The Rebirth of a Scorned Heiress

“Hello, Lily, can I have a word with you?” Mrs Smith, who had been standing around the backstage area of the competition in disguise, asked as Lily walked out to get some fresh air.

Hearing the voice, Lily groaned inwardly, already dreading the conversation they would have. She could already imagine how the whole thing would play out.

Her week had been so stressful. Being a victim of Merrisa Smith’s plagiarism and assault case, she had to travel back and forth from the competition venue to the police station almost every day to give her statements and provide evidence to help the case progress smoothly.

Although the major reason why she decided to go every day was to rile Merissa up. But that is just by the way.

Meeting one of the Smiths right now would only add to her stress. However, she could tell there was no way she’d be getting out of the whole situation without having to meet them.

“Hello, Mrs Smith. How can I help you?” She replied curtly, startling Mrs Smith.

“Do you have a minute?” Mrs Smith asked cautiously, and Lily hummed.

“I do; how may I help you?” Lily replied.

“Then can we move to some other places? This place is not quite convenient to have a conversation.

I heard your team isn’t presenting until tomorrow, so you don’t have to go back now, do you?”

“Mrs Smith, I’m not sure what you want, but I’d like you to get straight to the point. I can tell this meeting is about Merrisa.” Lily cut her off with a glare and a snappy tone.

Mrs. Smith hesitated for a moment, taken aback by Lily’s directness, but quickly composed herself.

“Yes, you’re right. This is about Merrisa. As her mother, I’m concerned about her future, and I’m here to ask for your help in resolving this situation.”

Lily raised an eyebrow, her suspicions confirmed. “I’m not sure what you expect me to do, Mrs. Smith. Your daughter’s actions have consequences, and it’s not my place to interfere with the investigation. Besides, how do you want me to resolve the situation? I’m not the police officer in charge.”

Mrs. Smith took a step closer, her voice dropping to a pleading whisper. “Please, Lily, I know Merrisa made a terrible mistake, but she’s still young and has her entire life ahead of her. If she ends up in prison, her future will be ruined. I’m begging you to reconsider pressing charges.”

“My family did you wrong, and we regret it, but please give Merissa another chance. Don’t take away her future from her,” she pleaded, and Lily scoffed in annoyance.

“I should not take away her future from her. Oh, how rich coming from your mouth! She pushed me down the stairs! I could have lost a limb, and that’s putting it lightly! I could have died!” She yelled angrily.

“And here you are telling me not to take her future from her; did she ever consider she could have been doing the same to me? Huh?!”

Mrs. Smith pursed her lips and moved back a little. “I’m sorry about that. It was a childish mistake, and she already learned her lesson; it would never happen again,” she pleaded.

Lily’s eyes narrowed as she let out a deep breath. Thinking about how the original body owner has lost her life to Merissa’s shock had really riled her up after hearing Mrs Smith’s words. Nonetheless, she knew exchanging banter would do nothing to bring her back.

“Mrs. Smith, I understand your concern for your daughter, but I cannot ignore the harm she has caused. Plagiarism is a serious offence, and her bullying has affected not only me but also other designers in the competition. We cannot let her actions go unpunished.” Lily spoke carefully.

“If she is realised without being punished, history will repeat itself. And who am I to go against the law? You said she had learned her lesson, and just a few days ago, she tried pushing me down the platform. How am I supposed to believe someone like her changed?” She pointed it out.

Sensing that her initial approach wasn’t working, Mrs. Smith changed tactics, her voice hardening. “I understand your sense of justice, Lily, but you must also consider the consequences of going through with this. Did you somehow forget your place as a lowly peasant?” She sneered.

“I can make you and your pathetic family disappear within a few hours! I’m only giving you choices because I feel bad for you! So what if she did those things? With the right connection, we can have them erased!” She threatened.

Lily’s jaw clenched, her anger simmering just below the surface as her eyes twitched continuously.

“Are you threatening me, Mrs. Smith? Because that’s not going to work either. I refuse to be intimidated, and I won’t back down from doing what’s right.”

“What if I am threatening you? What will you do? Report me to the cops?” Mrs Smith replied smugly.

Lily gave her a stink eye, “it’s true the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” she breathed out and began walking back into the venue.

“I don’t have anything to say to you, Mrs. Smith. I’m sure the media will have a field day when they get the news that you came to threaten me,” she chuckled.

“Hmph! I’d like to see how you’ll do it without proof. I’ve given you a life-saving grace, Lily. Take my offer, I chip in some millions as payment for keeping your mouth shut and we can all forget about this” she bargained.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Lily turned back to face her with her phone in hand. She clicked on the screen and the recordings of their conversation began to play.

“Who said I have no proof? Do you know it’s a crime to threaten a witness?” She asked with an amused smile as she took in the older woman’s terrified appearance.

“Do you want to know the truth? I was the whistleblower who outed your daughter to the police. You think I’ll let her go after she tries to kill me? In your dreams!” Lily snapped.

“And seeing how you are hurriedly trying to clean up the mess made by your daughter by shutting me up, I can guess the Smith Corporation’s reputation is in the mud,” she snickered.

“I’m not going to withdraw my charges against Merrisa, so you can get that out of your mind. She did it, and she deserves whatever comes to her!” She declared firmly and walked in.

Mrs Smith stumbled as her knees became weak. She quickly held on to the wall behind her to stabilise her balance.

Before coming to meet with Lily, she had gone to her parents, who were very unwelcoming; they had even threatened to call the cops on her. Thinking Lily would be an easy target if her parents were brought into the equation, she came to find her but never expected this outcome.

While stabilising her breath, her phone rang, “Hello,” which she greeted without checking the caller ID.

“You still have time to say hello?!” Mr. Smith bellowed; his loud, angry voice almost caused her to go deaf.

Angrily, she hissed and began chasing him. “Why are you taking out your temper on me again?”

“If things aren’t working the way you want, just find another way to solve them! Must you show the world you are an asshole?” She snapped back.

“Says the woman who went to threaten the victim without doing it properly! Get back here this instant and find a way to clear things up.” He declared and hung up.

While thinking about the call, Mrs. Smith’s phone continued to blow up with various messages from people in her circle.

She clicked on her best friend’s message, and her face immediately went pale in shock.

“You are all over the media!”