Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
“Cat got your tongue, Mia?”
Mia tucked her hair behind her ear and answered, “Nope, I don’t.”
“You’re lying.”
“Bingo! I’m not interested in telling you anything.” Mia retorted before getting into a cab and leaving.
Timothy was left standing alone. He tugged at his tie as he complained over Mia’s audacity for the umpteenth time.
Heath got out of the car. “If we don’t leave now, you might be late for work, Mr. Barrett.”
Timothy stared in the direction where the cab had left. “Do you think she’s been provoking me on purpose lately just to get my attention?”
After a pause, Heath responded hesitantly, “I think-“
“You think so, too, right? Well, same here,” Timothy stated.
He climbed into the car. It seemed like he had been wasting too much of his attention on Mia. It was unusual of him.
Heath’s expression was a little complicated. He didn’t think Mia was putting on an act to get Timothy’s attention at all.
Sitting in the front passenger seat, Heath said, “Sir, if we stop paying for Mrs. Barrett’s uncle’s medical bills, his life might be in danger. Are you sure you want to halt the payment?”
Timothy’s eyelids twitched. “Did I ask you to actually stop paying? Did you leave your brain at home or something?”
He merely wanted to teach Mia a lesson.
Heath was speechless. Well, Timothy was the boss, so his word was the law.
Mia was still in the cab when she got a phone call from the hospital.
Nervous, she answered the call, “Hello? Did my uncle’s condition worsen?”
The voice on the other end of the line said, “No, that’s not it. It’s been days since you’ve made payment for the medical bills. Please come over to settle the payment for the upcoming month.”
The payment for the medical bills had been cut off?
Mia rushed to the hospital and took out her three years’ worth of savings to pay for the hospital bills.
It was a private hospital, but even though it was expensive, it provided the best care for James, giving him a higher chance of recovery.
That being said, the medical fees were 100,000 dollars a month!
Mia massaged her forehead. She had forgotten that the Barretts had been paying for James’ medical expenses. Now that they were getting a divorce, Timothy no longer had any reason to continue footing the bill.
She took out the competition invitation. If she won first place, she would be getting a million in prize money.
Then, she sent a message to her friend, Gina Palmer. “Gigi, you mentioned the Fleur International Design Competition’s setup a while back. Can you send me a copy of the information? I plan on taking part this year.”
Gina’s reply came soon after. “Of course. You’re finally making a comeback, huh? If you join the competition, I’m sure you’ll come out on top. Everyone idolized the alternate identity you were using back then.”
Mia rubbed her fingers against the invitation she was holding.
It was time for her to start a new life.
When Mia went back, she found a group of people with Dominic. There was a woman and five other handsome young men. Were they her brothers and cousins?
Dominic spoke up, “Mia, allow me to introduce them to you. This is Eva, my wife and your sister-in-law. These two are Nathan and Connor, your older brothers. The other three are your older cousins.”
Mia had mixed emotions. She simply nodded lightly in response as she didn’t know what to say to them. For some reason, she felt awkward around them.
Just then, Patricia said, “Mia, the hospital called me just now. They said we need to make payment.”
“I’ve already paid the hospital bills, Aunt Patricia. Don’t worry about it,” Mia assured.
Nathan chimed in, “How much more do you need for the hospital bills, Mia? We can help.
Mia found six pairs of eyes on her. They were all filled with some kind of longing.
The six men were desperately hoping that Mia would ask them for money.
They had more than enough to spare!
Mia shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. I have enough money for now.”
She figured it wasn’t easy for them to make a living, so she didn’t want to burden them.
As long as she joined the competition, she would be able to get a source of income.
Alas, Mia’s six brothers and cousins had been ready to brandish the debit cards in their pockets, but to their dismay, she had rejected their offer.
They couldn’t even spend money on her! How useless of them!
Liam hastily broke the silence. “You’re incredible, Mia. If you need money, make sure you tell us, okay? You’re not alone anymore. You have a family now. You have us.”
Mia nodded. “I got it.”
It was precisely because she now had a family that she felt the need to work hard and earn a living.
As Mia looked at her brothers and cousins, she finally voiced the question that had been brewing inside her mind, “Why did the family abandon me back then? Was it because I’m female?”
In an instant, all was silent.
Dominic lifted his head and cupped his face. After a while, he said hoarsely, “Mia, you’re the only daughter in the family. Every single one of us loved you and cherished you. We didn’t abandon you!”
Mia froze a little. “How did I end up an orphan then?”
At last, she was asking the burning question.
It was something she wanted to know from the start, but the negative thoughts that gnawed at her heart held her back. She assumed her biological family was rich, so she didn’t want to ask that question. She was afraid she would hear a disappointing answer.
However, she now knew that the family wasn’t a wealthy one, and all six of her brothers and cousins had been treating her very well, so she decided to ask the question after all.
Dominic couldn’t take his hands off his face. His eyes were a little reddened. In the end, he said, “You explain, Jason.”
Jason was a lawyer. He would certainly be able to give a clear explanation that would dispel any chances of Mia misunderstanding them.
After adjusting his glasses, Mia’s cousin, Jason, explained, “Back then, your parents both got into a car accident and passed away. Their business rivals had plotted against the family’s company, so the family went bankrupt and fell into a huge debt.
“Without someone to lead the family, we all became poor. You were very young then, and the nanny was very careless with you. She accidentally lost you. We’ve spent the last two decades or so looking for you.”
After hearing everything, the sore spot in Mia’s heart slowly began to heal. Her family hadn’t abandoned her on purpose.
Dominic finally managed to pull himself together, though his eyes were still red. “Mia, it’s all my fault. I didn’t do a proper background check to ensure that the nanny was a good one. I’m the reason why you were separated from the family for so many years.”
Mia’s eyes reddened as well, and Patricia was sobbing harder than her. “Mia, at last, you’ve found your family. This is wonderful.”
Though Mia hadn’t been on the verge of tears, Patricia’s crying made her burst into tears as well.
The six men nodded to themselves. The first step of the plan was a success.
They needed to slowly heal Mia’s heart and undo the hurt she felt.
Dominic secretly sent his assistant a message to settle the hospital bills on Mia’s behalf.
The next morning, Mia was once again woken up by a phone call.
Still half-asleep, she answered the call, “Hello?”
“Mia, where’s my watch? Where did you put it?”
Timothy’s curt voice dispelled all of Mia’s drowsiness.
She sat up in bed and replied, “I don’t know. Don’t ask me.” (
Once she finished speaking, she ended the call.
Maya had moved in with Timothy, right? Why was he not asking Maya to help him look for his watch instead?
Mia figured that bastard Timothy was doing it on purpose.
Meanwhile, Timothy pursed his lips. He couldn’t believe that Mia had hung up on him!
He picked up the watch nearby and marched out of the house. He was so furious that he didn’t even stick around for breakfast.
When Timothy got into the car, he immediately asked Heath, “Did the hospital call her?”
“They did,” Heath replied.
“Are you sure?”
Since Mia knew that the payments for James’ medical fees had been halted, what gave her the audacity to be rude to him?
Whatever money she had wouldn’t be enough to cover the hospital bills.