Chapter 3
“But Zinnia just got back…” Maelis frowned, her voice trailing off.
‘Since Zinnia arrived, our house has turned into a war zone–there are fights all the time. The boys barely come home anymore. But how can we kick her out right after finding her?’ she thought.
Donald, Maelis’ husband, chimed in, “Timothy’s got a point. Zinnia picked up some seriously bad habits out in the countryside. She’s constantly fighting with Betty. If we send her away, the house might get some peace. You’ll finally get a break.”
“I know you want to keep her close after finding her. But she won’t change overnight. While she’s here, neither you nor Betty can relax. If she moves out, we’ll give her more pocket money and visit often. Some space might help her see reason.”
“We rushed this whole thing. Zinnia’s never really spent time with Betty, and now she’s feeling jealous. Forcing them to live together is just asking for trouble. Let them live separately for now. Once Zinnia works through her issues, we can bring her back home.”
Donald looked worriedly at Maelis’s exhausted face–she’d been up all night watching over Betty. Just thinking about Zinnia made his head throb.
‘How did we even mix up the two kids back then? If Zinnia had grown up with us, she wouldn’t be this much trouble,’ he thought.
“But…” Maelis hesitated.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Betty said softly. “Zinnia just got home, and you should focus on her now. The family’s taken care of me for years. It’s totally normal for her to feel uncomfortable about you still being nice to me.”
“Zinnia’s young and doesn’t mean to cause trouble–her bullying isn’t serious. Thanks for looking out for me, Mom. I’ll apologize when she gets here. I probably shouldn’t have taken her place in the family. It’s my fault.”
Yosef frowned. “Nonsense! You were just a baby when that hospital mix-up happened. Zinnia’s the one with attitude problems, not you. School is starting soon, and we’ll send her to Cloudcrest Heights. She loves to sleep in, and it’s closer to school.”
If anyone were to blame, Yosef thought it was the hospital staff who had mixed the two girls up.
“Betty, stop that,” Maelis said firmly. “You were just a baby during that hospital mix-up. We didn’t handle Zinnia right, letting her get away with harassing you. Don’t worry–I’ll make her apologize when she gets here. And I’ll convince her to move out temporarily.”
Her heart twisted at Betty’s words. She’d raised Betty since she was tiny and loved her deeply. Zinnia was the one who’d caused trouble, so Zinnia needed to own up to her actions.
“Don’t bother. I’ll go,” Zinnia’s soft, calm voice cut through the air.
The room went dead silent. Everyone turned toward the doorway. Howard stood there looking torn, with Zinnia beside him–calm and eerily composed.
Howard and Zinnia had just arrived as Donald began discussing sending Zinnia away. Howard frowned, standing by the door–she’d only been back with them for two months.
He waited until Yosef said something reasonable, ready to interrupt. But then Yosef started backing Donald’s plan. When Howard finally pushed the door open, Maelis’s voice rang out clearly.
He glanced at Zinnia out of the corner of his eye. She was completely blank, like being kicked out by her family didn’t faze her one bit.
Somehow, a strange tightness suddenly gripped Howard’s chest. He couldn’t explain it, but he had a feeling that Zinnia had already seen this coming. She was too calm as she heard her family call her temperament wild and plan to ship her off.
“Zinnia, you’re here,” Maelis said, a wave of guilt washing over her.
Zinnia hummed in response, her face pale and expressionless.
Maelis felt inexplicably uneasy. She stepped closer to Zinnia, trying to take her hand and talk to her properly.
“Since you’re here, apologize to Betty.” Timothy glared at Zinnia. His tone was cold and distant, nothing like the gentle way he spoke to Betty.
He shook his head in disgust. “You picked up some really bad habits in the countryside. Pushing Betty into the pool? Do you even realize that if anything had happened to her, you’d be facing attempted murder charges?”
Betty’s eyes fixed on Zinnia’s face, which resembled Maelis’s. She pressed her lips together and offered a soft, weary smile. “Timothy, it’s fine. Zinnia doesn’t need to say sorry. I’m just glad she came to visit me.”
Zinnia stepped aside, dodging Maelis’ hand. She didn’t even glance at Betty, her eyes fixed coldly on Timothy. “I didn’t push her,” she said flatly, her voice sharp and detached–nothing like the sugary tone she’d used earlier.
Zinnia looked around the hospital room, taking in the faces of her family - her mother who wanted to send her away, her frustrated father, her aloof oldest brother Yosef, Timothy – the second brother who could barely stand her – and Howard, the third who despised her.
Not a single person in her family wanted her around. And they all thought she was lying through her teeth.
“If you didn’t push Betty, did she jump in to frame you?” Timothy’s eyes narrowed coldly. “You’re not just stubborn, Zinnia. Now you’re making up crazy stories. How could I have a sister like you?”
Zinnia felt the chill radiating from Timothy. She tilted her head, her voice steady and cool. “What do you mean by that?
“I’m a small-town girl who makes you look bad? The jealous one who can’t stand Betty’s good life? Now that you knew I was like this, why bother bringing me home?”
Her beautiful face was completely blank. Her once-soft eyes now looked icy, filled with total disappointment–these people had no clue.
The Shaws were shocked. They couldn’t believe she had nailed exactly how they saw her.
“I’m telling you I didn’t push Betty. Believe it or not, whatever,” Zinnia said coolly. “There are cameras by the pool. Are your eyes just for show? Go check the video.”