Chapter 113 - Debut

"Argghh . . ."

Zoe slumped on the table, looking dejected.

"What's wrong with you?" I asked.

"I forgot! This year is the most bothersome of all years," Zoe said, dragging her words like it weights thousands of pounds.

"What do you mean?" I probed.

Zoe puffed a weak sigh. "Can't you see?"

I raised an eyebrow, ignorance written all over my face.

"Debuts year!" she exclaimed. "Many girls in high society will turn into a woman this year! Including me, Holley, and Sophia! It's like, the battle of the birthdays!"

"So?"

Zoe gaped at me. "Lucky for you, you won't be forced to attend, but for me? My father will drag me from heaven to hell to attend that party."

"Then say you're sick and can't go," I suggested.

"I can't." Zoe sighed, blowing her fringe. "I have to go, or my father will beat me into going. He doesn't care what I do, but if it comes to his image, he'll spare no one."

"What so important about it anyway?" I asked with a scowl on my face.

Zoe and Estela glanced at each other.

Estela straightened her back and looked me in the eye. "Well, if it's any other birthdays, it won't be a big deal. But you see, this year is special. All the magazines, newspapers, different entertainment media were all preparing for this event years ago. Not one, but many of the world's richest will be having their debuts. Me, Zoe, Holley, Sophia, and even Emery, to name a few. It will be a battle of whose birthday will be the grandest of them all."

I stared at them with mouth hanging open.

I don't understand rich people.

If it were me, I'd eat my favorite food while playing my favorite game and watch my favorite movies.

Arranging a party and exhaust yourself attending to the guests and be the center of attention all day?

A nightmare!

"See where my dilemma is?" Zoe butt in. "Estela has it nice with loving parents and a delicious, sexy brother like Cain Fay . . . but that's not the point."

MY dead eyes zeroed on her.

Zoe sighed, ignoring my dead look. "I'll be humiliated again this year. I'm sure Sophia will have it all while my birthday will just be a cake. I'm lucky if there really will be a cake." She sighed again more burdensome than the last.

"You know. You can't exactly blame her. With this list of high profile birthdays, it's your bad luck that you are born the same year." Estela patted Zoe's head, comforting her while her eyes locked on me.

"Is Cain going to attend?" I kept my face even but failed to conceal the anxiety in my voice.

Estela threw a knowing smile my way. "My brother and I don't want to. Then again, if the one inviting us belongs to the same status as us, we have to give them face."

"Oh," was all I could say.

"You don't have to worry. With my brother's inborn cold personality, no woman would dare approach him," she said with absolute confidence. Then she wrinkled her nose. "Except Holley of course. That girl is crazy in love with my brother."

I shot her a sarcastic smile. "Thanks for the comforting words."

"You don't trust my brother?" Estela pressed her hand against her chest, eyes wide in fake disbelief.

"I trust Cain. It's those women I don't trust."

Estela giggled. "If you're so worried, you might as well come with us."

I opened my mouth, then closed it. Hmmm . . .

"Guys . . . ," Zoe called, voice lethargic as her expression. "Go ahead and worry about that walking aphrodisiac. Leave me, your friend, with her troubles and let her be humiliated in front of so many people."

Estela and I glanced at each other and laughed.