Preslie was called home.
Just as a stray dog was called.
After slapping Amelia that day, she'd rushed out the house without any further thought.
When she arrived at some strange deserted place, she'd stopped and stared at her palms for an interminable amount of time.
She couldn't understand where her sudden surge of boldness had come from.
That she would have the guts to hit Amelia.
She had been teased, bullied, and laughed at by Amelia ever since she was young and not once had she dared to fight back.
This time, however, she'd found her courage and stood up to Amelia.
Later on, Preslie went to Selina's house only to find out that she wasn't home.
Preslie didn't dare to go home so she found a motel and stayed there for a few nights. However, her parents found her eventually and drove her home.
Once they'd reached home, she immediately received an earful from her parents.
"Preslie Fernandez, how dare you slap Amelia? She's your sister! How could you be so rude as to hit her?"
"Raising a dog would be better than raising you. How dare you hit your sister!"
"If you ruined your gorgeous sister's face, I'll have to make you pay for it. Your sister needs to use her beauty to marry into a rich family. She's our precious treasure, you absolutely cannot lay a hand on her!"
Amelia felt elated listening to her parents teaching Preslie a lesson.
She said, "Mom, Dad, Preslie's just jealous that I'm more beautiful than her, that's why she slapped me! She just wants me to be disfigured!"
Her mother immediately comforted Amelia. "Amelia, don't argue with your sister. She's ugly and fat, it's normal for her to be jealous. But I never thought she'd slap you. She's utterly heartless."
Amelia replied, "Mom, she must have wanted to do this for a long time, she just didn't have the guts to do it before. Now that she has a rich friend and almost became the only bridesmaid at the wedding, she became brave enough to do what she always wanted to do, but..." Amelia paused and then she let out a sigh.
Amelia initially wanted to say that Preslie's rich friend was dead too and that Preslie had no one with her anymore. But when Amelia recalled the deathly glare Preslie had given her when she brought it up the last time, Amelia stopped herself.
Hearing Amelia's words, Celine was angrier.
She pointed to Preslie and said, "You wicked girl, how could you have such a rotten heart? You've wanted to hit your sister all this time. How did I never see how evil you were all along? I suppose what they say is true, ugly on the outside, ugly on the inside."
Preslie's heart stung as she listened to her mom scolding her.
Ugly on the outside, ugly on the inside.
Wicked girl.
Were these words someone used to describe their own daughter?
How could her parents be so biased? She and Amelia were both their blood related daughters.
The only difference between them was that she'd been chubby since she was a child. It wasn't her fault. She didn't ask to be born this way. Did her parents just hate her so much?
Preslie sniffled.
She said nothing.
She had been bullied and mistreated this way since she was a child. Years of abuse had made her a coward who refused to rebel.
She just stood there listening to her parents and Amelia's scolding until Amelia came up to her.
Amelia's eyes were malicious. "Preslie, since you slapped me, I want you to have a taste of your own medicine, tenfold."
A look of shock flashed across Preslie's eyes.
She thought Amelia would let it go after berating her for so long, but she did not expect her sister to want to hit her back.
Before she could speak, Amelia slapped her.
Amelia was brutal and Preslie's face immediately turned red.
Pain.
The pain was unbearable.
Preslie covered her face. "I gave you a slap, and so did you. We're even now."
Amelia snorted coldly.
How could she just let Preslie win so easily?
That would never happen!
Amelia stared at her and said, "There are still nine slaps. Just look forward to it!"
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