Chapter 8

Leah's POV

"Hey, look who's back! My best friend Leah!" An elf-like red-headed girl popped up at my door as soon as my father left. 

"Laura!" I ran toward her and hugged her in my arms. She wrapped her long, slender arms around my neck in a graceful posture that gave her an air of elegance and refinement. 

Louisa was my cousin. She was three years younger than me. Growing up, I have always considered her my best friend. She had got long, fiery hair that cascaded down her back in soft waves, giving her a wild and untamed appearance. Her big brown eyes were bright and expressive, full of intelligence and curiosity. They seemed to sparkle with mischief and playfulness, hinting at her fun-loving nature.

"They've told me that you're back, so I dropped everything and came as soon as I could. Oh, my gush! Look at you!" She patted my protruding shoulder blades. "You've lost a lot of weight! You're practically a skeleton! Let's go downstairs and grab something to eat. You look like you're going to faint at any moment and I'm starving!"

Everyone around me seemed to have an uncontrollable need to feed me ever since I came back to my family. 

"Is your brother here?" Leah looked around with inquiry as we were walking downstairs. 

"What? Did you sniff him?" I chuckled. 

Laura burst into laughter and said, "You haven't changed a bit, have you? I saw his limo parked outside when I came."

"I'm afraid that His Young Master Lucian has just left. He has an urgent meeting to attend." Mr. Carson, my father's butler, stated in a deep voice, pulling out the chairs for me and Laura.

Looking a bit disappointed, Laura sighed and sat down in front of the table, poking beans on her plate with the tines of a fork. 

Over the years, Laura had developed a special admiration for my brother Lucian.

"Miss Parrish, please mind your manners. No poking of beans on a dining table." Mr. Carson looked disapproving. 

"Just give me a break, Uncle Liam. Bring us some more beef." Laura munched with a full mouthful of beans. 

Mr. Carson rolled his eyes at his niece so hard that he could see the back of his head before walking away. 

I smirked and lowered my head, cutting the beef on my plate into pieces. 

"I'm so glad that you're back. That son of a bitch Lucas doesn't deserve your love! He's such an idiot. I'm sure he's biting his nails right now because he is regretting his decision!" Laura said.

I put down my knife and fork and poured myself a glass of wine, but I had no intention of drinking it. 

What's Lucas doing? Is he really feeling regret for rejecting me? Or is he celebrating with his lifetime lover Josephine?

I clenched my fists.

"What are you going to do? Any plans for today?" Laura asked.

"I left my driving license at Lucas' place. I guess I'll go there and pick it up," I said.

"Do you need a ride?" Laura's eyes sparkled as if she was scheming something. 

Before I could answer, she continued, "I'll give you a ride! No problem!" Laura wiped her mouth and patted her chest.

**

Back to Lucas' place. As soon as I walked into the living room with Laura, Rosalie saw me from a distance and approached me. 

Being a formidable mistress in this house, Rosalie had a withered and wrinkled face that spoke of a life filled with bitterness and resentment. Her sharp eyes were like daggers, constantly scanning the room for any signs of weakness or disobedience. I used to walk on eggshells around her. 

"Where have you been? I'm looking for you all day! Did you pick up Lucas' tuxedo from the tailor's? He needs it for tonight's Grand Ball. I also need you to clear the drain in the garden. You know where to find the tools. You need to do it fast because it starts to get smelly. After that, I want you to report to me right away. It's Full Moon Day today. I give all the soldiers and servants who work in this house a break because I am a good hostess. But that means you have to do their work. So come on. Chop, chop! And who's that redhead standing next to you? Is she a mink or a rat? How many times have I told you that you're not allowed to bring any irrelevant personnel to my place? You just don't learn, do you?"

"Hey, hey, hey, Baba Yaga wearing knock-off Prada! Shut the hole in your face already. Nobody talks to my friend or me like that. Do you understand?" Laura leered at Rosalie and crossed her arms.

Rosalie had never been talked back by anyone in this manner before. Her face was contorted with fury as she glared at Laura. Her eyes were burned with anger and her hands shook with rage. 

"Who... Who the hell are you?! Get out of my house!" Rosalie's voice trembled with frustration. 

Laura hurled out a string of insults before I could stop her -

"You know what, old witch? I didn't want to step into this creepy bat cave in the first place. But now since you want me to get out, I've decided that I don't want to leave. What are you going to do? Bite me? You're an old rotten piece of crap. You're full of shit, you know that?"

"Security! Security!" Rosalie raised her voice while covering her head. Her hair, once neat and tidy, now looked like it had been pulled out and rearranged in a fit of rage. 

"All your soldiers are on a break today, remember? Scream as loud as you want. No one will come! Dah!" Laura said, threw herself on the sofa, and put her feet on the table. "Aha. This feels great. Bring me a cup of soda, woman. Be the good hostess that you claim yourself to be."

"You! Remove your feet from my table and get out! Get out right now or I'll sue you!" Rosalie's words dripped with the venom of accumulated fury. 

"No. I love putting my feet up. As a matter of fact, I guess I will feel more relaxed in this way." Laura kicked off her shoes and took off her socks, sticking her bare feet into the potpourri plate. 

"Ah, talking about resting your feet!" Laura smirked at Rosalie.

Rosalie managed to cling to her last stroke of pride and turned to me.

"What is this?! Take your friend out of my place right now!" She said in a threatening voice.

"We'll get out of this place as soon as I retrieve my personal effects," I said in a calm voice.

Rosalie looked shocked by my attitude. I knew she was expecting an apology from me. But my voice made it very clear that she wouldn't get any for today. 

She stood there, shivering, hopeless, and alone. 

Going upstairs into my room, I thought to myself, I was such a fool to have let myself be verbally and physically abused by this demonic old woman. 

After fetching my driving license from the drawer, I walked downstairs. 

"I will definitely tell Lucas what happened today! I've been too tolerant of you all these years and that's why you start to forget about who you really are! You were nothing but an imbecile omega before you married my son! My son could have married Lycan King's princesses, Senator's daughters, Vampire Countess, or Czarinas! But he ended up getting married to you! Your inferior lowbred creature! I will make sure that Lucas drives you out of our family! By that time, you will be crawling on all fours, begging him to take you back! And do you know what I am going to do? I will step your neck and spit at you! That's what I'm going to do! You've heard me?!" 

"Don't even bother. He has already rejected me. I will never ever come back to this place again." 

Having said that, I walked off. I didn't want to wait for one more minute of being insulted and diminished by this woman. 

Leah put on her shoes and stood up, leaving her socks on the table. 

When she walked past Rosalie, she smirked and said, "Aha, guess who's going to clean the smelly drain in the garden and pick up my dirty socks today?" 

Then, she quickly ran out of the house with me, giggling along the way.