Middle Child Syndrome - Chapter 303

Chapter 303: Ch 303: Treat the same
The hall fell silent at Mark’s unabashed request. No one knew what to think or do in such a situation.

After all, Mark had never asked someone to dance before at any function. Even Suzie had to go and find someone else because Mark did not dance with anyone, including her.

Some believed Mark was saving his first dance for someone special, while others were certain it was because Mark did not know how to dance.

But Rika knew that both sides were wrong about this argument.

Mark did not like to dance because once he made an exception, it would be considered the norm. He could not be bothered to deal with his girlfriend asking him for a dance at every function he attended.

Back then, Mark was too conscious about Suzie and kept an eye on her. So, he declined all the invites he got.

“Rika, would you like to dance with me? I don’t need your partner to answer when you stand before me.”

Mark ignored Andrew Tweten’s answer and turned toward Rika instead. He was holding his hand out for Rika to grab onto.

The older alpha looked confident that Rika would not ignore him. He had so much faith in Rika’s nature that he would not let her humiliate herself and her family in front of the public.

Unfortunately for Mark, Rika no longer cared about such things. She couldn’t care less that she was leaving Mark begging like this when he was asking Rika to spend some time with him.

“I am sorry, but I don’t dance at such functions. And even if I did, isn’t it customary to have one’s first dance with one’s partner or parent? I am afraid that you are neither for me.”

Rika maintained her smiling face, but Mark faltered. His hand slowly fell, and people gasped at Rika’s behavior.

“What an ungrateful brat! Can’t she tell what she is doing?”

“Wow! Some people can be so rude to others for no reason. I can tell that Andrew Tweten’s partner is a bitch! Look at her attitude. Just how proud is she?”

People gossiped about Rika as they finally paid attention to her.

This was not Rika’s first time attending a function with these high-class people, but her first time being paid attention to. And it was all because she decided to come with Andrew and have Mark ask her for a dance.

Most of the attention Rika was recovering was negative, but she was not going to do a thing to change these people’s minds.

On the other hand, Mark seemed to be losing his temper over what these people were saying about Rika.

The more he heard them gossip, the more his temper flared.

“You idiots! Can you shut up for a moment? You don’t know what is happening here, so why are you busy making assumptions about something you do not know? My relationship with Rika is not for you all to stare at.”

Mark made the mistake of adding fuel to the fire.

These people did not have a reason to gossip before, but now they had a valid reason provided by Mark himself – his relationship with Rika that he had announced.

People began to form theories that Mark had no idea about, and things got so bad that even Natasha Goodwill shook her head on the other side of the room.

Suzie could not tolerate all this. She was burning mad with jealousy at seeing Rika and Mark take her spotlight away. She could not take it anymore and decided to drag Mark back to her side by any means possible.

When she was about to step toward Mark, Rocxx smiled and touched her shoulder.

“Aww, are you abandoning me right at the start, princess? You were the one who called me to accompany you to this conference. You need to stay with me halfway through this conference.”

Rocxx teased Suzie, but she only glared at him before grabbing his hand and dragging him toward the center.

“Fine! You can go with me if you want to come with me badly. We will drag Mark away before he can make a bigger fool of himself.”

Suzie agreed before she began to drag Rocxx behind her.

Rika saw her coming first but refused to turn away and run. Whatever Suzie wanted, she would take it without flinching.

But Suzie did not turn toward Rika or even acknowledge her. The younger omega slipped her arms around Mark to tug him away.

“This is enough, Mark! You are embarrassing yourself by behaving like this. If you want a dance partner, then you should have asked me. Why would you go out of your way to come here and ask a stranger?”

Suzie asked, trying to hint that Mark should leave Rika alone and behave like a stranger with her.

Her brother should get the message, and he should come with Suzie. That was what happened most of the time when she did this with him.

Only this time, it did not work. Mark did not look happy to hear what Suzie said, and his temper flared quickly.

“Suzie, don’t call Rika a stranger. She’s family! If you can’t even get that right, then what right do you have to ask me for anything?”

Mark whispered back to Suzie, but his voice was angry enough to take her aback.

She had never heard her brother sound angry and disappointed before, but she could not understand what was wrong with him or why he behaved like this.

“What? So now you have developed an attachment, Rika, and decided to make her behave best to be consistent with what you want. We treated her like strangers because it was convenient for us all our lives. Won’t it be for the best if we continue to do that in the future?”

Suzie asked, and Rika said she was thankful for her big mouth.

This way, she did not have to say any of the words Rika needed to.