When They Beg, I Rise!

Lucian paused, retracting his hand.

He hastened downstairs to find Evelina with cheeks flushed a deep shade of crimson, clearly feverish. "I'll get the car, we're heading to the hospital now," he declared with Caspian joining in to send Evelina to the hospital.

Upstairs in the bedroom, Lemira lay sprawled across her bed, her face mirroring Evelina's feverish tint, as sweat drenched her forehead. The night had been restless, filled with uneasy dreams that left her feeling lighter than air and deeply unsettled.

Came morning; the incessant buzzing of her phone with message alerts finally roused her from sleep. Irritated, she reached for her device, only to be greeted by a barrage of hateful messages. The source? A video of her pushing Evelina into the pool had gone viral on the school's social media platform.

Evelina, beloved by many at school, had her legion of fans now unleashing their fury on Lemira. The headache that ensued felt nearly explosive. In response, Lemira dove into the fray, her replies sharp and filled with the kind of venom that would make sailors blush. The forum was ablaze, its moderators in a panic over the sudden spike in traffic.

After sending those messages, Lemira tossed her phone aside and tried to find solace in sleep once more. After all, with her ties to the Langstons now cut, public opinion mattered little to her. She didn't want to suffer from the unfair treatment any longer. The sharp rap of the maid's knock soon followed, "Miss Langston, it's time for school, you'll be late."

The realization hit her; school was still a commitment she had to honor.

Splashing her face with cold water to ward off the remnants of sleep, Lemira reminded herself of the goal ahead: to sever ties with the Langston family, she needed to finish the course and earn her place at a university.

Dressed in her uniform and with her backpack in tow, she descended the stairs just as Lucian and Caspian stepped inside. Lucian, noticing her flushed cheeks, instinctively reached out to check her temperature, only for Lemira to step back to avoid his touch and head straight to the dining room.

She needed a full breakfast to get through this, thinking of the academic marathon that lay ahead.

Lucian's hand hovered awkwardly in the air before he withdrew it, while Caspian scoffed, "Ungrateful wrench, she's tough as nails. Not like our Eve, frail since childhood. Lemira? Sick? Never."

Lucian didn't react, quietly approving Caspian's words about Lemira's health condition. He approached the dining table, "Evelina's ill. You're to look after her at school until she recovers. Understood?"

He believed Lemira had gone wild gradually and determined not to coddle her like before. Since she didn't understand how to be grateful, he'd teach her the way.

Caspian added his own piece, "You owe Evelina's father a life debt, and you almost killed her. It's time you start making atonement by taking good care of her."

Lemira was focused on having breakfast; though without appetite, she forced herself to eat. There were still less than 100 days to have the university entrance exam, and after that, she could leave the Langstons.

Caspian, dissatisfied with her silence, snatched away her utensils, demanding attention. "I'm talking to you, can't you listen?"

Lemira looked up without replying, her gaze steady.

Caspian demanded, "Get Eve warm water when she needs take medicine. Fetch her lunch from the canteen and run to her room in case the food gets cold. Go to the toilet with her when she has the need! Her dad saved your life, it's what you should do. Am I clear?" Lemira replied coldly, "Loud and clear," though her commitment to his orders was anything but guaranteed.

As she stepped out of the mansion, she forced back the tears by looking up the sky. Another life, another chance.

she had thought reborn would spare her the heartache, yet Caspian's words stung sharply, a reminder of the times when her illnesses were met with Lucian's entire-night company and Caspian's making jokes for the purpose of coaxing her into taking the medicine, a contrast to now, where Evelina's frailty garnered all attention.

Later when she had a fever, she had to deal with it herself. Lemira swallowed the bitterness and got in the car, closing her eyes for some rest, secretly comforting herself that there were merely less than 100 days left.

Arriving at school, she directly went to the room for Senior Grade 3 students; as she entered, the once lively chatter of her classmates hushed. Her cussing "exploits" on the school's forum had become the talk of the town.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.