Chapter 5 A New Queen at the Table

The slap was so loud that it echoed through the walls.

Jade was stunned, not only did Laurel slap her but she saw stars.

The rest of the Wayne family stood from their chairs. They never expected Laurel to be this fierce, no she was never fierce.

"Laurel! Have you finally lost it?" Her sister in law Felicia finally found her voice.

Laurel turned to her. Felicia unconsciously took a step back, she had never seen someone so terrifying. "W… Why are you looking at me like that?" She stammered.

Laurel narrowed her eyes on her so-called family. Her gaze returned to Jade who held her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"It is time to change the rules around her," Laurel said coldly as she walked to the dining table, pulled a chair out, and sat down.

One of the family members with red hair scoffed. "Someone is really acting like she owns the house, when it is not even up to a month since she got married. You might as well say we should move out of the mansion."

Laurel glanced at her. "And who might you be?" 

Another gasp resonated in the air, and the other family opened their eyes in disbelief with their hands over their mouths.

"You don't know me?… You DON'T know ME?!" She felt a blow to her ego.

"Am I supposed to?" Laurel's voice was nonchalant. "I don't have to waste on meaningless things." She added.

The girl with the red hair staggered back, unable to believe that she was not recognised by someone as low as Laurel.

"In case you don't know, she is the younger sister of Alexander Wayne, your HUSBAND. And not only that, she is a well-known actress, everyone knows her… so how come you don't recognize her?" 

"Oh.. I know what she is trying to do. She is trying to gain attention by pretending she did not know me." The girl with red hair, Vera chuckled.

Laurel tilted her head to the side slightly. "What a mess?" She muttered under her breath.

Jade, who had finally recovered from the slap, matched up to Laurel. "How dare you hit me?" She raised her hand to return the slap.

But Laurel caught her hand midway, before pushing her away. "Let me make something clear to you all, mess with me again, and you'll regret it." Her expression turned deadly.

"So like I said before, it doesn't matter who you are. The only one who matters here is me. Do you know why?" 

A girl around the age of five raised her hand. "Because you are Uncle Alexander's wife."

Laurel gave her an approving nod. "Very good, what a smart child. If you know you are lacking sense please meet her to educate you…" She paused observing the families' astounded faces. "Any word of blasphemy against me will be highly dealt with no matter who you are.."

"The trash is acting like a madam…" Before Felicia could finish her words, Laurel walked around the table, charging towards her.

Just as Laurel raises her hand to slap Felicia. Laurel sways slightly, her eyes were vacant, and suddenly her expression softens. Her body language changes from bold and dominant… to a confused and unsure one.

Felicia squeezed her eyes shut, awaiting the slap.

But nothing happened.

Laurel's hand hovered mid-air then dropped to her side.

She blinked rapidly, her gaze darting around the room in confusion. "W… why is everyone staring at me?"

Felicia backed away slowly. "What… what kind of game is this?"

Laurel looked down at herself, then glanced at the rest of the shocked family. "What's going on?" Her voice was quieter now. "I don't… remember coming down here." She muttered to herself.

Jade scoffed, but her voice was a little shaken from fear, "Liar."

Felicia's lips trembled. "Is this some kind of possession? Don't tell me you're dabbling in witchcraft now?"

Laurel blinked again. "I'm not playing games," she said quietly, taking a step back as her hand grazed the edge of the table. "I really don't remember anything you all said. Are you all trying to frame me now?"

The room plummeted into the realm of silence for a moment.

Even the youngest cousin who was halfway through chewing on a cookie had paused, wide-eyed and unsure whether to swallow or hide under the table.

"She's acting," Vera hissed. "Obviously! She slapped Jade so hard she's still crying, and now she's trying to backtrack like she's got amnesia?"

Laurel's brows pulled together. "I slapped… Jade?"

Jade stepped forward, wiping her face with the back of her trembling hand. "You did," she said, her voice shaking. "You humiliated me. You insulted Vera. You almost hit Felicia. What's wrong with you?!"

Laurel's hand reached up slowly to touch her own face, like she was checking to make sure she was still real.

"I… don't remember any of that." Her voice dropped even lower now. "The last thing I recall, I was upstairs…"

"Convenient," Felicia spat, clearly trying to recover her pride now that she wasn't seconds from being slapped into next week.

"You're lying," Vera added, her arms crossed tightly. "This is manipulation 101. She's faking the innocence now that everyone's scared of her."

Laurel turned to them, and a look of confusion flickered through her eyes. "Why would I fake that? I have been nothing but kind to you all and you think it is okay to frame me? I have endured every insult and humiliation, now what? What are you all cooking?"

Felicia scoffed. "Impeccable! She is acting like the victim now." She dramatically placed the back of her hand on her forehead, sighing deeply.

"What is going on here?" A deep voice cut through the air with authority.

Everyone quickly straightened their back, and their expression turned to one of respect.

The sound of the walking stick approached closer. "I said what was happening and no one answered me?!" The grandpa of the Wayne family hit his walking stick on the floor.

Shivers ran down their spines. Jade quickly ran to his side. "Grandpa look, Alexander's wife hit me on my face." She opened her mouth wide, crying.