Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
Not long ago, she told Edith not to wake her up or call her for lunch.
If she didn’t get enough sleep, she got very grumpy.
Edith hovered at the door for a bit, then heaved a sigh and headed downstairs, not wanting to wake Ms. Bella.
Serena just came downstairs in a new outfit, and Martha immediately started gushing over her. “Serena is so stunning! With that kind of grace and looks, no one else in the world can hold a candle to you!”
The surrounding maids couldn’t help but think of Ms. Bella’s beauty. Sure, Ms. Bella might be even more gorgeous, but they didn’t want to rain on Serena’s parade. After all, Serena’s a knockout too.
“Serena, congrats! You’re definitely snagging the top spot!” someone laughed, “Have you decided on a major yet?”
Serena answered with false modesty, “Not sure if I’ll be number one, could be my sister?”
“Serena, everyone knows you’re top dog!” Martha beamed, full of confidence, “I watched you grow up. Who else could it be but you?”
Just then, a maid excitedly announced, “The internet’s back, Serena! You can check your scores now!!”
Serena quickly grabbed the tablet on the sofa and punched in her exam and ID numbers.
A gaggle of maids circled her, firing off questions.
“Why isn’t the webpage loading?”
“Could it be that there are too many people checking results, and it’s crashing the system?”
“I’m so nervous, even more than when I checked my own scores.”
“Serena’s score is gonna be sky–high.”
The webpage remained blank. One maid comforted her, “No sweat, Serena. You’re for sure the top scorer. The results will show up soon.”
“Congrats, Serena, you’ve made your parents proud!”
“Congrats, Serena.”
“Serena, kudos to you!”
Although Serena was confident she nailed the top spot, she still awaited the results. Her eyes never left the screen as she gently said, “Don’t congratulate me too early if it’s not me.”
“It’s definitely you!” Martha chimed in, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “We’ve got two students in this house. If one’s top and the other bombs, well, that’s just embarrassing! If I were the one who bombed, I’d dig a hole in the garden and bury myself rather than face the shame.”
Everyone caught the dig at Ms. Bella, but no one dared to speak up due to Martha’s standing.
Only Edith reprimanded her, “Martha, the results aren’t out yet. It’s not fixed who’s number one.”
“Once the results are out, someone’s gonna be red–faced!” Martha asked Edith, “What did Ms. Bella promise you for defending her? Wanna make a bet?”
Edith, a bit peeved, asked, “Bet on what?”
“Let’s bet on today’s chores. Whoever loses has to do all the housework. If someone loses, the rest of us are off the hook, and she’s got to do it all! How about it?”
“I’m in!” Edith thought to herself, can’t let her win in spirit. No one’s going to disrespect Ms. Bella on her watch.
Just then, someone shouted excitedly, “Serena’s scores are out!”
Everyone huddled even closer!
Serena was thrilled to find out her total score was 722.
That score was even higher than last year’s top score at Summerfield.
“Wow, your scores are off the charts!”
“The top scores in other cities usually hover around 702, 708, 711. No one’s hit 722 yet!”
“So, does that mean Serena is the national champion?”
“Serena is the national champion?”
Everyone was stunned. Even Serena herself couldn’t believe it and was ecstatic.
Martha excitedly said, “Serena, snap out of it and call your parents with the good news!”
“Such great news needs to be shared!” Martha quickly handed her a cell phone, “Call them now!”
Serena couldn’t believe her scores were even higher than she had anticipated.
She was feeling pretty smug, knowing she was about to become famous.
Her name would be in the headlines, trending topics, and all major platforms!
She was undeniably the national champion!
She was about to become the centre of attention!
Seeing her dialling the number, Martha couldn’t help but boast, “Blood relations are no big deal. It’s you who are bringing glory to your parents! Everyone else can just bow down to you!”
Everyone knew she was mocking Ms. Bella, but no one dared to speak up for fear of offending her.
After a while /Kenneth Collins answered the phone, “Serena, are the scores out?”
“They’re out.” Serena tried to control her excitement and calmly said, “I scored 722.
“722? That’s the highest score nationally, isn’t it?” Kenneth happily said, “What about your sister? Are her scores out?”
Serena was a bit annoyed that her father brought up her sister so soon, but she quickly laughed, “My sister is in her room by herself right now. She might be sleeping or feeling down. Dad, when are you coming home? You should spend some time with her when you get back, give her some courage and confidence, okay?”
“We’ll be home in five minutes.”
“Alright, my sister and I will be waiting for you at home.” Serena gracefully ended the call. Then she couldn’t resist sharing the good news in all her group chats. Her class group chat had already announced her score. Many classmates were guessing that she was the national champion. Serena denied it modestly while smirking.
After receiving many compliments, she turned to Edith, “Edith, it’s getting late. Can you wake my sister up? If she’s the national champion and the teachers from prestigious schools are at our doorstep, and she hasn’t even washed up. That’d be quite embarrassing.”
Before Edith could respond, Martha laughed coldly, “If she could be the national champion, I would kneel down and polish her shoes! Serena, you must be confident. You are definitely the national champion!”
Since Serena had already shared the news in the group chat, many people guessed she would be the national champion. The news spread quickly, and soon, many mothers and ladies of high society were calling Louisa.
When Louisa walked in, she was still dealing with them, “No, we didn’t really push her to study. She did it all by herself. It’s too early to say she’s the national champion, haha. Alright, if our family does have the national champion, we’ll definitely throw a party.”
Kenneth was also busy with phone calls, “Throw a party? Of course! If the champion is from our family, not only a party, everyone is welcome to our vacation villa anytime. We’ll cover all the costs.”
Meanwhile, Serena was basking in the glory of being the national champion, feeling proud and also texted Hans Collins on WhatsApp to announce the good news.
“Did Mirabella’s scores come out?“.
Of course, everyone at home was concerned about Mirabella!!
Serena whispered, “She’s locked herself in her room, probably not feeling great.”
As for why she wasn’t feeling great, Serena didn’t need to spell it out. Anyone with half a brain could guess she didn’t do well.
At this point, Hans didn’t reply but instead sent a message to Mirabella.
Mirabella was still asleep, her phone on silent, unaware of the messages piling up on her screen.
[Did your scores come out? Don’t worry. I’m here for you.]
Romeo McMillian had also messaged her that morning.
[How did you do? Don’t stress. I’ve got your back.]
And there were many more unread messages.
[Bella, my guys couldn’t find you, then I remembered you’re not living with the Melton family anymore. You’re at Reflections Villa, right? My guy is on his way. You better apply to my school!]
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.