Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
“Really, what’s the connection between these two things?”
The conversation circled back to the beginning.
Beverly’s face remained composed, but she was acutely aware of the events that transpired that fateful night.
Because Alma and Mirabella had lost a violin duel, Serena just had to rub it in Alma’s face, which was the last straw that led Alma to violence. She first slapped Serena, pulled her hair, and then got drenched in champagne.
But Alma wasn’t one to take things lying down. After getting splashed with champagne, she retaliated by smashing a cake into Serena’s face, pushing her off the swing, trampling her, and even dousing her with red wine.
When it all boiled down, it was Beverly’s daughter who had started the bullying, and quite ruthlessly at that.
“That night, Serena mocked my violin playing compared to Bella’s, and even said that no matter how talented Bella was, she couldn’t touch her deeply rooted status in this family over the past eighteen years.”
“She also said that even if Bella has Collins blood running through her veins, she’s still from a no-name family, just like me, not worthy of the high society. I couldn’t hold back and argued with her, and that’s when she splashed me with champagne.”
“She even said that Kenneth and Louisa are notorious for spoiling your daughter, and that all Serena had to do was cry in front of them, and they’d believe her black is white tall tales. If she said it, youwould believe her, and I’d be the one getting a strict talking-to from mom and dad. Even with a hundred mouths, I couldn’t clear my name. That’s why I’ve kept silent about this whole mess.”
As Alma spoke, her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears.
Everyone was shocked to hear the extent of Serena’s cruel words behind the scenes!
Beside them, Mirabella fought off sleepiness, nearly dozing off as she listened.
She hadn’t witnessed the altercation between Alma and Serena that night, but she could tell that Alma was lying.
Yet, Alma had hit a nerve with the Collins family.
“The nerve of her, calling Bella lowborn. Saying even with Collins blood, she can’t measure up to an adopted daughter of eighteen years?” Bernard was livid.
“Kenneth and Lucas are both my son, I treat them equally. How’s Lucas’ daughter not fit for society?
Serena! She’s clearly trying to drive a wedge between us,” Cornelia was equally enraged, feeling she had been blind and had wasted years doting on Serena.
Seeing her plan working, Alma feigned concern, “Grandpa, Grandma, don’t be upset. It’s the festive season, don’t let it ruin your health. Tomorrow we will hold a feast, just think how joyous that will be.
Why don’t we talk about the arrangements for tomorrow?”
As they discussed Mirabella’s homecoming banquet, the mood lightened somewhat.
Finally, Lucas mused, “I always thought Erik was trustworthy and Martha was so warm and outgoing.
Not just you, but in my eyes, they were family. I never imagined they’d be such rotten characters deepdown. If only they had revealed sooner that Serena was their own flesh and blood, we wouldn’t have had to wait until now to find Bella, sparing her eighteen years of undeserved hardship.”
“Indeed.” Cornelia sighed, fate plays strange games.
Beverly chimed in, “We can’t let those two off easy. They need to be dealt with, for Bella’s sake.”
“It’s a pity Martha’s gone now, crushed by her own scheming. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have let her off so easily!” Louisa said indignantly.
“What do you mean?” Beverly’s eyes flickered with surprise, “Are you saying Martha is dead?”
Louisa then recounted the incident of Martha kidnapping Mirabella.
“I still can’t believe she was the ringleader of some secret society,” Lucas exclaimed, clearly shocked.
“This whole situation feels like it runs deeper. But with Martha gone, there’s some truth to the saying ‘what goes around comes around’!”
Alma was stunned that Mirabella had gone through so much and yet, there she was, sitting pretty as a picture, not a hair out of place.
Alma thought, “Was she even human? Her luck was just too unbelievable! I mean, we’re talking about a kidnapping and a ticking time bomb. And she made it out alive. It’s just mind-boggling!”
“So, that leaves just Erik still breathing,” Lucas mused, then added with resolve, “This man, we can’t let him off easy! We have to grill him, find out if he intentionally switched the kids to give his daughter a better life.”
“I’ll get to the bottom of it once he wakes up.”
Louisa hadn’t shared with them that there was more to the old fire incident, that a puppet master was still lurking in the shadows.
Lucas and Beverly assumed that it was all Erik and Martha’s selfish scheme to switch two kids.
“Wake him up?” Lucas was confused by her words. “What’s he doing sleeping at a time like this? Why don’t you shake him awake and give him a piece of your mind?”
“He’s not sleeping, he’s in a coma. It’s a long story, but you know Bella’s got healing hands. Luckily she stepped in, and now Erik’s out cold until we can question him about what really happened back then.”
Lucas and Beverly’s eyes shifted back to Mirabella.”Absolutely, Bella’s skills are legendary,” Lucas couldn’t help praising Mirabella’s medical prowess, especially since she had saved his own parents.
Beverly smiled and chimed in, “Bella’s truly a jack-of-all-trades. Whoever ends up marrying her is one lucky guy.”
“But with the holiday rush and all, we need to keep a close eye on Erik, make sure he doesn’t slip through our fingers!” Lucas cautioned, pausing before adding, “If you need any help, just holler.”
“Reflections Villa is locked down tight,” Kenneth assured, clapping Lucas on the shoulder with a grin.
“No need to worry, we’ve got twenty guys just in his room alone!”
Lucas was surprised by the manpower. Nodding, he said, “Once he comes to and you’ve got the full story, let me know. I want to get justice for Bella too! If it weren’t for him and Martha, Bella wouldn’t have been cast out for all those years.”
“I’m gonna teach him a lesson too, let him know that you don’t mess with the Collins family!”
As Beverly finished her sentence, Mirabella’s lips curled into a sly smile, “Lucas, Beverly, you’re so concerned.”
Her comment drew everyone’s attention, and the atmosphere tensed.
“Knowing that you have my back and want to stand up for me. as the younger generation, I’m honored, truly,” Mirabella defused the situation with a swift change in tone, easing Lucas and Beverly’s expressions.
“What are you saying? You’re our niece. Who else are we supposed to care about, Erik? You’re the family’s treasure now,” Lucas said heartily.The conversation then drifted to work matters and catching up on old acquaintances with Kenneth.
Feeling the conversation was wearing on her, Mirabella stood up and excused herself, “I’ll be right back, just need to make a phone call.”
Actually, she didn’t have to make a phone call at all.
After finding an excuse to leave, she made her way to the garden.
Romeo had already messaged her, saying he would come over to join her for dinner.
“Bella!”
Suddenly, a voice called out.
Alma caught up to Mirabella, “Can we talk?”
She’d noticed earlier that Mirabella was bored and didn’t want to stay in the living room, hence the excuse to step outside.
Mirabella didn’t have much to discuss with her. As she started to walk away, Alma said, “I’m not like Serena, I don’t play her childish games. Let’s wipe the slate clean on the past. With Serena out of the picture, I think we could be great friends.”
Before Mirabella could respond, Alma presumptuously added, “Even if we can’t be good friends, there’s no need to be enemies, right? I really admire you. You and Serena are worlds apart.”
Mirabella looked up, eyeing her shrewd and confident cousin.
At Mr. Eugene’s last birthday, Alma haughtily challenged her to a violin duel, claiming they’d see who Jamie would take on as a pupil.
They both played a piece that Regan and Jamie had performed together—The Life.
Mirabella was clearly superior, but Alma, not accepting defeat, insisted on another round, only to lose again and had to abide by the bet: she was banned for life from the violin world and could no longertouch anything related to the violin.
Could they really be friends after that “monumental humiliation”?
“Don’t waste your time on me.” Mirabella walked away without giving her another glance.
“Bella!”
Alma, unwilling to give up, called out again, “After what Serena did to you, and now that she’s been kicked to the curb by the Collins family, don’t you want some revenge? I know you always hold yourself above petty acts behind the back, but I can take care of her for you. I just don’t want to be your enemy.
This is my olive branch, whether you believe it or not.”
“You think I’d buy that?” Mirabella’s lips curled coldly. “How you deal with her is your business, don’t drag me into it.”
If it weren’t for the fact that she was the daughter of the Collins family and held in high regard by the entire family, Alma would never have come over pretending to want to be friends.
It was because Alma couldn’t beat her, she had to retreat in order to advance, to gain her trust on an emotional level, and then to destroy her.
Truthfully, Mirabella disdained even exposing such petty tricks, but Alma didn’t know that and mistook her pride for aloofness.
“Even if I can’t touch anything related to the violin for the rest of my life, I’ve never blamed you. I was simply outplayed!” Alma shouted after her retreating figure, “Isn’t it better to have one more friend than one more enemy? Mirabella, I know you don’t trust me, but I truly want to let bygones be bygones. We are family after all!”Mirabella paused, turning her head slightly, her voice icy, “You and I will never be family.”
The blood of the Collins family ran through her veins but they would never truly become a loving family.
Alma was taken aback, not expecting Mirabella to be so blunt.
“Keep being ungrateful, and you’ll end up just like her.” Mirabella dropped this line and walked away.
Alma hadn’t expected Mirabella to be so resistant and wondered what methods her brothers had used to get close to her.
Cornelia beckoned with a warm smile as she entered the garden and spotted her granddaughters, “Bella, Alma, you’re both here. Perfect, come over, my dears.”