Malia’s POV

“WHAT?” I screamed as tears rolled down my face.

The eyes of everyone at the beach were suddenly on me but I didn’t care.

“Please arrive at The William mansion within the next two days, have a nice day Ma’am,” the voice on the other end of the call said sharply.

“What are you saying right now?” I asked in total confusion as my tears became uncontrollable.

“Wait… hello?” I asked in panic but I quickly realized that the call had ended.

“No….no…no,” I repeated in disbelief as I tried to redial the number that had just called me.

It didn’t ring and I was redirected to voicemail, my hands were shaking as I looked at the phone with my tear-blinded eyes.

My whole world crashed in an instant, and so many thoughts clouded my mind all at once, was this really happening, had my stubbornness finally gotten the best of me and led to my greatest pain?

“It’s a lie… it’s a prank,” I said bursting out in laughter as the tears rolling down my cheeks didn’t stop.

“It’s just a sick prank,” I shouted trying to convince myself that the news I just heard was fake.

My brain was functioning merely enough to think to call Lisa, the housekeeper, surely she could confirm for me that this news was a lie.

“H….Hello, Lisa,” I stammered as she finally picked up the phone but I was met with silence followed by gentle sobs.

“NOOOOOO!!!” I screamed in absolute horror, this was all I needed to confirm that the news was true.

“Pleaseeeeee,” I pleaded with Lisa, hoping she would say anything else.

But she ended the call as her sobs got louder and she couldn’t contain the tears anymore.

“Why…?” I whispered as I suddenly felt very weak.

I didn’t know where I was anymore, It felt like I was sinking into a black hole, I closed my eyes welcoming the darkness as it took over my mind but it did nothing to numb my pain.

“Mummy, mummy, mummy!!!” I heard from a distance, where was it coming from, was Ella somewhere in this darkness?

I suddenly felt someone shake me aggressively and my eyes popped open to the sight of my daughter’s tear-stained face.

“Mummy, mummy,” she kept crying and I wondered why, I was right there.

“Ella baby, mummy is right here,” I said but it came out as a whisper, I might have lost my voice with all that screaming.

“Mummy?” she said as she cleaned her eyes, thankfully she heard my whisper.

“Come here, baby,” I said as I hugged her tightly.

“What’s going on Lia?” Susan, my best friend finally asked, her face puzzled and worried.

“My father is dead,” I said dryly, just then the realization of those words hit me like a moving train.

I started feeling light-headed and the last thing I could hear were Ella and Susan’s screams.

“Mummy…. Lia…..” they screamed in unison as I felt myself fall back into the darkness.

I opened my eyes to the sight of a fireplace, I was lying on a big fluffy bed and it was raining outside.

I tried to sit up but I felt this sharp headache and immediately laid back down, I couldn’t remember anything and I tried to probe my brain for details when it suddenly hit me.

“Attorney Edward on the line, I am calling to inform you that your father has passed away and you are required to be at his mansion in two days for the reading of his will,” Those words…. The beginning of my misery and the reason I was wetting my pillow with tears.

I told myself I wasn’t going to believe it till I saw it for myself so I got up ignoring the piercing headache, and looked around, I recognized this place to be Susan’s room so I walked out, my room was just next door.

“Mummy?” Ella’s voice came slicing out immediately I opened the door.

“Shhhhhh, mummy is here now,” I silenced her as we hugged.

“Are you okay mummy?” she whispered with a concerned look.

“Yes, mummy, is fine, I was just a little tired,” I lied not wanting her to worry about me.

“We are going back home,” I said changing the topic and focusing on why I came to our room in the first place.

“Really,” she almost screamed but I held her mouth forcing her to keep quiet.

“Go get your box, we are packing our things tonight,” I instructed as I turned my face to our wardrobe.

It had been seven long years since I felt that city and planned never to look back till my child was at least sixteen but unexpected circumstances have changed my plans.

“Put it all in,” I instructed an eager Ella, ensuring she didn’t forget anything.

“Are we going to come back here mummy?” she asked looking up at me.

“Maybe,” I replied never really thinking of it until now.

As my father’s only child, the weight of his entire business empire was going to be on my shoulders and I may not have the time to travel anymore.

“I need to get back home first, every other thing would sort itself out,” I whispered reassuring myself of my decision.

We had finished packing after three long hours and were ready to go, I had buried the broken part of me deep within at this point, I needed to confirm the truth before anything else.

“Let’s go, princess,” I told her as we carried our bags and moved towards the door.

Coming out of our room, we saw Susan with an already packed bag walk out of her room also.

“You won’t have to go through this alone,” she said with a smile as we moved towards the exit of the beach house we were at and entered the cab.

“Thank you,” I managed to whisper after what felt like hours, she just squeezed my hand in reply.

On getting to the airport, we took a sit waiting for the boarding of our flight.

“WHAT??” I screamed in shock as I looked at the TV screen, if the death of my father didn’t destroy me, this definitely would.