Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
If Mirabella continued to compromise and step back, wouldn’t that add insult to injury?
“That’s why I want to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. If it turns out Serena is behind the tampering, maybe we can get Louisa to cut the knot and minimize the damage to Bella,” Eunice continued.
The longer the issue dragged on, the greater the potential hurt to Mirabella.
The family’s affection for Serena was deep, and the revelation of her true character would only bring them more sorrow.
“tt wouldn’t be good for the family either.”
“Don’t overthink it. Once the investigation is done, the truth will be clear,’ Bard comforted her. “I just dread the day we might have to make a choice between Serena and Bella.”
One had been cherished like a daughter for eighteen years, raised and protected.
The other, deeply indebted to, had given so much to the family.Just then, a servant approached with news, “Ma‘am, Ms. Bella has arrived.”
“I have something to ask her,’ said Eunice, standing up. “Bard, shall we go downstairs?”
Bard offered his arm, and they descended together.
Darren, his mood buoyant after officially bequeathing everything in the wooden chest to Mirabella, hummmed a tune on his way home.
A gentle smile graced Mirabella’s face, her joy seemingly tied to her grandfather’s happiness.
“Bella, you’re back!” Eunice greeted her with warmth as she descended the stairs. “I was wondering what to do with the gifts Romeo brought last night.
He went overboard, and I haven’t even unwrapped them yet.”
The packaging alone looked expensive.
If not for Serena’s outburst the previous evening, the elders might have already met Romeo and been singing his praises.
Mirabella then remembered Romec’s instructions about the gifts.
As she distributed them, she said with a soft smile, “It’s just a token of his regard. Please, accept them.”
Darren unveiled a set of exquisite chess pieces, hitting right upon his hobby.
Belinda received a painting of inestimable value, her eyes lighting up with admiration and affection.
Bard’s gift was an antique vase worth a fortune.And for Eunice, a tea set of unparalleled value.
From the top of the stairs, Serena watched the scene unfold, her irritation mounting. She couldn’t believe that Romeo had spent so much just for a first impression.
If he wasn’t serious about Mirabella, he wouldn’t have bothered.
With that thought, Serena’s resentment towards Mirabella deepened, her own misfortunes stark against Mirabella’s happiness.
Suddenly, she realized that Martin hadn’t sought her out all day.
“Romeo is such a big spender, just look at this chess set he got me; Darren exclaimed with a mix of admiration and bewilderment. “You can’t just find a fine set like this every day, even if you had the cash.
I can’t figure out where the kid managed to dig this up. He’s really outdone himself this time.
Belinda chimed in with a warm smile, “And the painting he gave me, it’s just to my taste. Not only is the craftsmanship top-notch, but every flower, every tree in it is so full of meaning. The boy is wishing me a life filled with blessings, longevity, and smooth sailing.”
Her grin was so wide it looked like it wouldn’t fit on her face.
Bard, holding the vase in his hands, added his praises, “The kid really put his heart into this one. I saw this vase at the auction earlier this year. Missed out on bidding, and it nagged at me for a while. How he got wind of it and managed to get it from that collector, of all people, and even in the original box”
It was no small feat, that was for sure.
The collector who had snagged the vase was a man who wouldn’t part with his treasures for all the money in the world.
So for Romeo to have gotten his hands on that vase was a marvel in itself.
“Last time Romeo visited, he must have noticed my love for tea. He went out of his way to bring me this beautiful tea set” Eunice said, her eyes softening at the memory.
The set had caused quite a stir at the auction because of its unique design.
It was known to enhance the flavor of the tea, making it a coveted item among tea enthusiasts.Eunice had wanted it, but out of consideration for a business partner who was also set on acquiring it, she stepped back.
“Romeo filled a gap I had resigned myself to, Eunice said, her smile as beautiful as it was grateful.
“We really need to show our appreciation for all these precious gifts he’s given us. It’s clear he values Bella and respects us elders. But with things happening so suddenly last night, I feel awful we couldn’t host him properly,”
Darren said, feeling apologetic.
“Don’t worry about it,” Belinda reassured. “Let’s have Bella ask him when he’s free to come over. We should return the favor. Eunice, you always have the best ideas. What do you think we should give him?”
They wanted to find a gift that was far from ordinary, something that would really touch his heart, but Belinda was at a loss for what that could be.
“Bella knows his tastes best, doesn’t she?” Eunice suggested with a knowing smile, turning to Mirabella.
All eyes turned to Mirabella, who suddenly realized that she hadn’t paid much attention to Romeo’s preferences. She was at a loss for what he truly liked or wanted.
“Bella, what have you given him in the past that he’s been happiest with?”
Belinda asked curiously.
“Me?” Mirabella said truthfully. “Even if it’s just a mug or a tie, he’s always happy”.
“He’s not picky.’ Belinda realized. “Well, that makes it easy then. Whatever’s rare and valuable, that’s what we’ll go with.””LT think” Eunice said thoughtfully, “that boy just wants to be accepted by our family. It probably doesn’t matter what we give him. Even just inviting him over would make him happy”
Although Eunice said this, everyone agreed that they should still reciprocate Romeo’s thoughtful gifts with something that showed their affection and approval.
As the farnily discussed the matter of the gift, Serena stormed off to her room, fuming. She checked her phone, and still, Martin hadn’t reached out to her!
She thought Martin was playing hard to get with her! She was seething with frustration and indignation.
With a huff, she tossed her phone aside, refusing to reach out to him first.
Martin sat behind his desk, his usually bright eyes now shadowed by a cloud of melancholy and dejection.
His deputy, sitting nearby, was at a loss for words on how to comfort him.
Since this morning, Martin had been planted at his desk, silent, not working, lost in his thoughts.
The scenes from last night reptayed in Martin’s mind.
Serena, full of heartfelt emotion, kept calling him Romeo and saying those things.
How much she liked Romeo, how her boyfriend was Romeo, and that he, Martin, was nothing in comparison, not even fit to be her boyfriend.
When he offered her a cup of soup to sober her up, she had scorned it, telling him to get lost and stop interrupting her “date” with “Romeo.”
The way she tiptoed to plant a kiss on “Romeo” was so loving, so lost in the moment, so shy and endearing—a stark contrast to how she was with him usually.
The more Martin thought about it, the more his heart ached.
Until the screen of his phone lit up, showing a text from Serena.
He quickly opened it to find a picture of a wound and a crying emoji, with the message, [It hurts so bad.]Martin immediately called her back to ask what had happened.
“Last night I had a bit too much whiskey and said some things I shouldn’t have. My sister thought I was flirting with her husband and without any discussion, she stormed into my room and gave me a beating.
Slapped me several times and hit me with a vanity stool. I’m in so much pain. The doctor says my injuries will take about a month to heal, and my hand is fractured.”
By the end, Serena’s voice was filled with such self-pity.
“What are you saying? That’s outrageous,’ Martin’s anger swelled in his chest, “Does she always get away with this at home? What about your family?
Didn’t anyone stand up for you?”
“I didn’t want to disturb the peace at home, so I didn’t say anything.”
“How can you be so naive! She can’t just treat you like that!” Martin was irate, “I’m going to settle this with her”.
“Martin, I don’t want to upset my family, I want to continue living in this house.”
“She was the one who started hitting you, she’s in the wrong. Mr. Darren and Mrs. Belanda would surely see to justice if they knew. If you don’t want the family to know, I can deal with her privately”
“She’ll definitely tattle! Besides, she has Romeo backing her. Forget it, Martin, it was my fault last night, I said things I shouldn’t have, and caused a misunderstanding.” Sensing the mood set just right, Serena then asked in a pitiful tone, “You don’t misunderstand me, do you?”
Martin, caught by her question, suddenly felt a bit guilty.”Did you not look for me today because you were busy with work? I know, even if the whole world misunderstands me, you, Martin, will always steadfastly stand by my side, right? After all, you’re my boyfriend, the person I trust and like the most in the whole world.”
Martin’s heart was suddenly touched, and with a tremble in his voice, he called out softly, “Serena.”
“Thank goodness for you. No matter what the world turns into, no matter how much malice comes my way, as long as you are with me, i’ll always have a place to belong”
Serena’s voice softened into a blissful murmur, “Martin, having you is just amazing. With you by my side, I feel like I’m not completely abandoned by the world. Even though I’m not born into the Collins family, and I can’t enjoy the privileges I once had, or claim a noble title, you still treat me like a princess.
My happiness is still intact. Seriously, having you as my boyfriend is the best thing ever!”