Stolen Identity: Mute Heiress

Chapter 75: Hm?

As Mari lay in bed after her phone call with Jamal, she sighed as she thought about her action-packed nightmare and the situation with her parents.

Remembering that the GEL club ladies’ husbands would soon start arriving to pick their wives up, as was their ritual, Mari quickly put on her glasses as she got off the bed and headed for the balcony.

Watching the men pull up to pick up their wives always lifted her spirit and made her believe in love.

She couldn’t understand how the men couldn’t stand being away from their wives for even a night despite all these years and had made it a habit of driving down to pick them up.

As she stood on the balcony, she watched as two cars sped down from the estate gates as if in a race, and she laughed softly when she recognized the cars.

She wondered why the men were always competing for the first to show up. It seemed like everything was always a competition with the men.

She would miss being able to watch this since she had no idea when her mother would next host the ladies.

She giggled softly when both cars came to a stop simultaneously. The two men, Tom and Hunter, hurried out of their cars, each trying to beat the other to the door.

”Don’t you think you should park your car correctly? You’re blocking the road,” Tom called out to Hunter with a laugh.

”Good morning, Uncle Tom and Uncle Hunter,” Mari called out to them from the balcony before they could get to the door.

”Good morning, Mari. How are you?” Tom asked without stopping, and Hunter shook his head.

”You’re so damned competitive,” he said to Tom as he stopped to look up at Mari, ”Hey, Mari. How are you?”

”You’re getting old and weak, Hunter,” Tom taunted with a chuckle as he rang the doorbell.

”I’m fine. How are you doing?” Mari asked in return.

”Old and weak,” Hunter said, making Mari and Tom laugh.

Soon, the door opened, and both men walked in while Mari remained in her position to see who would arrive next.

She raised a brow when Damon pulled up a moment later, and Emily got out of the car. ”Good morning, Uncle D,” Mari called out.

”Morning, Mari,” Damon replied, but Mari’s gaze was on Emily already, and she was lifting a brow, asking her what was up.

As Emily and her father went into the house, Mari left the balcony to go downstairs to meet Emily.

She met Emily at the stairs, ”Let’s go to your room. It’s noisy down there,” Emily said, and Mari raised a brow.

”What do you want to talk about? Why do you look anxious?” Mari asked as Emily led the way to her room. ”Let’s go to the balcony instead. I want to watch the cute couples go.”

”Alright,” Emily said, and they returned to the balcony.

”So, what’s up?” Mari asked as they sat down.

”How was your night?” Emily asked, and Mari rolled her eyes.

”That’s what you wanted to talk to me about in my room? Why are you not at the hospital? I thought you said you’d be there all week and weekend so they would let you take a break next weekend for my birthday?” Mari asked with a raised brow.

”Did you sleep well?” Emily asked, ignoring Mari’s question.

”You know how this is played, right? You can just tell me what you want to say, or we will keep asking meaningless questions and going round and round in circles until one of us gets tired,” Mari said, and Emily sighed.

Although she had rehearsed all the best ways to tell Mari that she wouldn’t be around for her birthday because she was traveling, now that she was here, she didn’t know how to say it.

She really hated disappointing people, especially those she loved, and Mari was her absolute best friend. She was feeling more guilty about this because Jamal wouldn’t be around either, and Mari would be alone for her birthday.

”What is it?” Mari asked, eyeing her curiously.

”My Dad wants me to go to Husla for training, and he wants me to live with Callan. For six months,” Emily blurted out, and Mari’s eyes widened slightly before she burst into a peal of laughter.

”What’s amusing you?” Emily asked with a scowl.

”The two of you under one roof? I guess your Dad doesn’t value his relationship with Uncle Hunter. Their friendship and the sisterhood between both of your Moms is definitely going to break after one of you ends up killing the other,” Mari said, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose.

”Exactly my point. Why would they expect me to stay there? Why would Cal even agree to that?” Emily groaned.

”Cal agreed? You spoke with him already?” Mari asked curiously.

”No. I haven’t. My Dad told me so,” she explained.

Mari looked at her for a moment and then raised a brow. ”Why not call him and try to convince him to come up with a reason why it won’t work? Or better still, he can just let you stay at his place and go find somewhere else for yourself until you leave. I’m sure he values his peace.”

Emily sighed, ”Right? I just feel so anxious about reaching out to him.”

”Give me your phone, and I’ll help you. Or should I just call him and talk to him on your behalf?” Mari offered, but Emily quickly shook her head.

”No. I will do it myself. But first, there’s something I need to tell you,” she said, and Mari narrowed her eyes when she noticed that Emily wasn’t meeting her gaze.

”Let me guess, the training is scheduled for next week, and you won’t be around for my birthday?” Mari asked, and Emily looked down as she nodded.

”I’m sorry. He only told me about it yesterday, and I really feel so terrible. The training begins on Monday, and I have to leave tonight since it’s a twenty-six hour long flight. That way, I can arrive early enough on Sunday and have enough time to get some rest. I’m so sorry. You can come with me if you like, and we can have your party over there. I’ll cover the flight cost all,” she explained without looking up, and Mari giggled.

”Why do I feel you’re inviting me over to act as a buffer between you and Cal?” Mari asked, and seeing how she was laughing, Emily looked up.

”You’re not mad?” she asked, and Mari sighed deeply but smiled.

”Why would I be? You’ve been present at all my birthdays for the past nineteen years. Missing this one among all the many more birthdays to come shouldn’t be a big deal. Besides, I know if you could help it, you wouldn’t miss it,” Mari said with a shrug, and Emily pouted.

”Mari!” She cried dramatically as she hugged Mari, who was now laughing. ”You have no idea how worried I’ve been, especially knowing Jamal won’t be present.”

Mari laughed as she hugged her back, ”You always worry too much. I’m a big girl. I’ll be fine. You focus on your training, and when you get back, we can celebrate your return from Callan’s Den and my birthday again,” she said, and Emily laughed as she pulled back.

”Callan’s Den?” Emily asked with a giggle.

”Yeah. The place he takes those clueless girls that flock around him,” Mari said with a grin, and Emily laughed.

”So, will you come with me? We both know you can work from anywhere,” Emily said, and Mari rolled her eyes.

”Nope. I have no interest in being between Cal and you,” Mari said, and Emily sighed dramatically.

Before either of them could say anything else, Emily’s parents called out to her from downstairs. ”Em? Are you coming with us or taking a cab?” Her father asked.

Emily sighed, ”I need to go shopping and organize my stuff. I’ll call you,” she said as she rose and embraced Mari.

”I wish you good luck with Cal,” Mari said before letting her go.

Emily sighed as she got into the backseat of the car after exchanging pleasantries with the other couples. She eyed her phone, thinking of what to say to Callan.

After a moment, she unlocked her phone and chatted him up.

> Emily: Hello, Cal! My dad told me you’ll be accommodating me during my six-month program.

She waited, her heart racing as she waited for a response.

Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her message had been delivered, followed by the three dancing dots indicating that he was typing a response.

> Cal: Hm.

”Hm? Who responds with Hm?” Emily asked with a hiss, and her stepmom, Jessica, turned in her seat to look at her.

”What is the problem, Emmy?”

”I just texted Cal, and he responded with a Hm. How am I supposed to live with him for six months?” Emily asked, and both her parents laughed.

”I’m sure you’ll figure out how,” her father said while she grumbled angrily.

Cal was so annoying and full of himself she was going to give him a piece of her mind when she sees him.