Chapter 3 A family affair

Victoria pulled up into her father's driveway, relieved to see her brother's car was already parked there. Her father had invited all her siblings for a long overdue family dinner. It had been a long time since she had gone to her father's house because she'd been too busy with work but now she had a very important favor to ask of one of her older brothers.

"Jacob!" she exclaimed, and ran straight into the arms of her first brother greeting him with a bear hug.

"What about me, am I getting a hug too", Aaron her other brother pouted, as he climbed out of his car.

"I am glad to see you too, Aaron", she whispered to him.

"It's so good to see you, Vic. I have missed you so much". Jacob, her oldest brother, worked as a manager in an interior decorating company and was always busy.

"Come on let go inside, I am starving", Aaron said, slinging an arm over Victoria's shoulders as they walked to the door.

On entering the house, a waft of freshly home cooked meals teased her nostrils. She'd missed her father's cooking.

"Where's Anthony", she asked, giving her father a hug.

"Where else will he be if not seated in front of the television watching a baseball match?"

She slipped past father making her way into her brother's bedroom. Anthony sat on a sofa, legs spread out watching an ongoing baseball game.

"Anthony," she called.

"Hey little sis," he pulled her into a bear hug.

"I've something to tell you and it is really important." She said going straight to the point.

"Does it have something to do with the agency?". He must have sensed the note of urgency in her voice.

"It does, well, I have this client. He is a really important one I want to land and I need your help with that."

"Ok where do I come in".

"I want you to agree to be an endorser for his new collection of sportswear, if you could agree to it will help me to win points with him and we could finally secure this contract".

Anthony was one of the most successful baseball players in the industry but he didn't take endorsement deals. She had to convince him because it would really help her to win Augustine over.

Her brother didn't say anything for a long time and she thought he would refuse.

"Honestly I still don't like the idea of you working when we could easily provide for you but since you say it means a lot to you I will agree to do it just for you."

"Thanks a lot Tony, you are the best big brother in the world." She was delighted that at least one of her problems had been solved.

Dinner was an amazing affair. It had been a long time since the whole family had gathered together like this. Despite the circumstances that had happened to her in the past she was happy she was with her family.

Because of her delicate looks and her ability to want to believe the good in everyone, her family had thought that she didn't need a career. All she had to do was sit pretty and be provided for. So she hadn't been forced to be a good student or have a career. She had ignored all their objections and had gone to college and thereafter graduated top of the class. After hearing she'd chosen a demanding profession like advertising, they'd been trying to get her to stop for years now. After the betrayal she'd gone through five years ago they'd tried to make her give up her career but it had only made her more determined to succeed.

It wasn't easy. New Haven was a prestigious firm and after being blackballed by them, no agency wanted to hire her. She'd had no choice but to come back home but anytime a new agency heard where she'd previously worked, they immediately withdrew their offer of a job. Nobody wanted to believe that she was framed, until she'd met Marshall. He was her high school senior and was the only one apart from her family who believed her. He'd given her a job in his advertising agency and she'd worked twice as hard to make up for his trust in her.

She didn't want to think about the past but she still felt hurt by it anytime she remembered it. Rising up from the chair, she shook her angry thoughts away.

"I will be leaving now, I will call you when I get home," she said, kissing her father on the cheeks.

She waved her brothers goodbye, with a smile on her face, happy that at least she could present an offer to Augustine that he couldn't refuse.

THE NEXT MORNING

Augustine walked into his suite of offices with a grumpy mood. He'd woken up late and had missed a very important meeting. His secretary hadn't contacted him about the change in schedule and it had left him feeling helpless. He nodded a good morning to his receptionist but paused when she came running up to him with a concerned expression on her face.

"She's in there, I couldn't stop her from entering," Leah said in a hushed whisper.

He raised an eyebrow when he realized she was gesturing to his office.

"Who's she?" he demanded impatiently. He had a ton of work to get back to and he didn't have time for his receptionist shenanigans.

"It's Miss Williams sir, she barged in looking for you. She said she wouldn't leave until you came in". He sighed. It was just his luck. Today was definitely not his lucky day.

He opened the door to his office and there she was seated there like she owned the place. Sometimes he wondered what he saw in her that made him almost marry her. She crossed the room, walking towards him, her face changing into one of fake pain.

"Your mother told me you were coming to the wedding. I am so happy you are finally able to put the past behind you and finally accept me as your brother's wife," she said dramatically. She'd put on a good show, he'd almost believed her.

"Jessica I am sure you didn't come all the way here just to tell me that," he'd already had enough of her nonsense and just wanted to get rid of her.

"Your mother also told me you were bringing a date. Does she know she is just a mere substitute for me? You can't fool me. I know you are not over me yet after all I was your first love. You haven't dated anyone seriously since we broke up, cause you are still in love with me."

How could someone be so delusional? Jessica was just so wrapped up in her world, she thought the world revolved around her. Did she seriously think he was still pining over her?

"You can have it both ways Jessica. You are about to get married to my brother so why are you here? The love I had for you died the day I caught you in bed with my older brother, so if you have nothing better to do leave my office before I call security. He was slowly losing his cool, the nerve of her to come here to his office and talk rubbish.

"Fine, then bring your date. But you and I know that you will never be happy without me."

With that she stalked out of the office, angrily banging the door behind her.

Augustine sank into his chair. He mentally thanked his brother for stealing her away from him. He needed to show that he had already moved on to someone better and only one person could help him with that. He wondered how Victoria would feel about a fake engagement with him.