Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
The aroma of fresh coffee wafted up to her nose, and she could tell it was top-shelf stuff.
She handed the mug to Louisa, just like old times—any time she had something good, she’d instinctively offer it to her sister first.
Then she got herself another cup.
After taking an elegant sip, Louisa smiled and asked, “How’s the taste?”
“Good,” Eunice replied.
“I saved these coffee beans just for you, knowing how you and Bard love a good brew,” Louisa said.
As she finished speaking, Kenneth chimed in with a cheery grin, “I can vouch for that. I wanted to make a cup yesterday, but she said we had to wait for you two to enjoy it together.”
Laughter filled the room, with Bard and Eunice joining in.
Louisa giggled, “Coffee like this is best enjoyed in good company.”
“Absolutely, my dear. Whatever the wife says is the law,” Kenneth joked, echoing his old habit of unconditional support for his wife, which drew more chuckles from everyone around.
After a few more sips, Eunice set down her mug gracefully and asked, “Where’s Serena? Still holed up next door?”
“Yes.”The mention of Serena erased the smile from Louisa’s face, and her expression became a mix of disappointment and sorrow.
“The reason Bard and I came by early was to show you guys something,” Eunice said, putting her mug aside. She pulled out a small remote, a gadget her company had released a while back. With a click, it could project images, videos, even surveillance footage onto a flat wall or cabinet.
Images of several receipts appeared, and Louisa looked puzzled. What did these mean?
She couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
“Did you prepare a bunch of gifts for Serena for her trip to Dawnstar?” Eunice asked, turning to Louisa.
Louisa nodded, her confusion growing, “Yes, didn’t you get them?”
“On her way to the airport, she had Erik drop off these items at Martha’s place, to be sold off gradually.
All the money went straight into her pocket,” Eunice explained.
Louisa and Kenneth’s eyes widened. What?
Serena had done that?!
“And the gifts she brought us,” Eunice continued, looking at the projected images, “were bought in Dawnstar, charged to Martin’s credit card.”
As she spoke, the wall displayed a series of extravagant expenses, “She spared no expense using someone else’s money—bags worth thousands, jewelry worth millions. She bought everything she fancied. These are the records of her shopping sprees in Dawnstar, and they match the so-called gifts she claimed to have brought us.”
She clicked the remote, revealing the second page on the screen, “These are Martha’s underlings, all the details about the welcome gift you arranged– the time, place, and amount—it’s all here.”
Louisa and Kenneth never imagined their child would dare do such a thing in secret. Their disappointment in her deepened.
“That day she went to Dawnstar’s Rodeo Drive, charging Martin’s card with shopping sprees—I happened to be there with Bella, doing some shopping. As an aunt, I wanted to give my niece a warm welcome back to the family with a special something. But that day, something happened.”
Eunice pressed the remote again, and a boutique’s surveillance footage filled the screen.
“I was picking out dresses when I overheard someone deliberately snatching the clothes Bella was interested in. Whatever Bella liked, the person tried to take.”
Although the store manager noticed Eunice’s displeasure and had the rude lady escorted out, banning her from future entry and even firing the sales associate for being impolite to Mirabella.
Eunice made it a point to inquire about the identity of that affluent girl. The manager didn’t recognize her, only noting she wore a pink CNL ensemble and a white beret, with her brown hair in large, wavy curls.
“With the New Year around the corner, I was pondering over the perfect gift for Bella. It was perfect timing – reps from all the major brands were coming around with New Year’s gifts, including CNL’s vice president with their latest collection.”
Eunice had been resolute to him, swearing off any collaboration with their brand again. Under his persistent queries, she told him it was due to the low quality of some of their clientele, which tarnished the brand’s reputation.”Later, I learned from the vice president that they cater only to a few top families in the country. That pink CNL outfit? Only three in the world—two went to heiresses abroad, and one was ordered by Serena. Following the trail, I discovered it was Serena who had the conflict with Bella over clothes that day.”
. The video showed Serena commanding the sales associate to seize the dresses Bella was interested in. After being kicked out of the boutique and barred from all the shops on Rodeo Drive, thanks to Eunice’s influence, she stood outside, cursing loudly. “Ever heard of the Collins family? Do you know who the Collins are? Do you know Kenneth?
The Solterra tycoon, you know him?”
Kenneth and Louisa were stunned by her effrontery.
Was this the Serena they had spoiled since childhood?
Was this the same Serena, so fragile that she only knew how to cry pitifully?
Eunice continued, “After shopping, Bella and I went to a rooftop restaurant. I excused myself to the restroom and Serena just happened to be there. Probably spotting Bella, she lied to the manager, claiming she knew her and wanted to say hello.”
She clicked the remote, and Kenneth and Louisa watched astonishment, as they saw Serena approach Mirabella and grab a half-finished glass of champagne from another table, throwing it over Mirabella.
But Mirabella was quick. She grabbed a napkin to shield herself, dodged, and in a swift motion, splashing red wine onto Serena in return.
“The restaurant’s cameras had blind spots, so no one knew it was Serena who’d thrown the drink at Bella. This footage was accidentally recorded by a bystander.”The footage ended there, missing the part where Mirabella shoved Serena into a plate and soaking her with wine.
Kenneth was in shock, and Louisa was shaking with anger. She could never have imagined that Serena, in private, could be so malicious, so brazen in bullying their darling Bella.
If Bella hadn’t reacted so quickly, hadn’t fought back, imagine how cold and how humiliated she would have been drenched in champagne in that freezing weather.
“This child has gone too far.” Louisa’s voice trembled with rage. “She’s terrible!”
“How could she do such a thing?” Kenneth was furious. Without Eunice showing them these, they would have been completely unaware of Serena’s behavior in private!
Before, the girl had put on quite the show, acting as if she adored her sister, Bella, and she held Bella in the highest regard.
It was all a farce!!
Behind closed doors, she was actually bullying Bella.
Bella must have endured so much suffering, so many indignities at her hands.
“And there’s even more,” Eunice’s gaze swept over them, “Back at our place, Serena would argue with Bella over simple breakfast items like fluffy omelets and cheesy egg wraps.”
Kenneth and Louisa were speechless by the shock.
Could someone really be that petty?
Fluffy omelets and cheesy egg wraps cost next to nothing, and besides, since when did Serena even like fluffy omelets?
“At the time, the chef knew she didn’t like them, so he didn’t prepare Serena’s share. Clearly annoyed, she made some snide comments, leading anyone who didn’t know better to think Bella had taken her favorite dish, leaving her with nothing to eat. But as an aunt, how could I arrange only for those two breakfast items?”
The table was laden with a variety of delicious foods, yet Serena still competed with Bella over something so trivial.
Her pettiness was excessive, malicious!!”And there’s more. Serena once dragged Dad to go out for a walk in sub-zero temperatures, just to snap photos for Facebook to show off how beloved she was at home, and how close she was with the family.”
Eunice’s gaze settled on them as she spoke calmly, “It was her pulling on Dad that caused him to fall.
Afraid that others would find out, she warned the servants to keep quiet, and she took it upon herself to apply medication, without even bothering to change his wet clothes promptly.”
Eunice took a sip of her coffee, then continued, “Bella found out about this and was furious. I heard Serena once complaining that even though she hasn’t been deprived of anything in this home, she gets less than Bella, that the gifts you give to Bella are more and more expensive, and so she feels resentful.”
Kenneth and Louisa were dumbfounded, unable to imagine Serena could be such an ungrateful person.
She was living a life of luxury as before, and yet, not only was she ungrateful, but she even had the audacity to speak such words about their precious daughter!
How could she say such things?
“In Serena’s eyes, if you buy Bella a purse, she expects an identical one,” Eunice continued. “But you’ve actually had hundreds of dresses custom-made for Bella, and none for her.”
Louisa had to defend their actions, “But we’ve bought her clothes over the past eighteen years! If we were to tally it up, she’s received more than Bella, never less.”
“But in Serena’s view, you’re playing favorites, you’re not treating them equally. She resents Bella, feeling you’ve wronged her.”Louisa glanced at Kenneth, unable to fathom that after eighteen years of care, they had raised such an ingrate!!
Kenneth was also filled with anger and disappointment. Serena had truly changed, become unrecognizable.
“After that argument with Bella, I even talked to her. She promised me to my face that she would change, but then.” Eunice pressed a button on the small remote.
The screen showed Martin and Romeo having a full-blown fistfight right outside her front door, leaving Kenneth and Louisa absolutely gobsmacked. What on earth was happening? Why were these two throwing punches at each other?
“Over the past six months, Serena has kept Bella’s existence from Martin, so he had no clue about her, nor did he know Serena was the adopted daughter of the Collins family.”
“What did you just say?” Both Kenneth and Louisa were staggered in shock.
“Serena lied to Martin, telling him Romeo was the kind who abandons the old for the new. She claimed he was flaunting his new flame in front of his ex just to rub it in her face, to deliberately hurt her. She also set up these ‘coincidental’ run-ins. No matter where Serena and Martin were or what they were doing, Romeo would show up with his new love and outshine them. That’s why Martin lost it and threw punches the moment he saw Romeo at my doorstep.”
“Romeo can’t be that childish!” Kenneth was fuming. “How could Serena stoop to such a level.”
Lying had become second nature to her!
“Before this, she fooled her good friend Brooklyn Reed, claiming that Bella sabotaged her engagement with Romeo. We had hoped she would change, but she has continued to play the same tricks, even lying to her own boyfriend.” Louisa’s mind was a whirl of disbelief that wouldn’t settle.
“Romeo is indeed madly in love with Bella—that is not an act. They don’t need to put on a show of affection. What everyone sees is genuine,” Kenneth defended.
“That’s true. Romeo has always been cared for Bella,” Eunice chimed in with satisfaction. “He’s got her back. Once, Romeo also made it clear to Martin that, before Martin came into the picture, he had rarelyseen Serena. He was actually considering calling off the engagement, but then he met Bella, took a liking to her, and that’s why the families’ engagement went on.”
“You, what are you saying?” Louisa’s eyes bulged in disbelief. Could it be that the reason Romeo came over with all those gifts, was not to see his fiancée as he claimed, but to break off the engagement with Serena.