Chapter 62: CLEARED RUMORS
Erika fitted perfectly in the family without much struggle and they all chatted as one.
"Uncle," someone called out and everyone turned to face the caller. It was Felix and he brought a date along with him. Erika searched around with her eyes Incase she could sight Monica and she did. Monica and the man age assumed to be jake were walking behind Felix and his date which made Erika wonder if the pair of couples took the same car or arrived at the same time.
"You finally came. I thought you wouldn’t come this year", Mr Anderson remarked.
"I’m sorry uncle but am here now. Happy birthday", he wished her and his date followed suit.
Erika excused herself and strode towards her best friend.
"So how is it going?" She asked.
"Oh, Erika, It’s a good thing that you are here, this is my boyfriend, Jake Wilson and Jake, this is my best friend in the whole wide world, Erika Walters", Monica introduced the both of them.
Jake stretched out his hand towards Erika for a handshake and said, "Hi".
Erika enclasped their hands together for a second before releasing, "Hi." Just as Erika has expected when Monica mentioned that he was a model, Jake was thin but not too thin for a man his height and his facial looks screamed handsome. A man with his looks would definitely have thousands of women chasing after him. He had better be a good man and not hurt the feelings of my bestie, Erika thought to herself.
Monica and Jake walked towards Mr Anderson and wished him a happy birthday. Erika went back to Ethan’s side and the latter whispered in her ears,
"See, I told you you were worrying for nothing. Everyone accepts you and even if they didn’t, I don’t care", Ethan whispered to Erika who wasn’t as tensed up as she was when they arrived earlier.
"You are right, I was worrying for nothing. Your parents are really sweet", she complimented.
"Thank you. By the way, when will your parents get here?" He asked.
"They are coming?" Erika asked in surprise. Why did she suddenly feel like this was the day when the in laws meet to finalize a wedding?
Everyone had arrived when it was time for Mr Anderson to cut the cake. A happy birthday song was also sang to him. Ethan and Erika were standing at a corner watching Mr Anderson accepting gifts from people and they smiled until a familiar figure came forward and handed her own gift.
"Happy birthday uncle, I wish you long life and good health", Jasmine wished for the old man.
"Thank you Jasmine", Mr Anderson smiled at her words.
Erika looked at Ethan and asked, "Did you know that she was coming here?"
"Yes, my father invited her and her family to the party", he replied.
"Oh I see", Erika said.
After Jasmine placed her gift on the table, she looked at the direction where Erika and Ethan were standing and went to them.
"Ethan, it’s so nice to see you here. You should have waited for me so that we would come here together", she said totally ignoring Erika’s presence but Erika didn’t mind at all.
"I already had company", Ethan simply replied without even looking at her.
Jasmine glared at Erika who was so close to Ethan but the latter only smiled at her which only annoyed her more.
"Everyone, I would like to say thank you for coming to my birthday. As for the birthday song, thank you for singing it too. I actually thought you people won’t sing it because am getting old but I was once a baby too, you know", Mr Anderson said and laughter echoed in the hall. "As for the gifts, thank you so much for sending them. Well there is nothing much for me to say really but my son Ethan, has something he would like to say to everyone". Mr Anderson handed over the microphone to Ethan who had come to stand by his side.
"Thank you father and once again, happy birthday", Ethan said to his father who has moved from the stage to give him space and the old man nodded at him. "Today is a joyous occasion for everyone to enjoy themselves but I have something to clarify here. Am sure that you all must be thinking what it is."
"Well, am sure that you all have heard rumors that am going to marry Jasmine Davis", when those words left his lips, a smile plastered on Jasmine face but it was short lived because the next words destroyed it. "It is indeed a rumor because am not getting married to Jasmine as I have already found a woman whom I will be spending the rest of my life with, Erika Walters", the whole crowd gasped upon hearing Ethan’s words.
"Jasmine is not my fiancé neither will she be my wife, thank you so much. Once again, happy birthday dad", Ethan said like he just spoke about the weather forecast but in some people’s face, the weather was indeed about to change.
Jasmine was about to rush to the stage but her father held her back. "Relax, don’t go anywhere. I will talk to him". Because of Jasmine’s constant struggle to get away from her father, some people’s attention went towards them. "I said calm down!"
Ethan walked towards Erika who was looking at him with a surprised expression, "Why did you do that?"
"So that people won’t spread the wrong information anymore", he replied with a smile.
"I have a feeling things are not going to end well, look". Erika pointed to Jasmine who was glaring daggers at her but softened when Ethan looked. Not knowing that Ethan didn’t miss it.
"If she tries anything, I will be sentencing her to a life imprisonment", he said with a serious expression.
The both of them couldn’t stay together for a long time because Ethan had to leave to attend to his father who was calling him. Jasmine saw that Erika was alone and went to her.
"So you think you have finally succeeded, huh? Let me tell you this, you won’t rejoice for long. I will make sure that I have Ethan back. You are just a slut who managed to seduce him after leaving your ex husband", She said.
"I am not the one who chose Ethan, he was the one who chose me. Maybe you should try becoming a slut like me to seduce him back, it’s not hard work", Erika simply suggested with a calm face and it angered Jasmine even more.
"Am going to make you pay for this", Jasmine threatened.
"Try it and I will make sure you meet your worst", Monica interrupted them. She had been alone when Jake left to go talk to some acquaintances, luckily Cassandra went to her side and they both wanted to involve Erika to their chat only to meet Jasmine threatening her.
"If I tell my brother what you just said, he will make sure you go back to the prison cell you came out from and this time it won’t only be for kidnapping Erika but for attempt murder too", Cassandra threatened a little louder than Monica and everyone who were near them heard overheard her.
"Jasmine had gone to prison for kidnapping Erika Walters?" The same question came up in their mind. Some people knew that Jasmine went to jail for a crime which were unknown while some knew the crime.
"So she has gone to jail for kidnapping Erika before?" Someone said.
"It must be because she was jealous that Ethan didn’t officially finalize their engagement", another person said.
"She is so wicked to have someone kidnapped", another person said.
"Is it a must to force love? This young generation", an older woman said as she shook her head.
Jasmine’s face fell after those words were spouted but more kept on coming. In the midst of all these, Erika didn’t bother to say anything to her because the people have already said it. Jasmine glared at Cassandra who glared back at her with the same force. "I will make sure that you people won’t get away with this", she threatened and left.
"Boy am I glad that she is gone," Cassandra said and released a sigh of relief.
