The environment at the table had turned intense after Ryan's continuous daring questions. It was highly clear now that both the siblings were knowingly trying to be ill-mannered for my sake. I wanted to stop them but I also wanted to listen to my half-brother's response.

Pete raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean, my sisters?"

He wasn't looking happy.

Ryan chuckled. "I mean, yes. Along with the younger brother. You can come too. We can all have fun-"

"Don't you have to prepare for the Army or something? Who has time for such long vacations?" Pete said rudely and I was highly offended. "Study and make your career."

"It's okay, Ryan. I also have to look for colleges. I will barely have time for vacations. It's not like I go every year." I said, smiling. "I am here, having fun with Gran. What say, my old lady?"

Gran chuckled, giving a raise of her wine glass. But mom seemed unhappy. Her face had dulled from sadness.

Ryan let out a humorless chuckle. "That's what you always say, Misty. I am sure, even when the day of your wedding would come, Your Dad would still be presiding over the village. Gran would be there to hand you over to your groom. To basically, me."

Pete punched the table, his eyes glaring at Ryan. "Excuse me?"

"You could say Yes that your Dad would come to handover Misty to her groom, simply," Ryan said while eating a piece of the cake.

Pete couldn't answer as he was still glaring at Ryan. My heart started beating faster from watching what just happened. While mom put a hand on Pete's shoulder.

"Of course, why not. Misty is our daughter. We would all come. But before that you will have to win her and our hearts."

Ryan grinned at my mom. "I am forever ready, ma'am. But Mr. Brown never shows up. It's just one day for Misty. You know, my dad says that parents are more important than anything. I wonder why Mr. Brown never comes back to see his mother."

Pete stood up from the table and before any of us could react, he walked out through the main door, banging it after him.

Mom let out a shy laugh. "I am sorry, he has a temper. He's just. . ."

"It's alright, Mrs. Brown."

Lexi interrupted, "Sorry to suggest this, But I was thinking why you'd never thought about exchanging kids. I mean, you could have taken Misty for some time to the village and leave any of her younger siblings here."

Mom was silent this time. The anger and discomfort were now visible.

"Misty doesn't look like you, that much. I wonder if she looks like her Dad." Lexi further said, not stopping, trying to be this much manner less for my sake. I was forever thankful for these friends of mine. But here, it was a Werewolf we were dealing with.

"Enough, Lexi. Try eating something." I muttered, lowering my eyes and eating pasta that Gran made.

Lexi didn't stop and to my horror, she blurted out. "Do you remember, Gran? Mr. Harper from 61-D."

Gran nodded quietly, waiting for this unexpected enjoyable show that was going on for her. "That old man. Damn! I had a fling for him last year. Not now, he broke his hip months ago."

Ryan explained, "Dad is handling the waterworks for his property in the neighboring city. They were talking about Gran and suddenly Mr. Harper asked him if Andrew was fine."

Mom stiffened all of a sudden. The fork fell from her hand while I gulped wide-eyed. Gran too was looking at me questioningly. I shook my head at her and immediately pinched Lexi's thigh who was still Keen on putting her doubts.

"But Misty's father is Mr. Gilbert Brown. Right? Then, who is Andrew."

"Enough!" Gran yelled, getting up from the table and picking up her plates. "It's my granddaughter's birthday. Stop this quiz show, eat the cake and leave."

Ryan laughed to lighten off the environment while I couldn't understand what was happening.

I realized that I wasn't even eating anymore. I was playing with my fork.

"You know, Mrs. Brown. I don't know, how do you take Misty? But she is smart and genius. She realized everything. She just doesn't say it to not hurt you. Even now, she is doing the same." Lexi said while getting up, wiping her hands with tissues.

"We are done with the cake and now, leaving. It was a great party, Gran. If Misty cries when Mrs. Brown leaves, call me." She said while giving me a kiss on the cheek.

Ryan followed her minus the kiss on my cheek and both the siblings took their coats, wearing them and left the house.

Silence hung on the dining table and I couldn't muster up the courage to even meet Mom's eyes whose harsh breathing I could hear so well.

Gran came back to the drawing-room, her face blank. "I am sorry for what just happened. Misty has found the box and she has often shared her doubts with her friends. They are just her well-wishers and went too far-"

"No. No." Mom said while getting up from the table. Her voice sounded weak. "They are such great friends to Misty. I am happy to see this."

"You should take some rest before you leave," Gran suggested while I looked at Mom who was nodding and rubbing her forehead. She even started walking towards the room when I got up angrily.

"Oh my God! Look at you! You are shameless." I blurted out, glaring at her.

She stopped and her eyes widened at me. Gran took my name in warning but I shook my head.

"She realizes that by now, I could be knowing everything. But she is still pretending that I am fine with all this shi.t going on?" I cried, glaring at her.

"Misty?" Mom whispered out, staring at me in shock.

"I know who Andrew is. Was." I said, and her face turned blank. "I know, he was my true father," I said, my voice loud and booming. "I know, your husband killed him. This Dad you talk about is none other than your aggressive husband."

Mom's eyes showed hurt for a second but then, I saw a sudden fury when she turned to look at Gran.

"Don't even dare think about touching my Gran. She didn't tell me anything. It was me who found out. I am not a dumb person. I am smarter than my father, I had known your monstrous reality before your husband could kill me," I said.

Mom stepped ahead, her hands reaching out to grab my arms. Her eyes piercing mine. "No. You don't understand-"

Tears left my eyes, as I whispered, "I understand that I am nothing but a mark of your fling with my father. I understand now why Pete, Eva, Thomas, Natalie are more lovable to you and I am not."

She shook her head, her eyes filling up. "No, baby. No. You don't get it."

"I get it now, Mom. I don't have a Dad. I have just Gran. You come here each year pretending to maintain that contact with me so you won't feel guilty about using my father's love to mend your broken heart."

A tear left mom's eyes and my heartbeats fastened.

"You don't have to do it now. I didn't have the heart to face you this way in the morning. So, I am doing it now. I am happy with Gran and I don't need your gifts and money." I told her, sobbingly.

When she kept staring at me in shock, her eyes showed hurt. I clenched my jaws and walked towards my extra room on the left side of the house. Opening it, I brought out the suitcase in which I had packed all the gifts she had brought me all these years.

"This is not needed. You were doing it all to keep my heart. But it's not needed anymore. God will bless you for taking care of my feelings for a day a year. Giving me a hope that I had a family who just lived apart. Nothing bad at that." I wiped my tears from my hands and took the suitcase at the door.

"I don't want you coming here anymore. I want you out. You don't have to put the show on anymore-" A hand came upon my wrist, and I looked at Mom who started sobbing wildly.

"Misty, try to listen to me. I didn't know what to do. I was helpless-"

"I have spent so many functions without parents. I have no sibling to play with. All I have is Gran, Lexi, and Ryan. This home, and the photographs of my late Dad." I sobbed, and gritted teeth while opening the main door.

"Misty, no." Gran looked horrified, her eyes wide.

"No. Gran. I am not afraid of her crazy husband. It must be easy for him to send them like this. But pretending, this facade is suffocating me." I cried, glaring at mom.

"I don't want to see this woman, ever. You shouldn't have ever given me birth. A life like this is worse than not existing."

"Misty, no." Mom tried to remove my hand from the suitcase that I was struggling to move out of the door.

"Fucking leave me. I hate you. I don't have any of these facades in my home. It's just me and Gran," I kicked the suitcase in anger when Mom didn't stop leaving my wrist.

The suitcase wheeled on the stairs, bumping and topping until it landed in front of Pete who was standing beside the black SUV with his nostrils flaring.

He could hear everything.

"No." Mom screamed, jumping on the stairs, kneeling at the porch, picking up the pieces of toy-house she had brought me when I was little. "No," she sobbed, trying to join the pieces while I stared at her, my heart crushing with each second passing.

"Mom, enough." Pete came forward, glancing at me with furious eyes. Gran came behind me, trying to pass me but I stopped her.

"She needs to leave forever," I told Gran, sternly while looking back at the front, catching Pete trying to put the toys back in the suitcase.

"Misty, sweetie. I never loved you any less," mom said while looking at me. Her face was red from crying. "I have always loved you so much. You are a part of my heart. You need to hear me out-"

I shook my head, wiping a tear that flowed smoothly. "Just leave."

Pete glared at me, his eyes as sharp as an eagle. "Mom?" He snatched the pieces from mom's hand, and scolded, "Enough, mom."

The voice was so loud and bold, I was shaken and scared.

Mom left the piece and looked up in his eyes, her lips curling as she sobbed in his chest. "Please tell her the truth. Please tell her that I can't stay without reaching her. . ."

"Shhh. . ." Pete silenced her, rubbing her back, and with another hand, he locked the suitcase. He made her stand up and went back to put the suitcase inside while glaring at me.

He was opening the door for mom, when Mom moved back, looking back at me.

I shook my head. "I don't need you, anymore. Thanks for your efforts all these years. That was worst than living a life like an orphan."

She covered her mouth, gasping, and immediately Pete manhandled her, holding her arms, making her sit inside the car.

"You shouldn't have done this," Gran murmured, fearfully. Her voice was broken.

"I don't like liars and cheats," I said out loud, my voice still hoarse from crying.

Pete swiped up the glass, blocking mom from saying anything.

Another tear flowed my eye and I hugged Gran from sideways. My heart was crying in guilt. I had never made someone cry like this.

"Your anger is reasonable," Pete said, looking at us. His eyes piercing mine. "But you should have heard the other side of the story before doing this to her, Misty." His nostrils flared, not showing much emotion shown as if this kind of fight was nothing for him, except that he didn't like his mother was crying.

"What part of the story?" I voiced out hoarsely before he could even move towards his door. "Not being a human?"

His eyes widened.

"Misty," Gran's cry filled my ear.

My heart thundered in uncertainty when Pete's eyes moved from mine to Gran, slowly and they narrowed on her.

As if it was a 3D movie scene, a magical glimpse, a horrifying illusion or I was going crazy---Pete's nostrils flared and a faint growl was heard. I could swear, I saw a flash of gold in his eyes, he sneered at Gran.

"Don't you fucking dare," I managed to whisper, my tears flowing wildly in horror when my eyes met Mom's who was watching us in shock.

"Pete," Mom screamed.

The man I used to call brother all these years, now looked like a monster ready to feed on my grandmother.

Pete hands collected in fists, his jaws clenched tightly as he glared at us.

"This isn't done, Misty." He warned me before turning around and walking towards the door, getting inside the car, slamming the car door as loud as possible that I was afraid it had come off.

My eyes widened as I realized the extent of what I had just done despite Gran's warning. She had told me not to show it and I just threw my mom out of the house. Thinking of her, my eyes moved to her window, catching her worriedly shaking her head at me. To squeeze more of my heart that was left, she mouthed, 'I love you' before Pete finally drove off, leaving both of us in a silence full of horror and uncertainty.

"You just signed off my death," Gran broke the silence.

______

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