Chapter 10 Different Worlds

I quickly made my way up the stairs to find her in her bedroom. "I'm sorry. I... went to a house party at Anna's and she invited me to sleep over," I said while making sure to sound very apologetic. Normally, my mother would ask me endless questions because she would get so worried and flustered; however, my mother's attention seemed to be absorbed by the dresses that she had laid out on the bed. "Wow! These dresses are so pretty," I said while staring down at the attractive dresses that I had never seen before. "Yes, they're also pretty that I can't decide which one to wear to dinner. Bennett sent all of these over," my mother said before smiling a little shyly. I found myself smiling naturally at her as I thought that she looked way younger than her actual years in that moment. "What about this one here? The floral pattern suits you very well, I think," I said as I pointed to one of the dresses. "That's perfect! I was actually leaning towards that one so now you have helped me make up my mind," my mom said as she picked up the dress in question off the bed and held it against her body. I nodded in approval because I thought that the dress was a perfect match for her. "Now that that's settled, it's your turn. You see, Bennett was so kind as to send you dresses as well. Of course, I told him not to, but he just kept on insisting and I couldn't refuse. Hopefully, one of them will suit you. It would mean so much to us if you were to wear one of them to the dinner," my mother said, suggesting a few dresses that her fiancé had apparently prepared for me. "I'm fine wearing whatever. Can you pick a dress out for me?" I requested as I beamed my mother a smile. "Are you sure? Well then, what about this one?" She suggested as she held up a light pink mid-length dress against my body. "If this is what you want me to wear, I'll definitely wear it," I said without hesitation because it didn't matter what I thought as long as my mother was happy. After getting dressed up, I found out that there was another surprise waiting for us. Apparently, Bennett had arranged for a chauffeur to pick us up from our place and drive us all the way to his mansion. I was more than stunned to find a shiny black limousine parked in front of the house. "Wow! This surely is a fancy ride," I said to my mother as I began wondering about the identity of my mother's fiancé. "Well, I guess he likes to go a little bit over the top," my mother said with a shy laugh as we got into the car. "This is more than a little bit over the top," I mumbled. ... "Is this the place?" I asked in a breathless whisper when the limousine came to a stop. "Yes, it is..." my mother mumbled as we both stared out of the car window at the outstanding large and luxurious mansion. "It's crazy big," I said without hiding my shock. "The inside is even more impressive," my mother whispered to me before winking. The chauffeur opened the door for us, and we were immediately greeted by a man dressed in an expensive-looking suit. "Welcome, ladies! I'm so happy to have you here," the man, who I figured must be Bennett, was standing there waiting to welcome us. "Thank you for having us. Oh, this is my daughter, Abigail. I call her Abby for short. Abby, this is Bennett," my mother quickly introduced us to each other. The way she smiled brightly and the way that her face was slightly flushed told me that she could barely manage to hide her excitement. "It's a pleasure to meet you," I said politely. "The pleasure is mine. Carla has told me so much about you, and I've always looked forward to seeing you in person," Bennett said before smiling at me warmly. I could sense that he was genuinely friendly and that he meant well. "You make it sound like I'm always gossiping about her," my mother replied with a small laugh. From the short conversation, I could already surmise just how well the two of them got along. My mother wasn't someone who readily opened up to other people, so the fact that she could have such a sweet conversation with Bennett like this put my mind at ease because they seem to be a good match for each other. "Let's not waste any time. Come inside, dinner is ready to be served," Bennett said as he gestured with his hands for us to enter his mansion. I took one last sweeping glance at the mansion, supported by large pillars and the vast garden that seemed to stretch as far as my eyes could see. I was reminded that it was quite a ride from the main gate to where we were in front of the mansion. There were also so many bodyguards stationed in front of the mansion, but I figured that might be something usual for the rich and wealthy. My mother hadn't told me much about Bennett and what he does, but she did mention as if on a side note that he seems comfortable and that he had already retired. Because of that, I knew that he's quite well-off, but I hadn't expected for him to be this loaded. Is he some kind of oil tycoon or something? The inside of the mansion was a sight to behold indeed, and I found my mother's words to be accurate. The place resembled more of a five-star hotel that I'd seen on television advertisements or in magazines, and it was hard for me to believe that some people actually lived in a place like this. Although we lived on the same planet, it felt like we belonged to completely different worlds. –To be continued…