I came back and sent my mother to a mental hospital
The poor student sponsored by my mother is
pretending to be me at school.
At the crowded school gates, she beat me to
the punch, slipping smoothly into the backseat
of our car. Then, loud enough for everyone to
hear, she called out to me:
“I know we’re close, and it feels weird to make
a big deal out of this.”
“But, we don’t live in the same direction. You
can’t keep bumming rides from me, taking
advantage of our friendship to get my family’s
driver to take you home.”
Her words drew stares and whispers from the
surrounding students, their eyes filled with
judgment.
<
In the past, I would have blushed crimson,
unsure how to react.
But luckily, I had just been reborn.
So, in front of everyone, I yanked her out of the
car without a shred of hesitation, climbed in,
and spat in her face.
“Living the good life for a few days has really
gone to your head, hasn’t it?”
“‘Your family’s driver‘? Let’s see if he dares to
listen to you if you call him that again.”
The noise of the crowd died down as my icy
words hung in the air. I gave a disgusted glance
at Bethany White, her uniform disheveled after I
dragged her out of the car, and didn’t utter
another word.
I slammed the car door shut and told the driver
to go.
く
Outside, Bethany, recovering from the shock,
pounded on the car door, her usual entitled
demeanor returning. She ordered me to open the door.
“Miss, this isn’t right,” the driver said, turning to
me with a troubled look.
“Not right?”
I sneered. Bethany wanted me to open the door? Fine, I’d oblige.
I unlocked the door when she wasn’t looking. As she finally yanked it open, I leaned back slightly and kicked the door shut with all my might.
Bethany didn’t have time to react. The door
slammed into her head, sending her sprawling.
“Ow!” A shriek of pain ripped through the air.
I leaned against the car door, watching with
<
detached amusement as she lay on the ground,
blood welling up on her arms and legs, a rapidly swelling bump forming on her forehead.
“Melissa Miller!” Bethany screamed my name, her eyes blazing.
Even now, she couldn’t resist twisting the truth.
“I wasn’t saying I wouldn’t ever give you a ride
home again! Even if we’re friends, you can’t just
keep freeloading! This is my family’s car! This
is way out of line!”
“Out of line?” I pointed at myself with a
sardonic laugh.
“You asked me to open the door, and I did,
didn’t I? You’re the one who didn’t move out of
the way. I should be accusing you of faking an
injury.”
“And since when did words become free
currency? You say this is your family’s car?
1
Prove it. Open your eyes and take a good look.
Do you even recognize the make of this car?
Wearing nice clothes for a few days doesn’t
make you the owner.”
I stopped wasting my breath on her, closed the
door again, and told the driver to drive.
Seeing the pity in the driver’s eyes as he
watched Bethany crying outside, my expression
hardened instantly.
“Mr. Davis, don’t forget who pays your salary.
When my dad gets back, I’ll be telling him everything that’s been happening.”
“Think about your son. Rein in your misplaced sympathy. Don’t waste it on people who don’t
deserve it.”
Mr. Davis’s sympathetic expression vanished.
He had originally been my dad’s driver, but
<
since my dad had been spending so much time
abroad managing our family business’s
overseas branch, he’d been assigned to me. His
son was my dad’s assistant, and his wife was
the housekeeper at our family estate, taking
care of my grandma.
Their entire family worked for us.
I knew why Mr. Davis felt sorry for Bethany.
Ever since my mom brought her home six
months ago, Bethany had been sucking up to
everyone to secure her place in the family.
She’d help the housekeeper with chores, chat
with Mr. Davis while he washed the car. Over
time, they’d both warmed up to her and, out of
pity, had started treating her with special
consideration.
My words were a reminder of who his real
employer was, who he was really working for.
My dad had assigned him to me, so his loyalty
should be to me, not to someone with ulterior
<
motives and fake sweetness.
Back home, our housekeeper, Mrs. Robinson,
rushed to greet me and take my backpack.
Seeing that I was alone, without Bethany, her
smile faltered. “Miss Melissa, why are you back
by yourself? Where’s Bethany? Didn’t she come
home with you?”
I ignored her question, washed my hands, and
went straight to the dining room.
The table was filled with Bethany’s favorite
dishes. The pan–fried sea bass I’d specifically
requested yesterday was nowhere to be seen,
replaced by Bethany’s favorite barbecue ribs,
placed squarely in the center of the table.
Fury boiled inside me.
Mrs. Robinson, oblivious to my darkening
expression, continued chattering, ignoring Mr.
<
Davis’s attempts to stop her.
1
“Madam might be home late tonight. Miss
Melissa, do you want to wait for Bethany before
you eat?”
“Miss Melissa, are you giving Bethany a hard
time again? You shouldn’t be so mean to such
a sweet girl.”
“Mr. Davis, go back and pick up Bethany. I don’t
want her getting lost again like last time, all
alone in a strange place.”
Mrs. Robinson’s words were phrased as
questions, but her tone was accusatory.
I tapped my fingers on the table, watching
coldly as she turned to urge Mr. Davis to go get
Bethany.
“Shut up, just stop,” Mr. Davis snapped at her,
finally losing his patience.
<
Finally, I spoke, my voice calm. “Mrs. Robinson,
where’s the pan–fried sea bass I asked you to
make yesterday?”
Mrs. Robinson froze, finally realizing something
was wrong. She stammered, “Oh, um, I was
running late this morning, and the market was
all out of sea bass. So, I couldn’t make it.”
“If you want it, maybe tomorrow-”
“Is the market the only place in town to buy
fish?” I cut through her flimsy lie.
“You were running late, and the market was out
of sea bass, but not ribs? Was it really sold out,
or did you simply forget, or not want to make
it?”
I picked up the platter of mouthwatering
barbecue ribs and dumped the entire thing,
plate and all, into the trash can. If I didn’t show
some teeth, these people would forget who was
<
really in charge in this house.
