By Narrator

Hours Later

"I can’t believe I raised such a rude and unfriendly son."

Beth grumbled for the thousandth time about her new son’s behavior toward her friends at the tennis club she used to go to.

"No drama, Miss Elizabeth. I greeted them politely. What did you expect me to do? Was I supposed to kneel at the feet of those snobbish imbeciles?"

Elizabeth pressed her hand to her chest, visibly offended at the rude words of her son, who was now raising a glass of white wine to his lips.

"Did you see that, Octavio? This boy doesn’t respect me anymore. He’s even worse than when he left here."

Unlike his wife, Octavian cared little about the way his son had treated his wife’s guests. Just like Tony, Octavian also disliked those women who knew nothing else to do but gossip about other people’s lives.

"Come on, Beth. Stop the drama. Is it possible that we can’t just enjoy our boy’s return in peace?"

"That’s why these three are irrecoverable." Beth grumbled, visibly annoyed with her husband. "You’re always right for them."

Her husband rolled his eyes and then stood up.

"I’m going to get a drink."

He left his wife’s presence before they started another silly argument. This made the three brothers look at each other and smile complicitly.

"Where is Elinor?" Tony asked his brothers, but it was his mother who answered.

"Where else would she be? In the kitchen, of course."

The younger man took a deep breath, while trying to think of something good so that once again he wouldn’t lose patience with his mother.

"I’ll go there."

"And the guests?" Elizabeth couldn’t hide her displeasure.

"I told you no reception, Mom. They’re your guests, not mine."

Anthony hurriedly got up and headed for the kitchen before being scolded by his mother.

Elinor was one of the house maids, the oldest and the only one who put up with her mother’s nonsense, which was perhaps why she was also the only one Elizabeth treated with the slightest affection, if she knew what that was. However, to Elizabeth’s children, Elinor represented much more than a maid, the brunette was also like a grandmother, after all, none of them had ever met their paternal or maternal grandparents.

"How wonderful you look with that apron." While circling the nice lady’s waist in a tight hug, Anthony whispered in Elinor’s ear, who until then had not even noticed the other’s presence there.

"Oh Jesus..." Taken by the sudden fright, the lady gave a little cry that made Tony laugh. "You insolent, I can’t believe you haven’t lost your way of scaring me. Besides, keep your hands off that little guitar body because I’m no match for your beak."

Although she was angry, Elinor was happy to see one of her little boys again. Like Mirella and Arthur, Anthony was like a grandchild to the maid.

"Stop the charm! I know you’ve been missing me terribly."

Anthony was a charmer, and could easily win over anyone with a modicum of common sense. At this, the older woman took him in her arms and let herself show how much she missed him.

"My boy, how much you have been missed during these years. This house is not the same without you."

"This time I’m back to stay, Eli." Anthony referred to his eldest by the affectionate nickname he would give her as a child, while he allowed himself to be hugged lovingly.

"Grandma, here are the groceries that..." A brunette with tanned skin stopped in the middle of the kitchen as soon as her eyes met the scene. For his part, Anthony

He turned away from Elinor, but without taking his eyes off the new arrival. He was curious to know who this beautiful and visibly shy woman was. "Sorry, I didn’t mean to barge in and interrupt you."

"Now, stop your nonsense, young lady." The lady walked up to the girl and with a sparkle in her eyes took her hand, pulling her close to her. "Tony, let me introduce you to my granddaughter. You probably remember that I used to talk about her all the time when you were a child, but you never saw each other."

Of course, Anthony listened carefully to everything the older woman said, but it was almost impossible to look at anything else in that kitchen but the dark eyes of the woman in front of him.

"Nicole came to live with me earlier this year. Unfortunately my beloved daughter and son-in-law were in a fatal motorcycle accident. I would never let my little girl be alone." The older woman said sadly, being quickly consoled by her granddaughter, who for the first time looked away from Anthony.

"It’s okay, Grandma. Don’t be sad again, okay?"

Nicole was Elinor’s only granddaughter. The girl had been raised far away from her maternal grandmother, since in the past, just like so many other emigrants, Elinor had also left her home country in search of a job and a better opportunity. At the time, her daughter was very young, and Elinor knew that on that uncertain journey she might encounter many obstacles along the way. With this in mind, even with pain in her heart, Elinor opted to leave her little girl with her sister to avoid suffering the child, but this decision was made with the promise that as soon as possible she would send for them. However, even after learning that her mother’s life was already stable in the United States, Lurdes’s daughter and sister did not want to leave their town, and so they lived far away from each other, but always in touch and missing each other when Elinor went to visit them during the vacations Elizabeth gave her and with her savings, since she earned well working for the family.

Of course, everyone in the Morelle family knew Elinor’s story, but Anthony never imagined that the Latin child who loved to dance, which Elinor always described to him and his brothers, was now a beautiful young woman full of curves. And what curves...

"Ahem!" said the older one uncertain, after all, she knew that the pain would never go away from her heart. Losing a daughter was na incurable pain. "Nicole, this is the boy, Anthony. Just as I took care of Arthur and Mirella, I took care of him from the first day of his life."

Tony smiled fondly at the lady, but soon looked away from her to Nicole. Nicole, in turn, already knew Mirella and Arthur, but none of them had aroused as much curiosity in her heart as the one in front of her.

"I’m happy to finally meet you." Always very polite, Anthony extended his hand to the beautiful brunette-haired woman in front of him. "I remember that your grandmother always spoke of you with great enthusiasm and passion."

Shyly, Nicole shook the hand in front of her. At that moment they both had na inexplicable warmth coursing through their stomachs.

"I must say that it was no different when I talked about you and your brothers." The brunette said shyly, and for the first time they both smiled at each other.

By Narrator

Months later

"I CAN’T BELIEVE SUCH NONSENSE." Elizabeth screamed to the point of frightening everyone in the house. "ANTHONY MORELLE, MY HEIR, IN LOVE WITH A POOR LATINA WHO HAS NOWHERE TO DROP DEAD, AND WORSE THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE MAID."

"The maid, who took care of your children better than you, by the way." Mirella didn’t miss the opportunity to pin her mother.

Elizabeth’s three children had daring characteristics. They were all cheeky and showed contempt for rules, but it was Mirella who was least afraid to confront her eldest.

"What did you say?" The corner of Elizabeth’s left eye twitched.

"No lies, Mom." Anthony stood beside his sister, ready to defend her. They both looked at their mother with contempt. "Wasn’t it Mrs. Elinor who took care of us while you were spending day and night in that damned hospital? By the way, you should thank her for all she has done for us."

"And that’s when you weren’t going on vacation." Even though he was the one who feared his mother the most, Arthur ventured to conclude, showing that he was on his brothers’ side.

"Can you two talk like civilized people?" Octavian tried in vain to intervene between mother and children. "I’m sure that these shouts can be heard all over the neighborhood."

"Civilized people? That’s all Anthony is not, my dear. Your son has always enjoyed teasing us, Octavian, but this time he’s crossed every line." Elizabeth seemed to care little if, from the kitchen of that house, Elinor listened to everything with sadness and feeling humiliated, but not surprised, since when she learned of her granddaughter’s involvement with the Morelle firstborn, she would have warned them both of the problems they would face when the relationship was assumed. "WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU CAN HAVE ANY WOMAN IN YOUR ARMS, AND YOU JUST WANT A DISHWASHER? POOR, IMMIGRANT, AND BLACK!" The older woman laughed scornfully. "That’s all I need."

Elizabeth knew that it had only been a few days since Nicole had been hired as a waitress in a small restaurant on the south side of town. Imagining her oldest son dating Elinor’s granddaughter was na affront to what she stood for in society.

Arthur and Mirella exchanged glances, and it was possible to see how outraged Elizabeth’s youngest seemed at her mother’s haughty, prejudiced behavior. By the way, she was not so different from Anthony, but Anthony seemed to grow angry at her mother’s words.

"WASH YOUR MOUTH TO TALK ABOUT NICOLE. BECAUSE HER JOB IS AS DIGNIFIED AS ANY OTHER, AND FROM WHAT I SEE HERE BEFORE YOU, PROFESSION DOES NOT DEFINE CHARACTER."

Like his mother, Anthony also shouted fearlessly. Compared to all the others, this was the first big fight between mother and son since the boy’s return.

"How dare you speak to me like that, Anthony!" Elizabeth’s eyes twitched, so angry was she. "Are you really going to confront your mother about that..."

"That what?" This time Tony was inches away from his mother. "Finish that sentence and I swear I won’t stay another minute in this house. And I’ll tell you something else... racism is a crime. Know that I won’t object if Nicole reports you for it. Maybe then you’ll learn that we’re all equal."

Elizabeth studied her son’s features and at that moment she knew two things for certain: it was time to end the discussion; after all, she knew her son better than anyone else, and she knew that Anthony meant it when he said he was leaving home. And as much as he didn’t say it in words, everyone knew that Anthony was Elizabeth’s favorite son. The other certainty was simple. For the older woman, Nicole would be her biggest problem.

Some time later

"Do you smell that?" Mirella said close to her brother’s ear, who was too stupid to notice the debauch-laden phrase.

"It smells like good food." Arthur answered in innocence, but was soon slapped by his younger sister.

"I don’t mean food, you idiot."

"Ouch." complained the boy, smoothing his arm. His sister was disproportionately strong for her tiny size. "So what are you talking about, my God?"

"Framing!" The younger girl said, and her brother still didn’t seem to understand what her sister was getting at. "Come on, do you really believe that Mom is okay with Tony and Nicole dating? Arthur, when in your life do you think Elizabeth would host a dinner party to make their relationship official?"

Arthur seemed to think about what his sister was saying, and now it seemed to make sense. Really, knowing his mother as he did, Elizabeth’s sudden attitude didn’t fit her personality, even when she claimed that she couldn’t bear to quarrel with her eldest son.

"So, I think we’d better keep na eye out. I don’t want Tony and Nick to be embarrassed by Mom’s foolishness." said the boy.

"So you mean Auntie doesn’t like her favorite’s little girlfriend?"

Neither of the two Morelle’s had noticed that Tomaz had sneaked up and overheard the two brothers’ conversation. Mirellla rolled her eyes impatiently at her cousin’s provocation, which for her was a real synonym for trouble. The bad boy had arrived from a trip a few days before; he was going to spend some time at his aunt’s house, since he had been sentenced to death after getting into a fight in a luxurious nightclub in Los Angeles. For Mirella, that story was badly told, but she accepted the explanations from her mother who did not hide her affection for her older nephew. But how could it be different? Aunt and nephew were alike when it came to dubious character.

"This is none of your business, Tomaz." said Mirella, harshly.

"Hey, easy there, little cousin. I just want to understand why Aunt Beth doesn’t approve of the courtship." Said the boy raising his arms in signs of redemption.

"Look, they’re here." Arthur said excitedly, preventing the conversation between the cousins from continuing.

Tomaz quickly looked towards the door where Anthony entered holding hands with Nicole. This was the first time the brunette had entered the house through the front door.

"Now I can understand why." said Tomaz, holding back his laughter. "This girl is anything but the daughter-in-law of Ms. Elizabeth Morelle’s dreams. Look at that..." The boy was referring to Nicole’s simple clothes and worn-out sandals. However, in Anthony’s eyes, Nicole looked beautiful in that flowery twirled dress. "But I have to confess... Despite being a country bumpkin, this woman is beautiful." concluded the young man, visibly mischievous at Nicole’s beauty.

By Narrator

Hours Later

"Nicole, dear. I hope you don’t mind being served by your grandmother tonight." Elizabeth said with a feigned tone of regret. "I had to allow Abigail the night off. The poor thing was in excruciating pain.

Anthony tried hard not to turn that table upside down. He didn’t want to subject his girlfriend to his mother’s whims, but to his chagrin, Nicole was too stubborn and had shown a willingness to face her mother-in-law as na equal. Of course they both knew that that dinner was a complete show of pretense on Elizabeth’s part, what they didn’t know was that it would become even clearer in a few minutes Elizabeth would show how scheming she could be, and that she would not make Nicole and Anthony’s life any easier, by showing that they were not born to be together, for they belonged to different worlds.

"Don’t worry Mistress Elizabeth. I’m used to not only being served by my grandmother, but also to serving people. Didn’t you know I’m a waitress?" Nicole smiled sweetly at the woman who wanted to belittle her. "Actually, I’m proud to know that the food you eat and enjoy is prepared by the fairy hands of Miss Elinor."

Of course, Elizabeth was lost in a moment of bewilderment, for like the others present, she hadn’t expected to hear that response. The older woman really wanted to humiliate Nicole, but in the end it was she who was humiliated, because she didn’t even know how to fry na egg.

For his part, Anthony didn’t hide his smile when he heard the answer his girlfriend had just given his mother. He held Nicole’s hand firmly and lovingly brought it to his lips to kiss her devoutly. Mirella, who was sitting in front of her older brother, blinked at her sister-in-law in approval for the latina’s little rebellion.

"Oh yes..." Elizabeth began, after pulling herself together. "Your grandmother does indeed have wonderful hands for the kitchen, otherwise I would never have allowed her to remain a maid for so long in this house. However, I must say that especially today dinner was not prepared by her." Everyone seemed surprised by the woman who smiled prettily as she spoke. How could Elinor not have prepared dinner? Everyone knew that Elizabeth was a big fan of the lady’s cooking. "I think that special moments like this, I mean, the formalization of my son’s relationship with you, deserve something on the same level, do you all agree?"

"I told you it didn’t smell good." Mirella grumbled to Arthur, who seemed uncomfortable with his mother’s attitude. "That old woman with the bad food is up to something. By the way, did I ever tell you that Dad doesn’t give a damn anymore?"

The brother looked at Mirella, his eyes wide open.

"What?"

"It’s boring, I know."

Mirella took a sip of juice and turned her attention back to the conversation in front of her.

"What are you talking about, Elizabeth?" Octavio looked annoyed.

"Elinor."

Elizabeth called out with a smile on her lips, and it wasn’t long before Nicole’s grandmother appeared at the table with a covered dish. In the older woman’s eyes, Nicole could identify the muted apology. As much as she had wanted to, she had had no way to let her granddaughter know what she was getting into that night; after all, the food Elizabeth had ordered had arrived less than tem minutes earlier.

Elizabeth herself made a point of revealing her trap.

"I hope it’s to your liking, darling. I know how passionate you are about French cuisine."

Everyone looked stunned at the refined and extremely complicated dish, unless, of course, one had knowledge of how to eat escargot, which, by the look on Nicole’s panicked face, was clearly not her case.

"BUT WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?" Anthony shouted.

"Mind your manners, Anthony." Elizabeth scolded her son, but remained cynical. "Why are you surprised? You’ve always liked escargot." The older woman said to her three sons and husband. On the other side of the table, Tomaz seemed to revel in the unpleasant situation his aunt was providing. He didn’t even wait for the others, and served himself. "Nicole, dear. I imagine you won’t have any problems with that, will you?"

The older woman smiled devilishly, but although she had always been strong in her life, at that moment Nicole couldn’t hold back. She felt too humiliated by Elizabeth’s clear effort to show that Anthony and she didn’t belong together. Was it possible to just live on love?

Sobbing, Nicole ran away from the table, followed by Elinor, who, like her granddaughter, was also weeping in humiliation. For Elinor, this situation had reached its limit, and she would never again give Elizabeth the chance to humiliate her or her granddaughter.

"You’re the most scheming person I know. I can’t believe I’m really your son." Anthony spat the words out with contempt.

"Now, don’t be ungrateful, you spoiled cat. You wanted my acceptance in this stupid flirtation, what more do you want from me? Accepting this nonsense you call dating won’t change who we are, or who she is. What did you want me to have you serve? Chicken goose? It’s not my fault if she’s not cultured and refined, but you know what? It just proves that she will never measure up to you."

"As if it was necessary for you to accept or not who we should relate to." Mirella laughed scornfully. "You know what? I’ll understand if Tony never wants to look you in the face again. You’re despicable, Mom."

"Watch how you talk to me, you insolent little bitch. As long as you three live under my roof, eat at my expense, dress on my money, and depend exclusively on my conquests, you owe me respect." Elizabeth scolded her daughter, who didn’t seem to mind her mother’s offense. "It’s not my fault if Anthony had to see for himself how absurd this relationship is. That girl will never measure up to any of us. But you really know what, I understand her. If I were her, I would also want to take a swing at na inexperienced and rich man like her brother."

"STOP IT NOW!" To everyone’s surprise, Octavian was the owner of that indignant voice.

"Have you gone crazy too, Octavio? Stop this nonsense and let’s all dine in peace."

"I was crazy when I married you, Elizabeth, but it’s never too late to fix a mistake."

The older woman narrowed her eyes, and now husband and wife were dueling.

"What do you mean by that?"

"That I’m tired of your follies and insanities. I want a divorce, Elizabeth."

That night, not only did Anthony leave that house without looking back, but Octavian also left the woman he once loved so much, and who today he could not recognize.