Chapter 20 That is Crazy

Liam opened the door of the white Mercedes for Caroline. She

got on the car, then Liam closed the door and went to the driver’s seat. He

drove to the club Caroline told him. When they arrived, Caroline called Sebastian,

“hey Teddy, I’m here. Where are you?” Sebastian answered, “I’ll go to the

entrance and get you.” Caroline opened the door of the car and got off. “Okay,”

she spoke over the phone. Liam stayed inside waiting for Caroline to enter the club.

Caroline hugged Sebastian when she found him at the entrance and then went

inside.

 When Liam saw that Caroline was inside with

Sebastian, he went to park the car. Liam went inside the bar. He sat a table where

he could keep an eye on Caroline. Caroline hugged Persephone and Jennifer when

she got to table, they were sitting at. “I’m going to get some drinks, what do you

want?” Sebastian asked. Caroline answered, “apple martini, please.” Sebastian

nodded. “Okay.”

While they had been waiting for

Caroline, they had already started drinking. “How’s it going, girls?” Caroline

asked. “Everything is good,” Persephone answered. They started chatting and

laughing. Sebastian walked over with an apple martini and a glass of scotch. “Here’s

your drink.” Sebastian handed the glass to Caroline and sat next to Jennifer. “Hey

Caroline, when is Elizabeth coming back?” Persephone asked. “Yes, when is she

coming back? We haven’t seen her since your graduation,” Sebastian added, “we

miss her. She is like a second mother to me.”

Jennifer smiled and said, “really?”

Sebastian nodded and Persephone clarified, “yes, she is like the mother I never

had. We have known her for so long that she is like a mother to us.” Caroline

smiled then she answered Persephone’s question, “she called me earlier today.

She said she will come to visit soon.”

“That’s great,” Persephone uttered,

“how long has Elizabeth lived in France?”

 “She has lived there for four years, remember

she left with Mark. And I started studying and trying to build my company after

I found out that my dad’s company was going to Mason,” Caroline responded.

“That’s tough,” spoke Sebastian. Caroline

nodded. “I remember that you were just 15 years old when you met Mason,” Persephone

stated. “Wait. How old is he anyways? I know you told me, but I can’t remember,”

Sebastian spoke.  “He is twenty-one,

remember he is older by twenty-four days,” answered Persephone. “How can you

remember that?” Sebastian asked surprised. “I remember everything important

about my bestie,” Persephone spoke mockingly. Sebastian rolled his eyes. “She

is my bestie too. In fact, I’ve known her way longer than you have.” Jennifer giggled.

“You guys, stop. You are behaving like little kids. You will actually start

fighting if you go on like this.”

Caroline laughed. “Jennifer is the

youngest one here and is telling you guys to stop behaving like children.” Persephone

turned to Jennifer and asked, “right Jennifer, when do you turn twenty-one?” Jennifer

took a sip of her drink and replied, “in four months.”

“Caroline, and how is Mark?” Sebastian

spoke, “I miss my bro.” Caroline laughed, “he’s not your ‘bro,’ he’s my ‘bro’

and to answer your question, he’s fine. He is also coming here with my mom.” Persephone

interrupted, “how old is he?” Sebastian answered, “He’s sixteen. Five years

younger than you, right?” Caroline nodded.

Sebastian looked at Persephone and stuck

out his tongue. “See, I also know about her other brother.” Caroline took a sip

of her martini and then said, “isn’t it funny that both of my brothers are

half-brothers.” Persephone agreed, “yes, your family is kind of messed up.” Caroline

giggled “Yes, it is.” They spent the time talking and laughing.

After Caroline finished her fourth martini,

Sebastian offered to get her another one. “It’s fine, Teddy. I don’t want to

drink that much tonight.” Sebastian was surprised. “Well that’s a first. Did

your husband tell you not to drink?” Jennifer asked in shock “what? You are

married?” Caroline nodded and showed Jennifer the ring. “Oh my god, I saw your ring,

but I didn’t say anything because I thought it was just an accessory with no

importance.” Caroline giggled. “Well, it kind of is an accessory with no

importance.” Jennifer was confused. “What do you mean?”

Sebastian placed his hand on

Jennifer’s and explained, “it was an arranged marriage.” Caroline gave an

awkward smile and nodded. Persephone tried to change the subject, “anyways, how

is Roxy doing? I haven’t seen her in so long.” Caroline turned to Persephone

and answered, “she’s good. She has her own restaurant now.”

Before taking a sip of her drink Persephone

answered, “that’s great. We should go there sometime.” Jennifer interrupted,

“who’s Roxy?” Sebastian responded, “she is Caroline’s youngest cousin. They are

practically sisters; they have always been together since they were born. They

even look alike.”

 Caroline interrupted Sebastian, “no we don’t.”

Then Persephone added, “yeah you do, the only difference is that she wears

glasses and you don’t.” Caroline clarified, “well, technically she does not

wear glasses. She prefers to wear contact lenses.”

Caroline fetched her phone from her

purse and went to her gallery. She opened a picture of her and Roxy and showed

it Jennifer. “You guys do look alike. You could be twins, how old is she?” Caroline

closed her phone and placed it on the table, “she is twenty. Five months

younger than me.” Jennifer comment, “but it’s crazy how much you guys look

alike.”

Persephone explained, “well, they

kind of have to. Their weird family story is insane.” Caroline interrupted, “well…

it’s not-.” After thinking for a second Caroline added, “yeah, you’re right,

but you don’t have to call it that.” Persephone giggled. “But it’s true.”

Sebastian added, “she is right.” Caroline tried to defend her family. “It’s not

crazy nor weird. It’s just a little confusing for some people.” Sebastian

scoffed and took a sip of his drink as he sarcastically asked, “a little?”

Caroline shook her head. “They are

just exaggerating; my family is normal.” Persephone spoke in sarcastic tone,

“sure.” Caroline looked at Sebastian and then at Persephone. “Tsk. You guys are

just exaggerating.”

Sebastian placed his drink on the

table, “okay, tell Jennifer about your family and she will say who she agrees

with.” Caroline spoke slowly, “okay. Well, my dad and Roxy’s dad are twins and

my mom and Roxy’s mom are sisters.” Jennifer opened her mouth in shock, “What?”

Caroline giggled. “See, we told you her family story was crazy,” Sebastian

spoke.

“That is crazy.” Jennifer

was still in shock. “That is not the best part,” said Persephone as she took a

sip of drink. “There is more?” Jennifer asked in disbelief. “When Roxy’s mom

broke up with my uncle, Roxy’s dad, my mom and him got together. And had a

child, Mark. And now Roxy and I share a brother.”

Jennifer almost choked on her

drink. “Hold up. So, you are telling me that your mom was with your dad and then

got with his twin brother but also with her sister’s ex? That’s crazy.” Sebastian

nodded. “See, we told you it was crazy. Just like a soap opera.” Caroline explained,

“well technically it was not like that. First, my aunt, had Chuck, my older

cousin. A year and five months later, my mom had me.” Jennifer interrupted, “so

your older cousin is older by a year and five months?” Caroline nodded.

Caroline continued, “after that, my

aunt had Roxy, so Chuck and Roxy are siblings. Then my aunt broke up with my

uncle. Two years after they broke up, my mom and Roxy’s dad got together. Then three

years later, they had Mark. Then after seven years, my mom Mark’s dad broke up.”

Jennifer gave Caroline a bewildered look. “And they never got married?” Caroline

shook her head. “None of them ever got married… well, my dad was married but

then divorced Mason’s mom.”

Still perplexed Jennifer asked, “wait

so your dad was married and had a child and also had you?” Caroline nodded, “he

played them both, my mom and Mason’s mom. He was married and was with my mom like

he had no other relationships. The reason my dad got married was because Mason’s

mom got pregnant. And well, my mom was pregnant at the same time. Since he

found out about Mason first, he married his mom. Victor was married for eight

years. I feel like he did get married once or twice after that, but he never

told me.”

When talking about her father,

Caroline’s expression turned into anger. She despised him for all the things

that he had done. Before, she had forgotten what he did to both women. She

decided to leave that between them. She also forgave him for lying to her about

handing down the company to her and then promising that it would go to Mason

because he saved her. But now, all the hatred returned when she found out that

he gambled her when she was young. Caroline had so much hatred built up, from

him gambling her to him handing the company to Mason.

Jennifer cleared her throat, “wait,

how did you meet Mason?” Caroline smiled, “that is the funniest part. Mason and

I met when we were fifteen. I had been working on my father’s company since I

was twelve. Then, few days after my fifteenth birthday, I was working on the

company when my dad introduced us. After that, my dad got Mason and his mom to

move here from Seattle so that Mason could start working on the company too.”

Jennifer interrupted, “Wow. So, you

have known Sebastian and Persephone longer than you’ve known your brother.”

Caroline nodded and Jennifer added, “and how did you feel when you met Mason?” Caroline

explained, “well… it was okay. I already knew I had a brother. My grandmother

from my dad’s side hated me so she just told me when I was seven years old.

Whereas for Mason, he did not find out until he was twelve years old.”

Caroline took a sip of her water

and Jennifer asked, “so you made your own company because your dad handed the

company to Mason. Was it because he thought Mason could manage the company

better?” Caroline placed the glass on the table and shook her head as she

laughed, “Mason can’t manage the company yet. My dad is still managing part of the

company. He is just going to hand it completely to Mason when he is ready and

just because he is his successor.”

After a pause Caroline added, “but

it was fun growing up. I was always with my cousins and my uncle got to be my

parental figure as I was growing up. I remember my uncle used to train us to

near exhaustion almost every day. Though once a week, there was a day

was just hell.”

As Caroline traveled down memory lane,

her face showed a bittersweet expression. Caroline explained, “my uncle is in

the army, right now he is a colonel. He trained us to follow in his footsteps;

however, Chuck was the only one that followed his footsteps. Though Roxy got special

treatment. She refused to train so my uncle never really trained her like he

trained Chuck and me. We were not allowed to refuse like Roxy.” Jennifer asked,

“you didn’t grow up with your dad?”

“Yes, growing up, my dad was never

there. My mom and I went Atlanta to live with my uncle. While Victor traveled

to Seattle for Mason, or just busy with his company. Then we moved back here, and

I started working on Victor’s company. My mom had separated from Vincent, my

uncle before moving. He is in the military and you know how it is, sometimes he

just had to move wherever he was sent.”

“Yes, I get it,” Jennifer added, “it’s

crazy how we have known each other for almost four years and I’m just finding

out about this now.” Sebastian caressed Jennifer’s hand and explained, “yeah

well, Caroline does not talk about this to just anyone.”

After that, they changed the topic

and minutes later Caroline got a message from Liam, “it’s getting late. Want me

to pick you up?” Caroline replied, “it’s fine, I can call my chauffeur.” Then

she put her phone on silent and placed it inside her bag. “Hey guys, I’m kind

of tired. I’ll get the check.” Caroline stood up from the armchair. Sebastian

stood up as well and spoke, “no, I’ll get it.” Caroline stooped him. “Sit your

*** down!” Sebastian obediently sat down and murmured to Jennifer and

Persephone, “is she drunk?”

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