CHAPTER FORTY FOUR
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Her father was the first to stand, followed by her Aunt, her and her cousin at the back.
When Adrianna saw her Aunt walk to her father's left side, she stepped on her Aunt's dress and quickly flashed to her father's left.
"Aaaaah!"
Hearing the shriek, they instinctively looked back and their eyes right away gravitated to one of Lorrie's breast which is happily bouncing free from her very low neckline ---her nipples winking at them.
"Aunt!"
"Lorrie!"
"Mother!"
A series of shouts echoed in the house. Andrei quickly turned his back with his face and neck blooming red like a cooked shrimp.
Lorrie looked back and glared at Mimi.
"You useless idiot! Are you itching for a beating?!! Why did you step on my dress?!" Lorrie shouted at her daughter. Her face turning white and blue in anger and embarrassment.
"Ma, it wasn't me." Mimi protested while waving her hands in denial.
"You dare talk back at me?! You are the only one at my back! Who else can step on my dress aside from you?! A ghost?!" Lorrie slapped Mimi's body again and again as she held her daughter's hair.
"Ma!" Mimi desperately held her mother's hands. Trying to stop her beating. "Ma, it hurts! Ouch..ouch! It really wasn't me!"
"Lorrie, stop it!" Liena pulled her sister's hands from Mimi's hair. "Look at yourself!"
"What's wrong with me?!" Lorrie shouted in exasperation! If she hadn't grasp the table to stop her momentum, she would have dived her face on the platter of dishes!
Instead of answering, Liena took Lorrie's naughty breast and forcefully plunged it back to her dress!
"This dress barely covers your breast yet your not even wearing any bra at all! If this accident happened outside, you would become a joke in the village." Liena smirked. "Next time, don't parade your wares wantonly as if your selling them. Especially not here in my house." Liena shot her twin a cold look as she turned her back and sat on Andrei's right.
"Andrei, its fine now." Liena tugged on her husband's hand.
Andrei turned around and glanced at Lorrie, his right lip curled into a mocking smile.
Seeing Andrei's disgusted look, Lorrie's mouth closed tightly as she cast her eyes down towards the floor ---hiding the humiliation and anger in her eyes. She made a fool of herself in front of others! She clenched her hands on the chair imagining its her daughter's neck she is strangling.
"Aunt, sit down. Be mindful of your...assets jumping out." Adrianna covered her mouth to half suppress her scornful laugh.
Lorrie raised her head and glared at Adrianna. This bitch will get her retribution soon enough. Let's see if you can still laugh then! She promised silently. She took a deep breath and composed herself. She has to endure! Endure!
Adrianna watched as her Aunt's face swiftly recovered from anger to her gracious, fragile expression. She almost want to give her Aunt a big thumbs up! What a demon.
"Forgive me. I was busy running back and forth between the hospital and at home, doing odd jobs everywhere that I haven't had time to wash my usual clothes." Lorrie explained in a feather like whisper sounding vulnerable and weak.
Hearing her sister's miserable tone, Liena sighed. It would be too much if she still admonish her sister when she has already admitted her misbehavior.
"Sit down." Liena looked over at Lorrie's back and motioned for Mimi to come close. "Take a seat beside your cousin. Let's eat."
Mimi walked around and sat beside Adrianna while Lorrie pulled a chair beside Liena and secretly glanced at Andrei ---which Adrianna caught.
"Why are you looking at my father?" Adrianna asked with a perplexed face. "Did you think my father was the one who wanted to pull your dress to see your plump melons?"
Lorrie grinded her teeth with hate! If eyes could kill, Adrianna would have long been dead.
"Adi!" Liena widened her eyes with a threatening glare at Adrianna.
"But Aunt was sneaking glances at papa." Adrianna muttered as she looked at Andrei. "Can't blame Aunt. My papa is the most handsome and capable. Humpf. Other men can't compare to my father!" Adrianna boasted and praised her father up to the skies.
"Stop causing trouble, daughter." Andrei laughed softly as he took a platter of rice and passed it first to his wife. Who wouldn't want to hear compliments?
Liena rolled her eyes as she accepted the platter of rice. She always suffer a defeat whenever this father and daughter duo is in tacit agreement ---which always happens.
Liena looked at Lorrie. Seeing her red face, she decided to talk about other topics first. Giving her sister time to gather herself.
"I did not notice you have returned from school." Liena raised her brow at Adrianna. "When did you come back?"
"I'm sorry, Ma. I thought nobody's home when I returned. I directly went to my room and took a nap."
Liena nodded. "I went to check our resort house. A VIP guest came to check in and I had to personally greet them." She tilted her head at Andrei. "Your papa went to the poultry farm but was stopped halfway by his friends." She curled her lips at Andrei.
Andrei just laughed softly as he pinched Liena's hand. Liena rolled her eyes at him. She looked at Adrianna.
"You must have come home early?"
"Yes, ma. We were dismissed early."
Liena nodded.
Adrianna looked at her mother then at her Aunt. "When did Aunt arrive?"
"Your Aunt called me yesterday informing me about her visit today so I asked to meet her at the resort. That's also the reason why I bought pork when I heard the Reyes slaughtered their pig."
"No wonder." Adrianna nodded as she took a serving of blood tofu. Her mother is an introvert and doesn't like to mix up with those kind of excitement but she went out early in the morning to join in the fun. So its because of her sister's visit.
Adrianna looked at her mother with a complicated expression. Her mom is really careful and sincere in treating her sister. Her ignorant mother doesn't even know while she was busy cooking, her sister is also busy seducing her husband.
Her unassuming mother doesnt even know what a treacherous snake her sister is. Adrianna snorted coldly in her heart.
Andrei gave Adrianna the wing part of the chicken. Adrianna absent mindedly took a plate of roasted chicken and gave a drumstick to her papa.
Liena smiled as she witnessed their exchange.
Lorrie watched the interaction between her sister's family. With one glance, one can immediately tell how happy and harmonious their family is. If she was the one who went abroad as a domestic helper, wouldn't Andrei be hers? Wouldn't it be her who should be enjoying their wealth?
The job should have been hers! She begged her sister to give the opportunity to her! But her stingy and selfish sister just couldn't see her happy and successful. She just have to be the one to go abroad! She hates! She hates! She will take back everything from her sister. Everything!
"Is Ben discharged from the hospital?"
Lorrie snapped out from her thoughts, blinked her eyes and looked down at her still empty plate.
"Not yet. I asked her mother to accompany him at the hospital. We don't have the money to pay for the bills." Lorrie sobbed softly, her tears falling like rain down to her plate.
Adrianna sneered.
The last time her Aunt said her husband broke his legs, it was a lie. They wanted to ask money to pay off their debts. Both of them are into gambling and cockfighting.
Her family wanted to visit her uncle at the hospital. Her Aunt held them back saying it was inconvenient. When her Aunt called to say uncle was discharged, they went to visit at their house. But no one was home, their house looks deserted. The neighbors said the couple hasn't been home for awhile, their daughter was fetched by her grandmother. Hearing this, they thought their family just went to stay at her Uncle's natal village for recuperation. She later discovered, her uncle's legs were as strong and sturdy as a tigers. Her uncle was not recuperating at all. Both her uncle and her aunt were having a blast gambling and was caught betting at a cockfighting pit. They were gone because they became guests in jail for three months.
The next time they saw them, her Aunt's husband got into a car accident. It was because he was too drunk and crossed on a red light. Her Aunt came crying to their house asking her parents for money. Telling her parents it was a hit and run case.
Her parent's wanted to pursue the matter and find the culprit. Her Aunt was like a saint preaching how the culprit will receive her just rewards, how karma will chase his ass, how God has eyes and will bless her husband. Her family was impressed by her Aunt's big heart. Adrianna's eyes glinted with a cold light and snorted. They were foolish. They were played in the hands of her Aunt. She later found out, the driver did not run at all. In fact, he was responsible enough to pay all her uncle's medical expenditures.
The only truth they ever told was when her husband was almost made a cripple by gangsters. And it was a half truth at that. Her aunt was again crying at their door asking her parents for money. Her aunt said her husband was an unlucky victim. An innocent passerby who happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. But Adrianna later found out, the gangsters were hired by the creditors he was hiding from.
And she only knew all of this when both her parent's passed away.
All her parent's wealth was eventually swallowed by her Aunt. Before she can take back everything her parents worked hard for, she died.
And this mother and daughter pair were the ultimate winner in the end.