chuckled sympathetically. "That's normal, dear. Your body is working overtime to grow that little miracle. Where's Lucas? I thought he'd be here taking care of you."
Julie shrugged. "He's still at work. He said he'd be back soon."
Her mother's expression darkened as she glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's 7 pm! What kind of husband leaves his pregnant wife alone this late? Doesn't he know you need rest and care?"
Julie laughed softly. "Mom, I'm fine. I'm not even showing yet. I can still take care of myself."
But her mother was having none of it. "That's not the point! He should be here with you, supporting you, taking care of you. I'm waiting to have a word with him."
As they chatted about their plans for New Year's Day, the sound of the front door opening interrupted them. Lucas walked in, greeting them casually. "Hey, babe, hey, Mom. Long day at the office."
Julie's mother's face turned beet red with anger. "Long day at the office? You're supposed to be taking care of your wife, not working late! It's 7 pm, for goodness' sake!"
Lucas's expression turned apologetic. "I'm sorry, Mom. I lost track of time. Let me get you something to drink. I'll call the cook to prepare some snacks for you."
He ordered one of the cooks to get something for Julie's mom and then quickly excused himself, heading upstairs. Julie's mother watched him go, still fuming, but she turned back to Julie and continued discussing their plans for the holidays.
"What do you think we should do for New Year's Day?"
Julie smiled, happy to shift the conversation away from Lucas's tardiness. "Let's have a quiet night in, Mom. I'm not sure I'm up for a big party this year."
Her mother nodded understandingly. "That sounds perfect, dear. We'll make it a cozy night in with just the family and friends."
Julie settled into her plush armchair, waddling slightly due to her six-month pregnancy. She smiled as Isla's face appeared on her video call screen. "Hey, girl! How's life treating you?" Isla asked, concern etched on her face.
Julie let out a tired sigh. "I'm feeling pretty rough, to be honest. The nausea is killing me, and I'm exhausted all the time."
Isla's expression softened. "Aww, sorry to hear that. Lindsay and I are coming over soon to finalize the baby shower plans. We'll make sure to keep it low-key so you can rest."
Julie nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Isla. I really appreciate it. By the way, Lucas has been super busy and hasn't had a chance to accompany me to the hospital for the gender check. We're scheduled to go this week, though."
Isla chuckled. "Typical Lucas. Always working. Anyway, is there anything specific you want us to bring over when we come?"
Julie's face scrunched up in a peculiar expression. "Actually, yeah. Can you grab me some Spanish canned food – you know, the kind with the spicy sausages? And oh, and some smoked fish from that one store downtown? The one with the weird fishy smell?"
Isla's eyes widened in surprise. "Uh, okay... Where can I even find that?"
Julie shrugged nonchalantly. "Don't know, don't care. Just get it, please."
Isla laughed and shook her head. "Alright, alright. I'll try my best. Talk to you soon!"
The call ended, and Julie leaned back into her chair, closing her eyes. A few minutes later, her phone rang, displaying an unknown number. She hesitated for a moment before answering.
"Hello?"
A smooth voice spoke on the other end. "Hi, Julie. I'm a cousin of Isla Sinclair's, and I was wondering if you could share her address with me. I'd love to drop by and have a chat. We haven't spoken for a long time."
Julie's instincts kicked in, and she hesitated. "I've known Isla since childhood, and I don't recall her mentioning a cousin she wasn't too close to."
The woman's tone turned charming. "Oh, I'm so sorry! My name is Martina. Isla and I aren't super close, but I'd love to reconnect."
Julie's mind flashed back to Isla mentioning a cousin named Martina. She relaxed slightly. "Okay, Martina... Let me see... Isla lives in that big mansion on Elm Street. You can't miss it."
Talia thanked Julie profusely before hanging up. Julie's mind lingered on the strange call, but she pushed the thought aside, focusing on her peculiar food cravings instead.
"So I don't want, 'ITS A BOY', if it's a boy, it should be a blue and yellow themed party. If it's a girl, it should be a pink and white themed party. If it's a boy, I want PRINCE on the balloon, and if it's a girl, I want PRINCESS."
"Interesting."
"By the way, you said you'd be coming with Lindsay."
"She had to get to something important. She'll be here soon."
"Your cousin called."
"Cousin?" Isla was surprised.
"Who could that be?"
"She said she was Martina."
"Martina? Surprising."
"Guess she wants to meet you today."
"You should have directed her here."
Isla trudged into her house, exhaustion evident on her face. She tossed her bag aside, not noticing Talia standing there until it hit Talia's face. Talia flinched, and Isla's eyes widened in apology as she rushed to pick up the bag.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Martina!" Isla exclaimed, assuming Talia was her cousin.
As their eyes met, Isla's expression shifted from apology to anger. "What are you doing in my house? Where is Martina?" she demanded, her voice firm.
Talia's calm demeanor didn't waver. "There's no Martina, Isla. I lied to Julie to get your address. I needed to talk to you."
"About what? How did you even gain entrance into my living room? Are you nuts?"
"I told you to stay away from Cade! What are you still doing with him?"
"Cade and I love each other. And one of these days, we'll get married. So I don't know what you're doing in our lives! You're late! Dora doesn't even want you to be her mother!"
"Oh really? Does that change the fact that Cade and I have a child together? You are the one who suddenly came into our picture!"
"I don't wanna talk about this. Stop coming to disturb me!" Talia stood up and took her bag, headed to the door.
"Isla Mirabelle Sinclair. I'll advise you not to try anything funny. The next time you get anywhere near Cade or Dora, just see your career - ending. Or worse, your world crashing before your eyes. Or worst, that world ending." Talia pushed her with a finger and walked out of the house.
"Suit yourself! I'm not scared of you!"
"Julie! Why did you give my address to that bitch?"
"Y - "
"You caused it! You should have called me before giving my address to anyone! What is wrong with you?"
"She's your cousin. I...."
"She's not! She's Talia Evans! Dora's mom! I don't know what she did to you that you couldn't have easily called me before telling her where I lived."
"Isla. I'm sorry. She lied to me."
"She was threatening me. To stay away from Cade!" Isla fumed.
"You know what Isla, I think you should stay away from Cade as she said..."
"Julie?! Really? Is that what you'll say? Hello??!!"
"Why is Isla yelling over the phone?" Lucas asked, his eyes fixed on his own phone.
"She is mad because I sent her address to some imposter. Who claimed she was Martina Sinclair."
"What? You should have called her before doing that."
"Oh please, don't blame me."
"I hope the imposter didn't steal anything though."
"Am afraid, she did more."
As Isla alighted with her bodyguards to the SeleneGala, all eyes were on her as camera clicked and paparazzi followed.
Suddenly, someone darted towards her and slapped Isla hard across the face. She fell to the ground and the bodyguards held her.
"Let me go, you piece of shit!" She cussed and jerked away from them.
"What's wrong with you, Talia? What are you doing here?" She grabbed her hair. Gasps filled the air, Talia became the new center of attention as people started making videos.
"I told you, Isla! I went to visit my daughter! And she was yelling at me! She was crying saying I am a bad mother and hurled so many bad things! Who fed her that fucking trash? Speak, Isla Sinclair!" She thundered, not letting go of Isla's hair.
"Let go of me!" The bodyguards wanted to hold her but after slapping one of them, they stood still.
Talia threw Isla on the ground and punched her repeatedly, the crowd screamed loud as fans attacked Talia and separated her from Isla.