Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
if that’s fine.”
“That’s not fine!”
That formality just made things worse, more distant, more alienating!
But Sean’s adamant response took everyone by surprise again.
His brothers suspected he was losing his mind because he was acting so strangely tonight.
Mirabella, on the other hand, understood what he was getting at and said with a soft laugh, “Sean just feels like we’re all family here, no need for such formal titles. Ophelia, you can call him ‘Sean,’ and Sean, you can call my friend ‘Ophelia.’”
“All right, Ophelia,” Sean began, suddenly picking up some cupcakes from the table and placing them before her, “Emm. I’m not great with words, so please don’t take it to heart. Bella, what flavor does your friend like?”
“Strawberries,” Mirabella reminded him.
Without hesitation, Sean moved the plate so the strawberry-filled cupcakes were right in front of Ophelia, waiting for her to take one.If he weren’t afraid of being considered dirty, he would have liked to pick the cake up himself and deliver it to her.
“These cupcakes are freshly made, they’re really good,” Sean said. Trying to coax a more pleasant expression from Ophelia, he looked at Mirabella for confirmation, “Right, sis?”
“Yeah, Sean’s right. They’re delicious. Go help yourself, try one.”
Ophelia couldn’t help but feel that Mirabella was acting out of character tonight!
Having known Mirabella for years, Ophelia had never seen Mirabella go to bat for a guy like this!
But for the sake of her friend, Ophelia took a cupcake. “Thanks, Mr… Thank you.”
Sean didn’t hear her call him by his name, which left him feeling a bit downhearted, but at least she was talking to him now, and his mood quickly improved, “No problem, we’re all friends here!”
And with that, it became clear to the rest of the brothers.
Sean had a thing for Ophelia and didn’t want to take “brother”!
It seems his little sister knew him well enough to help him out right from the start!
“It’s delicious,” Ophelia cooed, delicately nibbling on a pastry, her every move embodying a charm that Sean found unexpectedly adorable.
“Sean, have a bite yourself,” Mirabella interjected, playfully snapping him out of his reverie.
It was impolite to stare at a girl for too long.
Realizing his lapse, Sean quickly diverted his gaze and grabbed a pastry at random, stuffing it into his mouth. “Not bad,” he mumbled.
Ophelia’s expression soured at his choice.
“The one thing Ophelia can’t stand is pineapple,” Mirabella revealed, making Sean’s chewing come to an awkward halt. The pastry in his mouth had a pineapple filling!
“If you like it, you should have more,” Mirabella quipped with a teasing tone, prompting Sean to swallow the pineapple pastry in a hurry. “No, no, on second thought, it’s not as good as that strawberry cupcake we shared last time. It lacks that certain something.”
His buddies couldn’t help but smirk at his rapid backpedaling.
“Bella, Hans, Clark, grab some, will you?” Ophelia offered, extending the plate towards them.
Mirabella picked one, and the other guys followed suit.
Sean watched them with puppy eyes, berating himself for not waiting—what a missed opportunity for a girl to serve him.
“Pastry from Ophelia’s hands tastes even sweeter,” Clark commented light-heartedly, eating his piece and throwing Sean a teasing glance.”And Ophelia, do you have a special someone yet? If not, I’d be glad to set you up,” Chasel chimed in with a wink.
“No need, Chasel, I’m focused on my career right now. Love isn’t on the menu at the moment,” Ophelia graciously declined.
Conversing with the guys was somehow easier than dealing with Sean.
“What’s your type, though? I know plenty of eligible bachelors. We could keep an eye out for you,”
Hans joked, with a tone that was unusually playful for him. “Surely not the self-centered, moody, and flaky type, right?”
Sean thought to himself: Come on, Hans, you might as well just say my name!
“I’m not sure who I’ll end up with, but I don’t think it’ll be the kind you described,” Ophelia replied with a light smile.
Sean could almost hear the sound of his heart cracking.
The brothers chuckled, enjoying the show.
“I agree, that type is unreliable. But Bella’s fiancé is quite the catch—he’s passed our tests with flying colors,” Chasel said with a smile.
“And I’d say Bella’s fiancé is beyond reproach: handsome, caring, always puts Bella first, and has the strength and capabilities to match her. Such men are rare in this world,” Ophelia added, surprising everyone.
“You’ve met Bella’s fiancé?””Yes, we greeted each other while Bella was on a video call with him,” Ophelia explained, then turned to Mirabella with a twinkle in her eye that Sean found impossible to ignore.
Damn, how can she smile like that?!
“Of course, your brothers are also outstanding talents,” Ophelia quickly added, fearing she had praised Bella’s fiancé without equally complimenting the others, sincerely listing their attributes.
“Hans is distinguished, mature, and modest, with superior conversation, cultivation, and insight.”
“Chasel is handsome and courteous, with a dignified presence and strong leadership qualities.”
“Clark is dashing and humorous, with a heart full of love and well-rounded talents.”
“Whoever ends up with you guys is sure to be lucky.”
“Ophelia, you’re too kind!” Clark burst out laughing. “I’ll go to bed smiling tonight.”
“It’s a real joy to receive such high praise from you,” Chasel agreed, visibly pleased.
“Ophelia, you’re an absolute catch as well,” Hans said with a light chuckle. “You’re bound to find someone who really gets you, to share the road ahead.”
Sean stood to the side, looking visibly down.
Why didn’t he get a compliment?
Doesn’t he have any redeeming qualities?
Just as he was about to ask Ophelia, Clark spoke up, “We’ve been nattering on for ages, let’s not hog your time with Bella. Hans, Chasel, Sean, let’s make tracks.”
Sean hadn’t exchanged a single word with Ophelia before she took Mirabella’s hand and said, “Then show me around, will you?”
Mirabella’s lips curled into a smile. “Sure thing.”
The two walked off, Ophelia’s hand in Mirabella’s, and Sean’s chance for a chat vanished into thin air.
“Ophelia is just too adorable. Who’d have thought she’d find so many compliments for me? I’m very pleased,” Clark said with clear mischief in his tone, and then he took a bite of a pastry. “But why does it taste less sweet than it did when Ophelia handed it to me?”
Sean fought the urge to punch him.
“We all got praise, except for Sean…” Chasel said, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he looked at Sean. “Oh, Sean, what does it say about your charm when a sharp-tongued young lady can’t muster a single word of flattery for you?”
Sean clenched his fists even tighter.”Alright, let’s lay off Sean,” Hans interjected, giving Sean a sliver of comfort. At least Hans was on his side!
Just as Sean was about to express his gratitude and mention their earlier teasing, he heard Hans add, “Sean really isn’t in the same league as that girl.”
Sean: ?
The laughter from Chasel and Clark was uncontrollable, the proverbial hammer from Hans striking Sean the hardest blow.
In the garden.
Ophelia was astounded by the exotic flowers and rare plants before her.
“Your family sure knows how to live it up, cultivating all these precious plants.”
Even the Almond family, known for their own extravagance, didn’t splurge on such delicate and costly flora for their gardens.
Ophelia couldn’t help but crouch down, “Just these few plants could buy an ordinary Joe a set of wheels, extravagant, truly extravagant.”
It was the epitome of opulence.
“Like them? I’ll dig a couple up for you to take home.” Mirabella wasn’t just being polite; she genuinely called for a small pot and trowel, ready to get to work.
Ophelia widened her eyes.
“Don’t worry, my parents would be thrilled if I dug up a couple of these plants to give to a friend. Are there anything else you fancy? I’ll dig them up, too.”Ophelia was charmed by the gesture and felt truly fortunate to have a friend like Mirabella, who was straightforward and didn’t beat around the bush.
This kind of demeanor was refreshing and endearing.
“That’s plenty, these two will keep me busy enough. Enjoying your food and taking your plants, I’m already being quite impolite.”
After Mirabella finished digging, she had someone place the plants in Ophelia’s car and then washed her hands before they continued their stroll. “What’s there to feel awkward about? What’s mine is yours.”
Hearing this, Ophelia felt a lump in her throat. She remembered when Mirabella faced tough times in the Melton family, how she’d told Mirabella more than once that everything the Ophelia family had was hers too, including her parents, ready to share, if only Mirabella wanted it!