Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
“Wow, that’s damn impressive.” The crowd erupted in awe, completely taken aback by how outstanding this girl was at such a young age.
Serena watched as everyone circled Mirabella, with Eunice even snapping photos of her with their grandparents on her smartphone. A twinge of jealousy pinched at her heart, but she kept up her smile, “Let’s take a big family picture later, shall we? I’m going to step outside to capture some shots of the night view!”
There was another large terrace at the end of the corridor, not only offering a view of Bard’s eco-resort and golf course but also the city lights twinkling in the distance.
After a while, Serena returned, her eyes glued to her phone as she edited the photos, not forgetting to coax her aunt with a sweet voice, “Do you think this one looks good? Is the lighting okay in that one?”
“You’ve overdone it with the filters, it looks unnatural,” Eunice commented honestly, “This one won’t do, your eyes look too purposeful, the smile seems fake. This one isn’t flattering either. Your chin looks too sharp. This one’s not good either. You’re trying too hard to look cute. All these pouting selfies, you’re overdoing it. It’s not attractive”
Out of the more than twenty pictures Serena took, Eunice only complimented one landscape shot capturing the eco-resort and golf course.
At that moment, the restaurant manager came out to serve the dishes personally.One by one, the mouthwatering dishes were presented on the table, with the restaurant manager respectfully introducing each one before bowing out.
Mirabella started serving the elders with the cutlery, and Serena, keen to follow suit, noticed Mirabella reaching for a piece of fish to place in Belinda’s bowl. She quickly intercepted with a larger piece, placing it in the bowl first.
“Grandma, this is your favorite fish. Have some more,’ Serena said purposefully, stealing the words right out of Mirabella’s mouth. As Mirabella reached for the beef, Serena hurriedly did the same.
After her little display, she suggested, “Let’s all raise a toast! First, to celebrate our grandparents’
health, second, to welcome Aunt Eunice home safely, and third, to celebrate my sister’s return to the family”
Seeing Serena finally acting sensibly, Eunice joined in, lifting her glass, “Shall we all clink glasses?”
Mirabella raised her glass of lemon water to join the toast, but just as she was about to sip, she noticed something off about the floaters.
Though there were fine bits of lemon pulp, a closer look revealed tiny specks of powder floating and slowly dissolving in the water.
She was a regular lemon water drinker, so even the slightest difference didn’t escape her notice.
She sniffed, catching the usual scent of lemon water. Could the person who spiked her drink have used something colorless and tasteless?
Everyone else had already downed their lemon water, but Mirabella noticed no powder floating in their glasses.
“Bella, why aren’t you drinking? Lemon water is so refreshing, especially after eating too much meat.”Serena’s voice brought Mirabella back from her thoughts.
“I was just thinking. does my sudden return to the family unsettle you?”
Caught off quard by Mirabella’s unexpected question, Serena stumbled for a moment before laughing, “Why would it? This has always been your home.
I’m just grateful you’re letting me stay”
“And if the family started treating me twice as well, compensating me, giving me more than they give you, you wouldn’t mind?”
“Of—of course not.” Serena was baffled by Mirabella’s comments. Could Mirabella have sensed something was amiss?
No, it couldn’t be. Martha had assured her the drug was colorless and tasteless, dissolving completely in water in less than a minute.
As the waitress brought in the drinks, Serena hardly noticed any difference between Mirabella‘s glass and the others.
Mirabella remained silent, deep in thought, which only made Serena more uneasy.
The atmosphere grew awkward, and Serena tried to break the tension with a nervous laugh. “Bella, no matter how much our family gives you, it’s yours by right. You’re a part of this household” she said, her voice edging towards sincerity. “On the other hand, I’m not related by blood, so every gift, every token of appreciation I receive is a stroke of fuck, a blessing. I’m too grateful to ever resent you for having more, or better. How could 1?”
Perhaps sensing disbelief in the room, Serena added gently, “For the past eighteen years, the Collins family has been nothing but kind to me. Their love has moved me beyond words. I’ve received more warmth and happiness than I could ever claim as my own. I’m content.”
“Really?”
Mirabella’s response prompted Serena to nod emphatically. “Absolutely.”
“Then let’s toast,” Mirabella said, standing up and pushing her suspicious lemonade towards Serena.
“Sharing my drink with you symbolizes that from now on, in this family, I’ll always think of you, my sister, and share everything with you. Even if it’s just a glass of water, I’ll make sure you’re taken care of”
“Bella” Serena felt a rush of panic.
Mirabella poured herself a new drink and clinked it against the problematic glass on the table. “Here’s to you,” she said, and without hesitation, downed her lemonade in one go.Serena’s face twisted in distress. Did Mirabella realize something was wrong with the drink and was deliberately letting her have it?
Impossible. Martha had assured her the drug was colorless, tasteless, undetectable even to the divine.
Was Mirabella just naturally suspicious, or was she genuinely trying to make amends?
But she couldn’t drink that lemonade. If she did, she’d be the one to suffer.
Mirabella turned her empty glass upside down as if to show she’d finished, signaling it was Serena’s turn.
“You always take care of me, even willing to give up your drink for me,”
Serena said, reaching for her own glass.
But Mirabella intercepted, picking up the tainted glass and pressing it to Serena’s lips. “If I’m giving it to you, it’s because you deserve to be my sister.
If you refuse, does that mean you don’t see me as family?”
Serena had never seen Mirabella play such a cunning game and frantically tried to explain, “You’ve got it all wrong.
“Just drink it, Mirabella interrupted. “It’s getting cold, and I wouldn’t want you to have a stomachache.
That would weigh on my conscience.”
Mirabella’s insistence left Serena cornered.
Eunice, watching from the side, sensed something was amiss. Although she didn’t believe Serena capable of poisoning the drink, Mirabella wasn’t one to be so pushy without reason.There must be something wrong with that glass, which was why Mirabella was insistent on Serena drinking it.
“Serena, if it’s a gesture from your sister, you should accept it,” Eunice prodded, curious to see if there was truly something amiss with the lemonade.
“But Aunt Eunice. As the younger sister, I really shouldn’t be competing with her, even over a glass of water.”
The truth was, drinking it could spell disaster for her.
“By offering it to you, she’s showing she accepts you as family, willing to share her fortunes and face hardships together. If you don’t drink, does that mean all your earlier words were just empty pleasantries?”
Hearing Eunice’s words, Serena felt tears welling up. “Of course not.”
Bard, standing off to the side, observed his wife’s strange behavior. Could there really be something wrong with the water?
Darren and Belinda were baffled by the whole charade over a simple glass of water.
“If Serena is bothered by my presence, upset that I got more presents than you, then I’ll just go back and tell Mom and Dad”
Serena was stuck between a rock and a hard place and, finally, she mustered up the courage to take a tiny sip.
Eunice playfully scolded, “Your sister drained her glass, and you’re just taking a wee nip? That’s hardly in the spirit.”
When Serena picked up the glass again, a mischievous idea struck her, and she pretended to fumble it.
The cup seemed destined to fall from her hand.
Serena was about to celebrate her sly move, but lo and behold, in the next second, Mirabella reached out and caught it, saying, “Lucky, it didn’t spill”
Now, Serena felt like sinking into the ground.
“You two, fussing over a glass of water, Darren chimed in, his eyes on a heaping spoonful of creamy crab dip—the kind he adored. To savor a mouthful was pure bliss!
Belinda, worried the food might get cold, smiled and said, “Sweetie, just drink up when your sister offers a gesture of kindness. In this family, there’s no need for all this polite deflection.”
With no way out, Serena swallowed the small cup of lemon water, holding back tears.Martha had mentioned the effects would kick in after an hour, so Serena didn’t lose her cool right away.
She managed to smile sweetly and exchange pleasantries.
However, after nibbling at her meal for a bit, she couldn’t hold back any longer and snuck a message to Martha, querying what on earth she should do.
Martha was now beside herself with worry!
After all, she had pulled several strings to get this drug, which was notorious for having no antidote!
Her plan was to use it on Mirabella, to make even the best doctor suffer through 12 hours of agony without a cure.
But she never imagined it would backfire on Serena!
[Don’t panic, I will find a way, trust me!] she texted back.
The meal was torture for Serena, who sat there distracted. After an agonizing fifty-five minutes, she finally got Martha’s reply: No antidote.
Despair engulfed her.
As dinner wound down, Serena suggested everyone head off to rest. But on the drive, she felt the urgent need to find a bathroom.
And it didn’t stop there. Hallucinations started to kick in. She was riding in her uncle’s luxury car, yet she saw everyone sitting on a giant, edible mushroom.
Yes, the kind you eat, only enormous.
And floating.”Serena, what’s wrong?” Eunice noticed her discomfort and asked gently.
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.