Chapter 3

Here we were at a face off. Auntzilla had a hand at Ale's ears and she was seriously tugging at it. I stood at the side with my hair half done and mouth wide open, almost dropping off from my jaw. What was going on?!

This is the lady who would always glare at me whenever she came to visit. She hated me and Adrew as we were the successors of the Prim-Rose family. And she hated me more because I was the princess of the family who's every whim was fulfilled. She was particularly friendly with other juniors in my generation, Ale inclusive. She just didn't like me and Adrew.

She was Anna Prim-Rose. She was my father's sister and she was a divorcee. Not that I blame her, her husband was trash! She is a lovable woman overall with a beautiful curvy body. She actually makes me feel quite envious of her body. Even at thirty, I was still flat. Ok, not flat but just not as curvy. She is one of the most feared elders in the family due to her no nonsense attitude.

If I am correct, around this time in my previous life she should plot for some men to try and rape me at the celebration later on. What is she doing here? Now that I think about it, it's also at this same time when her husband left her for a secretary so she wouldn't have any moods for celebrating right now. Her mood worsened with his departure and she was a ticking time bomb. Even dad had to walk on egg shells around her. She should be sulking, making life hard for other people or plotting my demise yet here she was punishing Ale for God knows what while ignoring my presence. As if that was not enough, her next words shocked the breath out of me.

"I had told you to wake your sister up so that she could have some breakfast and not sleep on an empty stomach yet here you are just passing time. See if I don't punish you today." She said as she continued to tug at Ale's ears. Ale, that dummy, instead of staying still, kept on moving around the room worsening the pain.

"Ow, ow, ow. Auntie, beautiful auntie, please bestow unto me your malevolence and mercy and grant me amnesty. I was just helping her do her hair." screamed Ale with palms clasped tightly together. This actually made her stop the ear tugging and she finally glanced at me. Coupled with my half-done hair and the ridiculous face I was wearing right now, I must have looked horrible because her face immediately crumpled up with a scowl.

"What help? What hair? Do you know how to do it? Do you even know what it means to do up a girl's hair? Pah, get lost!" she said as she let go of his ear and pointed at the door. Ale looked like he wanted to say something to me but one pointed stare from Aunt Anna had him running away with his tail tucked between his legs.

Aunt Anna walked to me and grabbed my hand, leading me to my dressing table and setting me down on the chair. I had let her lead me across the room as I was too dumbfounded to say anything. But when she picked up a comb whilst grumbling, I awoke up from my trance.

I stared at her through the mirror and found that despite her age, Aunt Anna had maintained her grace and beauty. Her phoenix eyes still had that stubbornness brimming in them and an emerald like luster. Her face still had its suppleness making me somewhat jealous. In my previous life, I hadn't looked this way when I was in my middle age. Then it hit me, I was a teenager and I had more supple skin than her so I had to make sure that it stayed that way. My aunt was too immersed in her work and grumbling to notice that I was staring at her. I realized that she didn't give off that weird negative aura like in her last life.

"She must have turned over a new leaf." I thought to myself and found it funny. Her? Turn over a new leaf? I had rather believe that I been reborn. But just to be sure and not be prejudiced against her, I decided to ask.

"Aunt," I started. I was really quaking right now. "Do you hate me?"

The brush that been smoothing out my hair stopped midair and she lifted her head to look at me. Usually, her eyes would be filled with mockery and disdain towards me but this time, she actually looked at me with pain in my eyes. As I was in a swerve chair, she turned the chair around and it faced her. She put down the brush and got on her knew.

"Andre, do you hate me?" she asked and I really thought about it for the first time. Do I hate her? No, I wouldn't after all, she is family. I could never get any other person like her in my family so she is irreplaceable.

"No Aunt. I don't hate you. You are family and hating you is akin to hating the whole family." I answered. It's true. In my last life when the sky was crumbling, it was these few elders who tried to hold it up for me. Yes, she seemed annoying but she actually stepped in to help me when the Artemis family was pressuring me. Even though the sky eventually caved in on us, I am still grateful for having such family.

Maybe it's my words that moved her, but she actually teared up. She took a hold of my hands and looked at me with teary eyes.

"Dear Andrena, I acted all tough and against you and your brother in the past. Even after all that, you hold no grudges?" she asked.

"No! To hold grudges against family is bad. Even though some of your actions hurt me and Adrew in the past, I hold no grudges." I said immediately.

It was true. I could hold a grudge against an outsider but never against family because family is there for you no matter what! I could never side with outsiders to bully them!

"Oh, you sweet child. I am sorry for everything." She said and I hurriedly stood up, trying to get her off her knees.

"Aunt, even though you want to apologize, don't do it when you are on your knees. I really can't accept it. It's too disgraceful for me to let you kneel in front of me even." I said as I tried to lift her off her knees.

"Even so, as a person and an elder, I should know when to admit my mistake and apologize. For this I am really sorry, Andrena. I treated you and your brother with prejudice and jealousy. Yet you both still look to me as an elder." She said as she sobbed. Maybe it was because of her tears but I also started feeling emotional. I remembered how because of her, Adrew and his friend had been involved in accident. His friend had saved Adrew but he had lost his legs and became disabled. But he was kind and didn't blame our family. So many times, she had plotted against us but we managed to dodge them every single time while implicating others around us. Even with all that we still treated her like an elder no matter what.

Seeing her feeling sorry, I realized that this was a new life and a different one at that. Here, I can stop all those weird outcomes and end up with a beautiful happy ever after.

"Your brother even helped me and me of my husband and saved me from suffering from embarrassment and shame. My brother is really lucky. He has such thoughtful and intelligent children." She added as she wiped her tears. Her statement had me freeze and looked to her as if asking her to repeat her statement.

"I and my husband have decided to get a divorce. It seems his philandering ways will never stop." She added and I looked speechless. What? Divorce? This early? They don't divorce until I am twenty when the second woman has a child of three. How did my brother find out about this?

"Anyway, it's all in the past. If anyone ever bullies you, you must come and tell me. I will straighten them out." She said and I smiled.

Though I was suspicious of how Adrew knew of this, I decided to ask later. After all, no one would want their family to be split and against each other over trivial things. I hugged her and she hugged me back before we returned to my hair.

The only problem with having long hair was how long it took to style. But, no matter I love it.

"Aunt, you said that there was a huge workload and that Ale should go and help. Is it Christmas or is there an event I am unaware of you?" I asked. I was really curious. As it had started snowing and no sun was on a roll, I cannot rely on my knowledge of future events to sail through this life.

"Oh, you don't know? They must have not told since you haven't been feeling fine. Adrew said he will be back two days later so we are preparing for his return. That boy never seizes to surprise us. He was the second valedictorian at his university. When your father found out, he laughed so hard and immediately called and told all his friends. He even decided to hang Adrew's crystal himself. That old bag of bones is too jumpy."

Her words should have made excited but they instead made me feel like a bucket of ice had been dumped on my head. Adrew's crystal! I had never felt so panicked in my life. I was about to sprint downstairs as my room was on the second floor but I heard a commotion downstairs. I knew that I didn't have to tarry so I dashed out!

Nothing could go wrong!