[Michelle Morrone: - Hard for Me]
“Will you marry me, Gia Rose Florence?” Hayes knelt, presenting a ring. It was breathtaking. For a moment, I was speechless, stunned by his audacity. To think I might actually marry this man…
“Ye–” The word caught in my throat before I could utter it. Hayes’s eyes widened in alarm. “Babe, why are you screaming? Is something wrong?” He pointed past me, then bolted, leaving me alone. “Babe! Wai–” Before I could finish the sentence, a wave crashed over me. Not a wave, but a frigid deluge.
I blinked, soaked to the skin. “Arghhhhhh! GRAYSON! BRANDON! NIALL!” I roared their names. Who else would do this? They’d tried to sabotage my happiness before, but this… this was a new low. I sat up, the bed saturated. A maid walked in, her eyes widening in shock. My mother followed close behind.
“Gia, are you alright? Why are you shouting, and why are you wet?” Mom asked, her tone laced with concern.
“Mommy…” I whined, reverting to a childish plea. “They did this to me.” I pouted. She approached, her expression softening.
“Oh, Gia. They’re just trying to rile you up. You’re already late for work, and you didn’t even stir when I tried to wake you earlier.”
“Mom, seriously? You’re taking their side? I’m your only daughter. How can you do this to me?” Frustration surged. I couldn’t believe my mother was siding with them.
“I’ll have the maid dry out your bed. Now get your backside to the bathroom, or your father will have my head. Go!” I dragged myself to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. I stared at my reflection, drenched and furious. They’d pay for this. I needed to plot my revenge. Just wait, you three.
After drying off, I headed to the walk-in closet, pulling on a black pencil skirt and a dark blue blouse. I tied my hair into a ponytail. It was thick, but not overly so, falling just past my shoulders. After my usual routine, I stepped out of the room, presentable and seething.
Glancing at the time, I realized I wasn’t late. It was only 7:15 AM, giving me forty-five minutes to reach the office. I walked into the dining room, finding my three brothers and parents already at breakfast. “Morning,” I greeted them all, fixing a glare on Niall, Grayson, and Brandon. I didn’t understand why Niall was here; he had a fiancé and a house of his own.
“Looking good, baby sis,” Niall said, the twins chuckling. I ignored them, settling next to Mom. I grabbed a piece of toast, spreading strawberry jam on it.
“Looks like someone’s in a mood,” Grayson observed.
“Shut up, or I’ll throw this toast at you, Grayson.”
“Is there something going on, kids?” My father always called us ‘kids,’ even now. “Huh, Gia?”
“You know what, three of–” Brandon cut me off, and my anger flared. I loved them, but this was too much.
“Maybe she’s just having a bad day. It’s Monday, after all. Most people feel groggy. Just like Gia.” I remained silent, continuing to eat.
~~~~~
I sat in my office, working as an accountant. I loved balancing the books, and landing this job at my father’s company had been a stroke of luck. Then, a knock on the door. “Come in.”
Jack entered, dressed in his usual black suit, smiling. “Busy?” I shook my head, though I had plenty of work to do.
“What brings you here?” I asked.
“I had a meeting nearby and thought I’d drop by, see how you and your father are doing.” I smiled. “What’s with the smile?”
“It’s been a while since we had a chance to talk, you know. I’m just happy when you’re around.”
“Why do you have a problem with Hayes? What has he done? Do you want me to have people beat him up?” I laughed, testing him.
“No, no. I don’t have any problems with Hayes at all. I’m happy for you. He seems like the one, doesn’t he?”
“Well, maybe yes, maybe not.”
“I hope he is. Pray for me, Jack.” He nodded. “Oh, yeah. Jack, can you help me with something?” I remembered the revenge I wanted to inflict on Niall, Brandon, and Grayson.
“Help with what?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Revenge.” I winked, expecting his disapproval. “But why? Please, just this once, and I won’t ask you to do anything stupid again.” I pleaded.
“You guys are just too childish. What did they do to you today?” He leaned back in his chair.
“They ruined my dream. I was about to say yes to Hayes, and we were going to get married, but they doused me in cold water. They didn’t even apologize for ruining my perfect moment, for soaking my bed. I explained, watching his lips twitch into a chuckle. “What? Funny? Oh, hilarious.”
“Look, Gia, it was just a dream. And they probably did it to wake you up. You sleep like the dead. Who knows, maybe that was the only way to rouse you.”
“Wait, are you siding with them too?” I scoffed. “I thought you were always on my side, no matter what.”
“I’m not taking sides in this stupid game. If you want to take revenge, do it yourself. I’m not interested.”
“Guess you don’t love your little sister anymore. Fine. I understand.” I turned back to my work, sensing my plan was working.
“Just this once.” He sighed.
“I know I love you, my sweet little sister.”
“I know!” I hugged him, then quickly laid out the plan. He looked regretful, but he’d given his word. Perfect.
~~~~~~
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jack asked for the hundredth time.
“Jack, you agreed to this. Please stop questioning me.” I knew my brothers would be furious, but they’d started this war.
During lunchtime, Jack and I returned home, armed with our weapons. We checked to make sure Mom wasn’t home before rushing upstairs to Niall’s room. “I feel like a thief in my own house,” I chuckled. This was the first time Jack had willingly helped me with a prank.
“So, Niall planned this morning’s attack. He’s going to get a surprise waiting for him. Hurry up.” We’d bought gallons of slime, enough to coat Niall’s room. I smeared it everywhere, especially on his bed, turning the white fabric a sickly green. “Sorry, Niall, but I mean it!” After an hour, we were done. Not only the room, but also the bathtub. He'd love that.
“This is insane, Gia. You’re going to get killed.” Jack said, and I just laughed.
“Let’s move on to Grayson’s room.” We headed to Grayson’s room, this time armed with fake snakes. Grayson had once planted a cockroach in my bed—five or six of them. This was payback. I stuffed snakes under his blanket, under his pillow, in his closet, and even a few in the toilet. Take that.
“Last stop: Brandon.” I turned to Jack. “Lighten up. Didn’t you have fun?”
“I don’t know. But if you want to pull another prank, count me in!” He grinned. I was surprised.
“Really? Yes! Welcome to the team.” I high-fived him. We replaced Brandon’s shampoo with pink dye, knowing he’d once turned my hair blue. I swapped his favorite cologne with pepper spray, careful to match the label. Brilliant.
“Okay, we’re done. Let’s get out of here.” We slipped out of the house, avoiding the maids. Mom wasn’t home, thankfully.
“I can’t wait to see their reactions. You have to be there too, alright?”
“I’m excited too. I never feel like this, maybe because it’s fun.”
“Well, I’ll see you later. Bye-bye.” I waved goodbye and climbed into my car. We drove separately, it was easier.
I was excited to see if the plan worked.
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It’s wartime for Gia, Niall, Brandon, and Grayson. What did you think about the revenge Gia took on them?
How's Chapter 2?
I hope you guys like it.
Much love from me.
Little Munchkin