"F– First Miss, it's a– it's a frame."
Lisa glanced at the black bag that was laying on the floor with a few objects popping out of it. A framed picture of half of Linda's face was seen peeking out from the bag. She squatted and pulled the picture out.
Lisa's eyes widened ever so slightly when she saw who was in the picture with her.
Ryan!
The two were in an intimate position: both had their eyes locked in a romantic stare. Linda had a contented smile on her lips. Ryan was inclining towards her; it seemed as though they were about to share a kiss. The dress she was wearing; white long dress was the same as the one on the picture that was trending.
Her mind flashed…
The night she arrived in the country, what greeted her sight was a billboard with Ryan hugging a lady in a white backless dress. He was all smiles in the picture. A couple more pictures were displayed on the billboard of the both of them, but in each picture, the lady was giving the world her back.
The headlines didn't help matters as a lot pointed to a happy union between the two, while side-lining Lisa… Some even called her a used-and-dumped rag.
When she saw the pictures, Linda didn't cross her mind for a second. How would she dare to think that her loving sister would betray her like that?
But now? Seeing the proof that her sister indeed betrayed her, Lisa didn't feel bad like she thought she would. Maybe they found love in each other's arms while she was away abroad. Or maybe it wasn't what it seemed. She gave Linda the benefit of the doubt.
Lisa put the picture down and poured out the content in the bag. There were a few more framed pictures of the 'couple'. In some, they were kissing, but one of the pictures sent a hard blow to Lisa's heart.
How could Linda frame a picture of them having sex in Lisa's room?! The disrespect was one she couldn't and wouldn't take. While she was abroad, the two not only hooked up behind her back and betrayed her, they had the effrontery to sully her room… her bed! She took the framed picture and headed out of the house.
After she left, the maid sighed deeply. It felt as though she's been holding her breath since forever. She pulled out her phone from her apron and dialed a number. A few seconds later, she spoke:
"Second Young Miss, your sister has seen the photos. She took the provocative one and I'm sure she's going to look for you."
'You've done well,' came the reply.
…
Lisa arrived at the hospital and the first person she went to look for was her Aunt. The woman was sitting by Mr. Qin's side on the bed and wiping his hand with a white towel, soaked in water.
Entering the VIP ward, Lisa threw the frame on the empty drawer beside the patient's bed.
'Boom'
The woman jolted from the frame slamming against the drawer. Before she could speak, Lisa asked:
"Are you aware of this?"
The woman put down the towel and slowly took the frame to see what it contained. Her eyes almost popped out of their socket when she saw her daughter and Ryan under the sheets with Ryan kissing her cheek. They looked exhausted with messy hair.
Mrs. Qin slowly glanced up at Lisa. She had no words to say at this point. But to her surprise, Lisa's face was blank… A blanked-faced Lisa is worse than a smirking Lisa!
She slowly got up and gently placed the frame back on the drawer.
"Li– Lisa, hear me out. I–"
No tangible excuse came to her mind no matter how hard she tried to defend what she just saw. Even she had no idea that Ryan and Linda had gone this far.
"You knew," it wasn't a question.
"Yes, I did. But I–"
"On my bed," Lisa spoke again. "Were they trying to provoke me?"
"H– huh?" Mrs. Qin was lost. She couldn't comprehend too fast. And that was because she didn't expect this reaction from Lisa. She thought Lisa would blow up like usual, but what was happening?
"Where is Linda?"
"I– I have no idea where she is. Please, Lisa, please calm down for the sake of your father and your ear. I promise to give Linda an earful when we get back home. She has offended you by–"
"She didn't offend me. I don't care what she did with that loser, Ryan. Why did she use my room?"
"Ah…." It finally clicked. Lisa was angry because Linda and Ryan desecrated her room. She ought to be. The woman balled her hands as she cussed Linda's pettiness in her heart. She gave birth to Linda, she understood that Linda did that solely to spite Lisa.
"Lisa, please, don't–"
"I care about my health and my father's health more than any of you would. So, I know I mustn't agitate him. You don't need to remind me. Just tell me where Linda is. I need an explanation at least… Don't I deserve that?"
"Certainly, you do. But I don't know where she is. She stormed out on me earlier and since then, she wouldn't take my calls. Maybe you should call her–"
"I wouldn't be here if she picked up." Lisa's responses were very unfriendly. They pierced straight into the woman's heart.
"Ah, I think I know where she is." Lisa took the frame and left the room. Even though her Aunt was calling her, she wouldn't decrease her pace, let alone look back.
…
Linda was seen in another VIP ward walking around in a relaxed manner as she thought of whatever was making her excited.
On the bed, Ryan, who was leaning against the wall with a bandaged head, asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea? Lisa might attempt to murder one of us." He sounded worried and scared.
"That is what I want. Let her attempt to kill me so the CCTV camera will catch that. This time, I'll leave no room for her to escape. Since she has found out, there's no reason to pretend anymore."
"But Linda–"