- 4.
I spun around, surprised, and saw Grandma
Smith walking straight towards me, head held
high.
The moment I saw her, I didn’t even think. I
just ran to her and buried my face in her
shoulder, whining, “Grandma, you’re finally
here.”
Grandma Smith’s eyes were wet, and she
gently stroked my face, patting my back. “It’s
okay, honey.”
“Your Grandpa’s got other business to deal
with.”
“Grandma’s here to stick up for you.”
L
The second my Dad saw Grandma Smith, his
face went white.
“Mom… what are you doing here?”
Before he could finish, Grandma raised her
chin and a bodyguard stepped up and
slapped my Dad hard across the face,
knocking him to the floor.
“If I hadn’t come, would I ever see you siding
with outsiders to bully my granddaughter?”
Hearing the unwavering support in her voice, I
felt even more guilty.
Last time around, because of Dad’s lies, I
thought my grandparents resented me for
causing their daughter’s death. That was why
<
they had been so distant all these years.
But I didn’t find out the truth until just before
I died, when Mia was gloating to me.
Dad had made up stories about how I didn’t
want to see my grandparents, so they had
been afraid to come near me..
And all the gifts they had sent me, Dad had
given to Mia, turning them into perfect
“proof” that she was really me.
After they found out I had been kidnapped
and gone missing, my grandparents had
rushed to find me, but they had gotten into a
car accident – Dad’s doing.
They had died without ever seeing me again.
<
That was why, the second I was reborn, I had
dialed that number I knew by heart and told
my grandparents everything that had
happened over the years.
Dad shot me a look of hatred and then
desperately started to explain.
“Mom, this is just a misunderstanding.”
“Hailey doesn’t know how to handle these
parties, so I brought Mia.”
“They’re sisters, after all. Wouldn’t it be better
if they supported each other in the future?”
Hearing that, Grandma Smith snorted..
“Sisters?”
“Robert, don’t forget you married into the
Smith family.”
“You claimed you adopted Mia so Hailey
would have someone to play with.”
“I let her come into the Smith family and
enjoy everything we have because she was
Hailey’s playmate.”
“Since when is she on equal footing with
Hailey, or even trying to steal everything
that’s Hailey’s?”
Mia stepped forward, all sweet and innocent,
whining, “Grandma Smith, I’ve given you my
all these years.”
“Don’t I deserve equal rights?”
L
My Dad was freaking out, and he grabbed
Mia’s arm.
“Mia, what are you saying? Shut up!”
“Given your all?”
Grandma Smith scoffed, unimpressed.
“Mia, do you think I’m as dumb as Robert?”
“I’ve seen this act a million times.”
“All this ‘giving your all‘ you talk about is just
stirring up trouble between me and Hailey and
then fake–asking how we’re doing?”
“The Smiths don’t need your fake concern.”
L
“If you have any talent, you could use all the
opportunities we give you to build something on your own, and then maybe I’d think
differently.”
“But if you think you can step over Hailey to
get to the top, think again!”
“I’m telling you right now, everything the
Smiths own will belong to Hailey.”
“Whether it’s Robert or you, Mia, you won’t
get a single cent from the Smiths!”
“Hailey, let’s go!”
Everyone was too shocked by Grandma Smith’s show to say anything for a long while.
<
Once we were out of the banquet hall,
Grandma Smith gently cupped my face.
“Don’t be scared, honey. Your grandma and
grandpa are here to stand up for you.”
I hugged her tightly, nodding over and over.
Grandma was worried about leaving me
alone, so she suggested I come back to the
Smith house with her.
I agreed, but I needed to go to the house I
lived in to grab a few things.
I got to the front gate, and the gatekeeper,
Mike, was clearly annoyed to see me.
“What’s with you coming back alone?”
“What’s with you coming back alone?”
“Where are Mia and Mr. Smith?”
“Leaving them at the party? No wonder Mr.
Smith doesn’t like you.”
