Chương 21: The Shawls' Family Drama

Satisfied with the old matriarch's action, Pearl couldn't help grinning from cheek to cheek. The little arrogant tramp needs to be taught a bitter lesson. If only the scaredy cat called Desmond hadn't interfered.

"Mother, please don't hit her again. Why don't you sit down and allow her to talk? I'm sure she has a lot to say." Desmond pointed to a seat opposite where Amelia was standing.

"She better have some good explanation to give for her disgraceful misconduct. Otherwise, she won't like the things I will do to her." The old Nana hissed as she slowly made her way to the seat and sat down.

Amelia watched her grandmother carefully sit down, a raging storm slowly brewing in her heart. This was the first time anyone in the family had dared to raise their hands on her and it was certainly going to be the last.

Amelia's deafening silence and disrespectful glares angered Matt greatly. But he couldn't afford to be on her bad side. He wanted her to continue to regard him as her darling uncle. So he spoke softly.

"Come on, Amelia, your grandmother asked you a question. Why do you remain silent? That is unfair and disrespectful."

"Unfair!" Amelia turned her spine-chilling glares to her uncle, almost making the latter flint. "Such a fantastic choice of word, Uncle Matt. But let me ask you that same question, have you and the rest of the family been fair to me in the recent weeks?"

"What is this hopelessly foolish girl saying?" Old Nana Shawls lost her temper.

"Exactly, what you heard Grandma." Amelia tried to keep her tone in check. "I do not deserve what you all did to me."

"Did you just talk back at me, you silly little child?" Old Nana Shawls picked up her slipper and threw it at Amelia. But it failed to hit her target due to her poor aim.

"Amelia, don't talk to your grandmother in that tone. I won't take that attitude from you." Desmond warned.

"I'm sorry Grandma if I sound disrespectful. But I won't stand here and pretend that all is well. I suddenly went missing and all this family could do was ask my stepsister to replace me. Tell me, which loving family does that?"

"Hey, young lady, do not..." Pearl didn't get to finish her statement when Amelia's cold and irked voice interrupted her.

"Shut the f**k up, Pearl. You are not a member of this family and you should know your place."

"Ahh..." Pearl gasped, stung by Amelia's words. She turned her horrified gaze to the matriarch, hoping the latter would turn berserk on her arrogant granddaughter. But all Nana did was shake her head in disappointment while Desmond chided Amelia.

"Amelia, mind your language. You're standing before your elders. I will not tolerate any vulgar words here."

"Uncle Desmond, if you want me to behave properly, then you better send that gold-digging racoon out of this place." Amelia pointed ferociously at Pearl.

"Will you shut that dirty mouth of yours before I come there and make you." Nana Shawls yelled at the top of her voice causing her to choke on her saliva. Instantly, she started coughing, her old body trembling as she held on to her chest.

"Pearl, get some water now." Matt barked as he hurried over to his mother's side, crouching and patting her gently on the back.

"Okay." Pearl dashed out of the room after sparing Amelia one last look of disdain.

"Have you seen what you've done? I'm sure you're happy now." Desmond's forehead furrowed as he also crouched before his choking mother, trying to soothe her.

Amelia felt a bit remorseful pushing the old woman beyond her limits. But this wouldn't have happened if Pearl hadn't interrupted her. Watching her uncle soothe the old woman, she was tempted to go over there and apologize. But staring at Nana's slippers on the marble floor which was a few inches from where she was standing made her change her mind. She remained rooted in the same spot, hands crossed over her chest as she patiently waited for her aunt, dad or Stacy to arrive.

"What is happening here?" Regina's cold voice reverberated through the tense atmosphere as she hurriedly climbed down the stairs, closely followed by Gwen.

"Grandma!" Gwen hurried past her mother and ran towards her grandmother. "What happened." She knelt beside the old woman who was holding her chest, with a few tears falling from her eyes.

"Here is the water." Pearl re-entered the sitting room with a glass of water and handed it to her niece who in turn gave it to the old woman.

"Here grandma, drink this. You'll be fine." Gwen said in her cutest voice as her mother also joined her to comfort the old matriarch.

"Can someone please tell me what happened to my mother-in-law?" Regina asked again, stroking the old woman's grey hair lovingly.

"Why don't you ask that brat over there?" Pearl whispered while eying Amelia. "She is trying to give Nana a heart attack."

"Amelia, are you responsible for this?" Regina stood up, eyes narrowed and nose flared.

"Pff...like you care." Amelia scoffed at/Regina's irritating show of affection.

"What did you say?" Regina took this golden opportunity to charge towards her stepdaughter, with the sole aim of teaching her a bitter lesson.

"I said you look so pathetic pretending to care." Amelia's razor-sharp tongue cut through the air, taking even Regina by surprise.

"How dare you talk to me in that manner, you silly little brat." Regina raised her hand to strike Amelia.

"Regina! Don't!" Desmond moved swiftly to save his niece but stopped in his tracks as Amelia caught her stepmother's hand in mid-air.

"Why you little..." Regina raised her other free hand to hit Amelia but the latter also restrained her with her other hand, tightening her grip and digging her freshly manicured nails into her stepmother's wrist.

"What in God's name is happening in here." Senator Gregory stepped into the room just in time to witness his wife in the process of hitting his daughter. He was closely followed by Judith and Stacy.

"Oh honey, thank goodness you are back." Regina forcefully freed her hands from Amelia's bone-crunching grip, tears welling up in her eyes as she felt pain shoot up to her brain. Although she was inwardly shocked to see Greg but pretended to be thrilled.

Amelia tucked her hair behind her ears, exposing her reddened face.

"I asked, what is happening here?" The senator thundered at the sight of a reddened handprint on his precious daughter's face.

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