Dear Sweetheart

Chapter 10

Cufflink After withdrawing some cash from the bank, Rayna took a taxi and arrived at the hospital twenty minutes later. She entered a ward to see her mother lying in bed with a leg cast. There was also a young woman in her early twenties seated nearby, screaming away while playing a game on her phone. “What happened, Mom?” Rayna asked, walking over and placing some fruits on the table while gazing at the older woman with a frown. “Weren’t you perfectly fine? How did you end up with a broken leg?” “I fell down while doing some cleaning,” Linda stammered, seemingly afraid of her daughter. “It’s no big deal.” “That is not what happened,” Roxanne butted in icily. “She was cleaning windows as her part-time job and fell so hard that she couldn’t get up.” Rayna’s brows furrowed. “Mom, why can’t you just keep watch at the library? Why did you end up cleaning part-time?” Linda lowered her head, not daring to speak.

“She just couldn’t stand being bored, not to mention she’s totally brainless,” Roxanne murmured while putting her phone down. “She fell at someone else’s house but chose to call me instead of getting them to pay for the damages. What an idiot.” “Shut your mouth, Roxanne!” Rayna threw her purse onto the bed in a fit. “This is your mother lying in bed, and you’re calling her an idiot? Would she have had you if she were brainless?” “Am I wrong?” the younger woman retorted, although still not daring to start a fight with her sister. “Anyway, I’ll be going now that you’re here. Oh, my school fees are due, by the way.” Rayna laughed in exasperation. “It’s no wonder you told me to bring more cash. You have fees to pay, huh?”

“Give it to her, Honey,” Linda piped up. “Her fees cost a bomb. I’ll pay you back when I get more money.” A sense of helplessness crept into Rayna. She resented Linda so much for insisting on having more children when the latter couldn’t afford to, and now, the burden of looking after them fell on her shoulders since she was the oldest sibling. If Linda hadn’t swallowed her pride and gone around borrowing money just to fund Rayna’s education at the overseas translation academy, the latter wouldProperty of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

have abandoned her family by now. Thankfully, she had worked hard on her own and managed to mingle with the Faymons, although she also had her fair share of rebuffs from Rolanda after getting married to Julian. At present, Rayna suppressed her emotions and took a stack of cash out of her purse, accidentally retrieving the cufflink too. The tiny cufflink rolled on the floor, and Roxanne picked it up. “Rayna, this cufflink’s worth a ton!” she exclaimed with twinkling eyes, aware of the item’s brand since she read fashion magazines frequently. “Are you really close to this guy?” Although Julian worked at Faymon Group, Roxanne knew how much of a cheapskate he was.

There’s no way Julian will buy something this fancy even though he earns so much. Rayna must’ve gone looking for some other guy. “It’s none of your business,” Rayna responded curtly while snatching the cufflink and stuffing it back into her purse. Then she handed the wad of cash over. “This is the last time I’ll pay your school fees. Make your own money from now on. Do you hear me?” Seeing her sister remain mum, Rayna raised her voice and reiterated, “Do you hear me, Roxanne Griffith?” “Yes, I do!” Roxanne pouted, grabbing the money the moment it was in front of her. “Honey, you look like you still have some cash. Why don’t you give that to your brother? He said he doesn’t have enough,” Linda said as she glanced at Rayna’s purse. “This is for your hospital bills, Mom.” Having already given half her salary to Rolanda, Rayna grew infuriated as soon as her mother requested her to finance her brother too. “He goes to a school with accommodation. The school provides his food, and I buy him new clothes every month! What more does he need?” “Well, he’s a guy. He always goes out for meals with his friends,” Linda replied meekly. After counting the money she had just received, Roxanne leaned close to her sister. “I’m not young anymore, Rayna. Surely you must know a few executives at Faymon Group. Why don’t you introduce me to one of them?” “Get out of here, Roxanne.” Rayna clenched her fists while gritting her teeth. “Keep pissing me off, and you won’t get a single cent for your fees.” At that, Roxanne backed off in fear and stopped talking. Before leaving the ward, however, she snuck open Rayna’s purse and swiped the cufflink while the latter was in the middle of a conversation with their mother.