Suddenly, William felt tens of sets of jealous eyes stabbing into his back. He had been this girl’s “manny” ever since she came to this world. Having no children of his own, William devoted his entire life to the Porters and to this girl. The effect of this simple gesture was in no surprised to him but he still flinched a bit, his timid being becoming even smaller.

Even though she never said out loud, Bette loved this short man, more than she loved her father. She smiled as he backed away with an amiable eye contact.

“Bette, how was your holiday?” The girl nearest to the brunette quickly asked as Bette turned away from William.

And just like a match in the gas tank, the once quiet garden immediately flooded with greetings and questions and introductions, girls going into frenzy, all of them just for the brunette.

“How was Brazil, Miss Porter?” A girl who seemed to have a little bit more information about the brunette eagerly shoved and pushed her way to the front.

“Ooooh, Brazil.” Another one pretended to be very familiar with Bette and fired away. “Did you eat any Brazil nuts? I heard they were a-mazing!”

“Bette, this is my little sister Nene. Nene, Bette.”

“I brought you chocolate from Belgium, 70 percent pure black coco.”

Some of the girls dared not even speak to her; they just pushed around in the crowd and admired Bette’s jacket, wishing maybe they could steal one eye contact. “Look, how perfect!” “I looove her jacket.”

The brunette’s faint smile disappeared in about two seconds. Her facial expression went cold and her neat brows met in a knot. She nodded to the noisy girls around her, trying to give them the satisfaction and make them go away. But she failed miserably. The attention at first was very appealing, making her life a lot more convenient, taking the chocolate for example. But soon it became unbearable, troubling, disturbing.

“Would you mind? We’re trying to walk here.” Alice held onto Bette’s arm and pushed through. She fully understood how annoyed Bette had become just by looking at her since most of the time they grew up together, she was the one who caused Bette’s headaches. “Fucking ass-kissing bitches.” She purposely spoke audibly. “Ah, look there’s Shane-Shane.” A glimpse to the several girls who weren’t so eager to make their way to the brunette, Alice spotted a skinny girl with two other girls in her arms. The only girl, who didn’t give a fuck about Bette’s money and wasn’t afraid of Grandma Porter, the strict and impersonal old lady, became their only confidant. “Hey, Shane!”