Meeting Millicent

ZOELLA

“And… send!” I mouthed as I tapped the keyboard, hitting the send icon to fire off the last of my emails for the day.

I let out a soft yawn and stretched in my small cubicle space before my gaze returned to the laptop screen. Exiting my inbox, I glanced at the time: 11:45 a.m.

I couldn’t believe it. I was actually done with work for the day. Totally unusual. Normally, I’d be drowning in tasks and stuck doing overtime. But maybe that’s because I never know how to say no to my coworkers here in the Resource Management Department. I tend to be too kind for my own good.

The buzz of my cellphone snapped me out of my thoughts. I checked the screen and smiled as the caller ID lit up: “SFAM.” That stood for Sister From Another Mother, the perfect nickname for my stepsister, Reina. Who would’ve thought we’d end up so close when my mom first married her dad fifteen years ago? But here we are.

I hit the answer button and pressed the phone to my ear, already bubbling with excitement.

“What’s the pro, Zo?” Reina’s voice came through, as upbeat as ever.

“I’m fine, Ray-ray. And I think this might be the best greeting you’ve ever come up with. It’s definitely going into the Hall of Fame nicknames,” I teased, grinning.

Reina laughed. “And… scene.” We both chuckled.

“Anyway, what are you up to?”

“Well… I’m done with work for the day, just killing time until lunch so I can eat and finally get out of here. Remember I told you my boss approved my leave request? It starts today. I want to spend some time with Dad before his birthday.”

Reina scoffed. “I seriously don’t know why you’re still at that job. It’s been, what, nearly three years now? Why won’t you just come back and work at the company? What would the media say if they found out that a billionaire tycoon’s daughter is working at a startup where the salary couldn’t even buy one of her handbags? I’m sure your coworkers hate you.”

I let out a small chuckle, brushing a stray curl from my face.

“Reina, like I’ve told you a hundred times, I am going to work at the family company. I just want to gain some first-hand experience, get a sense of things on my own. It’s not like I’ll be here forever.”

“Okay, okay. Whatever you say,” Reina conceded. “Anyway, I’ve gotta run. I’ve got a mountain of briefings to get through now that Dad’s off on his birthday vacay.”

“Yeah, me too. It’s lunch time. Let’s catch up later,” I said.

We said our goodbyes, and the call ended. I stood up from my seat and headed out for lunch, eager to leave the office and start my break.

Lunch was great. The chicken sandwich really hit the spot. I bobbed my head to the rhythm of the music playing in my car as I drove toward the family mansion. My eyes caught sight of a small shop, and I pulled the car to a stop, a smile spreading across my face as I walked into the bakery. Lucky for me, there was no line.

“I’ll have three pieces of your tiramisu cake, please,” I said to the attendant.

Dad absolutely loved the tiramisu cake from here, and I knew he'd be thrilled. After a brief wait, the attendant handed me my order, and I walked out beaming with pride, holding it up for my own gaze. Back in my car, I resumed driving, still bopping my head to the music.

Forty minutes later, I pulled up to the family mansion gate. The view never failed to overwhelm me. Imagine the biggest celebrity mansion you can think of, with state-of-the-art design, glass walkways, top-tier security, an indoor gym, a movie room, a cozy garden, over seven bedrooms, a gorgeous kitchen and dining area, and a massive library and sitting room. Now, imagine it bigger and better. That’s how the family mansion was.

It didn’t surprise me that no one was around to open the gates. Dad had given all the employees a portion of a task for his upcoming birthday, and even the guards weren’t spared. I stepped out of the car and walked over to the gate, typing in the password that would grant me access from the outside.

The gates slowly opened, and I drove in. Switching off the engine, I grabbed the tiramisu cake, giggling with excitement. Dad would be so blown away. He didn’t even know I was coming over. I made sure none of us told him. It had been a while since we’d had some father-daughter time. Oh, how I’d missed it.

I walked into the grand foyer, the smell of wealth and expensive perfume filling the air. The walls gleamed under the chandelier's glow, and some of the most expensive art pieces you could think of adorned them. The rugs were lush, Persian-made, and the entire setting was utterly out of this world. Never would I ever get tired of this view.

I stood in the grand living room, facing the staircase.

“Bedroom, library. Bedroom, library. Bedroom, library,” I said to myself as I contemplated where Dad would be.

The library was downstairs.

I let out a sigh. “Definitely bedroom.”

As I took the staircase, I heard it, the faint sound of something. Maybe I was hearing voices?

But as I took more steps toward Dad's master bedroom, the sound grew louder. I was right.

It was the unmistakable sound of moaning. What was Dad doing? Jacking off? The thought immediately made a scowl form on my face.

As I reached the bedroom door, the moans became even louder. Was Mom around? Were they making out? Should I turn around?

But no, curiosity got the better of me. The moans didn’t sound like Mom’s. Not that I knew what my Mom’s moans sounded like.

I took a deep breath and twisted the doorknob. Here goes nothing. It better be Mom, because I do not want to see Dad jacking off. Not that that would be any better—but still.

“Surprise!” I said cheerfully, raising the tiramisu cake.

But the view I saw made me freeze.

The cake slid from my hand, hitting the floor with a soft splat. My eyes widened with shock, my breathing grew shallow, my pulse quickened, and my brows furrowed. I felt myself slowly losing consciousness as both pairs of eyes stared back at me in shock.

“Dad? Andreas?” I muttered in pure horror.

My knees buckled. I couldn’t take it anymore. I think I’m going to throw up.

I slammed the door shut and quickly ran down the stairs, tears streaming down my cheeks, my hands trembling.

What the fuck?

What the fuck?

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK?!!!

My dad is sleeping with my boyfriend?