The soft morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, casting a warm glow over the elegant furnishings of my room. I was lost in thought, the quiet of the mansion surrounding me like a comforting embrace, when my father's voice broke the silence.

"Blair, come down for breakfast, dear," he called from downstairs.

I furrowed my brow in confusion. It was unusual for my father to summon me himself. Normally, it was Alfred, our faithful butler, who would deliver such messages with a deferential nod and a polite request.

Curiosity piqued, I made my way to the dining room, my steps hesitant as I approached the open doorway. The sight that greeted me sent a shiver down my spine.

My father stood by the table, a small smile playing at his lips as he gestured for me to take a seat. And what a sight it was—the table was overflowing with an array of my favourite foods. Fluffy pancakes, crispy bacon, fresh fruit, pastries, and a pot of steaming coffee adorned the table like a banquet fit for royalty.

"What's the occasion, Father?" I asked, my voice tinged with confusion as I took my seat opposite him.

He waved a dismissive hand, a strained smile on his lips. "No occasion, Blair. I just wanted to spoil you a little."

I couldn't help but feel a knot of unease tightening in my stomach. Something didn't feel right—this lavish spread, the forced cheerfulness in my father's voice. It all felt like a facade, a flimsy attempt to mask the tension that simmered just beneath the surface.

As I reached out to give him a hug, a feeble attempt to bridge the growing chasm between us, he swerved it, his movements stiff as he offered me a handshake instead.

Confusion flickered in my eyes as I withdrew my outstretched arms, the rejection stinging like a slap in the face. "Father?"

He ignored my questions, his silence speaking volumes as he continued to eat, the distance between us widening with each passing moment.

I swallowed back the lump forming in my throat, the weight of his rejection bearing down on me like a leaden weight. I had thought this breakfast would be an opportunity to reconnect, to mend the fractured bond that had come to define our relationship in recent months.

But as I picked at my food, the silence between us stretched on, a gaping chasm that threatened to swallow us whole. And deep down, I knew that no amount of pancakes or bacon could ever hope to mend what was broken between us.

As I picked at my food, the silence between us stretched on, a gaping chasm that threatened to swallow us whole. Despite my attempts to push down the rising tide of unease, I couldn't shake the feeling that my father was expecting something from me—something I wasn't sure I could give.

Just as the tension threatened to suffocate me, my father broke the silence with a casual remark that sent a chill down my spine.

"Blair.. there is a party tomorrow, I would be honoured if you came with me 

I forced a tight smile, though the warmth didn't reach my eyes. "I'll think about it, Father."

He nodded, though the disappointment in his eyes was unmistakable. "Of course, dear. I hope you'll reconsider. It would mean a lot to me."

My fork clattered against the porcelain plate as I paused, the weight of my father's words sinking in. "Why would it mean a lot to you?" I asked, my voice laced with confusion. "You never invite me to these kinds of events."

His gaze flickered, a flicker of discomfort crossing his features before he composed himself once more. "Well, this party is different, Blair," he replied, his voice strained. "It's... it's our engagement party."

The revelation hung in the air like a heavy fog, choking the breath from my lungs as I struggled to make sense of the words that had just left my father's lips. Our engagement party. The fact that I had been kept in the dark until now. They had known for weeks about the party, yet I was only informed at the last minute. The hurt and anger boiled within me like a tempest, threatening to consume me from the inside out.

"Why?" I demanded, my voice trembling with emotion as I met my father's gaze head-on. "Why did you wait so long to tell me?"

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes avoiding mine as he struggled to find the right words. "I... I'm sorry, Blair. We just wanted everything to become official"

Official. The word grated against my nerves, a bitter reminder of the divide that had come to define our family in recent months. "And what about me?" I snapped, the words dripping with venom. "Am I not a part of this family? Do my feelings not matter?"

My father's expression softened, a trace of sadness flickering in his eyes. "Of course you matter, Blair. You know that."

I scoffed, the bitterness rising within me like a tidal wave. "Do I? Because it certainly doesn't feel like it. You kept me in the dark about something as important as your engagement party, and then expect me to be okay with it?"

He sighed, his shoulders sagging under the weight of my accusation. "I know we should have told you sooner, Blair. And I'm sorry. But we thought it was best to wait."

 "And what about Kathleen?" I spat, unable to contain the resentment that simmered beneath the surface. "Why her? Why now?"

My father's gaze hardened, a hint of frustration flashing in his eyes. "Blair, I know you don't like Kathleen. But she's a good woman, and she makes me happy. Can't you at least try to accept that?"

I shook my head, the anger boiling within me like a cauldron of fury. "Accept it? How can I accept it when you're replacing Mum? How can I accept it when you're erasing her memory with someone else?"

The air crackled with tension as my father's voice rose, a sharp contrast to the strained calm that had preceded it. His words cut through the silence like a knife, each syllable laden with frustration and anger that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, Blair!" he bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls of the dining room with a force that made me flinch. "I love your mother dearly, but it's time for a change. Kathleen makes me happy, and I won't have you disrespecting her or our relationship."

I felt my heart hammering in my chest, a cold knot of fear coiling in the pit of my stomach as his words washed over me like a tidal wave. The anger in his eyes was palpable, a storm of emotion that threatened to swallow me whole.

"But Father—" I began, my voice trembling with emotion.

"No buts, Blair," he interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. "You knew I proposed to Kathleen a long time ago. Tomorrow's event is just to publicly announce it. It's time for you to accept that and move on."

Move on. The words hung in the air like a death knell, a stark reminder of the irreparable rift that had formed between us. I felt the weight of his expectations bearing down on me like a leaden weight, the enormity of the situation pressing down on my shoulders with a force that threatened to crush me.

With a heavy heart, I nodded, the words catching in my throat like a bitter pill. "I understand, Father."