Chapter80Milly,PleaseDon’tBeUpset
Finished
MillyknewthatJordanandAnthonyhadalwaystreatedherwettheButs,andshehadneverbeenmistreated.<b>However</b>,shecouldn’tignorethekindnessoftheSmiths,whohadraisedherastheirowndespitebeingheradoptiveparents.
<b>Even</b>afterfindingoutshewasaButandhadtoleave,Millyhadbeenfeelingdown.
Theseweredebtsofgratitudethat the<b>original</b>andcurrentMillyowed.
Thoughshekeptthesethoughtstoherself,Jordan,sittingbesideher,noticedthechangeinhermood.HegaveAnthonyasharplook,andAnthonyimmediatelyquieteddown.
Anthonydidn’t<b>mean</b>any<b>harm</b><b>;</b>hejustcouldn’tbeartheideaofhissisterbeingtakenaway.Itwasalreadyhardenough<b>sharing</b>herwithhisbrother,letalonewithothers,
Stephanie,whohadbeensilent,bitherlip.Shehatedthisscene.
ShehatedhoweveryonedotedonMillyasifshewerethecenteroftheuniverse.Shefeltlike<b>an</b>outsider.
ShenoticedXavier,sittingnexttoher,stealingncesatMilly.Eventhoughhehadbeenhidingitandonlytookaswiftnce,Stephaniestillcaughtit.
AndJonathanacrossthetablewasevenmoreobvious.
Breakingthesilencewithasmile,Stephanieasked,“Milly,isthepersonwhocame<b>to</b>seeyouyourbrotherfromtheSmiths?”
Millyrepliedcoolly,“Yes.”
WhyisStephanieasking?Is<i>she</i>nningsomethingagain?
Stephaniecontinuedinaninnocenttone,“Milly,isthatboxinyourarmsagiftfromhim?Whatisit?Youseemtoreallylikeit,seeingasyou’reholdingitevenduringdinner.
Uponthat,alleyesatthetableturnedtotheboxMillywasholding.
Despitetheirstares,Milly wasunfazedasshecontinuedeating,obviouslynotnningtoshowthemwhatwasinside.“It’snothing.Justagraduationgiftfrommybrother.”
Stephanie’seyessparkledwithcuriositywhensheheardthis.“Wow,agift?CanIseeit?”
<b>Milly</b>wantedtoignorehersobadly.She’ssoannoying!
Someonegotmeagift;what’sthatgottodowithher?
Milly,annoyed,frownedandrepliedcoldly.“No.”
Stephanie’seyesreddened<b>as</b>ifdeeplyhurt<b>.</b>Hertearsthreatenedtofatanyminute.“Milly,doyou<b>hate</b>me?”
Milly<b>was</b>speechless.
“Ireallydidn’tmeananythingbyit.I’mjustcurious<b>about</b>whatagraduationgiftlookslike.I’venever
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Chapter80Milly,PleaseDon’tBeUpset
me,Milly.It’smy<b>fault</b>.”
Heh.
Millycouldn’thelpbuughattheabsurdity.
Finished
Thisssicmaniptiveb*tchbehaviourstraightoutofanovelisimpressivelyshameless.HowcouldStephaniesaysuchcheesylineswithoutblushing?
Butthen,she realisedshewasgravelymistaken.
Xavier,hearingStephanie’spitifulwords,frownedindisapprovndlookedatMilly.“Stephaniejustwantedtoseeit.Doyoureallyhavetobesoharsh?”
Millylookedathim,puzzled.
Harsh?Who’sbeingharsh?
Me?
Shefeltextremelywronged.
Itwasn’tjustXavier;evenJonathan,whohadjustbeguntowarmuptoher,defendedStephanie.“It’s<b>just</b>agift.It’snotlikeStephaniewantstotakeit;shejustwantstoseeit.Whyareyoubeingsopetty?”
Withherbrotherssupportingher,Stephanie’scouragegrew.Hereyes,whichhadonlybeenslightlyred,werenowfilledwithtears.
“Xavier,Jonathan,don’tscoldMilly.Sheprobablyjustdoesn’twanttosharewithme.I’musedtoit;it’s<b>no</b>bigdeal.
Millywastrulyexasperated.It’smygift,andnowit’smyfaultfornotshowingittothem?
Somepeopletruly havenoshame.
Anthony couldn’tstanditanymore.Rollinguphissleeves,hestooduptodefendMilly.“Areyouguyscrazy?It’sMilly’sstuff.Ifshedoesn’twanttoshowit,shedoesn’thaveto.ForgetStephanie;itwouldn’tbeillegalevenifthepresident<b>asked</b>toseeitandsherefused!”
ThoughhefeltabitjealousofMilly’sclosenesswiththeSmiths,hewouldn’tletanyonebullyhissisterrightinfrontof<b>him</b>!
Xaviercalmlysetdownhisutensilsandwipedhishandswithadampcloth,lookingatAnthony.“Stephaniejustwantstoseeit.What’sthebigdeal?”
“Well,Iwanttopyou<b>.</b>Isthatabigdeal?Wouldyouletme?”
Xavier’sfaceturned<b>red</b>.“Anthony,I’myourelderbrother!Howdareyou!”
Anthonyrolledhiseyesplételyunconcerned.“Well,MillyisStephanie’seldersister.HowcouldsheforceMillylikethis?”
“Enough<b>!</b><b>”</b>
Tordan’scoldvoicecutthroughtheargument.His<b>iev</b><b>vaze</b>swent<b>from</b>Anthonyto<b>Xavier</b>,finallnding
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onStephanie.
Finished
Stephaniewas<b>so</b>scaredbyJordan’slookthatsheloweredherhead,nervouslygrabbingtheedgeofherclothes.Shebegantoworryasshethough,CouldJordanhavefiguredsomethingout?
JordanwithdrewhisgazeandturnedtoMilly,whohadfinishedherdinner.“Milly,goupstairsandrest.I
needtotalktothem.”
Millyblinkedandstoodup.“Alright.”
<b>She</b>wasmorethanhappytoavoidStephanie’smaniptiveperformance.
Justassheturnedtoleave,herphonebuzzedinherpocket.Itwasatextfromn.‘Hi,Milly.ThisisnHawkins.Ourfilmwillstartwithaphotosessionandopeningceremonyat8.00AMtomorrow.Remembertobeontime;thelocationisTelevisionCity!
<b>n</b>wastruetohisword.He hadsaidthefilmwouldstartafterthecollegeentranceexams,andnowthattheywereover,hewasready tobeginimmediately.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.
Thismeantshewouldhavetoleaveearlytomorrow.ThedistancebetweenAdonioandTelevisionCitywasn’tshort,andsheneededtimetodohermakeuponceshearrived.
MillystoppedinhertracksandturnedtoJordan.“Jordan,Ijustgota<b>message</b>fromMr.Hawkins.They’restartingthephotosessionandopeningceremonyat8.00AMtomorrow.I’llneedtoleaveearly.”
Jordanfrowned.Hehadbeensobusywithworkandhelpingwiththecollegeentranceexamsthathehadforgottenaboutthefilmshootwithn.
Itwasalready8.00PM,anditwouldtake fourhourstodrivetoTelevisionCity.Millyhadjustfinishedherexams,<b>and</b>hewasn’tsureshecouldhandleitifsheheadedrightoverwithoutproperrest.
TllcallMr.Hawkinsandaskthemtopostponeforaday<b>,</b>”hesaid,reachingforhisphone.
Millyquicklystoppedhim.“Noneed,Jordan.Mr.Hawkinsmusthavescheduledeverythingcarefully.Ican’tmakethewholecrewwait forme.I’llgo.”
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