Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled

Chapter 25

Chapter 25 Once I got back to Sterling Estates, it was time for lunch. Ada saw me and respectfully greeted me. Glancing at the still delicious-looking food and thinking about Neil and Bonnie, I suddenly lost my appetite and headed straight upstairs. “Ma’am, are you feeling unwell? Should I call a doctor?” Ada asked, following me upstairs with concern. Ever since I forgave her for breaking my skincare products, she’s been extra attentive to my needs. If she wasn’t Bonnie’s mother, I might actually like having her as a ser vant. “No, I just don’t feel like eating. You guys go ahead,” I replied irritably, lying on my bed. Ada wisely didn’t push the issue and quietly left the room. As my thoughts swirled, I fell asleep. If it wasn’t for Stella’s incessant calls, I could’ve slept till tomorrow, Stella’s voice was filled with excitement, “Fantastic! The Cellobella of Rosemont College is back!” “Huh?” I mumbled groggily, not understanding what she meant. “I sent you a link. Check it out, now!” Stella exclaimed before hanging up. I checked my missed calls and saw that both Alicia Rider and Barbara had called me three times, but I didn’t pick up Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

I opened the link Stella sent via WhatsApp. It was a video of my performance at Rosemont College’s music hall earlier today. I was seated at the far left, but the camera kept zooming in on me like someone had a crush on me. Then there were a bunch of comments praising me, calling me a beauty with great temperament, the once Cellobella of Rosemont College. It put a smile on my face and woke me right up. Who wouldn’t like being complimented? It was my first time experiencing this feeling. I’ve received compliments before, but mostly because of my dad’s status. This was the first time I was admired purely for my own charm. Stella called again just as I finished watching the video, “How about that? You’re famous now, hahaha…” “It’s quite unexpected,” I admitted, in a good mood, “Guess I’m still charming!”

“Absolutely! Back then Neil was just blinded. You had so many suitors yet you chose him,” Stella was clearly still bitter about it. “Let bygones be bygones. I’ve moved on, haven’t I?” I sighed, a trace of melancholy in my voice. “Since you’re over it, let’s go for a drink. I’ve got nothing to do. Maybe we can turn you into an internet celebrity,” Stella began planning ahead. “Then we four can form a band, with Barbara as the lead singer and us three as the band. Perfect!” Stella was daydreaming. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. Where are you? Let’s all have a meal together, no more drinking.” I was starving by now, I couldn’t abandon my weight gain plan. “Okay, I know a café. Their hand-brewed coffee and desserts are amazing, better than any Michelin- starred restaurant I’ve been to. I’ll send you the address!” After receiving the café address, I quickly changed and headed out. Unexpectedly, I bumped into my dad outside the café. He just finished dining with some friends. “Dad” I called out. “Rena, what are you doing here?” My dad was surprised to see me, his friends were looking at me too. One of his friends asked, “Mr. Finch, is your daughter the cellist who performed at Rosemont College today? She’s gaining quite the popularity online!” My dad must’ve seen the video, he looked proud but kept his cool, “It’s not a big deal. She majored in cello back in college, hasn’t played for years though.” “She’s still that good after not playing for years? Mr. Finch, your daughter is truly remarkable!” “She’s pretty too, very elegant.” Listening to the praises, I felt proud but also a bit shy. Me, elegant? Stella called me again, urging me to get inside. “Dad, Stella’s waiting for me. I gotta go!” “Go ahead, I’m heading home too, my dad waved. As I headed towards the café, I suddenly wanted to tell my dad that I would be home for dinner in a few days. But then I saw a woman, around forty, getting out of my dad’s car. She was standing under the streetlight, wearing a black and white dress, looking both elegant and captivating. She bowed to my

dad before taking the driver’s seat. I remember our driver being afran. Did my dad hire a female driver? I felt a bit uneasy, confused “Rena, what are you doing?” Alicia just arrived, seeing me standing at the entrance, she teased. “I was waiting for you Feel special? i snapped back to reality, linking arms with Alicia as we walked in, “Let’s go, Stella’s been urging mer We chatted and walked into our reserved room. The smell of coffee filled the air, and classical piano music was playing softly in the background it was soothing Stella was striking poses with her coffee cup while Barbara took pictures for her social media I used to think Stella was a player, not understanding the true meaning of love But now, I think she’s more clear headed than I gave her credit for “Welcome, Rena, Ali, Stella adjusted her previously nonchalant pose and sat like a normal human being ‘Please, have a seat. I’ve already ordered desserts. Trust me, they’re top notch Alicia and I took our seats, “Alright, we trust you” The four of us ladies were seated around a table. The waiter demonstrated the process of hand brewing coffee and explained in detail about the coffee beans’ price, origin, and taste We were sipping on our coffee and tasting on some desserts. No kidding, every single dessert was freaking delicious Just as the waiter was opening and closing the door, I caught a glimpse of Neil and Russel walking by outside.