Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Hearing the girl openly refer to him as her “boyfriend” wiped away Martin’s previous sorrow, replacing it with a surge of emotion and a pang of guilt.
He was moved by her heartfelt confession.
And guilty because, since last night, he’d doubted her feelings for him, sinking into a funk until just now.
But now, he was thrilled, overjoyed.
“Serena, I’ve been terrible today, not checking in on you sooner, not even noticing you were upset,’
Martin admitted with remorse. “From now on, I swear I’ll treat you twice as well. You don’t want me to confront Mirabella right now, but I’m keeping a tally. If she crosses me in the future, I’ll make sure to settle both new and old scores. I won’t let today’s hurt go unnoticed.”
“Martin, you’re the best!” Serena’s voice dripped with sweet happiness. “If you were here right now, I’m afraid I might not be able to stop myself from kissing you.”
Her flirtation sparked a fire in Martin, his breathing growing heavier.
Since when did his little princess become such a flirt?
Catching him hook, line, and sinker, Serena giggled coyly, “Stop it, I’ve got to go.”Before Martin could respond, a beeping tone signaled the end of the call.
His gaze softened, and a content smile played at the corners of his mouth.
The deputy at his side stared in disbelief. Was Mr. Martin smiling? And not just any smile, but one filled with pure happiness and satisfaction.
Who on earth was on the other end of that phone?
That person was capable of turning Mr. Martin’s stormy mood sunny! Martin opened WhatsApp and messaged the girl, [Did the doc give you anything for the pain? A month to recover seems too long. I’ll find you another doctor, maybe you can heal faster?) (Sure.] Serena replied promptly, punctuating her message with a kiss emoji.
Without hesitation, Martin immediately reached out to a doctor.
Serena agreed because she wanted him to see her injuries, even the ones on her back, through the doctor’s eyes. She wanted Martin to know the extent of her suffering.
The more he hurt for her, the deeper his hatred for Mirabella would grow.
And the more he would become her unsuspecting pawn.
Come evening.
Darren wheedled Mirabella, “Bella, that fried chicken we had the other night was divine, I can’t stop thinking about it. How about we have it for a midnight snack? Maybe throw in some BBQ skewers?”
Mirabella chuckled, “You’re still not fully recovered; we should stick to lighter fare.
“Just a little bit, please!”After much cajoling from Darren, Mirabella relented, “But not too much.”
“Don’t worry, just a few!”
With his granddaughter’s blessing, Darren eagerly ordered the meal. In no time at all, the chef wheeled in two large barbecue grills, loaded with hundreds of skewers.
Mirabella chuckled lightly at the sight before her, a playful glint in her eyes.
“Isn’t it just a couple of grilled skewers you wanted to satisfy your craving?”she teased.
Darren, with a skewer in hand, couldn’t stop himself from devouring more.
“What I meant was, a few of each flavor.” he said through mouthfuls.
Just then, Serena limped into the garden, having been invited by a servant.
Darren, seeing her uneven gait, couldn’t help but express his concern, “Serena, what’s with your foot?
Why are you limping like that?”
Serena cast a fearful glance at Mirabella and then spoke meekly, “It’s nothing, I just…”
Before she could finish, Eunice jumped in, “She was just throwing a tantrum last night and took a spill.
Honestly, Serena, you should apologize to your sister. You said so many harsh things and acted out of line. You owe Mirabella an apology.”
Tears welled up in Serena’s eyes, her face the picture of misery and injustice.
She had been roughed up by Mirabella and couldn’t even tell her grandparents, and now she had to apologize to Mirabella in front of everyone?
Was her aunt showing favoritism so blatantly?
“Exactly, you were way out of line with what you said to your sister last night.”
chimed in another voice.Those words from last night were too much for Belinda to bear, “Even though it was said in the heat of the moment, it still came from you. You should still apologize and make amends with your sister”
“I know I was at fault last night,” Serena said, trying to play the victim. “Even though I got hurt too, and even fractured my palm, what was said was said.
Sister, I’m sorry. Let me toast to you.”
She reached for a small glass of juice on the table, but Eunice interrupted by pushing a bunch of grilled skewers towards her, “No need for toasts. What if the juice is spiked? Just eat a skewer, and your sister will forgive you”.
Serena looked at the handful of skewers, coated with a thick layer of chili powder, and with tears brimming in her eyes, she protested, ‘Aunt Eunice, I can’t handle spicy food”
“That’s exactly why you should eat it, to show your sincerity, Eunice said gently. “Besides, it’s not really that spicy, just a formality. I wouldn’t actually make you suffer, would I? Let’s have your grandma try it and see.”
Eunice purposely picked a non-spicy skewer and handed it to Belinda, who took a bite and nodded, “It’s really not spicy.”
“Your aunt knows you don’t usually eat skewers, so she thought it’d be nice for you to have some now, Eunice said, grabbing Serena’s hand to hold the skewer. “Alright, let’s all dig in!”
Serena felt the greasiness in her hand and took a bite, only to be overwhelmed by the heat.
She coughed uncontrollably, tears streaming from her eyes, “I really can’t. It’s too spicy”
“You can’t handle that bit of spice?” Eunice laughed, “Well, then, as you said, have some juice.”Serena nodded weakly.
Eunice placed a large pitcher of juice in front of Serena, standing a foot tall.
“This can’t be too spicy for you, right?”
Belinda knew that last night Serena had mistaken Eunice for Mirabella and had given her an earful. This morning, they’d had another argument. Eunice, always straightforward, just wanted Serena to apologize sincerely.
“So, Serena, just drink it. It’s not that much” she said.
Misunderstandings within the family needed to be cleared up.
Serena stared at the large pitcher of juice. With tears in her eyes, she drank it all, her stomach nearly bursting. After gulping down so much juice late at night, she couldn’t hold it in. Before long, she was rushing to the bathroom, struck by a bout of diarrhea.
The morning after, Mirabella had barely finished her scrambled eggs and toast when her phone buzzed with an urgent call.
“Boss, we’ve got trouble. There’s a group claiming our skincare line ruined their faces. They’ve shown up at the company’s doorstep with their families and reporters, waving banners and making a scene.
Our PR team is on it, but these folks are adamant it’s our products to blame. The PR head says it’s your call on how to handle this. Should we go legal, call the cops, or have security escort them off the property?”
“Our skincare causing problems?” Mirabella was taken aback. This was a first.
“Yes. They’ve got receipts, surveillance footage of them using our products at home, and even lab reports claiming our products contain harmful substances that have caused allergic reactions and inflammation.”
“Are these lab results credible?”
“They’re from Dawnstar, a reputable firm. It’s unlikely they’re faked””
“But our skincare line went through all the proper channels before hitting the market. How could it possibly contain banned substances? Could there have been a mistake somewhere in the process?”
Mirabella knew the stakes were high; after all, the flagship line of the Ar-Bl-Clear Group was her brainchild. If there was a problem, surely those close to her, who also used these products, would have experienced issues long before this public outcry.
“What are they demanding?” Mirabella cut to the chase.”They want to see you, face-to-face, in front of the press. They’re calling for an explanation”.
“I’m on my way”
She hung up, gave her aunt a quick heads-up, and dashed out the door.
Shortly after Mirabella left, Eunice got wind that the Ar-Bl-Clear Group was in hot water and realized why her niece had hurried out.
Outside the group’s headquarters, a curly-haired woman was angrily decrying to the reporters, “Their whitening mask promised a fair and radiant complexion. Look at my face after a month’s use—ruined!
Just look at this redness, these bumps and pustules. How am I supposed to face anyone now?”
The journalists, smelling a sensational story, were all ears. “Do you have proof their product is at fault?”
“I took that mask to CCT for testing. CCT is an impartial, major organization.
The results showed that the mask contains three banned substances, which caused my allergic reaction.”
Another young woman, a 21-year-old college student, kept her face hidden behind a mask. Only after much coaxing from a reporter did she tearfully remove it, revealing a frightfully red and damaged complexion.
“Is the Ar-Bl-Clear Group to blame for your condition?” a reporter thrust a microphone in her direction.
She nodded, “I heard that the Ar-Bl-Clear Group’s top products, developed by their head executive, were the best in the brand. Seduced by the rave reviews online, I took out a student loan and splurged over nine hundred dollars on the complete skincare set. For a student like me, it was a fortune.l used it diligently every day, even when my skin started reacting, hoping one day I’d achieve that porcelain, rosy-cheeked look from the ads. But after a month, the burning sensation worsened, and my skin felt rough and parched. Frightened, I finally saw a dermatologist, only to be diagnosed with severe inflammation. The doctor said it would take extensive treatment to heal, and even then, returning to my original condition was impossible.”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as the college girl recounted her ordeal.