From Deadbeat To Doting; Something Is Wrong With My Husband!-Chapter 48: My sister and her husband!

"Oh, Summer, Winter," Reyna cooed, though her eyes were fixed on the laid diamond necklace reflecting in the mirror. She tilted her head, snapping another photo on her phone for her social media.

"Doesn’t this diamond just look good on mummy?"

"Mummy looks pretty with diamonds. Mummy, can I get a diamond too?"

"Why do you need a diamond? You’re a boy." Summer pulled her brother’s hand away from the table filled with diamond jewelry.

However, Reyna barely heard them. She was too busy taking pictures for her social media.

"Are you sure this is rare? I don’t want anyone having the same matching jewelries in their posts. You know how this fame thing is."

The store clerk cleared his throat, eyeing her out of the corner of his eye. The man’s gaze was an uncomfortable one; he hadn’t missed the fact that she had spent forty minutes "selecting" pieces and taking selfies without once reaching for a credit card.

"Mummy, I’m bored. I want to go," Summer whined, pulling at Reyna’s skirt.

"After I’m done with the diamonds," Reyna’s voice lost it’s sugary edge as she snapped.

"But I want to go now!" Summer yelled on top of her voice. She was tired of staying in this boring store staring at jewelry too heavy for her size.

She clenched her fist, holding her mother’s stare. Her fair skin had turned botchy red from all the anger!

Reyna looked at her daughter with a flash of genuine disbelief. "You little brat, shut up. You’re bothering me. Go play somewhere else."

It was the spark that lit the fuse. The children, sensing their mother’s hostility, began to wail.

High-pitched screams bounced off the glass cases, making the other wealthy customers wince and move away.

Meanwhile, in the room at the corner, Senior Mrs Colburn sat rigidly, trying to find the right diamond for her daughter in-law. She needed Brianna’s mercy.

She had expected Brianna to come begging again, but when she didn’t, she had no idea what was going on inside the house.

Now, sitting here, the only thing she could hear was the loud wailing of a child. How much she hated children!

"Please send those peasants away." She waved dismissively to the manager standing like a rock beside her. The man nodded stiffly as he whispered something to his assistant’s ear.

The assistant nodded once then left the room.

"It’s been taken care of. As an important customer, would you like me to show you our most recent piece?"

When she nodded, he whispered to the store clerk attending to Senior Mrs Colburn, "Bring the most expensive piece."

Meantime, the assistant whispered to the store clerk attending to Reyna what the manager said. And he quietly asked Reyna to leave.

Though, she assumed the encounter was because of what Marcus had posted online about Doctor Colburn. Indirectly calling her the bully, people had been unfollowing and telling her to refund their charity money.

As usual, whenever things went haywire for Reyna, Brianna was the reason, it didn’t matter the logic behind it. It was all Brianna’s fault.

That was her reasoning and it justified her actions!

...

That humiliation burnt worse in Reyna’s veins with Brianna’s little act. However, Reyna’s face transformed instantly. There was no more malice, rather a feigned sisterly devotion.

She pulled out her phone, hitting the ’Live’ button before Brianna could blink.

"Oh my god, Brianna! Are you okay?" Reyna cried, grabbing Brianna’s arm and pulling her close for the camera.

The ring light from the phone made Brianna’s disheveled state look even more dramatic to the thousands of viewers joining the stream. "Look at you, you’re limping! You work too hard to provide for that man now you’re in a hospital, sister." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Reyna hugged her sister tighter, smiling sweetly for the viewers. "Everyone, look who I found! My genius sister, Dr. Colburn. I was just asking her... Bri-Bri, what did you do to make the great Marcus Thorne say such amazing things about you? The whole city is talking about how ’off-limits’ you are."

Brianna looked at the lens, then at Reyna. She couldn’t pull away, not when Reyna’s gym strength held her in place. So Brianna leaned into the camera instead.

"I didn’t realize we were doing an interview, sister Reyna," Brianna fixed her eyes on her sister’s fake-sweet expression. "Especially since the last time we spoke, you came to my company just to accuse me of being barren in front of my staff."

"I–uh–I-I-I–Ahahahaha!" She pushed Brianna’s right arm, almost sending her to the floor. "Oh, sister Brianna! You’re so delirious from work. I never did that! That was the day I came to see you and your ’gatekeepers’ wouldn’t even let me in."

Brianna faked her own laugh too. "Then you should have called me. But I bet you couldn’t because you don’t even have my number."

She pushed Reyna back, smiling as she shoved herself into the screen.

"Oh, sister Brianna. How could you say that? Of course I have your number. You’re the one who just doesn’t call."

"Oh, but how could I, sister? I can’t be the one to call on my children’s deathday too."

The comment section on the live feed exploded.

Reyna’s eyes widened as a murderous intent crossed her pupil’s before she smoothed it over with a watery eyed gaze. ’This bitch is playing with fire!’

She pulled Brianna closer, smiling through her teeth. She leaned her head against Brianna’s shoulder, looking directly into the camera with an expression of heartbreaking pity.

"But it’s also my children’s birthday, Brianna," Reyna whispered with a trembling voice just enough to sound broken to the thousands of viewers.

"I can’t possibly abandon the only life I have left just because you can’t stand to look at a cradle without grieving what you never had."

Brianna’s breath hitched.

"Don’t use your empty arms to try and empty mine," Reyna continued, a single, perfect tear tracking down her cheek. "I know it hurts that I have children and you have... your career. But to bring up a ’deathday’ on the day I’m celebrating their life? That’s not victimizing Brianna. That’s just cruel."

When Brianna hadn’t reacted the way she expected, Reyna glanced over the comments, reading them out so Brianna breaks down.

"Sister Brianna, what you did just now is very wrong. You better apologize. The fans are," she giggled. "The fans are saying things. @User123 says ’Omg, Dr. Colburn is a psychopath!’ @MamaBear says, ’How can she say that to a mother? So heartless!’ @Fangirl says, ’Reyna is a thirsty bitch–I-I mean, Doctor Colburn is a thirsty bitch.’"

Reyna covered her lips in fake sympathy. "Guys stop, that’s my sister! Even though she’s cold and heartless, I still love her."

Before Brianna could respond, Rochelle tugged at her sleeves. "Mrs. Colburn, Senior Colburn is on line one. It’s urgent."

Brianna glanced down on her phone, as her confusion on why Senior Mrs Colburn didn’t just call her phone, then she saw the missed calls.

Turning, she limped towards the elevator alcove. Her ankle hurt more now it was more swollen. Her hands were still shaking as she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Senior."

The woman interrupted sharply. "I am at home, Brianna. And yet, the wind carries gossip of the hospital. I hear you are there. With Lucian."

Brianna leaned her head against the cool glass, closing her eyes. "News travels fast."

"How is he?"

Brianna rolled her eyes. "How is the son you tried to kill? Oh, he’s very much alive, Senior. You don’t need to prepare the mourning clothes just yet."

The line was silent for a while. "And you, Brianna? Are you alive?"

...

As Brianna turned back toward the lobby, momentarily still confused by the call, she bumped into something solid.

Oof!

The collision was hard. Brianna’s injured ankle gave way, and she began to tip.

"Oh! I’m so sorry!" The man caught her, his rough, tattered sleeve brushing her skin. He looked at her swollen ankle, his eyes widening. "Miss, your ankle... it’s horribly swollen. You shouldn’t be walking."

"I’m fine, really—"

"No, you aren’t. Here."

Without a word, he swept her up. He was a simple man, genuinely worried, but to the camera Reyna was still holding... he was the "Useless Husband" coming to the rescue.

Reyna shrieked to her live feed, trying to spark some public attention again. "Omg, look! My sister and her husband! He’s so protective of her, isn’t he? Even if he can’t afford her shoes, he can still carry her!"

Upstairs, Lucian was losing his mind.

He stared at the clock. 10:05. Though the numbers were blurry because the medicine was making his head spin, but the "Ten-Minute" rule was absolute.

Throwing the covers off, his feet hit the cold floor. He didn’t care about the nausea. He carried his body to the door, pulling it open just as the elevator dinged.