~~~Hugh's POV~~~

"Good morning Ter. Where is Dor?" I asked him as I entered the living room.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Don't tell me she's gone away somewhere after your shouting the night before yesterday." I said angrily and he put down the newspaper he was reading.

"She is shameless. Won't leave so easily. It almost has been a month. Must be looking around somewhere for money." He smirked.
"Since when have you started being at home at this hour? And that too? Reading newspaper?" I asked sceptically.

I had not seen her since last night and I was scared that she had left.

I hurried into the kitchen and when I returned back, there was some noise on the table.

I walked towards it and the whole party smiled at me. Ter's friends and Dor clapped and I cracked a grin.

"Happy birthday." She wished and all others chorused. My heart skipped a beat.

"Happy birthday youngster." Ter smiled and patted my back hard.

"You are the younger one okay?" I rolled my eyes at him.

"Your fault that you can't accept the truth younger brother." He led me to the table.

I recognised the cake at once. Pineapple flavoured. My favourite.

"Happy birthday." Ashlee and Jesse greeted me while the two males engulfed me in manly hugs.

Finally I moved towards Dor.
"Your plan right?" I asked.

"Nope. Dex's. He adores you even if he doesn't say out loud. You're too dear to him." She said softly.
"Cut the cake." She pointed and I chuckled.

"Ter should do it. Mom said that younger boy should do it."

"Mom never commented on who was younger." He answered.

"Do it or I'll eat it like this. Then Dex would call me a barbarian." Dor intervened and George laughed.
Ashlee glared at him, holding his arm tightly.

"B!tch." She muttered.

"She is talking about pouncing on the cake, not your husband." Jesse said and Jasper winked.

"I will." The cake was cut and distributed.

All had it apart from Ter. He just glared at her when she offered it and ignored her there on.

"So long since we were here. I had wanted to meet Dorothy again. We couldn't digest that he got a girlfriend so easily." Jasper commented.
"Exactly. That too such a chirpy one." Jesse added.

"Father used some sources to get the most silly girl whom he could find and imposter her on me. She'll leave soon. Don't worry." Ter commented as Dor was in the kitchen.

"So you guys.." George asked and he nodded.

"She is not bad though." Jasper suggested.
"You don't know her. Ugly intentions." He replied.
"Shut up." I chortled at him.

"By the way.." George began.

"People, we have got all your favourite dishes here. Dig in." Dor arrived with the maids, holding two trays each.

"Yes. Come. We have an announcement to make." He continued.

"Hmm." The maids left and then all eyes turned to him.

"Ash and I are pregnant." He said.

"Wow. That's great. Congratulations." She grinned, Jesse smiled at them and Ter congratulated them too. I hooted.

"Thank you." Ashlee smiled and thanked everyone except her.
Ter noted that while others were busy in the celebration and their food.

He smirked at her.

"You don't belong here. Have your dinner later. Alone." He commented and she studied him before nodding.

The food became difficult to take in as I felt her being ill treated.
Lively conversation continued and she left after serving us all.

Once we were all done, I volunteered to help the girls with their plates and of their husbands along with Ter's.

We got into the kitchen and Jesse began asking about my paintings. I told her about a new one I was working on and she wished me all the best. I was little upset with Ashlee for being rude to Dor for no apparent reason.

With this thought in my mind, I walked to get myself a drink.

Why does Ter hate her?

~~~Unknown POV~~~

My eyes shifted to her as she entered kitchen.

"Girls. You make something for yourself and finish it up. I'll have the dinner later. I'm kind of full now." She said and began clearing the counter.

"You said that in the afternoon too ma'am." One of the maids said and she ignored her.

"If Hugh let's me have some cake for myself, I'll bring it to you guys too. He loves it so there are meagre chances." She chuckled.

She walked out for something and I left the kitchen to follow her. Three people entered the kitchen and then one went back. She was carrying a glass in her hand and by chance Dorothy too came that way.

"Congratulations Ashlee." Dorothy said and she gave Dorothy a disinterested glance.

Well. Karma is surely a b!tch.

Ashlee slipped and the glass fell with a loud crash. Dorothy caught her just in time.

Ashlee slid to the floor in a moment, a sob escaping her throat.

"Hey. You're fine relax." Dorothy held her, trying to look at her face.

I was about to walk towards them when the men walked in.

"Ash.." George called out loudly to his wife whose head rested against Dorothy's breast.

"You witch. How could you?" Dexter Alphi roared.

"Are you okay baby? What happened?" George asked his wife, glaring at Dorothy too. Hugh arrived with Jesse.

"She slipped." She answered.
"Or you pushed her? You get up. Get out.." He roared again.

"Ash.." George who was beyond all this, touched his wife softly. Then something strange happened.

Ashlee snuggled into Dorothy, hugging her tightly while Dorothy just looked around embarrassed, ready to accept her non-existent fault.

"My child." She mumbled in between tears and silence fell.

"Your child is fine darling. You did not fall." Dorothy whispered.

"And we are all blind?" George asked, looking at her angrily.

"I didn't." Ashlee answered and George shut up. Even Dexter Alphi's eyebrows rose.

"She caught me in time." She completed.

"Thank you. Thank you so much." She cried some more.

"It's okay. Come on. Look at me." Dorothy touched her face.

"Get up. Come on." George and Dorothy helped her up.

She got up and George hugged her tightly.

"She saved me." She whispered.

"Take care."
Dorothy fiddled with her hands and then quietly walked away.

Hugh followed her after giving a cold glance to Dexter Alphi.

"Thank God you're okay. Don't cry." She was shushed and the whole entourage went to the living room.

Dorothy soon came with a glass of juice for her and offered it.

"Would you like to have some juice?" She asked.
Ashlee took it and sipped it, glancing at Dorothy nervously.

"Good?" She asked and came a positive response.

"I am sorry for snapping like that Dorothy." George cringed.
"Oh it was absolutely expected." She offered him a brief smile and looked away.
"I am not getting out Dex." She spoke to Dexter Alphi and he narrowed his eyes at her.

There was awkwardness and doubt. Guilt too.
"At least now accept that you like being an *** to her for no particular reason and try to make others do so too." Hugh snapped at him.

"This is what you needed right? Drama? A scene out here in front of all my friends where you are a super hero and anyone who got a problem with you becomes the villain." He retorted at Dorothy.

"All I need is love." She leered.

"**** off." He spat before storming off to his room.

"But a black card would also be fine." She giggled.

"Of course. That's what you are. A gold digger." He muttered.

"And you an ill mannered duffer." Hugh spoke.

"Hugh." She glared at him.
"Guys. I am sorry for spoiling all this.. I did not make her fall." She asserted.

"You can stop acting like nothing ever happened after he just called you a Gold Digger. " Hugh folded his arms.

"He wasn't wrong Hugh." She answered.

"We were planning to leave. Permit us." Jasper spoke and they got up.

Ashlee walked to Dorothy and hugged her surprisingly.

"Even though I called you a b!tch, you helped me. I know you did not have a hand in it. My leg had twisted. You saved me. Thank you so much." She said.

"Oh come on. God has given you the gift of a child and he wanted to save it. I was just there by chance. And yes, now that you have such a big responsibility, don't fret over small things. Don't keep thinking that you could trip or anything wrong could happen. Be positive. Eat a lot and be happy." She wrapped her arms around Ashlee.

"Yes."

"Take care darling." She patted her back and they pulled apart.

"Nice arrangement by the way." Jasper commented.
"Thank you for coming. I guess food was fine?" She asked.

"Fine? It was brilliant." Jesse complimented.

They all left and Hugh pulled her to sit with him on the couch.

"I can't imagine how embarrassed you must be feeling. I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything. When I am surrounded by people like you, there is no problem in my life. Happy birthday once again. Now go upstairs and rest. It's late." She prodded.

"You had the dinner?" He asked.

"I was going to. Hungry." She rubbed her tummy.

"I will sit with you as you eat." He declared and she agreed.

She had the meal and they talked about random stuff.

"I had thought that you left us." Hugh said as the staff almost left.

"Oh don't worry. I'm not going away so soon. But yep. It is real kind of your to care so much. Thank you." She muttered.

"You are so mysterious." Hugh commented,  his hand supporting his face.

"Mysterious?" She paused to swallow.

"Why? I don't wear black clothes, high collars and big aviators." She wiggled her eyebrows.

"Don't you hate Ter? He is good to most of the people. But he is so mean to you. Also, he never apologises or talks nicely to you. You go around asking him about his meals, his problems, his clothes. All he does in return is shout at you, scowl at you and insult you." Hugh studied her.

"Nope. I don't. Look honey, I am no one. Nothing to him. He just has a bad temper and it comes out on me. It's okay. I don't hate him at all." She answered.

"Whatever you say, it must hurt so much to be called a gold digger. That too in front of everyone. The way he asked you to get out in front of all instead of taking your side or even evaluating the whole situation. He is bitter."

"Don't think too much Hugh! You're a new born today! Go to your room and sleep. I am good. I don't have any such ill feeling. Happy birthday once again." She finished her food and got up.

"Sending me away huh? You want to be alone to cry?" He asked.

"Cry? Me?" She chuckled. "Dex told you right that I am too shameless. Also, once you get into being a gold digger, crying is not something you can afford." A bitter truth escaped her mouth and an angry Dexter walked back to his room, from where he had been standing and stealthily listening to their conversation.

When she walked to the room that night, he didn't open the door.

She braced sleeping on the couch.

"Gold Digger." She muttered to herself in the darkness of night. Silent darkness.

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Hey Berries!
How are you people?? And how was the chappie? Hope you liked it!

I turned a year older! Hoof. Anyway. I want to thank a few people to have walked away from me. Never knew I had this cute little space in my heart that needed to be decluttered. I'm glad now I have a bigger looking heart than I had before.

And readers, did Dor just accept that she is a gold digger? Oh God. This is so wierd. Is she really? Do you think that? And what do you think Dexter should have been like during that Ashlee incident? Was it justified, what he did?

Hmm. Do tell me your opinion. It's nice to read it. 🤓

Thanks for reading!

VOTE & COMMENT!

XOXO❤