Ch. 11..20
Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen chapter 11-This time, Mia didn’t say anything. She led Patricia away.
Dominic watched them leave, and then he turned back to face Bob and Mary. His expression immediately went from gentle to frosty. It’d been years since he’d personally dealt with these things, but he couldn’t sit this one out.
How dared Bob and Mary abuse Mia! They had death wishes!,
The bodyguards circled them, stopping the onlookers from seeing what was happening.
Dominic looked at Bob and Mary with contempt, a hint of murderous intent evident in his eyes. “You threw her in the cellar and starved her?”
“T-That was because we didn’t have enough room at home. The cellar was actually very warm.”
“Yes, yes! We were living poorly at the time. We didn’t even have enough food to put on the table!”
Dominic didn’t buy their excuses. He didn’t bat an eye as he made his move.
Soon, Bob and Mary couldn’t even say a word. They’d lost a few teeth, and their faces were covered in blood.
They were now filled with regret. Dominic looked too menacing to be a regular Richie Rich. He was more like a member of the mafia!
Dominic flexed his wrists, saying icily, “Take them away. I don’t want Mia to see them.”
What if the sight of their bloodied faces were to scare his gentle, timid sister? How would he, as her older brother, keep up his kind, righteous, and nice image?
He turned to walk to the restaurant. When he saw Mia, his expression became gentle again. “You can order anything you want.”
Mia glanced in the direction of the lobby. Mary and Bob were long gone. She asked in surprise, “Where are they?”
“I had a nice chat with them and managed to talk some sense into them. I’m guessing they left because they felt ashamed,” Dominic answered.
A trace of confusion flickered past Mia’s eyes. Were Mary and Bob that easy to convince?
Dominic grabbed a napkin to sneakily wipe a trace of blood on his fingers away. “If they come and bother you again, you can call me.”
Mia had warmed up to Dominic a little bit now. She skimmed through the menu. After seeing that none of the food was cheap, she asked, “Are you rich?”
Dominic was caught off guard by this. His mind raced as he thought about what his wife had told him earlier. He had to put on a pitiful act.
And so, he said decisively, “No, I’m not.”
“Didn’t you say something about giving Bob and Mary 100 million dollars earlier?”
“I was just pulling their leg.”
“This is an expensive hotel, though. And the food in this restaurant isn’t cheap,” Mia said.
“I used to work here, so I can get the employee price. It’s not too expensive, really.”
Patricia chimed in, “But what about the helicopter and these bodyguards?”
“I rented the helicopter and hired these men,” Dominic answered.
He took out a stack of cash and handed it to the bodyguard closest to him. “Take this. It’s your pay for today.”
The bodyguard was dumbfounded. Was he supposed to take the money or not?
Dominic gave him a look. “Go ahead and take it. I think it’s fine.”
The bodyguard quickly accepted the money and hurried away.
Mia blinked. “So all of that was just to scare them off?”
“Uh, yeah. After all, this is our first meeting. I had to seem impressive,” Dominic said.
When he saw how Mia had warmed up to him, he felt he’d made the right decision in concealing his wealth. From today onward, he would be poor.
Patricia asked, “So what do you do?”
Dominic fell silent for a while. He couldn’t tell Mia he was a real estate mogul, but lying to Mia wouldn’t be good as well. He said vaguely, “My company sells real estate.”
Indeed, his company sold real estate. He’d merely left out the part about the company being his.
The realization dawned on Mary. “Oh, so you’re a real estate agent. Honestly, it doesn’t matter what your job is. We’re all regular people, anyway.
“Mia’s not the type to suck up to the wealthy and look down on the poor. All you have to do is treat her well. You didn’t need to go to such lengths to put up such an act. It’s such a waste of money, after all.”
Mia nodded. “Yeah, I don’t care about those things.”
Rich families had many skeletons in the closet. She was actually not used to how things were like with these families.
“Since you don’t like it, I won’t do anything like that anymore,” Dominic said.
“What do my other brothers and cousins do?” Mia asked.
Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen chapter 12-“Your second older brother, Nathan Lane, is a great programmer. He’s led his company to win many awards and helped build many important firewalls,” Dominic said.
“Your third older brother, Connor Lane, is a volunteer for a Red Cross Society abroad. He focuses on saving injured animals and helping people to understand the lives of these animals.
“Your oldest cousin, Claude Lane, is a piano teacher, while your second older cousin, Jason Lane, works at a law firm. Last but not least, your third older cousin, Liam Lane, is currently an extra at a film set.”
Dominic felt he’d done a pretty good job at explaining things. He hadn’t lied to Mia at all.
Nathan was an infamous hacker, so he was good at programming, right?
Connor was a renowned surgeon-rather than saving people, he preferred saving animals.
Claude was a famous pianist-when he wasn’t busy with concerts, he would conduct piano lessons at an academy.
Jason was a well-known lawyer-he did indeed work at a law firm. It was just that the law firm belonged to him.
And Liam was an award-winning actor-he’d started his career as an extra before eventually winning awards.
Mia nodded. Dominic was a real estate agent, Nathan was a geek, and Connor was a vet. Claude was a piano teacher, Jason was a lawyer, and Liam was an extra.
It seemed that fantasies were just that-fantasies and dreams.
Still, she was surprised to suddenly have so many brothers and cousins. They all had different jobs, too.
Patricia seemed a little disappointed that Mia’s family wasn’t wealthy. “We should head back after this meal, then. This hotel has to be expensive. Mia, it can’t have been easy for Dominic to earn a living as a real estate agent.”
She supposed it didn’t matter whether they were rich. All was fine as long as they treated Mia well,
“No, no, money isn’t an issue. Uh, I mean, I’ve earned quite a lot as a real estate agent,” Dominic hurriedly said.
Mia knew Dominic was trying to be sincere. She held Patricia’s hand and said, “Real estate agents do earn quite a lot. Since the rooms have already been reserved, we should just enjoy ourselves here for one night.”
Only then did Patricia reluctantly agree.
Dominic secretly sighed in relief. His wife always had the best ideas!
After dinner, they headed upstairs to the presidential suite. Mia had planned on chatting with Patricia for a while longer, but she fell asleep shortly after getting into bed. She had a good night’s rest and didn’t wake up until the next morning.
She was awoken by her alarm.
In the past, Mia would get up at 7:00 am daily to prepare breakfast for Timothy, and she’d done it for three years without fail.
She turned the alarm off. From today onward, she didn’t want to try to win Timothy’s heart anymore.
After a short while, her phone rang. She checked it to see a name that she would never forget-Timothy.
Throughout their three-year marriage, he’d never called her once. If this were in the past, she’d be elated. But now, she no longer wanted to answer his call.
It didn’t take long for the phone to fall silent, but Mia couldn’t go back to sleep anymore. This was her first time rejecting Timothy, and she felt rather complicated about it.
Soon, she received another call from one of the maids. This time, she answered it. “Hello? What’s wrong?”
“Mrs. Barrett, where is Mr. Barrett’s favorite blue tie?”
Mia didn’t want to answer, but she couldn’t stand the thought of the maid being scolded. So, she said, “It’s at the leftmost side of the second drawer.”
In the next second, Timothy’s icy voice rang out on the other end of the line. “You’d better come back to dig that tie out for me, Mia. I don’t like having other women step into my bedroom!”
Mia sneered at how indifferent and demanding he sounded. “We’re getting a divorce, Mr. Barrett. You can have Maya find it for you!”
Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen chapter 13-“You’re the one who usually handles these things. How is Maya supposed to find it?”
Mia snorted. He simply cared too much about Maya, his first love, to let her wait on someone else. Was that why he wanted her to head back there and wait on the two of them?
She wasn’t interested in going back there and seeing Maya on her bed!
“If you can’t find it, then wear something else!” Mia retorted before hanging up.
Her heart was beating quicker than usual. She never thought she would one day be cutting off Timothy’s call.
Doing it felt pretty good.
…
Once the call had ended, the maid asked Timothy hesitantly, “Would you like a different tie, Mr. Barrett?”
Timothy went over to the walk-in closet. True enough, he found it in the second drawer, even though he had searched through it earlier. It was quite a mystery to him!
Last night, Timothy’s men had tailed the helicopter for a while before losing them. Timothy didn’t know where Mia had been taken to.
It felt like he was losing control, and that feeling annoyed him.
Once Timothy got dressed, he went to the dining room. He was greeted by a table full of fancy breakfast spread. After taking a bite, he frowned and lowered his cutlery. “This tastes bad!”
Nervous, the butler, Kaleb, explained, “Before leaving, Ms. Lane specifically said to prepare this spread for you,
Mr. Barrett. She said these were some of your favorites.”
Kaleb did have some doubts about Maya’s claims. After all, Timothy had been eating Mia’s cooking for the last three years, and she tended to make simple local food for breakfast.
Also, Kaleb assumed Maya would be moving into the house and becoming the future Mrs. Barrett, but Timothy had someone take her home last night.
Timothy tossed his cutlery aside. “I don’t like this food.”
He glanced at the empty seat beside him. In the past, he was annoyed by the sight of Mia, but now, he couldn’t get used to the lack of her presence.
What on earth was wrong with him?
Mia rubbed her rumbling stomach. She had just freshened up after getting out of bed. When she realized Patricia was still asleep, she crept out of the suite.
Dominic was sleeping in the room next door, and Mia didn’t know if he had woken up. She figured he was still She found a diner nearby. Feeling pretty good, she took a photo and shared it on Twitter. She also added a caption. “It’s a new day. I’m going to keep walking forward without turning back!”
Soon, Laura liked Mia’s post and called her. “Mia, are you free to come over for dinner tonight? It’s been so long since I last saw you.”
Mia recalled the divorce. Sooner or later, she would’ve to inform Laura about it, so she replied, “Okay,”
After finishing breakfast, Mia went back to the hotel with the takeout she bought.
Just then, a young man walked out of the elevator and spotted Mia. He took a photo of her from behind and sent it off to Timothy at once. “Mr. Barrett, did you and your wife spend the night at the hotel?”
At the moment, Timothy was on the way to work. Due to his empty stomach, he was in a bad mood.
Checking his phone, he saw the message and photo he had received. To his shock, he found that Mia was staying at a hotel.
Was it indeed her new boyfriend who picked her up yesterday? Did he take her straight to a hotel?
Did this mean that Mia had already been seeing another man before the start of the divorce proceedings?
Timothy’s expression soured. He couldn’t bear to think that Mia had sex with another man last night. For some reason, that thought made him seethe with rage.
Something made him check Mia’s Twitter. He spotted the tweet she sent out a few minutes ago. “It’s a new day. I’m going to keep walking forward without turning back!”
Timothy sneered. Mia had indeed gotten herself a new man!
He looked at his assistant, Heath Lange, and said, “Cut off payments to the hospital.”
Startled, Heath asked, “Mr. Barrett, are you cutting off payments for Mrs. Barrett’s uncle’s medical bills to force her to come back?”
Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen chapter 14-Timothy’s expression was a little stiff as he shot back, “You talk too much as an assistant.” Heath kept quiet, but he was still puzzled.
He recalled the divorce agreement Timothy had asked him to prepare. It clearly stated that Timothy would continue to handle James’ medical bills.
Why had Timothy suddenly changed his mind?
Men were hard to understand.
“Just do as I say,” Timothy ordered icily.
He thought he must have been too kind toward Mia all along. That was why she had the audacity to cheat on him!
Mia, who had just returned to the hotel, sneezed. She wondered if someone had been cursing her out.
When she went back to the room with breakfast in hand, she found that Dominic was there as well. The table was also laden with an exquisite breakfast spread with all kinds of food imaginable.
Mia glanced between the simple breakfast she had bought and the feast on the table.
Feeling a little embarrassed, she said, “I couldn’t sleep, so I went out and had my breakfast. I bought some for you guys as well since the food in this hotel is quite expensive.” “This is a complimentary breakfast. I know someone in the hotel.” Dominic came up with an excuse as an explanation. He’d been so focused on ordering breakfast that he forgot about the identity he’d assumed in front of her and nearly exposed himself.
Mia didn’t get suspicious. After setting down the bagels she bought, she left to tell Patricia breakfast was ready.
Dominic took the bagels and secretly snapped a photo of them. Then, he sent it to the family group chat named “One Big Happy Family”. “Mia bought breakfast for me. What a great day it is.” Nathan: You’re shameless. How can you get Mia to spend money on you?
Connor: I agree. You’re so shameless… Unless Mia buys me breakfast, too.
Dominic’s wife, Eva Delgado, also sent a message. “There’s still an hour before our flight lands. Your three younger cousins are also on the same flight. Don’t let them snatch Mia away.” After thinking about it, Dominic shared his thoughts with the others in the group chat. He didn’t want his younger brothers to let the cat out of the bag either. Claude, Jason, and Liam had to be informed as well.
When Mia had gone missing, Claude, Jason, and Liam started distancing themselves from Dominic, Nathan, 1/2:
Now that they had found Mia again, Dominic hoped that the six male cousins could mend their relationship with each other.
Soon, Mia led Patricia over to the table.
When Patricia saw the food, her heart ached at the thought of how much money had been spent.
Mia quickly explained, “The food was free. With how expensive the rates are at this hotel, it’s only reasonable that they give a ton of complimentary food.” Patricia didn’t doubt Mia’s explanation.
Just then, Dominic’s phone rang. The name on the screen was Maya.
Dominic felt a little guilty as he quickly rejected the call.
After losing Mia back then, they spent years searching for her. The final clue had led them to an orphanage, but all they found was a young girl the same age as Mia.
The other children who had been kidnapped had all been claimed by their families. Mia was the only one whose whereabouts were unknown, and there was one other young girl who hadn’t been taken home yet.
For the sake of appeasing their grandmother, who was a little mentally unstable, they had to take the young girl back to the Lane family. She became their younger sister’s replacement so that her presence would comfort their aging grandmother.
Due to that, their relationship with Claude, Jason, and Liam grew distant.
Now that Mia, his biological younger sister, had been found, Dominic felt awkward. He dared not tell Maya as he feared she would get mad at him for this. She was already not that close to him, to begin with!
Still, Dominic’s phone kept ringing, and Mia eyed him curiously. “Your phone keeps ringing.” “Someone probably got the wrong number.” Dominic was very tempted to throw his phone away. What was the point of keeping it?
“But the person keeps calling.” Mia commented doubtfully. “It must be for something urgent:” Since Dominic couldn’t avoid the situation any longer, he walked out to the balcony with his phone. Once he was sure Mia wouldn’t overhear the conversation, he answered the call and asked stiffly. “Yes? What is it?” “Dominic, I heard that you came to Bern City on business! Why didn’t you tell me?” Maya exclaimed excitedly.
“Oh, yeah. I have something to attend to,” Dominic replied vaguely.
“Since you’re here, Dominic, can you help me with something? I have a friend whose grandma is in poor health. She needs to get surgery, and Connor’s the only one who has a 100% success rate with this surgery, but he keeps refusing to do it.”
Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen chapter 15-Dominic’s expression tumed cold. “You’re talking about Timothy Barrett’s grandma, aren’t you? He’s already married, so why are you still latching onto him?” “Tim’s getting a divorce, Dominic. He never liked that woman anyway. I’m sure that after three years, Tim has figured out who’s right for him.” Maya added anxiously, “Dominic, the surgery’s a piece of cake for Connor! Help me talk him into it, please? He listens to you.” She could use the surgery as her bargaining chip to marry Timothy!
“I’m not doing it,” Dominic replied before ending the call.
Even though Maya was adopted, Dominic didn’t want her to marry Timothy, a cold-blooded and heartless man who had been married once before.
Dominic checked the One Big Happy Family group chat. It was a newly formed one. For the time being, the family didn’t want to let Maya know they had found their biological younger sister.
At the very least, they were going to wait until they had won Mia over.
Dominic went back into the living room of the hotel suite. “Everyone will be arriving by this evening, Mia. Let’s have dinner together.” “This evening?” Remembering that she had promised to eat dinner with Laura, Mia said hesitantly, “I’ve already made plans with a friend.” “It’s alright. That’s not a problem. We’re in no rush. After all, so many years have passed. We don’t mind waiting a little longer.” Seeing how careful Dominic tried to be with her, Mia pursed her lips and said, “I’ll come back earlier tonight.” Dominic stroked Mia’s hair while asking, “You’re going out to have dinner with a friend, yeah? Do you have enough money?” Mia stiffened. She was unused to such physical intimacy. Her tone was a little stiff as she replied, “I have enough.” She went back to the bedroom to get changed. Patricia followed her and muttered, “You’re going over to the Barretts’, right?” “You figured it out, Aunt Patricia? Grandma Laura has always been kind to me. Either way, I should head over there to explain things to her.” “Mia, I didn’t tell your brother about your marriage and divorce, but I’m worried about you going to the Barretts’, “Patricia said.
“Let’s keep my relationship with Timothy a secret. I’m afraid that Dominic would get riled up and look for Patricia didn’t continue with that subject. Still, her eyes reddened as she declared, “You don’t need to suffer such grievances anymore. We’re not interested in those wealthy families.” Mia nodded. After changing her clothes, she looked in the mirror and stroked her belly.
She would start a new life with her baby.
When Mia headed out, Dominic followed her down to the lobby. “Where are you going, Mia? I’ll give you a ride.” “It’s fine,” Mia declined. “I’ll take a bus.” How could Dominic let his younger sister take public transport? He even prepared a fleet of luxury cars for her!
Even so, he had to hold himself back. After all, he was only a real estate agent right now.
Thankfully, Dominic spotted a cab. He quickly flagged it down and paid the driver in advance before saying to Mia, “Take a cab. The bus would be too packed. I can afford this much, you know.” (1 Dominic couldn’t bear to let Mia crowd together with the rest of the commuters on other modes of public transport. Mia had spent years away from the family, and he wanted nothing more than to make it up to Mia.
Mia could not talk Dominic out of it, so in the end, she got into the cab and waved to Dominic.
She had a small smile on her face. It felt pretty good to have finally found her family.
Mia took the cab to the Barrett residence. As she stared at the familiar house, she was conflicted over how she was going to inform Laura about the divorce.
Taking a deep breath, she walked into the residence.
A young woman came over from the garden. “You actually came over in a cab this time, Mia. What happened to taking a bus?
“Have you finally given up on pretending to be a frugal and virtuous wife? Have you started using the Barrett family’s money to fund your luxurious lifestyle?”
Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen chapter 16-The young woman was Shelly Barrett, Timothy’s cousin.
Mia simply ignored Shelly’s sarcastic remarks. Throughout the years, Shelly viewed Mia in contempt. Her comments would always suggest that Mia was only willing to marry a half-dead Timothy for money.
In the past, Mia kept putting up with Shelly’s ridicule. But now that she had signed the divorce papers, she no longer needed to do so.
Shelly strutted haughtily over to Mia and snapped, “Why are you just standing there? Hurry over to the kitchen and start cooking. Remember to make my favorite seafood stew.” Mia withdrew her gaze and replied, “Grandma Laura invited me over to have dinner. She didn’t ask me to come here as a maid to cook for other people.” “What do you mean by that, Mia? You’ve got the nerve, don’t you? You’re even refusing to cook! I’m going to tell Aunt Sharon about this!” Mia ignored Shelly and walked into the house. When she entered the living room, she saw two people sitting on the couch.
One was her ex-mother-in-law, Sharon, while the other was her ex-husband’s first love, Maya.
She didn’t expect to see Maya at dinner today.
Shelly rushed into the living room. She purposely bumped into Mia before reporting loudly, “Aunt Sharon, I told Mia to head to the kitchen and cook for us, but she refused! She even said that Grandma invited her over as a guest and not as a maid!” As soon as Shelly finished speaking, Sharon’s expression turned cold. “Mia, as my daughter-in-law, how can you refuse to cook for the family? What’s the point of keeping you around then?
“What can you do apart from spending the family’s money? You should be honored that we let you cook for us.” “Do calm down, Mrs. Barrett. Don’t let this affect your health,” Maya said with a smile.
“The more I look at her, Maya, the more annoyed I get,” Sharon huffed. “Even though you two have similar names, she’s just some poor woman. How can she compare to a young heiress like you? You come from such a good family, and you even studied abroad.
“You’re a beautiful and capable young woman. In my eyes, you’re the most perfect daughter-in-law a person could have.” Maya’s eyes flashed with smugness as she replied, “She’s an orphan, Mrs. Barrett. I can understand her circumstances.” “Hah! What’s there to understand? As an orphan, she should know her place. She shouldn’t have dreamt of soaring up the ranks of society.” Sharon scoffed.
“My son is such a fine young man. He’s bound to accomplish a great deal more in the future. How can he be “They’re not from the same class. I never agreed to their marriage, you know? But his grandmother insisted upon it.” Mia took it all in. She had heard the same speech numerous times over the last three years.
However, she was no longer an orphan. She had six brothers who were all accomplished in their various fields.
She raised her eyes and remarked, “Oh. Based on what you just said, are you implying that Timothy needs to rely on his wife’s and family connections to make something of himself?” “What’s this about him needing to rely on his wife? My son has always been talented, even at a young age. Why would he possibly rely on a woman?” Sharon snapped.
“Wasn’t that what you just said?” Mia reminded her. “You said he should’ve married someone from the same class as him so that he can accomplish a great deal more in the future.” Sharon was so furious that she couldn’t even speak. When did Mia become so sharp-tongued?
Mia glanced at the maid who was standing nearby. “Where’s Grandma?” The maid finally snapped out of her daze and replied respectfully, “Mrs. Barrett Senior is taking a nap in her room. I think she hasn’t woken up yet.” Mia frowned. “Has Grandma not been feeling well lately?” She was a little concerned about Laura’s health.
Shelly purposely chimed in, “Mia, look at what Maya brought with her. Not only did she bring a lot of expensive supplements and health products, but she even brought a bracelet. They’re all very valuable, you know.
“Meanwhile, look at you. You came empty-handed. You don’t even know how to behave like a proper guest.
Don’t you know any etiquette?” Maya glanced at the expensive gifts on the table and intentionally said, “You’re too kind, Shelly. These are all just ordinary gifts.” “They’re ordinary to wealthy people like us, Maya, but someone in our midst doesn’t have any money. She would never be able to earn enough money to afford these things, so that’s why she did everything she could to marry into the family,” Shelly stated.
Sharon scoffed. She wholeheartedly agreed with Shelly. Due to her daughter-in-law’s low social status, she had been the brunt of the other wealthy women’s jokes for years now.
Yet, Timothy never did anything about it. It took him three years before he decided to file for a divorce.
Mia chuckled. Her gaze was mocking as she retorted, “Do you think Grandma has never seen these things before? She never cared about superficial things and isn’t materialistic.” Then, she looked at the maid and said, “I’ll prepare one of Grandma’s favorite soups for her.” “That’s wonderful. Mrs. Barrett Senior hasn’t had much of an appetite lately, but she enjoys your cooking very much.” Mia went to the kitchen. She didn’t want to entertain the three women in the living room anymore.
Out of everyone in the Barrett family, Laura was the only one who was nice to her, so she didn’t want to start a major conflict with anyone. It’d only put Laura in a difficult position.
Mia stayed in the kitchen alone to prepare a healthy soup for Laura.
She was still pondering how she was going to tell Laura about the divorce.
Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen chapter 17-Moments later, Maya entered the kitchen. She walked up to Mia and said, “Mia, do you think making some soup for Mrs. Barrett Senior is enough for you to convince her to stand up for you?
“I’ll let you in on something. I’ve hired a renowned and highly acclaimed cardiovascular surgeon to perform surgery for Mrs. Barrett Senior. As long as the surgery succeeds, I’m sure she won’t object to Tim and me getting married.” Even though Dominic and Connor hadn’t agreed to Maya’s request, she was sure she could convince Connor to operate on Laura.
She believed that once she saved that old hag’s life, the latter would’ve no reason to stop her from marrying Timothy anymore.
Mia knew that Laura had been living with a heart condition for some time now, but they had failed to find a suitable person to perform the surgery.
Well, Mia figured things were better this way. At the very least, Laura could regain her health.
Mia stood up from the stool and said, “Allow me to offer my congratulations in advance. I hope you two will have a big family with lots of kids, even if they all end up being half-siblings. Now, please get out of my way.” Maya’s eyes darkened. How dare Mia talk back to her?
Maya reached out to shove the pot off the stove, and it began tipping over in Mia’s direction.
“Watch out!” A man rushed into the kitchen. Mia turned around and saw Timothy, but he ran over to Maya to protect her.
At the very next second, the boiling soup splattered all over Mia’s hand, but she didn’t feel the pain coming from it-it couldn’t compete with the pain in her heart.
Mia quickly used cold water to soothe her skin. While doing so, Maya’s coquettish voice rang in her ears. “Tim, my hand got scalded. It hurts so much. But please don’t blame Mia. I don’t think she did it on purpose.” Upon hearing this, Mia’s eyes flashed mockingly. She didn’t even bother turning around to defend herself.
At the very next second, Timothy yanked her on the arm. “Mia! I didn’t expect you to be such a-” Timothy caught sight of Mia’s hand. It was red and blistered.
Pursing his lips, he couldn’t finish his sentence.
Mia looked up at him. “You didn’t expect what from me?” “Mia! I didn’t expect you to be such a vicious woman! How dare you hurt Ms. Lane on purpose?” Sharon hurried into the kitchen. When she saw Maya clutching her wrist, she didn’t even bother to ask what happened before she raised her hand to slap Mia.
Mia’s gaze turned scornful. Just as she was about to dodge the slap, a pair of hands shielded her.
She stared at Timothy in shock. His arms had kept Sharon away from her. She never thought he would help her.
Mia wasn’t alone in that. No one else expected it, either.
Sharon was a little annoyed. “Tim, don’t stop me from teaching her a lesson!” Timothy’s expression was a little chilly. “The pot fell by accident.” “Are you sure it was an accident?” Sharon clearly didn’t believe that.
Meanwhile, Maya clenched her jaw. Why did Timothy actually believe it was an accident?
Still, she quickly said pitifully, “It was really just an accident, Mrs. Barrette. Mia didn’t push the pot off the stove on purpose. After all, she got injured, too.” However, Mia calmly stated, “No. It wasn’t an accident. Maya had shoved the pot off the stove. She did it on purpose!” All at once, sparks seemed to fly in the kitchen.
Mia raised her head high and met Timothy’s gaze in defiance. She had signed the divorce papers anyway, so why did she have to bother putting up with such things?
She wasn’t a pushover!
Timothy’s eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at Maya and said, “What on earth happened?” Panicked, Maya defended herself, “I really didn’t push the pot off, Tim.” Mia pointed at the security camera in the kitchen. “Just check the footage. Everyone will know what happened then.
“According to the law, assault is punishable with up to three years of jail time. The wound on my hand is severe enough to require medical attention. I deserve the right to press charges.” Maya gasped. Flustered, she glanced at the security camera. She didn’t expect there to be one in the kitchen.
She was done for.
“Let’s check the security footage,” Timothy agreed with an icy expression.
Maya hastily said to Sharon, “It was really just an accident, Mrs. Barrett. I just wanted to help serve the soup, but I was so clumsy that I ended up knocking the pot over.
“Ms. Bowen and I both got injured because of me. I really didn’t mean to do that.” “Of course, I believe you, Ms. Lane. After all, you’re a young woman from a wealthy family. When have you ever had to do these kinds of chores?” Sharon said.
“Plus, who knows if Mia’s just pretending to be hurt just so she could frame you? I’ll get the family doctor to check on your injury right away. It wouldn’t do for a young heiress like you to get a scar.” Maya exhaled in relief. Just as she was about to leave the kitchen, she looked at Timothy and called out, “Tim.
Timothy noticed Mia’s injured hand. His gaze darkened as he said, “Go to the living room, everyone. Tell the family doctor to come over at once.” “That’s right, Tim,” Sharon piped up. “Get the family doctor to come over at once to take a look at Ms. Lane’s hand. That’s the most important thing right now.” Mia’s eyes flashed with mockery. Her hand was stinging with pain, but indeed, to Timothy, nothing mattered more than Maya.
After following them into the living room, she looked at Timothy and said, “Remember to check the security footage to clear my name.” She wasn’t going to drop this matter so easily.
Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen chapter 18-Soon, Ivan Levin, the Barretts’ family doctor, rushed over.
Timothy looked at the blisters on the back of Mia’s hand. His gaze darkened as he barked at Mia, “Why are you just standing there? Sit down!” Mia moved toward the couch, but Sharon shoved her aside. “Stop getting in the way. Quick, Dr. Levin. Take a look at Maya’s hand. We wouldn’t want her wound to leave a scar.” Sitting on the couch, Maya glanced smugly at Mia.
Mia stood rooted in her spot. It was as if she didn’t care at all. Timothy took a quick look at her but didn’t say anything.
Ivan set down his medical bag and started to inspect Maya’s wrist. All he found was a bit of redness. There wasn’t even a cut on her skin.
With a complicated look on his face, Ivan said, “I don’t think I need to check on her.” “How can you say that? What if her injury worsens because it didn’t get treated on time? Are you sure you can take responsibility for that kind of mistake?” Sharon reprimanded.
Ivan adjusted his glasses before replying, “Her skin would heal in just half an hour. Ms. Mia is the one who needs immediate medical attention. If her injury is left unchecked, it’ll leave a scar.” In an instant, the living room fell silent.
Maya was dissatisfied, but she said reluctantly, “Let the doctor check on her first, Mrs. Barrett. It’s fine. I’m not in a hurry.” “What do you mean you’re not in a hurry?” Sharon exclaimed. “She’s just a poor orphan. How can she compare to you?
“So what if she gets a scar? It’s not like she’s dying. It’s different for you. If you get a scar, your brothers will think we abused you.” Maya smiled and assured Sharon, “I won’t tell my brothers, Mrs. Barrett.” Sharon immediately exhaled in relief. Then, she glared at Mia. “You heard that? Ms. Lane is kind enough not to hold this against you. Hurry up and thank her!” Mia coolly retorted, “I didn’t push her. On the contrary, she’s the one who injured me on purpose! She’s the one who should be apologizing!” 1 “How dare you try to twist things around, Mia? Who else could’ve done it if not you?” Sharon screeched.
“A woman with a background like you would be jealous of Ms. Lane because she comes from a wealthy family. It makes perfect sense for you to try and hurt her on purpose.
“I’ve seen such tricks many times before. I demand that you apologize to Ms. Lane right this instant!” Upon hearing Sharon’s mocking remarks, Timothy frowned. “Mom, I told you the pot must’ve fallen by accident. We haven’t even seen the security footage yet.” Why had he never realized just how badly his mother treated Mia?
*Tim, you’re already getting a divorce, so why are you helping this woman? Plus, we’re having a family dinner today. Why did you let her come over? She’s just going to ruin our appetites.” “Who’s getting a divorce?” Laura’s voice rang out.
The elevator doors were open, and Laura came into the living room in a wheelchair. She looked around the room before continuing. “Speak. Who’s getting a divorce?” Timothy quickly replied, “No one, Grandma. You misheard what we said.” “Is that so? I guess my hearing isn’t too good anymore due to my old age. Mia, come here. Let me take a look at you. Why have you lost weight?” Laura asked.
Mia walked over to Laura and took the latter’s hand. “I haven’t lost any weight, Grandma. In fact, I’ve put on some weight..
“Nonsense. I may be losing my hearing, but my eyes are as sharp as ever. If Timothy treats you badly, you must tell me, okay? I’ll stand up for you,” Laura stated.
Then, she grabbed Mia’s hand and asked in concern, “What happened to your hand? Oh, my goodness! Let the doctor take a look at it right away! I’m sure it must be very painful for you.” Mia’s heart twinged with a bittersweet feeling. Honestly, Laura was truly nice toward her. Apart from Patricia, Laura was the one who treated her the best. She felt truly grateful for Laura’s kindness.
Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen chapter 19-Mia sat on the couch. Ivan bandaged her hand before instructing. “For the next few days, avoid letting your wound come into contact with water. You need to let the wound heal first.” “Mia, tell me how you got injured,” Laura said.
Mia glanced at Maya. The latter’s eyes shifted evasively.
Sharon immediately cried out, “What do you mean by that, Mia? An accident? Don’t tell me you’re trying to frame Maya. She was just kind enough to try and help you. She got injured, too.” “Shut up!” Laura snapped loudly. “Who allowed you to speak?” Sharon clammed up at once, though her expression was unpleasant. Laura, her mother-in-law, had always disliked her. Instead, Laura favored Mia, a woman from a poor background.
In the end, Mia calmly answered, “It was just an accident, Grandma. I got distracted while I was making some soup.” Her explanation made Timothy’s eyes grow thoughtful. Why wasn’t Mia making a fuss when Laura was here to stand up for her?
“Oh, you silly goose. We’ve plenty of people who can cook for us. I told you not to cook anymore, but you refused to listen to me,” Laura chided.
Mia lowered her eyes. She didn’t try to speak further on the subject. Even though she knew Laura had her back, she suddenly decided not to let Laura worry about this matter.
Just then, Maya approached Laura and said, “How have you been feeling lately, Mrs. Barrett Senior? I brought a lot of health supplements for you. They’re good for your body.” Mia stood in silence beside Laura.
“Haven’t I told you not to come over anymore, Ms. Lane?” Laura asked in a polite but distant tone. “We’re having a family dinner tonight, so I won’t keep you for dinner.” Maya could barely keep her expression neutral. She was the daughter of the Lane family. When had she ever faced such disrespect?
The old hag was being too rude!
For a brief moment, Maya’s gaze was stormy, but she kept her smile going. “In that case, I’ll drop by to visit you some other time, Mrs. Barrett Senior.
“Once my brother Connor frees up his schedule, he can come over to perform your surgery. You’ll be able to make a full recovery. Tim won’t have to worry about you anymore.” “I’m feeling just fine,” Laura scoffed icily. “I don’t need any surgery. Let’s go, Mia. It’s time for dinner.”.
Mia was a little anxious. She knew Laura didn’t want to push her into a difficult position. But how could she bear to let Laura turn down the chance of a full recovery just for her sake?
“Grandma, I left my phone in the kitchen. I’ll go and look for it.” Mia wanted to find a place to calm down and sort through her thoughts.
Soon after entering the kitchen, Mia heard Maya’s voice ringing out behind her. “Don’t tell me you really snuck in here to get the security footage.” Maya had come over, and Shelly was standing beside her.
“It’s too late. I just deleted all of the old footage and turned off the security camera in here,” Shelly gloated.” No one can prove what happened just now.” “Is that so?” Mia remarked.
Her expression was different, but her gaze was cold. “That makes things a lot easier then.” Maya lifted her chin haughtily and said, “Now that the footage is gone, there’s no proof. Who’s going to believe your claims?” “Since there’s no evidence, and the security cameras are turned off, that’s precisely why things are a lot easier for me,” Mia said.` She picked up a nearby spatula and whacked both Shelly and Maya with it.
The two young women couldn’t avoid her. All they could do was shriek their heads off. Soon, they were in tears.
Mia stood in the doorway to stop the women from escaping as she taught them a lesson.
Once she was done, she fixed her hair and adjusted her clothes before saying, “Since there’s no security camera in here, no one will believe what you say.”
Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen chapter 20-Maya and Shelly were in similar states of disarray. Their hair and clothes were a mess, and there were marks left behind by the spatula Mia had used.
“Mrs. Barrett will stand up for me!” Maya shrieked.
“But you’re in the Barrett residence right now, and Grandma Laura is the one who has the final say. Do you think she’ll believe you guys or me?
“I’m warning you two. Don’t try to mess with me, or you won’t be getting off so easily next time,” Mia growled.
Shelly gulped with a look of despair. She knew Mia was right. Laura would definitely believe Mia, that bitch!
After saying her piece, Mia walked out of the kitchen.
Maya and Shelly crumpled to the floor. They were forced to suffer such treatment without being able to get even.
Gritting her teeth, Maya fumed, “I won’t be forgetting this! Just you wait!” All this while, Timothy had been standing in a corner outside the kitchen. He had witnessed everything.
Cocking an eyebrow, Timothy stared after Mia’s retreating figure. He didn’t expect her to come out victorious despite being outnumbered and injured.
His assistant asked, “Mr. Barrett, what just happened proves that Ms. Lane did indeed frame Ms. Mia. Should we help? What if Ms. Lane tries to get revenge?” “Don’t bother. As long as Maya has a functioning brain, she won’t dare to pursue this matter,” Timothy said before leaving.
When Mia returned to the living room, she acted like nothing happened.
The women went into the dining room and took their seats, but Timothy wasn’t with them.
Laura turned to the side and said to one of the Barretts’ household staff, “Martha, get that brat in here. It’s time for dinner. Why isn’t he here in the dining room? Where has he gone off to?” Mia served Laura a bowl of soup. “Have some soup, Grandma. It’s such a shame that I spilled the soup I was making for you.” She didn’t care whether or not Timothy came to dinner. In fact, she figured he was busy consoling that pretentious bitch Maya.
“It doesn’t matter. What matters is your hand. What if it leaves a scar?” Laura’s concern made Mia feel a bit guilty. She set down her cutlery and said, “Grandma, I want to talk to you about something.” Laura looked up and asked, “What is it?” “It’s about the surgery.” Timothy said as he came into the dining room.
He pulled out the chair beside Mia and sat down. His arm bumped against her shoulder.
When Mia heard the word “surgery”, she looked at Timothy. He had an unreadable expression.
Did he cut her off on purpose?
Laura scoffed, “I’m perfectly fine. I don’t need any surgery. I know better than anyone what Maya is after. Tell her to stop dreaming.” While speaking, Laura specifically gave Sharon a warning look.
With furrowed brows, Timothy said, “Those are two separate matters. Don’t mix them together.” “To me, they’re one and the same.” Just then, Sharon piped up, “Don’t tell me it’s because someone talked you into this. Why are you refusing to get the surgery done? We’re talking about the top cardiovascular surgeon here. When it comes to surgeries, he has a 100% success rate.
“He’s Ms. Lane’s brother, and if not for her, we wouldn’t even be able to hire him.” Mia looked down at her plate. She lost all her appetite.
She never thought Laura would turn down the surgery for her sake. What had she ever done to deserve such a sacrifice?
Alas, she had failed Laura. She had already signed the divorce agreement.