Diary Of An Introvert

Chapter 14 | Free from him

"So Amanda, I hear you have some English project prior your resumption, how's it coming along?" Leo said, stroking his daughter's blonde hair.

"Really good dad, I think I might get a C this time." Amanda batted her false eyelash and giggled like a highschool cheerleader.

"Awesome. That'll be an improvement since your last one was a D." Leo said with his Italian accent and Amanda's cheeks flushed.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was stiff and tense. Amanda and Leo tried to start a small dialogue seeing as the table was graveyard-like.

Their sitting arrangement however was not making matters any better. Gerald sat alone at the edge of the table. Pearl - Gerald's mistress sat beside Joanne and Cory on one side of the table. Amanda and Leo sat on the other side of the table.

What's with the way we're seated, Joanne muttered to herself. It feels like a court or something.

"Shush." Cory hushed her. "You're not supposed to be talking."

"I wasn't!" Joanne protested, earning her side glares from Amanda and a warning from Cory's father. "I wasn't."

"So." Gerald cleared his throat. He was done messing around and Cory could tell, there was no more postponing the engagement.

"What's she doing here?" Amanda said, sticking her finger in Joanne's face.

"Ugh, excuse you." Joanne said with disgust, lowering her archnemesis finger. Joanne gave her a look that said 'don't you ever point at me, ever. Or you'll be sorry.'

"Whatever." Amanda said with a smug smile to cover up the fact that Joanne intimidated her a little. "What is the lowly peasant doing near god-like rich people. Oh, you came to mooch off?"

Cory slammed his fists on the table. "Watch it Amanda, that's my girlfriend you're talking to."

Amanda scoffed. "Whatever." She picked up her fork and picked at the green peas on her plate. A salad was her first choice when she saw the surplus of food on the table. She had claim she was trying not to gain weight.

"Attitude Mandy, we're here on a business proposal. You can sort out your college drama later. Don't be rude." Leo said. He smiled at Amanda as if saying 'got it?'

"Yes father." Unlike Cory, Amanda was obedient to her father. She would always do his bidding even if it went against her own wishes.

"Yes father." Joanne mimicked. She thought it was funny how downcast Amanda sounded. Like she just got her favorite designer bag stolen from her.

"I thought you weren't talking." Cory said.

Joanne stuck her tongue out. "I wasn't."

"So." Gerald started again.

A phone buzzed, before the sound morphed into a ringtone. Gerald sighed, God help him if he got to the engagement discussion today.

"Sorry, that was me." Cory said, rushing to his feet. He went through the front door to the veranda.

Joanne fidgeted. Why in the name of Hades would Cory leave her alone with these - cannibalistic looking like predators. Joanne thought of an escape route but before she could cook one up, Cory was already back and in his seat.

"Took you long enough." Joanne released her tense shoulders and rubbed her sweaty hands on her gown.

"Don't tell me you missed me already, snow white." Cory smirked. He leaned into Joanne and caught a whisk of her perfume.