Middle Child Syndrome - Chapter 431

Chapter 431: Ch 431: The clean-up
“Ugh, this feels so awkward. Speak up about what you want to say, at least. I cannot take this silence anymore.”

Fey looked at the awkward atmosphere with a sigh and decided to be the first one to speak up.

The tension in the air could be cut with a knife, which was getting on Fey’s head. This awkward silence was not what she had sighed for when she decided to meet Rika again to clear up the air between Rika and herself.

Fey could also tell she was not the only person to think like that.

Charon also looked like she wanted to run, while Flourite, on the other hand…looked like he had nothing to do but to run away.

The landlady was ordering more and more drinks, but she would likely be the only person drunk tonight.

‘Ugh, maybe I should get Charon and Flourite to drink a few rounds. It would ease the tension in the air and help me feel better.’

That was what Fey thought, but she could not open her mouth to suggest drinking. Her brother only drank when he was too stressed. And this situation indeed stressed him as much as Fey emphasized.

“I called you here because I wanted to clear out the air between us. I don’t remember much, but you took good care of me for some time. And for that, I am thankful. I don’t know how to repay this favor.”

Rika gave a slight bow to the group, and they all looked surprised and touched simultaneously. They had not expected Rika to say these words.

But her humble attitude was still the same as when she lived with them. It was easy to look at Rika and see the person they had been missing for the past few days.

“I…do you know what landed you into the trouble that lost you your memories, Rika? We should be the ones who need to apologize to you, not the other way around. Please, don’t look like that. It makes me worried to see you all depressed like this. Right, Charon, Flourite?”

Fey felt awkward as she watched Rika bow to her and her two companions.

Charon asked Rika to pick her head up because she was not awake for anything. It was mainly because of the two people glaring at her from Rika’s side.

Damian and Emily looked ready to chew anyone out if Rika was unconvinced. Their stare warned Fey not to cross her boundaries, and she quickly asked Rika to straighten her back.

*Sigh*

“Fey is right, Rika. There is no need for you to say sorry to us. It is my fault for not recognizing you, even when I dated your brother for some time. I saw you around the house and made assumptions….it was my bad.”

Charon was cool about what happened.

She had been a little angry and felt betrayed initially, but she quickly adjusted to Rika’s thought process and realized why Rika did what she did.

It somehow made her appreciate Rika even more than before.

“Ah, so does that mean we are cool with each other?”

Rika asked the older female in front of her. She had been the youngest in the house before and respected everyone in front of her.

“Ah? I was not aware that we had a problem with each other in the first place. So don’t worry! Our relationship will be just fine.”

The dorm lady smiled at Rika in reassurance, making whatever bad feelings Rika had drained out of her body. With this, at least one obstacle was gone.

Now, Rika only needed to deal with one more—her grandmother, who had been sending Rika messages nonstop for the past few days. She wanted to meet with Rika once, and she wanted to meet soon.

Usually, Rika would have ignored her or even filed a restraining order. But Mother had once told her that the old lady on their father’s side was a little mad. So, Rika decided not to take that risk and quickly accepted the offer to meet up.

This time, she did not take Damian and Emily with her. She might need support but felt she needed to brave this danger alone. Once she was through this, Rika would have peace of mind.

…

“Come in, girl! There is no need for you to hesitate like this. I am not out to eat you alive after all.”

The older female waved Rika inside quickly, and the curtain behind Rika closed.

All of Rika’s instincts told her that she was in the presence of someone dangerous. But she already knew that and stepped forward to reach the female sitting before her.

“Grandmother, can I help you in any way? I was unaware that you would call me like this.”

Rika tried to ask what her grandmother wanted from her, but the older woman pointed toward the chair and gave her a forceful look.

“Sit down! We have a lot to talk about with each other. Now, shall we start with the fact that you look just like your other grandmother? That woman was lovely, so imagine my disappointment when you looked just like her but became a beta. That caused my heart to hurt a lot.

But now that you are an omega and smell like my dear friend, I feel I can tolerate you more than before. Don’t you think it is a good thing for you?”

The old lady spoke confidently, but her words sent shivers down Rika’s spine.

‘Ugh, listening to this old lady speak is giving me goosebumps. Does she expect me to believe what she is saying? Or does she see me as a substitute for that friend she lost? Anyway, I see it; her problem is difficult for me to handle.’

Rika felt angry and annoyed at the same time. She wanted to rage, but her mouth felt dry, and she could not speak up about what she wanted.

“So, have you gotten the baby checked up? Is it a boy or a girl? An alpha or omega? What is your doctor doing if you have not checked on that? I know a few hospitals who can check you up, and we can decide what to do after-”

“Excuse me, but I don’t think this will work. You and I don’t match that well. I will take my leave now.”

Rika quickly got up and walked away from her grandmother. She suddenly wanted nothing to do with the older woman.

But Emphemia Lawlock had a different idea in her mind.

“Sit down, girl! We are not done yet. If you are going to leave, it will be when I allow it. You don’t want any unnecessary trouble, right?”

The old lady asked as she sipped her tea. She was more than well aware that she had all the control over the situation…. or so she thought.

But Rika had enough of being bullied and made to listen to someone else. She wanted to stand up for herself this time, and she would.

“You want to cause trouble for me? Go ahead and do that. I am no longer the same small girl who crouched before you every chance she got. So please keep your thoughts to yourself and don’t project yourself on me.”

Rika stood up and walked out of the door. She did not even look back to see the shocked expression on the female’s face she was leaving behind.

The omega held her head up high as she exited the building. She was burning this bridge with no hopes of reconciliation from her side.

After all, her grandmother had never had any involvement in Rika’s life before, and she won’t have any involvement in her life after this either. Rika would make sure she wouldn’t suffer at her Grandmother’s hand like this ever again.

“One problem has been taken care of. Now, shall I deal with the board before I let Emily and Damian run rampant inside my new company? Mother did say that she would leave the underworld to me and my partners, but some rats have started to crowd that place lately.

Those rats are even daring to come after me in daylight now. How annoying and continent at the same time.”

Rika did not say she was being followed but insisted on it a little when she spoke.

If the people following her had any sense of self-preservation, they would run away before they were caught. But they did not know what kind of danger they had encountered.

‘These poor fools! I don’t know if I feel pity for them or if I feel jealous of them. Well, whatever the case, I guess I should get rid of them before I decide on anything.’

“I am in a good mood so that I will give you one last warning. You should run away from here as soon as possible. Otherwise, I will be forced to take drastic measures. It is up to you.”

Of course, the fools did not run away, and Rika had to carry a clean-up around her.