Heather leaned against the doorframe of her father's office. She stared at the closed wooden door. The invitation said to arrive by 10 a.m., but Heather had made it a point to walk in at 1. She took her time arriving. If he wanted her there, he should wait. They could all wait. As they should. She finally pushed the door open.
"Why are we even still waiting for that bitch, Daddy?" Lauren whined. "Let's just start alr..."
Lauren stopped mid-sentence as Heather stepped inside. The room fell silent, and all heads turned toward her. Heather stood in the doorway, her eyes scanning the room slowly, taking in every detail. Lauren, seated near their father, wore a tight-lipped expression, her earlier anger now replaced with fear. She acted like she didn't just say something.
Coward.
Evelyn, as always, sat poised at her father's side like a silent enforcer. And then there was Caius. He was seated in the middle, directly across from the door.
His presence felt out of place, though Heather doubted anything could make him feel awkward.
Lauren's lips pressed into a thin line as Heather's eyes locked onto hers. It was clear she wasn't expecting Heather to actually show up. Not when she was just talking about her.
"You're late." Evelyn finally broke the silence.
Heather tilted her head slightly, pretending as though she didn't hear her. There was no point talking to her. She walked forward, taking her time.
"Welcome, Heather," her father said, his tone was annoyingly neutral, like they hadn't been talking about her just moments ago. "Please, sit down."
Heather slid into an empty chair at the far corner of the table, away from Lauren and Evelyn, who sat close to her father like they were the heir. Typical. Caius sat at the center, between them, but with enough distance that the divide between all parties was clear. Heather didn't miss how Lauren shot her a glare before turning her attention back to their father.
He cleared his throat. "I've made an important decision," he said. "I'm retiring."
"Oh, no!" Lauren stood to her feet dramatically, her hand flying to her chest as if she were about to faint. "Daddy, you can't!"
Heather raised an eyebrow. She leaned back slightly in her chair. "What's this one doing now?" she muttered under her breath.
Caius glanced at her briefly. His lips twitched in what might have been the start of a smile. Lauren's gush was as unnecessary as it was predictable. But it still managed to toll on Heather's nerves.
"We'll miss you so much!" she cried. Lauren started sniffling, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue she must have had prepared in advance.
Heather stared blankly at her, then deadpanned, "He's not dying, Lauren."
Everyone turned to look at Heather, the room going quiet again. Lauren raised her head slowly. Her tear-filled eyes narrowed as she stared at her stepsister. "I can't help it," she said defensively. "I'm just so emotional." her voice trembled.
Evelyn stood and walked over to Lauren, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, darling," she said. "There's nothing wrong with feeling this way."
Heather pressed her lips together. She tried so hard not to roll her eyes. Her father seemed to fall for Lauren's over-the-top performance.
"It's okay, Lauren," his was voice calm. "Heather's right. I'm not dying. I'm simply retiring."
Lauren's face turned to embarrassment, and she sat down quickly. Heather smirked slightly but kept her expression neutral. Caius let out a quiet sigh, as if even he found the entire scene exhausting.
Their father turned to Heather. "Could you get me a glass of water?"
Heather resisted the urge to say something sarcastic. Instead, she stood and walked out of the room. She headed toward the kitchen.