Chapter 199: Possible
When Ian returned to his mansion, he asked after Mina, which had become his new routine. He liked to know when she was safe in her room. Likewise, he hated when she was out with anyone other than himself. He was shocked when he was told that Mina was having her dinner in the dining room.
For days Mina had been taking her meals alone, and Ian was curious as to what could have lured her out from hiding. Something told him that it was due to his absence, but he did not think Mina cared enough to put so much effort into avoiding him.
Ian almost did not bother to go look, but his butler's expression told him that he wanted to say more, so Ian went to the dining room anyway.
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Ian's eyes were greeted by one of the most awkward and unexpected scenes he had ever witnessed. Luna, Lisa, and Mina seemed to be having a pleasant meal together and were amid what he could only assume was a casual conversation.
Not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere, Ian was about to retreat before being seen, but his eyes caught a glimpse of something shiny on the side of Mina's head, and in order to get a better look, he intruded upon their meal. Lisa was the most thrilled by his arrival and in stark contrast, Mina was the least.
"Ian," Lisa said excitedly. She truly had not expected him to return home in time to join them and she thought she would not be able to see him.
Lisa also had not found a way to ask Mina about her condition, but with Ian around she felt emboldened.
When Ian took his seat at the head of the table, serving staff quickly catered to him. Lisa found herself in awe yet again, 'one day I will be subject to the same treatment,' she thought. She asked Ian about his day before she returned her attention to Mina.
"Mina, I noticed you haven't touched much of your food," Lisa said. Luna looked over and only seemed to notice that Mina had not eaten much after Lisa had spoken.
"I'm not really hungry, I feel nauseous," Mina said.
"Are you and your boyfriend expecting?" Lisa whispered. She managed to do so in a way that was so loud she might as well have shouted it. Both Ian and Luna choked simultaneously.
Lisa made sure to pay more attention to Ian's reaction. He seemed shocked, but she could not sense any guilt. He just seemed surprised.
"I am not," Mina said through gritted teeth.
"Are you sure? Have you spoken to your boyfriend about your symptoms? To be safe, you two should make an appointment," Lisa suggested.
"It's not possible," Mina said for the second time in less than a day. She did not catch the look she was getting from the Lee siblings, but more importantly, Lisa seemed mildly satisfied by her answer.
Lisa nodded her head toward Mina. She had her answer and more notably, Mina did not deny having a boyfriend which meant, if she were expecting, there would be paternity doubts and Lisa knew Ian would not stick by that sort of woman. She decided to let the matter rest and move on to Mina's false identity.
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It was only while seated at the table that Ian had a feeling that the conversation the woman had been having may not have been a pleasant one. Mina smiled and chuckled, but the questions Lisa was asking her were offensive. She was asking Mina about stereotypes that were usually associated with people who grew up in the country. Mina laughed off the questions but there was one that made her mask falter.
"I heard that poor people tend to sell their daughters into marriage. Was your father interested in…" Lisa never got to finish her sentence when Mina interjected.
"Never," Mina said sternly. The look on her face was so dark that even Lisa knew she had crossed a line.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in a rude way," she said, and it was true. She was curious about Mina's family upbringing. She had not given up on outing Mina as an imposter.
Lisa did not know that the information she was working with was outdated. Mina's file had since been released, and her school records were unsealed.
"It's a very ugly stereotype that has significantly hurt my family and me. Please do not believe everything you hear," Mina said. As badly as Lisa wanted to play the victim in this instance, she could not. She simply nodded toward Mina, but internally she was thrashing the girl.
"Mina, there is one thing I don't understand.. If your family was so poor, how did you afford Wayvair?" Lisa asked. She thought she had successfully pinned Mina's back against the wall after asking her so many questions about her background.
"Scholarship," Mina said coolly.
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Mina soaked in the tub; it had somewhat become a stress reliever for her. Since she had stopped working out, she noticed her mood seemed to be much less cheerful. Mina knew that she had so much to be grateful for, yet somehow, she had forgotten to appreciate the little things that once made her smile. She was alive, her parents were well and if she worked hard enough, there was still room for her to become successful. She had a lot of people to pay back for their kindness, and she promised herself that no matter what, she would.
Mina slipped into her pajamas and peeked out of the changing room. She had been checking for intruders ever since what happened the other night with President Lee. There was no one there, but her peace was short lived. Luna entered the room and sat next to her on the plush couch. She noticed that Mina often sat in the same spot and stared out of the window, but it never occurred to her to ask why.
"Mina, I need to ask you something very important about what Lisa said tonight," Mina screwed up her face at the mention of Lisa. President Lee's girlfriend had said a lot of things tonight.
"Did I say something wrong?" Mina asked.
"Not exactly," Luna said. "It's just that you said being pregnant wasn't possible, but it is possible."
"You said you gave me a contraceptive," Mina half shouted with her eyes wide.
"I did, but they are only 75% effective and we don't know the effects the other drug in your system had on the pill." Mina felt sick. She heaved not from anything other than disgust.
"But my cycle has come twice since I've been here," Mina could see Luna's shoulders relax with her statement.
"Oh, thank goodness," Luna blurted out, and Mina threw a pillow at her.
"You scared me to death!" The girl shouted and she jumped on Luna while playfully punching her.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Luna laughed. She kept forgetting that Mina was probably the only woman in the country who hated the idea of having anything to do with her brother.