Previously : "I hope this summer can be a little warmer for me," she murmured before falling asleep.
The next day, Ellie prepared herself and dressed up well to meet her family. It had been three years since she had seen them when she was in London. The clock showed 8 AM in the morning. She left her room and headed toward the door, but just as she was about to leave, Ellie ran into Bella, who was preparing breakfast.
With her hair tied up and wearing glasses, Bella was making toast with strawberry jam. Ellie stood frozen, looking at her, and without thinking, she blurted out, "I didn't expect you to look so good with glasses." Ellie quickly realized what she had said and was shocked because those were words she should have kept to herself.
Bella, hearing Ellie from across the room, glanced up and silently looked at her. The atmosphere became awkward for Ellie. Trying to break the silence, Ellie awkwardly muttered, "Sorry, I was just talking to myself. Enjoy your breakfast, see you later," as she quickly walked out of the house.
Bella's reaction was calm and indifferent, but she still looked stunning and beautiful, even without any expression on her face.
Ellie arrived at her parents' house, stepped out of her car, and walked toward the front door. Her mind was empty, not thinking about anything, but her face showed a lack of enthusiasm. Even though she should be happy to see her parents after three years, she didn't feel excited.
Before Ellie could knock on the door, she overheard a conversation from inside. Her father's voice was loud and clear.
"Chen, I can still run the business. I'm not sure she can continue to run our restaurant."
Her mother, Ellie's mom, responded, "You need to trust her. And you? You can't work anymore. You should think about your health. We're getting old. Just pass the business over to her. Rest, Tjhan."
This conversation made Ellie think back to her past. Her family was originally from Malaysia, and they had moved to Exeter 15 years ago when Ellie was just 11 years old. It hadn't been easy for immigrants like her. School, fitting in, and everything else was difficult. She understood why her father was so attached to the business—it had been a part of his life for 15 years. Letting go of it wasn't easy, even if it meant passing it on to his daughter. But Ellie wasn't even his real daughter.