Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
“Not even a simple ‘sorry’? It’s hard to believe how the Collins family raised you.”
“Do your parents even know about this?”
Serena’s eyes flickered with concern at the mention of her parents, fearing the scandal might reach them.
“I’m sorry.”
At that moment, Martin stepped in front of a flustered Serena and shielded her with his body, offering an earnest apology on her behalf, “Serena really admires chess and holds Mr. Albright and Queena’s skills in high esteem. She just never had the chance to study under them. She got a bit carried away boasting to her friends, without realizing it would spread like wildfire. It’s her first time being in the hot seat, and she was unsure how to handle it, failing to clarify the situation right away. I’m truly sorry for the trouble caused. Queena, I apologize to you on Serena’s behalf.”
Martin’s gesture won him some admirers among the crowd, but there were still murmurs of discontent.
“And who are you to apologize for her? Can’t she speak for herself?”
“If anyone should be apologizing, it should be Serena to Queena.”
“Just because she’s a Collins, does she think she doesn’t have to humble herself and can have others do her bidding?”
“Even for an apology, someone else has to step in. Serena must be too precious and too grand, huh?”
Serena knew playing the victim card was futile. Although she hated to admit she might be seen as inferior to Mirabella, with so many eyes on her, there was no escaping the inevitable apology.
In the end, she bit her lower lip and approached Mirabella.
“I’m sorry for showing off earlier. I didn’t realize that one lie would need a web of lies to support it.”
Her admission sent shockwaves through Lindsay. The stories Serena had spun – about being Queena’s protege, about owning expensive chess sets – all of it was just hot air.
Since when had Serena become so vain??Had Serena changed, or had she never really known her at all?
“Please forgive me,” Serena bent forward in a sincere gesture of apology.
Mirabella saw right through her, “You’ve certainly spiced up the birthday bash.”
Serena stayed bowed, not straightening up, her nose tingling with the onset of tears and a sense of humiliation spreading through her heart.
This was the first time in years that she had faced such embarrassment in front of so many esteemed seniors, and to make matters worse, Martin was right there, witnessing it all.
Martin didn’t just stand by idly; as she bowed, he bowed with her.
In that moment, Serena’s eyes caught sight of Eugene’s feet beside Mirabella, and she felt an intense irritation.
Eugene had known all along that Mirabella was Queena, but he had deliberately kept quiet, even encouraging her to challenge Mirabella. Wasn’t that just a ploy to make her embarrass herself in front of all the guests?
Such a heavy-handed old man, with such deep scheming – just because Mirabella was a favored junior didn’t mean he had to let others lose face, and he had even pretended he wanted to see who was more talented.
It was too much!
And then there was Alma, stirring the pot and making things worse, leading all the guests to believe Serena was a chess prodigy.
“Do you admit your mistake?” Mirabella asked, her voice lazy.Serena kept her head down, “Yes, I do. I shouldn’t have falsely claimed to be your protege, nor should I have made up such stories.”
“Tonight is Grandpa Eugene’s birthday. You should stay until the party is over.”
The crowd couldn’t help but admire Mirabella’s magnanimity. Only Serena knew that Mirabella’s request for her to stay was just another way to increase her discomfort.
After all, she already felt utterly out of place, yet Mirabella insisted she stay and leave after the end of the birthday bash.
Who knew what else was waiting for her!
Phyllis was kicking herself. Tonight Gramps had brought her to the party with high hopes of becoming protege under the renowned Mr. Albright, but it turned out he already had his eye on someone else.
After a quick huddle with Gramps, they decided to pivot and seek the mentorship of Queena instead.
But they had absolutely no clue that Mirabella was Queena!
Recalling Mirabella’s entrance earlier that evening, Phyllis remembered feeling a pang of jealousy at her beauty. And when Mirabella had solved that chess puzzle, Phyllis couldn’t swallow her pride and had challenged her to a match, only to be utterly trounced.
Now, she glanced at Gramps, and they both shared a look of regret. They had failed to recognize Mirabella for who she really was, and as a result, they hadn’t made the best impression.
The chances of Mirabella taking on a protege now seemed slim to none.
Roxanne was in the same boat. When Mirabella showed up solo at the birthday bash, Roxanne figured she was a gatecrasher with no real backing and had bombarded her with a string of impolite questions.
Roxanne had even boasted about her granddad being chums with Mr. Albright, claiming she was practically like his granddaughter.
Now, with her cheeks burning in embarrassment, she realized that title was never hers for the taking, especially given Mr. Albright’s fondness for Mirabella, while she had only met Mr. Albright today, after all.
But he had been teaching Mirabella chess for over a decade.
Madeline was also feeling the sting of regret. When her friend Lindsay had bumped into Mirabella not once but twice, and an altercation ensued, Madeline had tried to mediate but inevitably sided with her friend. She worried that she hadn’t made a strong ally in Mirabella, making her own chances of being Mirabella’s protege slim.The most crestfallen of them all was Lindsay.
Before heading to the shindig, Bluno had made it crystal clear that she should do whatever it took to catch Mr. Albright’s eye as a potential protege.
When Mr. Albright announced he already had his favorite, she and her dad had switched gears, aiming to win over Queena.
Little did she know Mirabella and Queena were one and the same. Fueled by the desire to avenge Serena, she had deliberately collided with Mirabella twice and picked a fight.
Now, the thought of Mirabella taking her on as a protege was laughable.
“Dad, I kinda had a run-in with Queena.” Lindsay confessed to her father in a hushed tone, “It’s a lost cause now. Anyway, my heart’s really in the violin. Let’s see what Leonard or Jamie Noelle think later.”
“That’s the only way forward, I guess,” Bluno sighed with regret.
“Queena, you’re so young; surely you’re not thinking of taking on any protege yet, right? Maybe you could just give my kid a tip or two? He seems to be hitting a plateau.”
“Queena, how come we’ve never seen you in the news before?”
“Yeah, you’ve won so many championships. They’ve been covered a lot, but there’s never a photo of you. It’s our own fault we didn’t recognize you tonight.”
“I’m so sorry, Queena. I actually thought that chessboard of yours was just some doodle. I apologize.”
“Don’t feel bad; you’re not the only ones. I’ve been in the same tournaments as Queena and never recognized her.”During the preliminary rounds, Mirabella would dispatch her opponents in under two minutes and then leave early.
In the finals, no one could match her, so she was never there long.
Plus, she always wore a mask and a wig, only showing her eyes, which made it tough for anyone to identify her.
And then there were the old friends of Eugene’s – a powerful bunch who didn’t want young Mirabella swarmed by paparazzi. They feared the more exposure she got, the more danger she’d be in. So even if a journalist snapped a photo of her in disguise, they’d think twice before publishing it.
That was why, in some videos, they’d only see Mirabella’s hands moving the chess pieces, her face never revealed.
“She’s busy, probably doesn’t have time to coach you guys.” Mr. Albright explained for Mirabella, “Even I can barely get her to play a game of chess with me.”
“Mr. Albright, could you introduce some masters to us if possible?”
“Actually those masters in the circle are all pretty good.”
Meanwhile, a different sort of hustle surrounded Regan Jarvis.
“Mr. Jarvis, my name’s Lindsay. I’m in awe of your musical talent. Is there any chance to learn from you?”
“Mr. Jarvis, my kid’s been playing the piano for years, and every mentor has admitted defeat, saying she needs someone better, someone like you. She always admires you. Could she have the honor?”
“Mr. Jarvis, hi! I’m Dolores, and I just like you so much.”
“Mr. Jarvis, a pleasure to meet you. I’m Bob, last year’s Solterra violin competition champion, just turned eighteen. Your music’s inspired me since I was four. I would love the opportunity to study with you.”
As an increasing amount of guests surrounded him, Regan, with his warm chuckle, said, “I’m sorry, but I’ve already got someone in mind.”
The crowd started feeling regretful; some of them couldn’t help but ask, “And who might that be, Mr.
Jarvis? Someone we know?”
“There was that duet you played with Jamie Noelle, ‘The Life’ – it was exquisite. Might Jamie Noelle be here today?””Today’s Mr. Albright’s birthday bash. Any chance we’ll be graced with another performance from you and Jamie Noelle?”
“If so, we’d be the luckiest crowd around.”
With a twinkle in his eye, Leonard replied, “I’d be delighted to play a few tunes for Mr. Albright. As for Jamie Noelle, we’ll see if she decides to join us later.”
“Does that mean Jamie Noelle’s here? Or on her way?”
“Are you suggesting we might be treated to a performance right now, Mr. Jarvis?”
“That’s fantastic! We’re all ears. Thank you, Mr. Jarvis!”
Regan looked to Eugene, “What’ll it be, Mr. Albright? What do you fancy?”
“Do you even have to ask? It’s got to be what everyone’s been waiting for.”
“So, ‘The Life’ it is?”
Stepping up to the stage, Regan was handed a violin. The lights dimmed, and within moments, his unmatched tone filled the room, captivating everyone in a spellbinding trance.