It was midnight.
The entire house was still quiet except for the dining room.
Lara was playing bridge with her grandmother, Jennie and Daisy, in the dining room.
This was a new past time Isabella had created for herself.
After all, she was used to working constantly to gather money and not having so much leisure time.
Suddenly a loud bang was heard coming from the front door.
“Where is that girl?
How dare she make a mess she doesn’t know about?”
Cristina roared, her voice echoing through the empty house.
Lara immediately realised what was going on and looked at Jennie and Daisy.
“Take Grandma Bella to her room and ensure she is safe.
Check whether the CCTV cameras are working, and just give a ring to my phone,” Lara said.
“Ok second miss.” They said in unison.
“Grandma, please come with us.
We shall go somewhere safe,” Daisy said.
“I’ll go to the security room at once,” Jennie said.
The three of them exited the dining room through the kitchen door.
Lara looked at her hairpin that her late mother left for her.
It was a snake-headed silver hairpin.
Isabella never sold it, saying it was a family heirloom.
Lara spun the hairpin in a wipper motion by her fingers as she formed the countless scenarios in her head.
She could hear Butler Nolan rushing down the stairs.
“First Madam Cristina, please leave the mansion and come back in the morning with a clearer mind.
It’s middle of the night, and everyone is currently sleeping,” Butler Nolan said.
“I don’t care.
I don’t care.
I don’t care.
Get that girl in front of me, right now.” Cristina stomped her foot.
“Who are you talking about first madam?
We have countless women of different ages working in this mansion.
Who are we talking about?
What I would advise you, madam, is that we can have this conversation in the morning with a clearer mind.” Nolan tried to steer Cristina back to her house.
A sharp sound of someone getting slapped echoed.
“How dare you!
How dare you make me leave this house!
How dare you protect that girl from the slums!
How dare you say I am crazy!?” Cristina became hysterical.
Lara was so shocked by the sound that she opened the door and quickly ran to the living room.
She was shocked seeing the scene.
Butler Nolan was covering his cheeks and looked shocked.
Cristina was pointing her finger at Nolan, accusatory.
“You did the same thing when Kevin did that with that woman eight years ago.
You are doing the same thing now with that girl.
I am the eldest daughter-in-law of the Ravenwoods.
I deserve some basic respect.” Cristina was now completely hysterical.
She was crying and trashing the nearest sofa.
“Miss Lara is not a girl from the slums.
She is your blood daughter…” Butler Nolan felt disrespected but still holding onto his pride, he stood tall.
“I have only one daughter, and that is Juliette.
You get that.” Cristina threw her designer bag towards Butler Nolan.
Lara couldn’t take it anymore.
How could someone be so evil?
Maybe this was one of the reasons why the Lara from the novel was so unruly and obsessed with her previous marriage.
She never got the acceptance and love from her real family.
She probably expected some love or kindness from her real family because she had sacrificed her life for the daughter they raised.
But Lara was not like that.
She entered into this marriage on her accord.
On time, her phone vibrated.
It was Jennie.
Lara walked out of the darkness and stood in front of Cristina.
“Why, hello!
Mother.” Lara made her voice descend to a dangerous low tone at the end.
“Looks like you are here for me, so let your anger towards Butler Nolan go and focus on me, ok?”
Cristina raised her right hand and slapped Lara hard on her left cheek.
“You bitch!” she cried out.
Cristina raised her left hand to slap again, but before even she could land the slap, Lara held her hand and slapped her in return.
Hard.
Hard enough to make Cristina stare at Lara with bewilderment.
“You, you, you dare!
You dare slap me?
Your mother?” Cristina covered her swollen cheek.
Butler Nolan, tactfully, stepped aside.
Lara scoffed at Cristina’s logic.
“Mother.
You just said.
With your own two lips, I am not your daughter.
That you have only one daughter.
Then, you can’t accuse me of hitting my elders now, can you?” Lara said.
Lara walked to the scared Cristina slowly, approaching her with real anger.
“The only reason why I let you slap me is because I did deserve it.
I went low by poking into your marital problems to get rid of the sloppy tutor you arranged for me.
It was indeed evil of me to do so.”
“But I will not let you slap me just to vent your anger.
Nor will I entertain you hitting a bystander or causing a fuss in the mansion just because your feelings are hurt.
Leave the mansion and get a psychiatrist.”
“You bitch.
The only reason you even have the ability to raise your voice against me is because you have father-in-law’s backing that, god knows how, you have earned.
How dare you even hit me?” Cristina screamed.
“The reason I have Grandpa Arnold’s backing is because I am the actual granddaughter.
Not the daughter you have raised.
The reason why you have this ‘slum girl’ raising her voice against you is because I am getting married as you decided that your ‘precious princess’ can’t get herself to marry the family has chosen.” Lara said, suppressing every urge to stab her with the hairpin.
“So, if I were you, I would not have bothered my daughter’s benefactor and let the marriage happen as planned.”
“Now, of course you can choose not to do it, but let me warn you.
If you plan to even make another single scene before the marriage, I will escape from the altar, and I will make sure that the person who gets married is Juliette.
Do you get it?” Lara questioned.
Blood drained from Cristina’s face.
She quickly nodded her head.
“Good, now go back and mind your goddamn fucking business, old lady.” Lara said.
Cristina took her purse and practically ran out of the mansion.
Butler Nolan saw the silver hairpin was clenched so tightly in Lara’s hand that her hands were red.
1.
They gave me free will 2.
They made me a Gemini.