After Josephine heard about what Isabelle did to all of their workers, she tried so hard to talk to Isabelle and hire Nana again but Isabelle didn't listen and reasoned out that she wanted a peaceful household for her children. But even though Isabelle had already refused to hire Nana again, Josephine still tried to convince her to hire even a babysitter for the children so there will be someone with them when she is busy. And again, Isabelle refused saying she could handle both her children and her work at once.
Josephine eventually stopped persuading her after realizing Isabelle won't listen to her. She decided she'll just visit and checks her grandchildren as frequent as possible. She even planned to buy a property next to them since the one she was staying was quite far from their house because her children choose to live far from them when they all got their own families.
After a few weeks, Gabriella's health went back to its normal state and she could finally go back to school and play with her mates after a few weeks of staying in bed. Alex went to her room to wake his sister up since he knew there will be no Nana to wake them up anymore. He's old enough to understand the situation in their house but not old enough to be exposed to what kind of relationship her elder have.
"Umm where's Nana?" Gabriella asked after seeing her brother in front of her instead of her favourite friend, Nana. It has been a week since Isabelle had fired all the workers including Nana but Gabriella still keeps on looking for her every day and she would constantly cry whenever Isabelle tried to come near her.
"She's back to her hometown and she'll be staying there for a few months so you have to be healthy and when she came back, show her how good you were when she's away." Alex lied. And in those words little Gabriella believed. Alex was assisting her jolly little sister as they walk towards their dining hall while Gabriella was telling her brother stories about what she have dreamed of last night and how excited she is to finally be back to school.
When they entered the dining hall, Isabelle was already there sipping her tea and waiting for them. Isabelle turned her head to them and a smile form on her glossy lips. Though her mother was smiling at them politely, Gabriella still feel scared as it was still fresh on her mind what she had experienced in her mother's hand. She grabbed the hem of her brother's garment and hide behind his back.
Isabelle was not so happy when she how Gabriella acted towards her, it was obvious how her smile disappeared and her expression sadden a bit but she tried to show her disappointment towards them so she just stand up and serve the two kids their breakfast.
"I'll eat a lot so when Nana comes back, I'll be big and healthy!" Gabriella said to her brother with so much energy which made Isabelle winched.
"Nana won't come back anymore." Isabelle bluntly said.
"Brother Alex said she'll be back so she will!" Gabriella strongly said. Her gripped on her spoon tighten and tears started to form in her eyes, threatening to fall anytime.
"If I said she will not be back anymore then she will not. Believe in you fantasies but I don't care anymore." Isabelle said before she exited the dining hall. Gabriella began to cry, but fortunately Alex was there to comfort her, and after a while, the crying ceased.
They quickly got dressed for school and, fortunately, a driver was waiting to take them there. They now ride in a black SUV as their driver takes them to school. Before going to his room, Alex sent her younger sister to her room first. Then, after making sure his sister was secure, he proceeded to make his way to his own room.
All three of Gabriella, Carlos, and Gabriella attended the same school while Alex was in the other building since he is already a high school student. Carlos and Gabriella were classmates, although Sofia was in a different room since she was a year older. During recess, however, Gabriel and Sofia were always playing together on the field.
Days, weeks, and months passed before Gabriella overcame her reluctance to speak with Isabelle and began to rebuild her relationship with her, but something with Sofia came up once more. Because of Sofia's jealousy as a child towards Gabriella she would constantly make lies about Gabriella to which Isabelle always believed without even hearing Gabriella's side.
Every time Sofia spoke a falsehood to Gabriella, Isabelle made sure to punish her so that she wouldn't do it again, even though Gabriella had done nothing wrong. The first time Sofia lied, Gabriella was told she couldn't play with her friends after school and that she had to leave as soon as their classes were through. This made Sofia's day perfect, so she started making up lies all the time and laughing at her cousin as she suffered.
It became Sofia's obsession as they grew older, and Gabriella nearly despised leaving her room. Gabriella had had such trauma from Sofia that she would always experience a rapid heartbeat anytime she heard her name as if something bad were about to happen. The connection between Gabriella and Isabelle was likewise tarnished by such falsehoods.
On Gabriella's sixteenth birthday, she wished for Sofia's disappearance which came true after Sofia was sent to another country for being involved in some controversy that would damage her father's name. But Sofia's disappearance was not enough to make Gabriella and Isabelle's relationship to go back to what it was before. This relationship they had stayed until both of them got used to it.
When Gabriella heard Sofia's name again from her brother, she can't avoid remembering how bad she suffers because of Sofia's lies. Memories flashed in her mind like a water fall, running wild and free. Her heart beat go fast and her knees started to tremble. She tried to remember where Sofia could lie again until she remembers the moment Sofia saw her with Charles.
Gabriella immediately packs her thing without even speaking to her friends while her friends keep on asking what had happened. Her friends started to on how she was acting but even though how much they call and asked her, she wouldn't answer as though her ears was covered with something making her unable to hear them.
"I have to go home." Was the only thing Gabriella said before leaving her friends. She was walking so fast that she almost slipped on the stairs. It was getting dark outside so her friends tried to stop her but she didn't budge and she continues on walking her way to their house. The darkness outside didn't affect her decision until she finally arrived at their house.
When she arrived at their house, she found her big brother and her mother both sitting on the sofa in their living room. She immediately walks to her mother and kissed the back of her hands before she turned to her brother.
"What is it?" Gabriella asked. Her brother looked at her and smiled.
"Sofia didn't actually say anything. I only wanted to send you home, but I knew it would not be enough, so I did something that I knew would definitely send you home." Alex explained which made Gabriella's jaw dropped.
Gabriella couldn't believe what she was hearing from her brother, she wanted to cry, get mad and screamed but she remained calm. She started walking away but her brother called her once again so she stopped and turned her gaze back to him.
"Aren't you going to eat with us?" Alex asked.
"I've eaten already." Gabriella answered and continues walking towards her room. And when she finally enters her room, she looked the door and her tears started to fall from her eyes like a faucet. She remember something she's finally starting to forget because her brother only wants to make her come back home, all the pain she felt back them comes back. She couldn't believe the only person who she considers an ally in their household used her trauma against her. She was not betrayed but it feel like it, and what hurts her more is that all she could do was to secretly cry behind her doors while trying to suppress her voice so her family wouldn't hear her. She badly wants to talk how hurt she felt but she knew they would only consider her as a villain not understanding them when she does that.
After a few minutes of crying, Gabriella finally stands up and sat in front of her study table and started working on her reviewer. She stayed up until she finally feels satisfied before lying down on her bed and sleep. Going to bed after a long hours of sitting in front of you study table was the best thing you could have after filling your brain with knowledge you were required to learn and finishing activities you school required you to do.
The next morning, Gabriella immediately prepared for herself and ate her breakfast with Alex sitting next to her. When they were done, Alex drove Gabriella all the way to their campus. Gabriella was wearing an earphone and playing instrumental music while reading her reviewer so she could avoid talking with her brother as well as use the spare time to review.
When Gabriella entered their classroom, her friends immediately approached her and asked her about what happened to her last night but she was not in her best shape to answer them to she just told them it was nothing and continue sitting on her chair. She started to read her reviewers quietly while her friends was still hesitating whether they should continue to nag her or just leave her alone but in the ended they just decided to wait until the exam is over so they could share each other's tea without worrying of something.
After waiting for a while, their lecturer eventually came, and they began to take their examination. Everything was going smoothly for Gabriella until she was reminded of what happened the previous night. She stopped in the middle of answering and it took her minutes to continue again causing her to be left alone answering their examination to which her friends was shock. It was that moment when they realized, something was wrong with her.
"Gab, tell us what happened last night." Olivia said. They're all eating lunch at the cafeteria right now. There were fewer pupils in the cafeteria at the time since some of them were eating lunch on the field or in their classrooms.
"Yeah, you left us without informing us what happened." Vanessa butts in.
"It was already dark when you leave Olivia's house. Where did you go?" Chloe asked. They all continue asking Gabriella questions one by one not giving her time to answer until Gabriella finally raise her hand and stopped them from asking questions anymore.
"I went home last night, something happened in the house that I had to be back but it's all fine now so continue eating because we still have few subjects to take." Gabriella answered. Her friends didn't answer anymore and just continue eating, such an obedient friend Gabriella have there.
They all returned to their room after they were done with their lunch. And as usual, they continue reviewing until their lecturer arrived and distributed their test papers. The whole class continued answering their questionnaire. They did the same thing with all the remaining subject until they were all done with all the subjects.
"I could finally relax and watch my favourite drama!" Vanessa said after leaving the classroom while stretching her body a bit.
"I could finally play my video games without thinking of anything!" Chloe said.
"Summer vacation is waving!" Olivia screamed when she goes out of the classroom to which their other classmates including those students who heard her cheered up.
"Should we go and have some fun at the mall?" Gabriella asked with a very wide smile on her lips. Her friends immediately agreed and walks to the bathroom so they could put some light make up on their faces and look more decent.
They were already arguing what they should first do in the mall when they arrived while they were walking towards the gate of their campus while Gabriella was just laughing how her friends were so good at roasting each other. After what happened last night, Gabriella's finally having fun again or so she thought. Sofia bumped into them and heard that they were talking about going to the mall.
"Can I go with you guys?" Sofia asked. Olivia was ready to tell her she's not allowed to go with them when politely answered her.
"Sure!" Gabriella answered with a smile on her lips. She let her join them since she feared that she might make lies against her again when she didn't allow her to come. Sofia called her friends before they continue walking.
When they arrived at the mall, Gabriella started to regret her decision on letting Sofia join them. Instead of having fun, all she did was to adjust for Sofia. She's starting to feel disgusted towards herself for not being able to do anything to someone who's younger than her but to satisfy her.
'Oh, lord! Please have mercy on me and put this young lady away from me again.'