“Laeli, good news.”
“Hmm?” The girl in question looked up from her copy of A Midsummer Nights Dream. She had finished reading Romeo and Juliet, and was moving on to... happier literature.
“Mister and Madam Legrandia just called, they said that they’re planning on visiting you tomorrow.”
“Oh. That’s nice. Thanks for notifying me.”
The nurse smiled. “It’s okay to be a little excited. You don’t have to hide your smile.”
Laeli only held the book up higher, to cover her expression.
Though she was completely useless in her current state, the fact that her parents were visiting her meant that they still valued her. She wasn't being given up on yet. At least not by her father.
“Wow, your parents are visiting? That’s great news!”
“Yeah, they haven’t visited once since I was hospitalized. But, that’s probably because they were too busy. My parents are big corporate CEOs, you know.”
“I see.”
“Even though they pretend not to care, I remember once, they bought out Disney World for a day to host my seventh birthday party.”
“What?! That’s insane! You’re so lucky!”
“I... I suppose so.”
But, reflecting on her parent's motives at the time... Laeli didn't really think she had been lucky. All Laeli had wanted was to have a small party with a few of her friends and her family. Disney World had simply been another way for her parents to boast their power. The media had gone crazy, calling the Legrandias 'future rulers' and 'billionaires of the billionaires.'
They hadn't been completely wrong, though. Her family was incredibly rich, and incredibly powerful. But, the Legrandia family was not just a single family. It was composed of tens of multiple families, all loosely connected through the bloodline. Her father was the current head, though competition was slowly but surely pushing him out of his position. It was only natural then, that the following generation would compete to take that position at the top.
From her birth, she had been but a tiny seed amidst the piles and piles of potential candidates to the Legrandia fortune. She had to struggle to grow, to crowd out the other seeds. In her climb up, Laeli couldn’t even remember how many half-brothers and distant sisters she ruined. Fate was so cruel--ruining her future the same way she ruined the futures of her siblings.
It had been but car accident, as her half-mother had brazenly stated to the media.
“A dreadful, dreadful car accident. My condolences, Laeli. It seems as though you’ll be unable to continue your studies.”
Car accident. A car accident so precisely timed that Laeli would have had to wait a full half hour for help to arrive? A car accident so accurate that the entire back half of the limousine had been torn off? The back half where Laeli just so happened to sit every time?
Thankfully, she had not been sitting in the back of the limousine at the time. An uneasy feeling had made Laeli demand the seat next to her chauffeur. Still, the explosion was enough to hospitalize the girl with multiple internal injuries.
However, what stung the most was the smile on the witch’s face as the half-mother signed the intensive care admission form. Glee had filled her features as she told the doctors not to try too hard to keep Laeli alive.
“It looks too serious to be mended. Even if the girl managed to recover, she’s far too behind now to catch up with her siblings. It’s better for her to just surrender herself to fate.”
"Hey, what's with the dark look on your face?" Matt cheerful voice knocked Laeli out of her reverie.
"A-ah? Nothing. I was just remembering something unpleasant."
"Why are you doing that now? You should be happy!"
"I am happy."
"That's good then. So tomorrow, we'll greet your parents with big smiles, 'kaaaay?"
Laeli almost laughed at the absurdity of that suggestion.
Big smiles? She had never shown any expression other then subserviency.
"Alright. But, I doubt you'll be able to hold that same conviction when you see them in person tomorrow."
So ended day 15.
“Hmm?” The girl in question looked up from her copy of A Midsummer Nights Dream. She had finished reading Romeo and Juliet, and was moving on to... happier literature.
“Mister and Madam Legrandia just called, they said that they’re planning on visiting you tomorrow.”
“Oh. That’s nice. Thanks for notifying me.”
The nurse smiled. “It’s okay to be a little excited. You don’t have to hide your smile.”
Laeli only held the book up higher, to cover her expression.
Though she was completely useless in her current state, the fact that her parents were visiting her meant that they still valued her. She wasn't being given up on yet. At least not by her father.
“Wow, your parents are visiting? That’s great news!”
“Yeah, they haven’t visited once since I was hospitalized. But, that’s probably because they were too busy. My parents are big corporate CEOs, you know.”
“I see.”
“Even though they pretend not to care, I remember once, they bought out Disney World for a day to host my seventh birthday party.”
“What?! That’s insane! You’re so lucky!”
“I... I suppose so.”
But, reflecting on her parent's motives at the time... Laeli didn't really think she had been lucky. All Laeli had wanted was to have a small party with a few of her friends and her family. Disney World had simply been another way for her parents to boast their power. The media had gone crazy, calling the Legrandias 'future rulers' and 'billionaires of the billionaires.'
They hadn't been completely wrong, though. Her family was incredibly rich, and incredibly powerful. But, the Legrandia family was not just a single family. It was composed of tens of multiple families, all loosely connected through the bloodline. Her father was the current head, though competition was slowly but surely pushing him out of his position. It was only natural then, that the following generation would compete to take that position at the top.
From her birth, she had been but a tiny seed amidst the piles and piles of potential candidates to the Legrandia fortune. She had to struggle to grow, to crowd out the other seeds. In her climb up, Laeli couldn’t even remember how many half-brothers and distant sisters she ruined. Fate was so cruel--ruining her future the same way she ruined the futures of her siblings.
It had been but car accident, as her half-mother had brazenly stated to the media.
“A dreadful, dreadful car accident. My condolences, Laeli. It seems as though you’ll be unable to continue your studies.”
Car accident. A car accident so precisely timed that Laeli would have had to wait a full half hour for help to arrive? A car accident so accurate that the entire back half of the limousine had been torn off? The back half where Laeli just so happened to sit every time?
Thankfully, she had not been sitting in the back of the limousine at the time. An uneasy feeling had made Laeli demand the seat next to her chauffeur. Still, the explosion was enough to hospitalize the girl with multiple internal injuries.
However, what stung the most was the smile on the witch’s face as the half-mother signed the intensive care admission form. Glee had filled her features as she told the doctors not to try too hard to keep Laeli alive.
“It looks too serious to be mended. Even if the girl managed to recover, she’s far too behind now to catch up with her siblings. It’s better for her to just surrender herself to fate.”
"Hey, what's with the dark look on your face?" Matt cheerful voice knocked Laeli out of her reverie.
"A-ah? Nothing. I was just remembering something unpleasant."
"Why are you doing that now? You should be happy!"
"I am happy."
"That's good then. So tomorrow, we'll greet your parents with big smiles, 'kaaaay?"
Laeli almost laughed at the absurdity of that suggestion.
Big smiles? She had never shown any expression other then subserviency.
"Alright. But, I doubt you'll be able to hold that same conviction when you see them in person tomorrow."
So ended day 15.
Last edited by Sophie on August 4th 2011, 11:57 am; edited 2 times in total
)