A walk of diginity

Nina 

I sat at the dinner table surrounded by my family including my extended family and my sister who beamed with pride as my father praised her latest achievement proudly sponsored by yours truly, we had just finished the first course and there was a break before the second one was served and trust my family to utilize it to the fullest.

“So Nina I heard you and Leo broke off the engagement, this was the tenth time someone brought up the topic, and at this point, I was ready to commit murder

“The both of you have always been together right from your early years, it’s a shame you both had to break up, what happened”.

“Why don’t you ask the lover boy over there, I’m sure he has an answer”.

Yeah, Leo arrived a bit late and has been glued to May’s side ever since, he didn’t even take one look in my direction, Sure enough everyone noticed it.

“Nina and Leo had decided to break off the engagement, they just weren’t compatible together and he had found someone else better, right? Leo baby” May said, making Lovey dovey eyes at Leo.

Leo baby Eww

“She’s right, I realized that I only just see Nina as my sister, being so close to her somehow made me think that she was the one, who I wanted”.

“Yeah, but you never did think about it till you were ball deep in May”.

Oops that kind of slipped out, what was it they mixed in this wine again? Regardless, I love this new courage I’ve found.

“ It’s amazing how quick you are at conjuring up lies so easily, you had an affair with my fiancée, stole my designs from me, and claimed it as yours, I wonder what else you will come up with”. I took another gulp, more liquid courage, I might as well use this opportunity to unburden my heart once and for all.

“Nina,” Father warned. 

I was beyond caring, May’s cup was way too filled to the brim and was already spilling “ Not this time Father, I have swallowed everything I can from this family, the insult, the disgrace and all, no one ever believes me, nobody ever believed I’m capable of anything.

“I do”, Nana quipped.

“Thank you, Nana, but that’s not the point”.

“I created those designs through my sweat and sleepless nights, those are my designs, same as every other design I’ve created, I created one for your 25th birthday Leo, I’m sure you remember that, what about you Aunt Victoria, I created a necklace for you when you gave birth”.

“Those are my favorite “.

“Still yet somehow everyone believes May in all her glory came up with the designs I spent months creating”.

“Nina” Leo calls.

“Oh don’t even get me started with you, Leo, you told me you couldn’t live without me, that you can’t live without me, but all of a sudden you changed the moment you fell for May’s guiles and now you see me as what, Your sister, after all the years we’ve spent together, To hell with you”.

“Control your daughter Edward or I would do so myself”, Ophelia said.

“And there goes the best mom of the year, always quick to find fault in me, but paying blind eyes to her daughter’s whorish ways”.

“Nina, that’s enough!!”, Father thundered.

“Yep, that’s me  Nina, the embarrasser, the black sheep of the family, the one who achieves nothing”.

“Quit the victim attitude, Nina, May has always been a high achiever, while you….. let’s just say you’ve always struggled to meet up with expectations”.

“I try my best, Father, but no one appreciates my efforts”, I said, trying to keep my cool.

“Your best isn’t good enough, Nina, you need to work harder, and focus on your career, maybe then you’ll be able to achieve something worthwhile”.

“You know Nina, maybe if you focused more on your career and less on your extracurricular activities, perhaps you might be able to achieve something.

“Extracurricular activities”, I repeated, my voice rising. What the hell does that even mean?

“My dear, didn’t you say something about seeing some guy drop Nina off when you went over to invite her for dinner “.

And I swear I saw Leo’s eyebrows reach his hairline, his face flushed with embarrassment and anger.

“Oh yes Mama, I forgot, I said that”.

“Who knows for how long this has been going on”, Ophelia mumbled as she dainty sipped her cup.

“Well Nina, it’s clear you’re not going to listen to reason when we are only just trying to improve your life”.

“Improve my life”, I laughed bitterly, “You mean to conform to your standards, do as you say, be silent, and not speak up for myself whenever I’m wronged, I’m done being that girl”.

“Perhaps you should just focus on finding a good husband to take care of you, you can’t do that for yourself”.

“That is if she can keep a man, she couldn’t even keep her childhood friend whom she had known for years, how in the world is she going to achieve that”.

The entire room erupted with laughter at my own expense.

That’s it I’m  done here, I refuse to be used as a laughing stock by my own family, I pushed my chair back and stood up

“And where do you think you’re going”, Father calls

“I’m done here, I won’t sit here and take all of your insults when you all know better, I’m done with this family, I quit”.

“You quit? What would you do, you can barely survive without this family, how would you survive the outside world, quit being stupid Nina, and open your eyes”, father said.

“Watch me Father, I will prove to you all just exactly what I can do, and I will make you all pay for everything”,  I said.

“Uuu, I’m shaking”, May taunts.

“Oh, I will, let’s see what you’ll amount to without this family”.

“Just wait and see”, I stomped out of the room in anger 

“Hey Nina, you left something behind”.

Yeah, I did, my dignity.

At that moment I made my decision, I would get back at them for everything, with that in mind I placed a call to the very person who could help me achieve that”.

“Hello”.

“Hello, Nina”.

“I’m in”.

“Now that’s what I want to hear, can’t wait to work with you”.

“Me too”. I said