Filed To Story: Returning to Her Not-So-Poor Family
The voice belonged to Cathy, who had just returned to overhear Harriet’s attempt to buy Romeo and Mirabella’s relationship, and she was not pleased, “Out! You’re not welcome here.”
“Cathy?” Harriet frowned, visibly annoyed, “Why must you and Luna always meddle? I’m talking to Mirabella; what’s it to you?”
“You step into my room to talk to my cousin-in-law without my permission. Besides, she’s part of our McMillian family. So tell me, do I have the right to intervene or not?”With checks having a maximum limit, Harriet couldn’t possibly cover the astronomical sum in question.
Harriet seethed.
“Bella’s worth is countless times yours! It’s not your place to flaunt wealth in front of her, you clown.
Don’t you feel shameless? I recall Mirabella mentioning last time you tried to seduce Romeo at McMillian Group and she set you straight. What, got over your bruised ego and ready to stir trouble again?”
“Really, you think you can stop me from liking someone? You and Luna want to stick your nose into my business?” Harriet stood up, a mocking smile playing on her lips, “Just wait till I become your cousin-in-
law. By then, it’ll be too late for you to try clinging to my coattails!”
“With your looks? You think Romeo would give you a second glance? You’re polluting the air in here!
Mirabella, let’s find another room!”
Harriet couldn’t help but retort at her words, “Cathy, you’re just Donna’s daughter, not Jennifer’s. Who are you trying to kid with this sibling love act? Let’s be real, you’re just Romeo’s cousin, not his sister!
The gap between your families is as clear as day. I’m already doing you a favor by not looking down on you. What gives you the right to strut around me?”
Harriet’s words were a targeted jab, her sneer ice-cold, “You should spend your time figuring out how to class yourself up, get prettier – even marrying some old guy would be a bit of contribution to your family.
Otherwise, you’ll spend your life beneath Romeo’s family, like lowly ants.”
A crisp slap landed on Harriet’s face. Harriet, in disbelief, clutched her left cheek, “Mirabella, you dare hit me?”
“I hit you. What, should I have marked my calendar?” Mirabella’s eyes shone with a cold light, “Cathy told you to leave. Didn’t you hear?”
Cathy’s eyes had welled up with tears, but seeing Bella’s bold move, she couldn’t hide her surprise.
“Since you don’t want to leave, let’s settle the score.” Mirabella advanced on Harriet step by step, “My fiancé, you think you’re even in his league?”
Harriet was fuming, “Romeo is mine, and I won’t stop until he says ‘yes’! You’ll pay for that slap!”
Mirabella’s hand gripped her throat, “Say that again.””Mirabella.” Harriet didn’t expect this wild girl, raised from humble beginnings, to be so uncouth as to grab someone by the throat.
Gritting her teeth, she demanded, “Let go of me.”
Mirabella squeezed tighter, “What was that? I didn’t catch it. Say it again.”
“You’re crazy,” Harriet was struggling to breathe, shocked at Mirabella’s audacity.
“If you don’t repeat it, your neck might break, and that can’t be fixed.”
“Hmm?”
“I won’t snatch Romeo away.”
Mirabella wiped her hands and looked down at the person sprawled on the floor with a disdainful sneer, “I thought you had some guts, showing your teeth and claws like that. Turns out you’re nothing. Next time before you strut around, weigh yourself up – don’t embarrass yourself so easily. You might not care about your reputation, but think about your family.”
Harriet bit her lower lip, struggling to her feet.
“Do you need me to give you the McMillian family’s number so you can go cry to them? Or perhaps you’d rather tattle to my kin? Pick whichever you like.”
Harriet was seething with rage; Mirabella’s arrogance was too much to bear!
Beside her, Cathy watched with wide-eyed admiration; Bella was badass, so cool!
“Since you’re not in the mood to make calls.” Mirabella pulled a check from her purse and tossed it at Harriet, “Fill it out with whatever you want, consider it compensation for your medical expenses. And while you’re at it, maybe get your head checked too.”
Harriet clenched her teeth with fury.
“Still here? Want another round?”
At Mirabella’s words, Harriet turned on her heel and stormed off.
“Mirabella, you’re amazing!” Cathy sighed admiringly, “She didn’t dare make a damn peep.”
“Try to be a bit more refined. No need to talk about the gross stuff.”
Cathy couldn’t help but laugh. Just then, the waiter knocked and brought in their food.
“Mirabella, should we move to a different private room?””No need. This is fine,” Mirabella noticed that Cathy seemed much cheerier than before.
“Help yourself to more food, Mirabella.” Taking the tableware, Cathy started to fill Mirabella’s plate with an assortment of sushi, eager to share, “Our family is always compared to Romeo’s by others. I know there’s a lot of talk out there. Everyone seems to think that we’re not doing as well as they are.”
While munching on the food, Cathy continued, “Whenever both families attend a banquet, guests flock around Romeo’s family, not ours. And in meetings, the executives tend to heed his advice over ours.”
Cathy poured Mirabella another cup of tea, and then added, “Truth be told, our families have always been close, unaffected by the outside noise. But growing up surrounded by whispers and feeling that difference in treatment, it’s impossible to say it didn’t affect me.”
To everyone else, the eldest son’s family wasn’t as prosperous as the second’s, where Romeo had become the wealthiest man in the world. In comparison, their own accomplishments seemed to pale.
As she finished speaking, Cathy’s phone rang. It was Romeo calling. She shot Mirabella a look that screamed for help. Had Harriet run straight to him to tattle?
Cathy braced herself and answered on speakerphone, only to hear Romeo’s lively voice, “Enjoying the meal?”Cathy was petrified, “Did Harriet blab about where we were? Romeo, we didn’t do anything wrong.
Harriet insulted Mirabella, said she could buy you two’s affections with money. I told her to leave, but she wouldn’t budge and kept hurling insults. Mirabella only reacted because she couldn’t stand it anymore. It wasn’t serious, just a soft slap, like a breeze passing by.” Reаd at Mirabella thought, “A soft slap? Like a breeze?” Harriet’s face had clearly swollen, with five distinct finger marks. And the marks on her neck were hard to miss.
“Was she picking on you two?” Romeo had already sensed the gist of the situation and was feeling even more irked with Harriet.
“Actually, we didn’t tell you earlier because we didn’t want to worry you, but it’s not just me here, your wife got bullied too! That Harriet is just way out of line!” Cathy said, her voice tinged with distress.
“Didn’t Mirabella break her bones?”
“Broke bones??” Cathy was confused, “Nope, nothing like that. It was just a light touch, like a breeze.”
“Then she was already being quite gracious. That should be enough to report back to the Earwood family.”
What was he talking about?? Did he mean to say that when Bella got physical, it was either fractures or serious injuries?? Was she really that fierce??
“Pass the phone to Mirabella.”
Cathy obediently handed over the phone.
“Bella.” Romeo’s voice came through from the other end, now soft and tender, “You don’t have to hold back when you’re with me.”
Cathy’s eyes widened in shock. Was Bella really that violent?
“If it gets to injuries or worse, I’ll take care of it.”
“It’s mostly because I didn’t have dinner; didn’t have enough strength,” Mirabella joked.
“Does your hand hurt?””Not at all.” Mirabella smiled, “I’m not the one in pain.”
“That’s good. What did Cathy order for you? Is it enough?”
“She didn’t order; I did all the ordering.”
Cathy couldn’t help but interject, “Romeo, I am very generous, okay! It’s only when I’m with you that I’m a miser!”
She muttered to herself, “It’s because you always love to penalize me!”
“Well then, be generous all the way, treat me too. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Romeo, can’t you give Mirabella some personal space??” Cathy had finally managed to get some alone time with Bella, and now Romeo was crashing the party.
“Did you help her when she was fighting?”
“Ah? No, I didn’t.”
Honestly, she was too stunned at the time, she hadn’t expected Bella to be so cool and impressive!
Cathy was momentarily lost for words at Romeo’s rationale.
“Bella, you hang up first,” Romeo’s voice softened once again. It was always Romeo who hung up on them; they had never hung up on him before.
Just as Cathy reached for her wallet to settle the bill, Mirabella’s hand shot out, stopping her dead in her tracks as her eyes locked onto Romeo.
Cathy was taken aback, Bella was expecting Romeo to foot the bill?
“Isn’t Cathy treating us to dinner?” Romeo asked with a devilish grin, seemingly plotting to tease Cathy a bit.
“Cathy’s treat was for me, but now that you’re here, you’re the eldest; shouldn’t you be picking up the tab?”
Romeo hadn’t actually planned to let Cathy pay. Seeing his fiancée so protective of her, he smiled, and quickly took care of the bill.
Cathy didn’t expect Mirabella to save her over a thousand bucks just like that. She whispered into Mirabella’s ear gratefully, “Thank you, Mirabella. Next time, when Romeo’s not around, I’ll treat you to dinner.”
“I heard that.” Romeo helped Mirabella into her coat, “Next time, I’ll take her abroad with me; we’ll work together. If you want to treat, treat us both, or don’t bother.”
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.