Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Inside the hospital.
Eunice sat on a bench in the corridor, her expression heavy with worry.
The elevator dinged open, and out stepped Calvin with Arlen in tow.
“Eunice, why are you all by your lonesome? Where’s Bard?” Arlen asked with feigned concern.
Eunice lifted her sorrowful eyes. “Arlen, what brings you here? Calvin, did you know Arlen’s come too?”
“Your dad’s in there, and to tell you the truth, we share some of the blame.” Calvin pretended to be remorseful.“Couldn’t sleep a wink, so we came to check on him.”
“Well, isn’t that a surprise. I thought Calvin has no conscience, but seeing him now, I guess he’s not totally heartless.”
Calvin’s face darkened, but he lowered his voice and said, “I know you’re mad, and tonight, I was out of line. I scared you, left a bad impression. I’m here to apologize. I agree to those terms you and Arlen set. We’ll go home and discuss it with our better halves.”
Calvin and Arlen quickly chimed in, “Right, absolutely. We’ll get back to you with an answer that’ll satisfy you.”
Out of the blue, Eunice said, “You guys agree so quickly, it almost seems fishy”
“Now, now, kiddo, we’re your elders, after all. We wouldn’t trick you, one of the younger generation.’
Arlen hurriedly said. “Besides, you have Bard by your side. Who would dare to deceive you?”
“When can I expect a decision?” Eunice seemed somewhat convinced.
“By sunrise tomorrow, I swear to you, we’ll persuade Teresa and Bess to transfer all their shares into your name!”
“Is ita deal?”
“It’s a deal!”
Just then, a voice carried over: “What’s this about making a deal?”
“Bard.” All the elders turned, and upon seeing this young upstart, couldn’t help but feel a bit intimidated.
Arlen was the first to express concer, “Bard, how’s your dad doing?”“You seemed to forget that my dad is in there because of every single person here. What are you all doing here?
Think he’s not sick enough? Want to give him another scare?”
“Bard, tonight was a misunderstanding, ask Eunice. Your dad and I are brothers. Seeing him in there, it hurts me too” Arlen said somberly.
Calvin’s tone carried a similar weight, “Just the thought of your dad suffering in there, we can’t sit still.
We had to see him with our own eyes to settle our minds.”
In the operating room.
Darren and Mirabella clinked their soda cans together in a secret toast. They sat sprawled on the floor, sipping their drinks and savoring the crispy fried chicken.
“This chicken is spot-on—crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside. If we only had some barbecue skewers to go along with it”
Mirabella couldn’t help but chuckle. “Grandpa, you’re just on the mend. It’s best to stick to lighter fare for now.
Besides, BBQ skewers are too aromatic. The folks outside will sniff us out in no time.”
Even with the windows cracked open, the aroma of fried chicken seemed to fill the entire recovery room.
Skewers would definitely give the game away.
“You’re right, Bella. Skewers might be too much. The chicken is perfect. I’m more than content with this,’ Darren conceded with a smile.
He picked out a particularly plump piece and handed it to her. “Here, Bella, this one’s meaty. Take it.
You’re too thin. You need to eat more.”
Mirabella accepted it with a grin. She loved eating meat but never seemed to gain weight, perhaps because of her fondness for teas and lemon water.
“To think that our first meal together would be in a place like this, It’s certainly memorable.”
Darren wolfed down the chicken, his mood souring as he thought about the backstabbers outside.Sensing her grandfather’s shift in mood, Mirabella offered comfort. “It’s painful to face the truth, but it’s better than being kept in the dark. You’ve supported them for years out of brotherly love, Grandpa, but what they’re after is your life and your fortune.”
As she spoke, Mirabella pulled out her smartphone. “Let me add you on WhatsApp, Grandpa.”
“Alright, alright’ Darren’s spirits lifted as he fished out his own phone. “Should I scan your code, or do you want to scan mine?”
Amused that her grandfather was so tech-savvy, Mirabella replied, “Either works.”
“I’ll scan yours.” After adding each other on WhatsApp and Mirabella’s approval, Darren set her contact name to “Sweetie Bella”
Mirabella sent him a file. “I copied all the chat records from Mr. Clarence’s phone at the Arlen residence and monitored his mobile. They’re plotting something for tonight. And those close calls you and Grandma had all linked to ther. I’ve sorted the evidence somewhat. Consider it an accompaniment to your meal. But don’t get too worked up over it. Your health is what’s important.”
Darren was amazed at his granddaughter’s prowess, to have gathered so much evidence.
He had suspected his close encounters were linked to those around him but had no proof.
Until now.
After reviewing all the material, he chugged his soft drink and then opened a surveillance video Eunice had sent him from earlier in the car.
“AS a junior, he not even attending Arlen’s birthday bash. Does he have any respect for us elders?
Who does he think he is?””You’re not afraid to die, following in your husband’s footsteps, that’s your choice. But this young lady beside you, she’s innocent. Barely found her way back to us, never tasted the high life, and now gone.”
The more Darren listened, the more he felt a thunderous rage. Behind his back, his brothers wore such masks!
They not only plotted against his son’s life, causing his plane to explode, but they also pressured Eunice to hand over all her shares and assets to them, even bullying his granddaughter.
“In these families, what weight does kinship hold?”
“Out of respect for our familial bonds, we’ll spare his life. He’s basked in success for half his life; it’s time he sees how we shine. Especially after his oh-so-prized eldest son’s demise. What comes next? I can almost taste his despair.”
Darren crumpled the soda can in his hand, his momentary soft-heartedness completely extinguished.
All that remained was a bitter chill and burning rage.
For years he had poured his heart and soul into being the benevolent patriarch, and yet, in their eyes, he was worth less than the almighty dollar and shares in the company.
His life, and the lives of his son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, didn’t seem to weigh as much as those assets!
No wonder his father had gripped his hand tightly on his deathbed, urgently cautioning Darren never to let his brothers into the family business.
Even then, his father had seen their true colors, knowing their insatiable greed would one day lead to disaster.
“It’s all my fault, I was too soft then, too trusting.” Darren rambled to Mirabella, “When I first took over the company, I was swamped, working all hours. They came begging me, time and again, wanting internships and vowing they wouldn’t take a penny, just wanted to ease my burden, saying they couldn’t bear to see me so overworked. I actually believed them!”
Looking back, he felt like a fool.
“Grandpa, you trusted them, and I think that’s far more precious,’ Mirabella said with a wisdom beyond her years, “but they just didn’t value it”
Darren looked at his granddaughter, feeling a stinging sensation in his nose, “They’ve lived half their lives and still aren’t as clear-sighted as a child.”After a heavy silence, Darren added, “What was once a good home is falling apart. I wonder if my father is turning in his grave, blaming me for letting the wolves in”
“There was never a perfect home, Grandpa,’ Mirabella comforted, “You thought we were united and loving, but that might have been true only in your eyes. To them, it wasn’t about brotherly love or family warmth, it was all about the benefits in your and Uncle Bard’s hands.”
Darren realized she had a point.
The happy family he thought he had was an illusion!
Sensing her grandfather’s mood, Mirabella couldn’t help but say, “Don’t be sad, Grandpa. You’ve done everything a good man should. It’s not on you that they failed as brothers. Should we just let thern keep making mistakes without any consequences?”
She analyzed further, “An ordinary person’s mistake might be a small lie, a minor misdeed, but their mistakes are the kind that could cost lives. If you turn a blind eye, what you’ll lose won’t just be our family, and they won’t care. They’ll trample over bodies, spending money with wild abandon while evading justice.”
Yes, she was right. If he turned a blind eye, it would be like gambling with his family’s lives for a semblance of brotherly affection. He couldn’t, he wouldn’t allow it.
“Bella, you’re a good kid. Thanks for helping me see clearly.”
If he had harbored any reluctance or regret before, it had now vanished.
“It’s something you had to realize yourself, Grandpa. No one else’s words would’ve sufficed,” Mirabella said, raising her soda.
Darren couldn’t drink alcohol, so he popped open another soda and clinked cans with her.He suddenly realized that this young girl possessed a remarkable character, her maturity and sense of the world far surpassing those of her peers. She was indeed a promising talent.
Outside the operating room.
Eunice feigned overwhelming distress, “Bard, Dad’s been in there so long. I’m really worried.”
Before she could finish, she pretended to be overcome, her body saqging as if she would collapse.
“Eunice,” Bard rushed to catch her, “Don’t worry, with Bella and the doctors in there, they’ll surely pull Dad back from the brink.”
Eunice feigned a faint right into his arms.
“Eunice, Eunice?”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.