After Mrs. Dragon was resuscitated by the family doctor, Henry wasted no time trying to understand why she had fainted.
"Could it be because of Andrea, Mom?" he asked her.
"You're right, Henry. Of course, I was the reason why she fainted," I thought to myself. But Mrs. Dragon denied it, as expected.
"No, Henry. Why would you say that? I'm so happy to have Andrea back in the mansion, and she knows it. Isn't that right, Andrea?" She turned towards me.
I forced a smile and nodded slightly.
"But I thought you two just got divorced recently," she said, directing her comment at us.
The nerve of this woman! She couldn't even wait a few hours before bringing up the divorce.
Thank God Henry didn't respond to her question, and I followed suit.
"Come with me, Andrea. Dinner's at 5. You and the kids need to rest before then," said Henry.
He held my hand and beckoned for the kids to follow us. But his mother quickly rose from the couch, where she had been lying since the doctor resuscitated her. She offered to take me to my room instead.
She took my hand from Henry's and told me to come with her, but Henry stopped her.
"That won't be necessary. From today, she will be staying in my room." He sounded irritated.
He beckoned for me to follow him, but I didn't move. I stood my ground.
"What's the problem?" he asked.
"You are my problem, Henry. What makes you think I would want to stay in the same room with you? The Andrea of six years ago would have killed to sleep in the same room as the Almighty Henry Dragon, but not this new Andrea. I could care less if I had to sleep on the ground as long as you won't be there." I smirked at him.
"I would never sleep on that filthy bed with you. You already defiled it by sleeping with Monica on our matrimonial bed. You disgust me," I said angrily, then turned towards Mrs. Dragon.
"Shall we?" Mrs. Dragon led the way, and I followed closely behind her.
Mrs. Dragon took me to my former room, and it was as though I had never left. Everything was exactly as I had left it.
The kids were shown to their rooms, and I tried to rest for a bit before dinner. But then I heard noises coming from Henry's room. I came out to see what was happening.
I almost fell to the ground laughing. Henry Dragon was the cause of my amusement.
He had called in some of his workers and had them change the bed to a new one.
Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Of course, it was because of what I had said. But what baffled me was how shamelessly he was going about it.
He could have been discreet to at least save face or avoid drawing attention, but he chose not to. It was as if he wanted me to see that he was discarding the old bed and bringing in a new one.
"Good work, Henry. I hope you learn to respect this bed for both our sakes." I tapped his shoulder, smirked, and then went back into my room.
When it was exactly five in the evening, a maid came into my room to call me to dinner.
I went with my kids to the dining room, and we all took our seats at the dining table.
This was the first time I had seen Jeff in six years. He looked lean and sick. We greeted each other briefly. He didn't seem happy to see me; I guess he still thinks I'm responsible for his father's death.
I told the kids to start eating. I picked up a spoon and tried to eat as well because I was famished, but my mother-in-law stopped me and the kids.
"In this house, no one is allowed to eat unless all the family members are present," she said.
" Who else could she be referring to?" I pondered. Henry and Jeff were already here, so who might she mean? And since when did such rules exist in this house?
I asked her who she was referring to. She pointed at Jeff.
"His wife and child."
I was surprised to hear that Jeff was married; I didn't even know he'd been married for four years now. My mother-in-law couldn't stop smiling as she talked about Jeff and his family.
I wondered about the type of woman he had married. He didn't look like someone happily married. Couldn't Mrs. Dragon see that Jeff didn't look healthy?
"Here they come," said Mrs. Dragon, a huge smile spreading across her face.
Immediately, I saw a little boy run towards Mrs. Dragon. She picked him up and began to swing him from left to right and back again. She showered him with kisses and asked if he had enjoyed his outing with his mother. The little boy nodded his head affirmatively.
I couldn't help but wonder why Mrs. Dragon treated this child differently from my children. After all, they are all her grandchildren, so why the discrimination?
A woman's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I turned my attention to the food on the table. But that voice sounded so familiar.
It was Jeff's wife. She was calling out to him for help. He excused himself and went to assist her. Afterward, he returned to his seat at the dining table, but at that moment, I saw his wife walk into the room. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was her—my former best friend, Lisa. The one who conspired with the Dragons to send me to that psychiatric hospital where I almost lost my mind. And now, she had finally found her way into the Dragon family.
She finally got what she wanted: to be a member of the Dragon family.
Now I have a new name on my list for destruction. This house is undoubtedly a house of villains. Only the strong can survive here.
But are they all ready for what's coming to them?