When She Stops Playing Nice

Chapter 3

“Gina, your dorm at school has gone up in flames, Michael stated as they drove.

Gina’s eyes narrowed a bit. “Alright, I’ll head back and check it out” Exiting the car, she made her way on foot.

Her phone vibrated with a text from an unknown number. [Where the hell have you vanished to? Get your ass back to

home, now!].

Gina scoffed and blocked the number. Really? Changing numbers to harass me? What the fuck are they thinking?” she thought.

She had made up her mind to sever ties with the Miller family and wasn’t about to let them pull her back in.

When the Millers first found her, Gina was on a mountain, gathering medicinal herbs, covered in dirt and sweat.

They mistook her for someone foraging for wild vegetables, their eyes laden with barely concealed disdain.

the

They were momentarily surprised to hear Gina had aced her college entrance exam and secured a spot at Trowell University. However, they quickly diminished her achievement, thinking she was nothing more than a bookworm, lacking grace and talents of Olivia, who had been shoehorned into Trowell’s art program through connections and hefty sums.

Gina rarely stayed with the Miller family. They rationalized it by saying living in the dorm was more convenient, saving her the trouble of commuting. Meanwhile, they bent over backward driving Olivia, a fellow Trowell student, around.

But Gina seldom spent her time at school. To her, college was meaningless; she only needed an innocuous front. Yet, this became Olivia’s ammunition to slander her, accusing Gina of being a dropout, always skipping class, and goofing off God knows where.

Regardless of how much Gina tried to set the record straight, the Miller family wouldn’t have a bar of it.

What could

First time

before the school shows you the door. We can’t

bagged a scholarship as the top student, paying her way through college, they couldn’t muster a

while, Olivia, who bumbled through piano lessons despite the fortunes spent, failing to grasp even the basics after a year, was showered with praise.

her folly. ‘I should’ve seen through this bullshit a long time ago,

slow stop beside Gina, the window

has headed back to school. Blocking her path here was spot on. She has even blocked all our numbers and ignored my texts. She is asking for

he demanded, voice dripping with menace. “Come home and kneel, apologize to the whole family

him a look reserved

Tue, 21 May

Chapter 3

back, “What’s this about dreaming? Are you ignoring me?

crap?”

thinking, ‘Did she hit her head? Used to be as quiet as a mouse, barely uttering a word. And now look at her, she

stepped out of the car, blocking Gina’s way.

disappear? One word to the principal from us, and you’re

you could, Gina thought,

think you deserve an apology?” Gina asked, voice cold and lips curled into

ungrateful brat,” James fumed. “Forging Dad’s signature, creating a fake will. That alone deserves more than a mere punishment, and yet you dare

return home when you call. I don’t even have the keys, let alone access to Dad’s room. How could I have possibly used his seal on the will?”

“Who knows what you

resigned to the familiar outcome. Never mind, my brothers will never suspect their darling sister, Olivia,’ she thought.

words were necessary, Gina turned to

James shouted, determined to drag Gina

gaze made him flinch, thinking of Liam still in the hospital. Reluctantly, James let