Chapter 3
โBut Zinnia just got backโฆโ Maelis frowned, her voice trailing off.
โSince Zinnia arrived, our house has turned into a war zoneโthere are fights all the time. The boys barely come home anymore. But how can we kick her out right after finding her?โ she thought.
Donald, Maelisโ husband, chimed in, โTimothyโs got a point. Zinnia picked up some seriously bad habits out in the countryside. Sheโs constantly fighting with Betty. If we send her away, the house might get some peace. Youโll finally get a break.โ
โI know you want to keep her close after finding her. But she wonโt change overnight. While sheโs here, neither you nor Betty can relax. If she moves out, weโll give her more pocket money and visit often. Some space might help her see reason.โ
โWe rushed this whole thing. Zinniaโs never really spent time with Betty, and now sheโs 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.โ
Donald looked worriedly at Maelisโs exhausted faceโsheโd been up all night watching over Betty. Just thinking about Zinnia made his head throb.
โHow did we even mix up the two kids back then? If Zinnia had grown up with us, she wouldnโt be this much trouble,โ he thought.
โButโฆโ Maelis hesitated.
โItโs okay, Mom,โ Betty said softly. โZinnia just got home, and you should focus on her now. The familyโs taken care of me for years. Itโs totally normal for her to feel uncomfortable about you still being nice to me.โ
โZinniaโs young and doesnโt mean to cause troubleโher bullying isnโt serious. Thanks for looking out for me, Mom. Iโll apologize when she gets here. I probably shouldnโt have taken her place in the family. Itโs my fault.โ
Yosef frowned. โNonsense! You were just a baby when that hospital mix-up happened. Zinniaโs the one with attitude problems, not you. School is starting soon, and weโll send her to Cloudcrest Heights. She loves to sleep in, and itโs closer to school.โ
If anyone were to blame, Yosef thought it was the hospital staff who had mixed the two girls up.
โBetty, stop that,โ Maelis said firmly. โYou were just a baby during that hospital mix-up. We didnโt handle Zinnia right, letting her get away with harassing you. Donโt worryโIโll make her apologize when she gets here. And Iโll convince her to move out temporarily.โ
Her heart twisted at Bettyโs words. Sheโd raised Betty since she was tiny and loved her deeply. Zinnia was the one whoโd caused trouble, so Zinnia needed to own up to her actions.
โDonโt bother. Iโll go,โ Zinniaโs 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 himโcalm and eerily composed.
Howard and Zinnia had just arrived as Donald began discussing sending Zinnia away. Howard frowned, standing by the doorโsheโd only been back with them for two months.
He waited until Yosef said something reasonable, ready to interrupt. But then Yosef started backing Donaldโs plan. When Howard finally pushed the door open, Maelisโs 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 didnโt faze her one bit.
Somehow, a strange tightness suddenly gripped Howardโs chest. He couldnโt 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.
โZinnia, youโre here,โ 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.
โSince youโre here, apologize to Betty.โ 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. โYou 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, youโd be facing attempted murder charges?โ
Bettyโs eyes fixed on Zinniaโs face, which resembled Maelisโs. She pressed her lips together and offered a soft, weary smile. โTimothy, itโs fine. Zinnia doesnโt need to say sorry. Iโm just glad she came to visit me.โ
Zinnia stepped aside, dodging Maelisโ hand. She didnโt even glance at Betty, her eyes fixed coldly on Timothy. โI didnโt push her,โ she said flatly, her voice sharp and detachedโnothing like the sugary tone sheโd 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 โ the second brother who could barely stand her โ 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.
โIf you didnโt push Betty, did she jump in to frame you?โ Timothyโs eyes narrowed coldly. โYouโre not just stubborn, Zinnia. Now youโre making up crazy stories. How could I have a sister like you?โ
Zinnia felt the chill radiating from Timothy. She tilted her head, her voice steady and cool. โWhat do you mean by that?
โIโm a small-town girl who makes you look bad? The jealous one who canโt stand Bettyโs good life? Now that you knew I was like this, why bother bringing me home?โ
Her beautiful face was completely blank. Her once-soft eyes now looked icy, filled with total disappointmentโthese people had no clue.
The Shaws were shocked. They couldnโt believe she had nailed exactly how they saw her.
โIโm telling you I didnโt push Betty. Believe it or not, whatever,โ Zinnia said coolly. โThere are cameras by the pool. Are your eyes just for show? Go check the video.โ