Revenge of an Heiress (Zima Triplets Trilogy #1)

Chantria

"Happy eighteenth birthday!" everyone greeted us as bottles of Champagne popped together with party poppers and other noisy kinds of stuff. It was like celebrating the new year, not our birthday. I don't even know why we have to do this in the first place.

Raising my wine of glass, I cheer with them. I am not really into wines or any type of alcohol, so does Carleigh, who is sitting beside me, looking so bored. But since this is the day when we turn legal, we let ourselves drink. There is nothing wrong with drinking now. Well, Chanel is already drinking even before she turns eighteen, so I don't really see the point.

She is already drinking her fourth one compared to the two of us, who are drinking our first glass. Or is it her fifth? Maybe seventh. I lost count.

I grimace when the wine hits my taste bud. It smells like a strawberry, but it definitely does not taste like one. It is like a sock soaked in vinegar, and I am not even kidding. I am surprised I did not vomit. I wonder how Chanel takes this almost every night. It tastes like hell.

Carleigh seems like she does not like nor dislike the wine. Her face is just on its neutral expression as usual, unchanging and unbothered. How I wish I could be like her when it comes to stuff like these. I do not want anyone to mock me about my taste in wine. I just prefer grape juice, or apple. Even Avocado.

Sitting at the couch, I watch as Chanel talks to our friends, well, her friends, whom she invited to the party. I only asked Jackson, my only friend, since I have a few friends, unlike Chanel. On the other hand, Carleigh did not invite anyone. Not even her teacher or her Judo instructor. I am not even sure if she is aware of this party until now, or if she wants to be here.

"Hey!" Chanel shouts at us, obviously already so drunk she can't walk properly anymore. Even her eyes can't focus on something or someone. If not for her friends beside her, she can be kissing the floor now.

Her friends are the same. Some of them are already leaning on our sink, probably vomiting everything they ate a while ago. It is a good thing he did not vomit on our precious marble tiles, or dad will definitely kill us three.

I laugh, staring at her state with amusement. I pick up my cellphone inside my pocket and start recording her. This is going to be fun, especially when I post this on my social media account later. Just thinking about her expression tomorrow makes me giggle in excitement. It's payback time!

"How is your birthday going?" I ask, focusing the camera on her. I also needed to shout a little because someone opened the speaker and played rock music. There are no house around, at least nothing near ours, so we don't need to worry about complaining neighbors.

She smiles widely in front of the camera. Her smudge lipstick makes me giggle more. She probably made out with her boyfriend a while ago while we were not looking. Anyone who will see the video can tell. I always advice her to put on a waterproof lipstick, or anti-smudge, or whatever they call it.

"It is superb! This is, like, the best birthday of my life. Ever!" Her friends are laughing beside her, screaming with her. But I can't understand what they are saying anymore. They are just too drunk.

Laughing, I said, "You always say that every year on our birthdays. Don't you have anything more to say? Something more fun?"

She thinks for a while, looking at our ceiling. When something crosses her mind, she laughs out loud. "Ben and I broke up a while ago after we made out. He is a good kisser, you know." She giggles, biting her lower lip. She is probably imagining things right now that I do not wish to know.

"Then, why did you break up with him if he is a good kisser?"

She laughs again, hysterically this time. "Because his d-ick is so small!" There are a series of ooh! in the crowd after what she said. Some cheer for her, and I am already laughing my a-ss off. The camera I am holding is not steady anymore because of that.

This is so much fun!

I thought she was done talking, but what she says next makes me stumble on the floor, laughing like a maniac. "Ghad, Chantria, it is so small that I can't reach my climax whenever we had s-ex. It feels better when I finger myself. What am I supposed to do? Girl needs a bigger d-ick!"

Her friends cheered for her after what she said. It seems like they are enjoying the show as much as I do. Chanel will definitely pull all my hair after I post this video. But who cares? It's not until tomorrow, so might as well enjoy now.

It looks like her boyfriend is not here anymore when I search the place. He probably left the moment my little sister broke it up with him. She can be so harsh sometimes. Ahm, okay, all the time. But that is what makes her extraordinary. She is not scared to tell everyone what she thinks.

The only downside is that because of it, she only does not make friends but enemies as well. Anyway, I don't care. I love my sisters no matter how evil or how saintly they are.

"Hey, stop it. I think it is enough." Okay, here comes the saintly sister, none other than Carleigh. "Everyone, go home! The party is over," she shouts to the guests.

I admit, she isn't really a saint when she shouts. It's like a banshee screaming.

Hearing my sister's calm but scary voice makes everyone stop laughing and drinking. They do not show any signs of refusal at her words, even though Chanel keeps on saying that the party is far from over. I also hide my phone inside my pocket as fast as I can, afraid that Carleigh will see it and scold me.

"There is still the next destination, guys. I still reserved the bar for our next stop!" She holds one of her friend's hands to stop him from going, but when he sees Carleigh's cold stare, he immediately turns around and leaves. "Guys!" Chanel pouts.

In the end, she could not stop anyone from staying. I can't really blame them. My sister can be really scare, like scary-scary. It only leaves the three of us inside the vast living room of our house with so many bottles and trashes to clean. This is what I hate the most every after parties, the cleaning.

"Let us wash you up and go to bed," Carleigh instructs Chanel. She holds her firmly between her arms and guides her towards the bathroom.

"Okay," Chanel shouts, "the three of us will continue the party. Yay!" It just makes me giggle and shake my head.

On the other hand, I start cleaning the mess since we do not have someone to clean for us. Growing up, this was one of the things our mother taught us. We do not have to spend money on things that we can do for ourselves, and we shall not let money be the center of our lives.

And I have to admit, it kind of feels fulfilling on my part, knowing that we can take care of ourselves without relying on something or someone.

Chantria

"I feel like someone is digging inside my stomach," Chanel mumbles while lying on her bed. She heaves a sigh, trying to stop whoever it is that's digging her stomach.

It seems like she is finally herself now a little since she can talk straight and without stuttering. At least she is not that drunk compared to before. Because I swear, Carleigh will not stop nagging her for the following weeks. And she is quite the nagger.

I am scanning on my news feed right now, smiling at the comments on the video I posted online. It already has thousands of likes and shares, and people are starting to pour the comment section.

Chanel hasn't seen it yet, unfortunately, but it can wait. For now, I need to let other people see it and wait for their reactions. I can't wait for her boyfriend's response as well. I wonder how he will react. Or if he has the guts to react at all. I mean, this is Chanel I am talking about. Many people love her.

"Yeah," Carleigh said, "and if you do not stop drinking like that at parties from now on, I will dig it some more myself."

I chuckle. "If I were you, Chanel, I would be threatened. She can really dig, I assure you." That's true. I remember how she punched me in the face before for punching another guy. Well, that's something that needs to be buried in the past forever.

Sighing in defeat, she says, "Alright, I won't anymore. It just gives me headaches every morning anyway."

I chuckle again, reading Samantha's comment about the video, saying she can suggest names if I want. And she is sure the guys she knows have bigger d-icks, just like Chanel wants it.

I immediately reply to her to send the list privately, but not to me, to Chanel. And when she says that she already did, I look at Chanel's reaction as she fishes from the pocket of her pajamas. I do not try to hide my facial expression because there is really no need to. I just want to enjoy this little revenge of mine.

At first, her eyebrows crease at whatever it is she's reading, then she starts typing so fast. After a while, her eyebrows crease some more, then more typing. She suddenly sits up straight abruptly, watching something on her phone. That is my cue to stand and go inside the bathroom to hide temporarily from the wrath of my little sister.

"Chantria! How dare you?"

I am laughing out loud inside the bathroom after I lock the door. A banging from outside startles me for a while, but I just go back to laughing. I play the video I took of her and makes the volume louder for them to hear. I snort.

"Ben and I broke up a while ago after we made out. He is a good kisser, you know."

"Then, why did you break up with him if he is a good kisser?"

"Because his d-ick is so small! Ghad, Chantria, it is so small that I can't reach my climax whenever we had s-ex. It feels better when I finger myself. What am I supposed to do? Girl needs a bigger d-ick!"

"I am going to pull all your teeth when you get out there. I swear!" Chanel growls from the door, still banging. "Why did you upload this? Argh!" She makes a gagging sound. "My stomach is turning again. I want to vomit."

"Why are you so mad?" I ask. "There is nothing wrong with the video."

"You are well aware of why I am angry, Chantria. Everything about the video is wrong!" She is still growling, but her voice calms for a while before she continues. "Okay, not the part where I broke up with Ben and the d-ick part because all of those are true. But come on, Chantria! I look like a mess in the video. My hair, my lipstick, my ghad!"

That makes me shake my head. I know that it is not about the words she said but more about her appearance. She hates it when her picture, or video, gets leaked like this. That is because she always wants to be presentable and gorgeous in everything that she is posting online.

Not this time, though.

"This is called revenge, Chanel!" I shout from inside the bathroom. My voice echoes, and it is like my voice is bouncing on my ears continuously. I laugh like a witch and wait for her response.

"What? I didn't do anything to you –oh!"

I roll my eyes even though she can't see me. "Remember somethin' now?" I ask sarcastically.

"Well, I can't do anything about that. Dad threatened to cut off my card if I did not tell the truth. What am I suppose to do?"

"So, you chose your card over your sister, huh?" My voice has an accusing tone in it, but I intend it to sound like that. She needs to know that I am still upset at what she did. And all of that is for her card, all for money. I don't care about being grounded, though, since I barely go out of my room anyway.

"I didn't know dad would ground you because you didn't attend the meeting that was supposed to be your debut at the company. Take note, the company that is going to be yours soon. What were you thinking? Can you imagine the embarrassment on dad's face while waiting for his daughter to come, and no one came? If I was in that position, I would not just ground you. I would freeze your card as well. Better yet, freeze you to death."

I heave a sigh, thinking about the things she said. Right, it was partly my fault for not attending, but I am not supposed to show my face in the company until my eighteenth birthday. That was my condition, and I was not ready yet. And they knew that.

"Hey," a soft voice whispers outside. I know that voice really well. Only Carleigh can make her voice as smooth as that. Chanel is more like the boombox type of person. She doesn't know how to whisper. She likes it loud.

One time, when we were just kids, she shouted at my ears so loud. She was so angry at me. But it was too late when she realized that I was crying in pain. All I could hear was the ringing inside my ears, like a radio's static or television with a bad signal. Our mom rushed me to the hospital, and Chanel cried so hard even though I had already stopped.

I open the door with a glum look painted on my face. "I am going to inherit the company, Carleigh. I have already accepted it for you. I know how much you hate our dad's company, and you have a dream of your own that you want to pursue. But I was just not ready yet. At least, I am now since I am already eighteen."

"That is not what I am about to say." I chuckle but doesn't say a word. "I am sorry."

I pout. "I told you never to apologize again, didn't I?"

"But still, I'm sorry. If not for me, you won't even have to inherit anything. We all hated dad's company. The three of us didn't want to have any affiliation with one of the Big Three."

"Yeah, but someone has to." I bit my lower lip. "And I will. I don't know what I want or what I dream of anyway. So, maybe I'll just go with his company. Maybe, just maybe, I will come to love it."

Carleigh stares at me. The kind of stare that is telling me so many things without the need of the mouth. I hug her, and later on, Chanel joins our little circle even though I am still upset at what she did. At least we are even now because of the video.

I just can't stop thinking about what happened these past few months as I nuzzle on their hug.

Chantria

A lot of things had happened in our lives even though we were still kids. Our mom died on the same date as our baptismal day before we could even go to church. It was a few days from today's date. We couldn't get ourselves together at her funeral. We cried a lot that I couldn't even remember how we got home.

After the funeral service, our dad went to work like nothing had happened. He instructed the butlers and maids to send us to school the next day like he didn't care for our feelings. It was like he was telling us, 'You already cried a lot at the funeral. Get yourselves together. We still have a lot of things to do.'

But I didn't hate him for that. I know how painful it was for him, like how it was for us. We knew that he was just trying to put on a strong façade so that we would, too.

Not too long after our mom passed away, my dad announced that Carleigh, the second-born and the most intelligent one, was going to inherit his business. And when I mean his business, his principal business since he has a lot of company running. But she has a dream. She wants to be something else. She doesn't want to inherit our dad's business or anything that our dad has.

And so, being the eldest and the second in line, I volunteered to do it. Since I don't know what I want to do with my life, I might as well do something right. I will inherit it on behalf of my sister. In exchange, I want to do it when I turn eighteen. Until then, I want to enjoy my teenage years.

"I'm sorry, again," Chanel whispers, probably sleepy already since it is three in the morning right now. She is lying on her bed, our bed, nuzzling on the pillow that is supposed to be mine. But I let her anyway. Her voice is already soft, which only happens when she's asleep or about to fall asleep. "I didn't mean to tell dad where you went that day. He will find out about it anyway."

I sigh, closing my eyes while hugging a pillow that is lying on my stomach. I am staring at the ceiling where it looks like a stary night because of the lamp we bought. It's only effective when the lights are off. "Forget it. I'll talk to him tomorrow. He said he had a gift for us, a trip. That means I am not grounded anymore, right?"

"Probably."

Carleigh remains quiet at my right side. When I look at her, she is staring at the ceiling, wide awake. There is no sign that she is going to sleep anytime soon. I know that look very well. She is probably thinking about something she shouldn't have.

I sigh. "I am going to inherit the business, so worrying about it right now is useless, Leigh. Let me do my job as the eldest sister."

"I am just thinking. Dad will probably not let me go to Maryland College because I didn't inherit his business. And I can't go there without his money."

I lie on my side, so I am now facing her. Chanel is already snoring behind me, leaving the two of us to talk about this since this involves just us.

"I am going to inherit dad's business. That means I get a hold of his money. I will make sure that you are going in there just fine, even if I have to use all of his money. And don't they offer a scholarship? You are smart. You will probably go in just fine."

"You know there is a lot of books I need, and there will be field works. It will still cost me money even if I get a scholarship. This is Maryland we are talking about."

I nod. "Do you really want to be a police officer? You know, you are too beautiful to become a police officer. You will fit more as a beauty queen."

She rolls her eyes at the ceiling. I know that is for me, though. "I'd rather deal with criminals and guns than the crowd."

I giggle, but it is immediately replaced with a sigh. "I just hope that dad will not be too hard on you. He tends to be so strict sometimes that it is suffocating. After mom died, he has been like that. And somehow, I understand. He just wants what is best for us. But I know you don't take it that way. You don't like being controlled, right?"

"I always follow the rules," she said with certainty, "you know that."

"I do. But following and wanting are two different things. You follow the rules, but do you want to?"

She closes her eyes, and I mirror her. I am starting to feel sleepy after that talk. We always talk about serious stuff like this because I know she can understand. Chanel probably can't understand us, but she will, eventually. We just don't want her to get involved too much right now.

It is enough with just me and Carleigh for now. We don't want the same thing to happen to Chanel. We want what is best for her, being the youngest of us triplets.

We will spoil her if we have to. But there is a limit to that, and we all know that. I just don't want her to experience what we are experiencing right now. At least we want to save Chanel from all this inheritance and career drama. We want her to choose what she wants, not what other people ask of her. Even if it is against our own father.

Once I inherited the business, I am going to support my siblings with everything I can. According to our father, they can only inherit their share once they graduate. On the other hand, I don't need to follow that. I can inherit the main business as long as I want to.

The problem is, right now, I am not interested yet. I want to know more about this thing that I am going to put myself into since I am going to deal with businessmen and mafias. I heard one of the Big Three is owned by a mafia boss. And it is not something that I need to take lightly.

They can take me down so quickly before I even inherit the business.