Guilty Party [REWRITING]

III | DECEMBER 31 2017

CHAPTER III:
DECEMBER 31 2017

             KARA SAT ON THE VELVET CHAIR as Vladmir Petrov was making his usual New Year's Eve toast at the end of the table. The table was long and it stretched from one end of the dining hall and to the other. The Petrov manor sat on a wide estate by the clear water with the New York City skyline in the far distance, lights of yellow and white sparkling softly against the dark canvas. 

             "My family and I are very thankful that all of you are here yet again to celebrate the year with us," Vladmir started, raising the crystal champagne flute in the air. His wife, adorned in a Dior dress and diamonds on her neck, looked up at him in pure adoration, her chin sitting on her delicate hand, smiling softly at him. 

              "He makes the same speech every year. I think we've got the gist of it," Tatiana commented beside Kara as Evan, who sat across her, chuckled as a response with her father's speech blurring into the background. 

              Kara nudged her playfully, rolling her eyes half-heartedly and looked at her sideways, taking in the features of her best friend. Tatiana Petrova was graced with those cheekbones that sat high and proud. Not to mention those plump lips, which were natural and not pumped with Juvederm as she was rumoured to have. She had a slender figure; her arms soft and long and her legs just as impressive. Like her brother, it was those eyes that left a lot more impact than intended. 

              Kara told her kindly, "I think it's nice that he likes to put out a few words of appreciation for his guests." 

             "See, what I mean?" Tatiana asked, looking around the table at their friends. They all occupied the middle of the long table, "This is why Kara Akiyama is daddy's favourite out of all you," She scoffed teasingly, "You're on his good graces." 

             Riya laughed beside Kara. She arrived at the Petrov Manor in a lacy gown with her long hair pinned up in a tastefully messy bun with a few flyaways framing her face. Her parents, business moguls Chandran and Gita Bhatt, sat across Kara's parents who sat next to Mateo's parents with Evan's and Eli's parents across from them. They all listened to Vladmir's speech tentatively as if this was the first time they ever heard him say the same speech. Kara couldn't help but feel like they were on a conveyerbelt from the looks of it because eventually, decades from now, maybe they'd replace their parents' seat on this very table. 

            "I think she's every parent's favourite," Riya added, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger, laughing to herself quietly, "Like, seriously. Over their own kid, or something." 

            Eli joined in, "Sometimes, I wonder if my mom lays awake at night, questioning god why she never had Kara as her child."