The Grand Mistress

Feather was not able to make Simione leave. Not that she wasn't capable, as Simione knew she could easily make schemes to ruin her but thankfully, the rest of the Tang's—Madam Silicia and grandfather Williams disliked her so it became hard for the ballerina to infiltrate the Tang's mansion and slander Simione. The only option she could do then was pressure Lyndon who was abroad to settle the matter about Simione and make her leave the Tang's family but even such effort of her remained futile. 

But she isn't helpless. If Simione thinks she can keep her hands on with Lyndon in delusion that he still loves her that's why he begged her to come back, well, she's digging her own grave. Lyndon cannot let go of her for some reasons, and for those reasons, Feather knew them well.

Lyndon and Simione's relationship was just a fraud. Feather knew very well that Lyndon doesn't love Simione, he never did. What he had with her was purely guilt. He was showering her with favors to shut his conscience off.

However, their love—his and Lyndon was the real one. They were meant for each other at the very beginning. She, the Han's Scintilait heiress was meant to be for the Tang's young master. That was their fate. Simione coming to the picture and going on between them was just a test of time. She was the 'other woman' in this story, the mistress, while her— Feather Han was the one meant to be.

Besides, she and Lyndon shared something deep. Unlike Lyndon's relationship with Simione, their relationship was more than those pretty things and romance. What they have was more than love, more than passion, more than lust. 

They were each other's companions, accomplices, vices and most of all, they kept receipts of each other's dirty secrets. 

Yes, dirty secrets. Their dirty little secrets.

Life after all is full of lies.

***

Graduation Day

The crowd was full of people in black toga and graduation hats. The ambiance was a happy one, people coming to and fro, congratulating all the graduates for such a job well done. There was laughter in the corner, cries of joy, proud hugs and most of all fulfilling smiles. Even with such a broken heart, Simione made sure not to be sood soft on such an occasion. She freely mingled in, went to her friends and accepted their handshakes, bouquets and congratulations.

Soon, the graduates were called in to settle as the graduation ceremony was to start and the long marches, name calls and cheers began. In the middle of the program, the host stepped onto the podium and with all smiles, announced something.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the graduate with highest honors of this batch to give her graduation speech. Everyone, Simione Roux Abreo, Magna Cumlaude,"

The call of her name made Simione very emotional. There was something about it that reminded her of the most important person in her life and knowing that she had graduated with highest honors without such a person to witness her success she could only sighed deeply at it.

When she stepped onto the podium, she went on saying how she hated speeches as for her it was the most boring part of the program and everyone laughed with her. She said many things more after but what made her almost cry, was when she rendered her gratitudes for her success.

"My name, Simione Roux Abreo, sounded so grand in this school. When one hears it, they would always be reminded of that smart girl who can ace all her school exams but the truth is, my name isn't grand. Simione Roux Abreo is an orphan…." When she said it, the crowd fell into silence. Tears were beaming at her eyes but she tried too hard not to cry. She wasn't particularly crying because she was an orphan but she was very emotional because right at this time which she considered as the highest peak of her life, she was able to wear the name her father left her. Simione Roux Abreo was more than a name, it was her father's legacy to her, it was what was left of him. Without it, there was nothing for the world to remember that once he existed and lived humbly, "and yet this orphan, after so much hardship stood and proud at all of you. May you take inspiration in my story,"

"To my papa who had long rested with our Father. Finally, papa, I have made you proud!" Simione forced a smile to it, imagining that her father was just right across the corner cheering and very proud of her. "I thought I can never make you proud anymore but here I am, standing here being proud of who I am, on my own right, on my own name. I know you are cheering all the from heaven for me! To everyone, congratulations. Let's keep dreaming and achieving more in life!"

When her speech ended, everyone either cheered or sniffed a cry. Nobody knew that she was an orphan and so they were so touched. Simione had a good reputation at school but because her last name didn't sound interesting—as none of the elite families in Devon City had a name Abreo, no one took notice of her at the beginning. As days went by and she became popular because she was very pretty and smart, she had found a very exclusive circle that others had hard time to infiltrate. Besides, Simione was always busy studying, it was hard to keep up a healthy friendship with her and her two exclusive friends—Gabriella Monteria and Lucilla Dimitri were someone you can't just make friends with, so in all her life in university, nothing was known about her, until now.

Soon, the graduation ended and the graduates threw all of their graduation hats, a sign of their success and freedom!

"We love you Alma Mater!"

"Congratulations' classmates!"

"Congratulations batch 20**!"

Simione exchanged congratulations with her classmates first and thanked her professors before she went to find Madam Silicia and Grandfather Williams. At one corner, the two were talking to a professor and they beamed to her side when they saw her coming.

"Congratulations my dear!" Madam Silicia went to hug her first after she excused herself from the professor's presence. She was really proud of how the girl succeeded in her academics and wished then that Lyndon could have done the same. However, Lyndon was all obsessed with ballet and they could just do nothing but support him with that.

"Sisi, how you made me so proud," Grandfather Williams' went to hug her next. He was really amazed at how she ended up very successful with her academics and for once, it made him feel so satisfied that he took her in.

Years ago, her presence in the Tang's mansion caused such a ruckus not only with their relationship with the Hans but also within their family. Lyna, Lyndon's late mother, strongly protested to fostering Simione and even his wife, Madam Silicia was hesitant at first. He however longed for a granddaughter and ever since he met the girl, he was always amazed with her courage and determination. So he insisted on keeping her since Lyndon wanted it to. Now, years later, he felt so proud of his decision then. 

"Thank you grandfather," Simione felt really good then. The two, Madam Silicia and grandfather William's presence then was enough for her. Afterall, she knew, despite the fact that they weren't her blood ties, they gave her love and treated her as their own.

"Sisi," The smile in Simione's face went away when Lyndon somehow appeared. The way he looked so handsomely so clean with his freshly shaven face and white buttoned up shirt made Simione want to curse her heart for adoring him.  If only she can 'unlove' a man. He would have done it right away.

"Sis, Lyndon had a concert yesterday but he made such an effort to fly back to Devon City just to be here on your special day," Madam Silicia announced, hoping that somehow it can soothe Simione' heart. Lyndon made a terrible mistake and his grandmother, she too cannot tolerate it. However she was hoping the two can still fix things up as their relationship was once so beautiful and admirable it would be such a waste to throw things off away.

Grandfather Wiliam however felt the immediate discomfort Sisi had then and so he gave his wife an eye for pulling such a terrible surprise. He himself was not informed that Lyndon was coming home today and he did tell the boy not to come home anymore. He was really upset with him, he never did think that his very own blood had that tendency, perhaps sending him to London and tolerating his ballet dreams was a bad decision.

However, he can't blame his grandson for such a lucrative dream.. Afterall, it was Lyna, Lyndon's mothers last wish for him to become a successful ballet dancer.