Chapter 3: FIRST DAY
I was still admiring the balcony when I heard Madam Alyssa's voice again and was startled.
"What will you eat?" she asked.
"Mom?" I said with surprise, turning around to see her smile. But as soon as she saw me, her smile faded.
"Anything prepared," I replied, looking down at my toes.
"Someone will come here and bathe you," she said and left before waiting for my response.
"You can look around once more," Nanny said before following Madam Alyssa. I gazed around the room and wished Emily was with me, she was the only one who could understand my pain.
I had a maid assigned by my mother to bathe me. After dinner, I was exhausted from the long journey and fell asleep. The following day, my new mother took me to a school bigger than my previous one. I was excited to see the interior and meet my new classmates. We completed the necessary formalities at the administrator's office, and I realized that Madam Alyssa had adopted me. I was still a Cooper, but now I was Alyssa Cooper's daughter, not Frederick and Acacia Cooper's. After completing the formalities, my teacher led me to my class.
"Hi students," she greeted with a smile.
"Hello, Tutor," they responded.
"We have a new student in our midst," she said, holding my shoulders.
"Hurrah!" the students cheered.
"Introduce yourself, Alicia," she said softly yet loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Hi, I'm Alicia Cooper," I replied with a smile.
"You are welcome to the most prestigious school," they said with a welcoming smile. It was the most cheerful welcome I had ever received. My teacher showed me my seat, and I found myself sitting next to a boy.
"Hi, Alicia Cooper," he greeted me with a smile.
"Hi," I responded.
"I'm Xavier Carter," he said, still smiling.
"Are you Madam Cooper's daughter?" he asked, and I nodded in response.
"So you're supposed to be my best friend," he said, and I looked at him cluelessly.
"I already have a best friend, Xavier," I said, determined to keep Emily as my friend forever despite the distance.
"Where's your best friend?" he asked.
"She's far away," I replied, and he laughed. I wondered what was so funny.
"I'm your best friend from now on," he said.
"Earn it," I replied, turning away from him.
When the teacher returned to the class, the lesson began. She was careful with me, which I didn't like. Perhaps it was because I was a new student. My classmates were pleasant, but Xavier was the nicest. After school, my assigned driver picked me up.
I arrived home after a short ride and found my mom waiting for me. As she had taught me in the morning, I greeted her with a kiss on the cheek.
"How was your first day at school?" she asked, her expression serious but with a small smile.
"It was great, Mom," I replied, smiling back at her.
"Tell me everything," she said, and I proceeded to share all the details of my day with her. It felt good to have someone who was ready to listen, like my new friend Emily. Mom smiled at all the funny parts of my story, and I felt loved and appreciated.
Suddenly, Mom asked, "Do you like the clothes in your closet?"
"Yes, Mom," I replied, still smiling.
"Go change into something nice," she said, and I headed to my room with my assigned maid.
For an entire month, I felt happy and cherished in this loving environment. Madam Alyssa, never got angry with me. She would scold me, but always with love.
However, one unfortunate night happened. I was supposed to be studying in my room, but I was too hungry to focus. I went to the nanny for food and she asked the chef to prepare something. I was waiting for my food when Madam Alyssa stumbled into the dining area reeking of alcohol.
"Are you okay, Mom?" I asked as she stumbled, almost knocking over a vase. She pushed me to the ground as I tried to help her, but Nanny quickly arrived after hearing the commotion.
"Let's go to your room," Nanny said, carrying me up. Everything happened so fast, just like the day she came to pick me up from my biological parents' house.
"As we reached my room, Nanny explained that Madam Alyssa was feeling agitated and sad, which happened sometimes. She put me to sleep and left the room, but I couldn't sleep and cried myself to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up to find the person who had hurt me sitting beside me on my bed. Her eyes were puffy, indicating that she had cried all night. She noticed that I was awake and gave me a weak smile.
She kissed my forehead and apologized for pushing me the night before. She promised it wouldn't happen again and I nodded, still upset with her.
She asked me, "Don't you want to speak to me?" with a hint of sadness in her voice. I didn't want to talk to her, but I remembered what the nanny had said yesterday.
"I will forgive you if you promise to talk to me about your pains instead of drinking them away," I said. She burst into tears, and it was the first time I had seen her cry. She had always been strong, so whatever had happened to her must have really broken her.
"Thank you, my child," she said, kissing my cheek.
I hugged her and that was the last time it ever happened, except for a few scoldings here and there. Who would have thought that Alicia Cooper would one day live in a luxurious house and have the best birthday? Let's take a look at the big masquerade ball that my mom threw for my sixteenth birthday.
Two weeks before my birthday, my mother asked me to write my wish list, just like she had asked me to do in the past few years that I had been staying with her. I made a wishlist of sixteen gifts that I was hoping my mom would get for me. She has always been great at fulfilling my wishes and even adding some things to her wishlist. After much deliberation, I handed over the wishlist to her this year.
As she read through the list, she asked if I wanted her to take me out of town. I've been living with her for four years now and have never left the villa. I replied, "Yes Mom," hoping she would agree.
Without discussing the remaining wishlist, she said, "If that's what you want," and left. Since that morning, I asked her to confide in me, and we have become best friends. She talks to me about work issues and other personal things. Nanny walked into the room with her usual sweet smile, which I had never grown tired of in the four years I had been with her.
"Your mother has not yet shown you to the world. She is afraid that someone will take you away from her," she said with a sad expression.
I was curious and asked, "Why is she afraid?"
There was a long silence before anyone spoke. Then Madam Alyssa said from behind me, "I will take you to Paris."
Nanny left the room looking scared. I ran to my mother and hugged her, and she patted my back lovingly. We talked about the remaining items on our wishlist, but I couldn't help but wonder why she didn't want to show me to the world.
A week before my birthday, my mum started giving me gifts. For the past four years, she has been giving me my wishlist a week before my birthday. I was so happy to receive most of the things I had wished for and hoped that I would get the remaining items before or on my birthday.
Two days before my birthday, my mom came in with a big smile on her face. She was holding something that looked like a ticket.
"We will be going to Shangri-La Hotel Paris," she said, showing me the ticket.
I was thrilled and jumped up for joy, shouting "Hurrah!"
"Girls week after your birthday," she said with a smile.
"Thank you, Mom," I replied, hugging her as she kissed my forehead and left me in the living room. I was so excited about the upcoming trip to Paris that I ran to my room to pack my bags. I immediately called Xavier, who had become my best friend over the past year.
"Are you missing me?" he asked as soon as he answered the phone.
"Miss who?" I replied playfully, and he laughed.
"What's up? Why are you so happy?" he asked, noticing my excitement.
"I'm going to Paris on a trip with my mom," I said, beaming with joy.
"Congratulations on getting the most important item on your wishlist," he said happily. I had always sent my wishlist to him, so he could buy me anything he wanted. We continued talking until we had nothing more to say.
It was my birthday and I woke up to find my mom by my bed with a cake and the rest of the gifts from my wishlist. This was a tradition we had been doing for three years.
"Hey birthday girl," she said, kissing my forehead.
"Good morning Mom," I greeted her with a smile. She sang "Happy Birthday" to me, I made my wishes and blew out the candles.
"Thank you, Mom," I said with a smile. She gave me the remaining gifts and left for work. Normally, we would chat and open my gifts together, but today she had something important to do at the office. Nanny brought in my birthday breakfast, which my mom brings to me every year. I missed her already.
"Your mother has something important to do at the office today," Nanny said as if reading my mind. I nodded and stayed in my room for a while, reading one of the romantic novels that my mom doesn't approve of. My phone rang, and it was my best friend.
"Happy birthday Alicia Cooper," he said with joy.
"Thank you, Xavier," I replied happily.
"Your gift will be delivered later today," he said.
"Thank you," I replied with disappointment.
"Is everything okay?" he asked, noticing my sadness.
"Mom didn't open my gift with me and now your gift is delayed too," I replied, not understanding why things were going wrong on my special day.
"The delivery was delayed, Licia," he said.
"Okay, that's fine," I replied and ended the call, feeling a bit annoyed.
I spent the rest of the day in my room reading a novel. Suddenly, my mom entered the room with a box.
"Hey Mom," I greeted her, quickly hiding the novel I was reading.
"What are you reading?" she asked, peering over my shoulder.
"Nothing, Mom," I replied, and she didn't ask any further.
She dropped the box on the bed with a smile on her face.
"Wear this, Alicia," she said with a smile, signalling to someone. A lady came in and started to dress me up. I was confused and didn't understand what was happening, but the lady worked quickly and I soon looked like a different person.
My mom came up to my room just as the lady was finishing up, and she looked at me with admiration. I was wearing a beautiful ball gown, and the lady had given me a mask to wear too. I was left wondering as no one informed me about what was happening. Was it my first birthday party at Madam Alyssa Cooper's House? I was eager to find out how the party unfolded.
Weekly Power Status
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