6 Dinner with Parents

Holding her breath it took a couple seconds before she responded to him. She cleared her throat and said "Mhmm I'm coming!"

Placing the laptop softly on the bed she got up and headed towards her bathroom. Opening the door she closed it as if she went inside. She stood silently without breathing as she waited to hear something. The sound of footsteps walking away from her room gave her a chill down her spine. It seemed that her guess was right, he had listened to her actions by the door before leaving.

'How long was he doing this?? And what is he so worried about that he was supervising me like this??'

Her eyebrows scrunched as so many questions filled her head. Every single moment gave her more concerns and questions with no answer in sight. A part of her wanted to know why her death was so important, what drove this man to kill her but it was the least of her priorities. The fact that he waited to listen meant that she had to be extra careful with every move she made. Rubbing her face she stared at her mirror debating if she should change.

Since she was eating with the family it would be best not to alert them this soon. Opening up her closet she pulled a dress that she would typically wear and changed into it. She hated the way she looked but had to do it for appearance sake. Going back to the bed she quickly closed the laptop and hid it under her bed. This hiding place could work for now but she would need to create a hidden storage unit in the room for future.

Dusting her hands off she slapped her face a couple of times before leaving the room. It was the first time since rebirth that she went down the familiar halls and everything felt so strange. The hallway, the photos, the decor used to be homey and welcoming. Now, all she could wonder is if it was part of an elaborate ploy to fool her. She knew her brother wanted her dead but who knew if her parents were part of the scheme as well. Speeding up her steps she went downstairs towards the dining room.

The tall dark oak doors stood imposingly in front of her. Knocking on the door she waited for a response before stepping inside the room. Taking a deep breath her eyes became focused and calm. In front of her she was greeted with her parents and her brother sitting around the table. Her father sat at the head while her mother and brother flanked both sides. She usually sat next to her mother for meals. Flashing a small smile she walked over to the chair and sat down.

"Why did you take so long? We've been waiting." Her mother spoke first giving an inquisitive look.

"I just went to the bathroom mom but I'm hungry now so can we start please?" Using a cute expression she acted coy to her mom. In response, her mom laughed off her comment and lightly pushed her face away. Each action her mom did was etched in her mind, it didn't seem fake but her heart wasn't willing to trust them.

Her dad reached for the food first before the rest of them started to put food on their plate. Putting some rice in her bowl and meat on the side she began eating. The food warmed her as she savoured the dish, the meat held a spicy undertone with a soy garlic flavouring. She wanted to shovel it into her mouth but could only take small bird size bites like she used to. As a "lady" she was restrained to maintaining her image. Eating in silence she kept her eyes on her food as her body was alert.

Part way through a bite she felt her brother's eyes on her. "So mei mei any plans for this week?"

It was a casual question but the meaning was obvious. Looking up and making eye contact with him she smiled. "Why gege are you coming with me?"

"Haha depending on where it is!"

"Well I want to do some shopping tomorrow, for some clothes." Looking at her dad she looked for his approval. He nodded his head in response with his agreement.

"Yay thank you dad."

"If you're going, take my credit card." Her brother leaned over and held a card between his fingers. Her hand shock subtly before she took the card into her hands.

"Thank you...I'll make sure to use it well."

She held a small smile before placing it on the table. Continuing to eat her meal the dinner went on silently for another 15 minutes. Finishing up she played her empty bowl on the table with her chopsticks next to it. Picking up a glass she filled it with hot water and took small sips from it after blowing on it. She waited till everyone was close to finishing before speaking up.

"Its getting late can I be excused?"

"So soon...are you okay?" Her mom looked at her concerned in response.

"I'm okay just want to make sure I'm well rested to max out gege's card."

Tapping her shoulder her mother again laughed before letting her leave. Slowly getting up she moved the chair and tucked it in before exiting the room. She took small steps as she headed back towards her room. There was an urge to run but she could not risk anyone hearing. The minute she reached her room and closed the door behind her the defences slipped. She leaned against the door and sat on her knees. Her heart was pounding with adrenaline, she tried her best to act normal but she was unsure if she had done it well. There was so much fear that they would catch her but it would get easier to act in time.

It was just the first day of rebirth, she wasn't perfect and it was hard to wrap her mind around everything. No matter how much she burned for revenge and determined she was, the truth was that she was powerless now. She had to change and get stronger to be successful.

"Tomorrow....tomorrow will be a better day."