For the next few hours, all Bitsy, Helen, Whitney, Maya, and Goldie could do was wait until the sixty other guests had arrived. In the meantime, they had to spend some time with Doro's housekeeper Wailani Yamamoto, as well as Nai'a and Gerry's personal assistants Kbra Yohannes and Amina Khalifa.

Wailani was a rather heavy-set woman in her late thirties; with dark hair that cascaded down her shoulders in soft waves, dark eyes, and warm beige skin that was a reflection of her mixed heritage. Despite her physical appearance, Wailani had a vivacious personality that drew people towards her. She also took pride in her diverse background, which encompassed her Hawaiian, Japanese, and Portuguese roots. She'd been working for Doro for the past decade and a half and was very loyal to her. She had a kind heart and always tried to help out whenever she could.

Kbra was skinnier by comparison. Like Wailani, Kbra had dark hair and dark eyes, but her skin was equally dark. She was an immigrant from Eritrea who had come to the United States seeking a better life. Kbra was fiercely independent and determined, never shying away from hard work or challenges. She had a strong sense of self and a deep-rooted belief in the power of education to create opportunities.

And then there was Amina. She had dark hair, dark eyes, and tan skin. She had immigrated from Libya a few years ago, seeking refuge from the political turmoil and violence in her home country. Amina had a quiet yet resilient spirit, and despite the challenges she faced, she never lost her determination to build a better life for herself and her family. She was highly skilled in the art of traditional Libyan cuisine, her love for cooking having been instilled in her by her mother and grandmother.

"So why sixty guests?" Helen asked Wailani.

"Come again?" Wailani asked back.

"Why did Doro invite sixty other guests to her birthday party?"

Wailani shrugged. "No idea, but she insisted on it."

"That's weird. Is there any reason why she would insist on it?"

"I'm sure there is, but she hasn't said anything about it other than wanting to invite family. Still, can't really complain. It's her birthday, and she should do whatever she feels like."

"True." Pause. "So when are they supposed to come?"

"Soon. We just need to be patient, that's all."

Wailani glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing that the guests would be arriving within the hour. She couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness. It was always a thrill to be a part of Doro's grand celebrations, but the responsibility of hosting such a large gathering was not to be taken lightly.

As they waited for the guests to arrive, Kbra busied herself with final preparations in the kitchen, making sure all the food was ready to be served. Amina, on the other hand, meticulously set the dining table, arranging the elegant dinnerware and adding a touch of her Libyan heritage through beautiful handcrafted centerpieces.

"Everybody here yet?" Nai'a asked as she and Gerry walked into the dining room.

"Not yet, Mrs. Pritchard," Amina replied. "The first ones should be here soon, though."

"Well, I should certainly hope so," Gerry chimed in. "I don't want all that hard work to have been for nothing."

"Where the hell is Doro anyway?" Bitsy asked. "What's taking her?"

Nai'a positioned her hands so that they were akimbo. "She should be here within a few hours. She just needs to get ready first."

Whitney chuckled. "I get it. She just wants to be perfect."

Nai'a chuckled back. "That's my mother for you."

All of a sudden, they all heard a car pull into the driveway.

Nai'a saw that it was a blue 2024 Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe and beamed up. "Oh my gosh! Sounds like Ron and Dylan are back from 7/11."

Sure enough, two seventeen-year-olds- a boy and girl, respectively -emerged from the car and made their way inside the manor. Ron and Dylan both had reddish-brown hair like their mother, but their skin was sand-colored like their father.

Nai'a smiled at them. "You're back! Was everything okay over there?"

"Well, you know how it goes, Mom," Ron replied. "We got caught up in the candy aisle, debating which flavor of sour gummy worms was the best."

Dylan rolled her eyes playfully. "Ron simply couldn't resist the temptation. But hey, we did bring some drinks in. Not the alcoholic ones like you wanted, though, sorry."

"That's alright," Nai'a chuckled. "Non-alcoholic drinks will do just fine. I appreciate you two going out to pick them up."

Ron and Dylan exchanged mischievous glances before Ron spoke up. "Actually, we have a surprise for you, Mom. Close your eyes and hold out your hands."

Curious, Nai'a did as she was told, closing her eyes and extending her hands in front of her. As Nai'a stood there with her eyes closed and her hands outstretched, she could hear Ron and Dylan shuffling around. She couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement as she wondered what surprise they had in store for her.

Suddenly, she felt something cool and smooth being placed into her hands. Carefully, she opened her eyes to see a one-of-a-kind steak knife in her hands. It was made of Damascus steel, and its handle was in a glossy tortoiseshell pattern. She gingerly ran a fingernail along the blade.

Nai'a softly smiled. "This is absolutely beautiful, you two. Thank you."

"Anything for you, Mom," Dylan replied.

"I can't wait to use this for the party later."

"That's why we got it for you."

Suddenly, they all heard another car pull into the driveway.

Dylan saw that it was a faded green 1998 Volvo. She turned to Ron with a puzzled expression. "Did Aunt Eulalia and Uncle Solomon say they were coming over today?"

Ron shrugged, equally perplexed. "I don't remember them mentioning anything. Maybe they just decided to drop by."

As the car came to a stop, the doors creaked open, and out stepped Solomon Ryan and his wife Eulalia, Nai'a's great-uncle and great-aunt. They made their way up the path towards the manor and then made their way inside, their smiles widening as they caught sight of their favorite great-niece and her children.

Nai'a rushed forward to greet them with open arms. "Solomon, Eulalia! What a surprise! I wasn't expecting you to come!"

Eulalia chuckled and hugged her tightly. "Well, we got invitations from Doro and figured that we might as well stop by and wish her a happy birthday. Plus, we missed you all so much."

Solomon joined in the embrace, ruffling Ron's hair affectionately. "And we just couldn't resist seeing what all the fuss was about. Is everything going smoothly?"

"Almost," Gerry replied. "We're still waiting for the other guests to arrive."

As if on cue, another car pulled into the driveway. This time, everyone could see that it was a red 2001 Honda Accord.

"Huh, I wonder who that could be..." Helen thought out loud.

The doors creaked out, and out stepped Marvin Wilfred and his wife Rose with their adoptive son Jeffrey. Marvin had light brown hair (with a visible bald spot) and blue eyes, and he wore blue trousers with a short-sleeved red shirt that was paired with a blue work tie. Rose had platinum blonde hair and blue eyes, and she wore a cyan tank top and blue pants. She also wore a star brooch around her neck and sandals. As for Jeffrey, he had messy dark brown hair and blue eyes, and he wore a yellow T-shirt with his name on it and dark blue shorts with black Adidas sneakers.

"Goddamn it..." Bitsy muttered. "It's Rose..."

Marvin and his family made their way up the path towards the manor and then made their way inside, stopping when they saw who it was before them.

"Bitsy?" Rose called out to her. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Bitsy asked. "We were invited here. What are you doing here?"

"We were invited here, too... you know, for Doro's birthday party."

"Wait, I thought Doro wanted to invite family," Helen chimed in. "Isn't that you told me, Wailani?"

"Well, to be fair, she said she was inviting 'ohana," Wailani replied. "And as we all know, 'ohana means family, and family means no one is left behind."

Helen merely shrugged in response. "That's fair enough, I guess."

As if on cue, yet another car pulled into the driveway. This time, everyone could see that it was a sleek, matte black BMW i8. The engine purred softly as it came to a stop, and the driver's side door swung open. Out stepped a tall, confident figure dressed in a tailored suit. It was none other than Leopold "Ace" Brandenham II, the late Ambrose's eldest son. His expectant wife Dulcinea and younger son Jaiden followed him out of the car.

"Looks like I missed quite the gathering," Ace said, flashing the smuggest smile anyone had ever seen.

By now, Bitsy was fuming. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Nai'a proceeded to just ignore Bitsy in favor of welcoming Ace and his family to the party. "You're not too late, Ace, don't worry. There are still more guests to come."

"I know. Brendan and Molly should be getting here soon." Ace checked his Rolex watch. "Very soon..."

Nai'a chuckled. "I should certainly hope so. Mom's birthday party wouldn't be the same without them."

Even more cars started pulling in for what seemed like an eternity until the last one eventually came onto the scene and parked itself into the street. The drivers and their passengers soon came out and revealed thmeselves as Ace's oldest son Brendan and his girlfriend Molly Tillerman and her brother Cole, Doro's sister Virginia "Ginny" Ryan, Ginny's daughter Hanako Kealoha, Bitsy's stepmother Brandy Dunbarton, Brandy's stepdaughter Vivica from her marriage to Roger Dunbarton, Bitsy's younger half-brothers Peter and Michael and their families, Bitsy's older half-brother Ferdinand and his wife Marisol, Vivica's son P.C. and his wife Jessica, Butters' parents Stephen and Linda Stotch, Fred Jones and his wife Daphne, Shaggy Rogers and his wife Velma, Solomon's brother Joel and sisters Leinani and Lokelani, Nai'a's oldest sister Millicent and her husband Ed, their brother Mack and his wife Holly, their other brother Shaun, their half-sister Tabitha, Tabitha's son Dante and his fiancee Loulia Chua, Braxton Bernard and his son Junior, Junior's friends Joseph and Cody, Jeffy's biological mother Nancy and twin sister Phoebe, Gerry's daughters Courtney and Samantha from his first marriage; and lastly Robert Hillenburg, Sandra Cheeks, Patrick Star, and Edward Thompson.

"My goodness!" Maya exclaimed. "That sure is a lot of people!"

At that moment, Molly was on the phone with her mother Paige regarding the latter wanting her to try to get some dirt on Bitsy.

"Mom, it's a birthday party," Molly firmly told her. "I don't know when, if ever, I could get anything on Bitsy or her side of the family here. Brendan and I are just going to try to have a good time." Pause. "Alright, I'll try, but I doubt it'll work." With that, Molly hung up. "Jeez, Mom's been really going down the rabbit hole lately." Suddenly, she realized that she'd been talking within earshot of other people. "Oh, sorry, guys. That was my mom. She's been trying to get a tell-all book published."

"So I've heard," Whitney interjected.

"Has she had any luck with it?" Gerry asked curiously.

"Not really," Molly replied. "She seems to be on the verge of a burn-out."

Meanwhile, with Phoebe in tow, Nancy quickly approached Bitsy and cloyingly greeted her.

"Fuck you, you fucking gold-digger," Bitsy ground out at her widowed sister-in-law. "How dare you say that to me after you wormed your way into my brother's inheritance, you slut."

Nancy was taken aback by this outburst. "Whoa! What did I ever do to you?"

"Married my brother, you goddamn gold-digger."

"I loved him! How can you say that?"

At that moment, Nai'a stepped in to try to de-escalate the situation.

"Whoa there, let's try to calm things down," Nai'a said.

"Aunt Bitsy called Mommy a slut," Phoebe interjected.

"Not now, Phoebe." Nai'a then turned her attention back to Nancy and Bitsy. "Can you stop fighting for a second? We have more important things to tend to... like my mother's birthday."

"Nai'a's right," Wailani said. "Now that everyone's here, why don't we all head off somewhere and get ready? You're all expected for dinner at 7:30 tonight."

"Oh, good, I'm starving," Nancy said.


Five minutes after sunset, it was finally time for dinner. All sixty guests headed down to the dining room and living room, where they would be waiting for their food.

"Wow, this looks amazing!" Maya exclaimed as she looked around the dining room. "Do you think Martha Stewart has a dining room like this?"

"No, but I'm sure she'd be jealous," Leinani replied with a smile. "Personally, I'd do anykine to have even remotely the kind of furniture my great-niece has."

Leinani's eyes gleamed with admiration as she surveyed the luxurious furnishings. The dining table was an exquisite masterpiece, crafted from rich mahogany wood and adorned with intricate carvings. The chairs were plush and comfortable, upholstered in elegant silk fabric that matched the drapes that cascaded gracefully from the tall windows.

The soft glow of the chandeliers bathed the room in a warm ambiance, casting a gentle light on the guests as they took their seats. The scent of freshly cut flowers filled the air, emanating from the meticulously arranged centerpieces that adorned the table.

As the guests settled down, they couldn't help but marvel at the attention to detail. Each place setting was meticulously arranged with fine china, gleaming silverware, and crystal glasses that sparkled in the light. The napkins were intricately folded, resembling delicate origami creations.

"This is just so weird..." Helen mused out loud. "Sixty guests all invited here for a birthday party for someone they might not even like all that well... it just doesn't seem right."

"This party sucks," Bitsy said. "There's hardly any alcohol here."

"Well, Nai'a said they couldn't get much liquor, so..."

Bitsy deeply sighed. "God, it's so awkward seeing Vivica and Felicity here. Do you think they still think about me?"

"...depends."

"I could care less how Michael feels when it comes to me and Felicity. Having an affair with her was quite an adventure, though."

"Anything to spite your siblings, huh?"

At that moment, everyone could hear footsteps coming down the stairs, followed by a loud, jovial voice. It was Doro, the birthday girl!

"Good evening, everyone!" Doro greeted.

Nai'a beamed up. "Mom, it's about time! What took you so long?"

Doro laughed. "I was just taking my time ready, that's all. Let's get this party started!" She paused when she slowly descended the stairs. "But first, I'd like to take a moment to explain why I invited 'ohana for this occasion."

"Oh yeah, I was wondering about that, man," Shaggy interjected. "Like, what gives?"

"Shaggy, let me speak." Doro cleared her throat. "You see, it all started when Tree set me up on a date with her Psychology professor, Dr. O'Neal. We went out a few times, and I was really enjoying getting to know him. But then one day, he told me something that changed my life forever. He suggested that I try to reach out to all the people I'd wronged after I'd expressed how guilty I felt about everything."

"The people you'd wronged?" Shaggy couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at this. "Who are they?"

"Well, that would be all of you, of course." Doro proceeded to sit down in her designated seat. "And so here I am today, having brought you all here to make amends for all the terrible things I'd done to you. Now I could tell you why I did them, but then I'd just be giving you excuses, and you deserve better than that. I don't expect you to forgive me or even to believe me, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it up to you."

"You're right," Bitsy interjected. "I don't believe you. Why should I anyway? If my parents weren't using me as a scapegoat, you were. You helped make my life hell for years. How do you expect me to forgive you for that?"

Doro sighed dejectedly, her confidence having faltered. "I had a feeling you'd say that. I get it, I really do. I can't just change how you feel about me in a day. You don't give someone sugarcane and then expect them to have a plantation the next day. These things take time. Please, just give me a chance, and I promise it will have been worth it." Pause. "Tree, I need to use the bathroom."

Tree looked irritated by this. "What? You just sat down."

"I need to use the bathroom. Now."

Tree sighed and helped Doro out of her seat. "Okay, let's go."

With that, Tree and Doro headed off for the bathroom, leaving the seat empty. Gerry then proceeded to excuse himself to check on how things were going in the kitchen.

"Anybody else think this whole thing is giving off weird vibes?" P.C. asked.

"Yeah, something seems off about this party," Jessica conceded.

"Well, I don't know, maybe we should try to hear Doro out," Maya chimed in. "It wouldn't hurt to try. Maybe she really has changed."

"Are you serious right now?" Bitsy asked. "Did you not hear what I just told her or did you just choose to ignore that?"

Nancy took this as an opportunity to chime in as well. "Wait, Doro is a Cancer, right?"

Bitsy skeptically raised an eyebrow at this. "Yes? Why are you asking?"

"Well, if she's a Cancer, then maybe a rebirth is on the horizon."

"And how on Earth could you possibly know that?"

"I can feel people's auras."

Bitsy still wasn't convinced. "Really now?"

"Oh yeah, I've been taking classes so I can be certified as a psychic. You know, I think it's the aura Doro's been giving off that has me convinced." Nancy proceeded to sit down in Doro's seat. "I might be able to get a reading in this chair if I just sit here and feel her energy. I remember doing something like this a couple years ago with Ambrose when we first got married and-"

All of a sudden, Nancy felt what could only be described as a really hard punch to the chest. Then, just as quickly, blood seeped through the fabric of her leopard print long-sleeved V neck dress. Everyone else at the table gasped.

"What?" Nancy asked. "Is there something on my face?"

Nancy then lost consciousness and slumped over onto the table. Everyone else at the table screamed.

Brooks checked for a pulse, but he couldn't find it. "Oh my God... she's dead. She's been shot!"