Big Sister Always Knows Better

Arya was mumbling all her way as she climbed the stairs to reach her room. The maids and butlers, seeing Arya's bad temper, tried to avoid her at all costs.

"He is just so… argh! Who does he think he is?! I want to cut him into tiny little pieces! A better way to stay in contact, my ass! I don't want to talk to him ever again! He thinks I cannot complete the mission by myself! Well, I'm going to prove him wrong! Just see, you wi—"

Kanon was in her bed studying for a math quiz she had tomorrow when she heard Arya's ranting through the hallway.

"What's with her today? She seems a bit off and now it's like someone had stepped on her tail."

Kanon and Arya could be different in a lot of ways. Yet, inside their miserable rich lives, they only had each other to rely on. To the people outside it may look like the two girls had everything. Girls who had been blessed to be born into a rich family. Girls who did not need to worry about meeting monthly ends and paying bills. Yet, many people did not know that a lavish life was not always a synonym for happiness.

Kanon put down her notebook where she had her math notes and opened her door to check her sister in the hallway. The white marbled floor was cold in Kanon's bare feet. Arya may seem like a strong and capricious rich girl, but Kanon knew that deep inside, Arya was soft-hearted and compassionate. It was just that her circumstances had made her how she was now.

"Ari, baby sister, what's all your ranting about?"

Arya wanted to tell Kanon that everything was fine but hiding things from Kanon was like hiding things from herself. It was impossible. It was as if Kanon could read her mind or something of that sort.

"Everything…" Arya could not help but sob. She felt so much pressure. She had gained a second chance to change things, but the truth was that she felt so helpless. Arya hated feeling that way, her past fifteen years old self had always got what she wanted. Though most of those things and problems were bought or solved with money.

"But you can't buy your way to heaven," Arya's inner voice reminded her.

"Come on in, baby sister, tell me what's wrong, and dry your tears. You know Mother will get upset if she sees your face all puffy and red at dinner." Kanon ushered her sister to go inside her bedroom.

Mrs. Ava Ling, aka Kanon's and Arya's mother, had been a B-list actress in Hong Kong, before marrying the now king of the Singaporean finance world, Eason Ling. According to gossip tabloids, Eason was engaged to a British girl, who was his college sweetheart, when he met Ava on a trip to Hong Kong. As soon, as Ava announced, that she was pregnant with Kanon, Eason broke up his engagement with the British girl and flew back to Hong Kong to ask Ava's hand in marriage. Eason's parents had been furious with him for creating such a scandal for a third-rate actress, but Eason was determined to marry Ava. His parents even disowned him, but Eason still did not concede.

Then, a tragic accident happened. Eason's two brothers, died in a car accident when they were returning late at night from the company. With no other heirs, Eason's parents had no choice, but to accept his marriage with Ava, and named him again heir of their company and fortune. According to Ava, the event that melted Eason's parents' heart was not Eason's insistence, but when they were presented with their newborn grandchild.

"You were such a cute little pie, Kanon. You had these big black eyes that just followed everyone everywhere, and you giggled a lot. If it were not for you, we would not be where we are now." Ava always liked to tell this to both of her daughters. But gratefulness did not last forever. People did not forget easily, and Ava was still scrutinized to this present day. After many years of constant torture, the once lovable mother had turned into a calculating and ambitious woman whose past shadowed her.

After her big change, Ava forced her daughters to be in their most presentable image always. That meant, no tears, no big laughs, no slouching, no cursing, and a whole long list of other things prohibited to do.

Arya being Arya sometimes did not care, but she knew it was because Kanon had sacrificed herself to become their mother's perfect daughter.

Kanon had put Arya in her bed and handed her some ice packs that had been inside her mini-fridge.

"Here, put it in your eyes before they get puffy."

"Thanks…"

Kanon let her sister compose herself again, before asking her again what all her ranting was about.

"So, are you ready to tell me what was all that ranting in the hallway?" Kanon took a seat just next to Arya.

"I… I…" Arya wanted to tell Kanon the whole truth. After all, her sister was smarter than her, she may find a solution for her to gather the petals easier.

"The truth is that I di—" Before Arya could confess, her phone started ringing in her backpack.

"Pick it up first, Ari."

Arya then remembered that she had promised to text Violet once she returned home. Which she forgot because of her intense quarrel with Asher.

"It must me Vi, give me a sec." Arya handed the now room-temperature iced packs to Kanon as she went and searched for her phone inside her backpack, and without even reading who the caller ID was, she answered.

"Sorry Vi, I promised to text you, but I just forgot. I'm already at home."

"Arya Ling, whatever was passing through your mind right now, don't even dare to do it."

Arya's blood was boiling again, Asher had been the one who called her, not Violet. She was wondering how that psycho got her phone number in the first place.

"Right, the damn file with all my life in it!" Arya remembered.

"Kanon, I'm going back to my room first, talk to you later."

"A…" Before Kanon could protest, she was already alone again in her bedroom, her door wide open.