I Kissed A CEO And He Liked It! novel Chapter 18

On a gloomy Friday afternoon, Gabrielle was standing in front of her home, the same one that was taken away by her aunt.

It was a three-story house with four bedrooms, standing in a three-hundred square-feet lot. It had a mini garden, and the entire property was surrounded by grilled fences.

Gabrielle sighed, seeing how her aunt had not maintained the house well. The paints have already faded and the beautiful tiled roof had a few cracks on one side.

It hurt her seeing how the same house her father worked so hard to build was clearly unpreserved.

"Well, I would not have the money to keep it renovated," she convinced herself that nothing would have changed if she still lived in the same place.

That day, after her morning schedule at school, Gabrielle went to the cemetery and visited her father and mother's grave. That day was her father's death anniversary.

While Gabrielle was happy to share with her parents; the good luck she had been getting these past few days, she could not help but stop by her home, especially since that was where all of her parent's memories were.

The entire time, Hank drove her to wherever she wanted to go.

Gabrielle found herself staring at the west wing of the house, recalling how it was her mother's room. Looking down the basement windows, she reminisced about her father's artworks.

Her father, Oliver Taylor, had a habit of making sculptures during his free time. At a young age, she would often observe her father create beautiful hews made of wood.

When her aunt kicked her out of the house, Gabrielle could only take her clothes and a few of her mother's memorabilia. She wasn't even able to take anything that belonged to her father at all.

Just as she was looking back, a sedan arrived, parking right in front of Kyle's luxury vehicle. Gabrielle shook her head, realizing it was her aunt, Cassandra Taylor.

"Gaby, what are you doing here?" Her aunt asked, walking in her direction, her face showed complete displeasure.

"Umm... Aunt, I just wanted - I just wanted to see the house. You know. It brings back memories," Gabrielle explained. "Remember? It's Dad's death anniversary."

Seeing how her defense was completely ignored, she decided to just let it be and head for Kyle's car.

As she made her way, her cousin of nearly the same age, Karen Taylor, came out, following her aunt, and Gabrielle immediately noticed the familiar necklace that was dangling on her neck.

It was a simple white gold chain with a one-inch Swarovski egg-shaped pendant.

Gabrielle retreated two steps back, blocking the path of her cousin, and said, "Hey! That's my mother's!"

"Well, it's mine now, Gaby. You lost it and I." Securing the pendant in her hand, a smirk became painted on Karen's face before she resumed, "I found it!"

"But - but, Karen... Please... That's my mother's necklace," Gabrielle tried to reason with her cousin. She turned to her aunt with pleading eyes and said, "Aunt, please... I would have taken it with me if I had found it back then when you made me leave! You did not even give me a chance to pack all my parents' things; Dad's sculptures - "

"I sold them!" Her aunt Cassandra responded. "I had to sell those ugly things to make space. Besides, I spent so much on you, during your high school days, that was not even enough to cover all my losses!"

Gabrielle felt a knife stabbed through her chests. For years, she had been trying to get inside the house and get her parent's belongings but her aunt would not allow her and now, her aunt sold her father's handiwork!

"How could you?! You know those were memories of Dad?!" At that point, Gabrielle could not help but be furious. Her voice rose as she suggested, "You could have at least sold them to me?!"

"Sell it to you? You could barely make it on your own without your boyfriend helping you - oh, no, wait... I heard your boyfriend left you for your best friend!" Her cousin, Karen, interrupted, laughing at Gabrielle's circumstance.