Chapter 2 The Arrival

"Arrival...wait, is he coming back?" Of all the things Mr. Darwin could have said, Macy never imagined that this would be it. The playmate she had not seen in twelve years was finally coming back home.

Macy remembered how sassy and rude he was to her and her mother. Taking her toys, pulling all sorts of prank.

She could remember on her eleventh birthday, Mr. Darwin had thrown her a surprise party. It was princess themed, and he asked William who was just six back then, to play the role of a knight who was always protecting the princess. But instead he dropped a toad in her dress, causing her to strip in front of the party guest.

Macy wasn't the only one who fell victim to his childish pranks. Her mother also suffered from it, and whenever she tried to talk to him, he would call her a gold digger and ask her to leave his father.

She was relieved when he suddenly announced that he wanted to further his education in England. For the past twelve years, William had been in London, rejecting all his father's requests for him to come back home.

Just a few weeks ago, he said since he was done with his college, he wanted to get a job because he wasn't interested in taking over his father's company.

What could have changed his mind in such a short period of time?

"He'll be arriving in a week and–"

"A week?!"

"Yes, I was just as shocked as you are when he told me. He said he changed his mind about working in England, and he would like to be with his family again after so long."

He changed his mind? Just like that? Macy was having a hard time believing it. Knowing her obnoxious playmate, he probably got into trouble with some shady group, and he was on the run.

Mr. Darwin turned to the cleaners. "You have been with this family for a very long time, so I'm sure I don't need to tell you what William likes and what he doesn't."

"Of course sir. We know young master William has zero tolerance for dirt so we'll make sure to leave no stone unturned."

"Good. And change the furnitures and curtains as well. You can talk to Macy's mother about that, I want everything to be perfect for him."

Macy frowned and crossed her arms. "Isn't this a bit much for a prodigal son? I mean, for all we know he could just be coming here to hide from someone. Or maybe just like he actual prodigal son, he's out of money."

"Honey, be nice. It has been so long and you two are practically siblings." Her mother cautioned. "You should be happy he decided to come back, that way we can be one happy family again." She smiled but Macy was nowhere near a smiling mood.

"I think we're happy enough without him around." She muttered, averting her eyes from her mother's watchful gaze.

"Macy-"

"No Nora, it's fine." Mr Darwin said. "Macy dear, I understand that you and William didn't really get along well, but that was in the past. You're both adults now, I know for a fact that William will be nice to you. That is why I am asking you to be nice to him as well, after all he is like your baby brother. And no matter what he does, the bond of siblings lasts for an eternity."

Macy was almost tempted to say 'but we're not even real siblings' but she knew that if she did, not only would it hurt her Mr. Darwin, her mother would feel bad too.

"Macy, if I'm not demanding too much, I'd like to ask you to be friendly with your brother when he returns. You know he has been away from home for so long, a lot has changed in our neighborhood since he was last here. Please show him around."

She wanted to protest but one glare from her mother made her swallow her words. "Sure." She smiled.

The 'brother' she hated so much was coming back home, and now she was stuck on babysitting duty.

Mr. Darwin talked about some other things, ranging from house maintenance to work related topics. Macy's mind was hardly present but she felt it might be rude to leave, so she stayed put.

"Macy,"

She looked up at him and she could immediately tell that something was wrong. He forced a smile on but Macy could see right through it. The unmistakable look of guilt.

"There's no easy way for me to say this but, I would like to make some changes." He started.

"Changes?"

"Listen dear, I know you have been working hard for me, even while you were still in school. I appreciate all you've done, and in all sincerity, I do believe that you're the right person to take over the company when I retire..."

No.

No way. Was her dream being taken away from her before she even had the chance to fulfill it?

"... but, I'm afraid that William's return changes things." He paused, pursing his lips.

"Changes things?" She knew what he was going to say next but she still prayed and hoped that she was wrong.

"I want William to take over the company."

Of course he did.

Macy lived with her mother in a small town in New Orleans. She had lost her father in an accident when she was only a toddler, leaving her mother alone to carry the load meant for two.

Back then finding a job wasn't exactly an easy task as there were little to no businesses that wanted to hire women. She eventually got a job as a sales rep in a small store run by a greedy crook.

She managed to provide for their needs for a while before luck shined down on her. She met Mr. Darwin Sinclair, a billionaire who also happened to be a single father. Macy's mom hit it off with Mr Sinclair and before she knew it, she was whisked away to a life of comfort.

He brought them to New York and gave them a new home in the luxurious Sinclair mansion.

Macy was more than grateful for the huge growth in their lifestyle. They went from having nothing, to having more than enough. The only downside to her new life was the impossible playmate that came with it.

Mr Sinclair always treasured Macy, it was almost impossible for people to tell that he wasn't her birth father. Naturally her mother tried to do the same with William. She wanted more than anything for the little prick to see her as a mother figure, but he was too much of a pain in the ass to make her wish come true.

Mr. Darwin did his best in caring for both kids, he always tried to treat both of them equally, but it didn't always work out some times. On some occasions, William's needs and preferences were placed over her own. They weren't all that much, but as a growing child, Macy still noticed it. She came to the conclusion that no matter how hard a person might try, it was impossible to favor someone else's child over your own.

Still, Macy worked hard to prove that she belonged in the Sinclair family. Simply being the daughter of a woman he liked wasn't enough, she had to be his daughter as well. After William went off to London, it was obvious that Mr. Darwin was greatly affected by it, so she did her best to fill his shoes.

She did her best to show him hat she was responsible enough to handle his position after his retirement, and after she graduated from college, he finally acknowledged her. She was supposed to take business training for three years before she could take on the role of the family CEO.

Now, with only a few months left in her training, an entitled brat was coming back to take it all away from her.

"I hate you William Sinclair."