Reborn To Ruin Her Rivals - Chapter 7: Chapter 7

At dinner, Arielle slid a piece of paper to Sharon, cool as a breeze.
Sharon didn't think twice. Arielle had cleared out her room, so it made sense to grab some new stuff.
She glanced at the paper. And nearly choked on her coffee.
The list screamed money—limited-edition furniture from all over. A vanity by some big-name designer. Stuff Sharon wouldn't even touch.
She shot a side-eye at her country-raised daughter. "Arielle, how'd you even find these brands?"
Meredith, sitting close, peeked at the list. Her jaw hit the floor.
Those sofas were worth millions. The Bradfords were rich, sure, but this was wild.
Arielle caught their stunned looks and didn't flinch. "Looked it up online. For the Bradfords, top dogs in Theoria City, isn't this just standard? What's the issue?"
Sharon forced a tight grin, her stomach in knots. Say no, and she'd seem like a cheapskate. Say yes? Her wallet—and her heart—would take a beating.
"Alright, sweetie," she finally muttered. "Mom's got you."
Henry came down from upstairs, spotting the three chatting. A rare smile crept up. He took his seat at the table's head, and the maids loaded it up with food.
"Meredith, your faves—big lobster and caviar. Had the kitchen make them just for you," Sharon said, peeling a lobster with care before dropping it in Meredith's plate.
Meredith's scowl melted into a big grin. "Thanks, Mom!"
Sharon beamed, her heart all warm and fuzzy. "Eat up, kid. It's all your top picks."
Across the table, Arielle was basically air. Head down, she picked at her plate, a bitter smirk tugging her lips.
'Am I invisible or what?' she thought, bitterness stinging her chest.
Her real daughter stood right there, fresh off the bus from Nowheresville, and Sharon didn't give a damn.
Instead, she was all over her fake daughter, playing the sappy mom card.
'This is my mom?' she thought. 'What a sorry excuse for family.'
Sharon only had eyes for Meredith. Arielle? Not even a fake "you okay?" Nothing. Zilch.
'Maybe she never wanted me,' Arielle mused, heart sinking. 'Just some small-town nobody. How's a girl like me supposed to fit in with the Bradford royalty?'
To Sharon, letting her in the house was probably some grand favor.
Meredith flicked her eyes at Arielle, who was busy shoveling food. A smug glint danced in her gaze.
She leaned forward, voice all sugar. "Thanks, Mom. You always peel my shrimp. I don't even touch lobster out there because it's not the same without you. It's not about the shrimp—it's your shrimp I'm into." She threw in a cheeky giggle.
Sharon's smile was pure indulgence. "My girl doesn't need to deal with shrimp shells. Those hands are for piano, painting, and school. When I'm not here, the staff's got you covered."
"Sweet! Thanks, Mom," Arielle chirped.
Meredith waited for her moment. With a sly wink at Arielle, she nudged Sharon. "Hey, Mom, reckon Arielle's a squid fan?"
The hint was so obvious it could've glowed. Meredith was flexing, making sure Arielle knew who ran the show.
Sharon took the cue, dropping a piece of squid—Meredith knew Arielle wouldn't touch it—into her plate. "Try this, Arielle. Bet you've never had anything this fancy. Flown in from overseas."
'Yeah, right,' Meredith smirked to herself. 'Like a broke nobody like her could afford stuff this high-end.'
Arielle eyed the squid's spindly legs in her plate.
Meredith wasn't actually looking out for her. She was sending a clear message. 'You might be the "real" daughter, Arielle, but Mom's all about me.
'You're just a nobody in the Bradford house. No one cares. See? Mom's serving me, the kitchen's making my faves, and this place revolves around me. You're just scraping by on our leftovers.'
Arielle snatched the squid with her fork and tossed it in the trash. Then she grabbed a napkin, wiped her mouth, and leaned back.
The move left Sharon, Henry, and Meredith stunned. 'Was she serious? That rude?'
Henry's brow furrowed, clearly ticked off by her attitude.
Sharon was floored. 'Throwing it in the trash? What was that about?'
It was their first family dinner, and the table was packed with food.
'Arielle's still not happy?' Sharon thought. 'Even if she's not into squid, does she have to make it so obvious?'
Meredith was loving it. She'd baited Arielle on purpose, getting Sharon to serve the squid.
To Meredith, a small-town girl like Arielle probably lost it over stuff like that.
She wanted Arielle to lose it—the worse, the better. It just made Meredith look like the perfect daughter. And Henry? He hated table drama.
Arielle's stunt was exactly what she'd hoped for.
"What's wrong with you?" Sharon snapped, voice sharp. She wasn't having Arielle's stuck-up vibe. "Don't like it? Fine. But tossing what I gave you in the trash? In front of your dad?"
"It's nasty," Arielle said, cool as ice.
Meredith could've cheered. Arielle's attitude was gold—raw and unpolished.
One little push, and she'd shown her true colors. Meredith kept her face sweet, though, nervously poking her food, her look screaming, "Poor Mom doesn't deserve this."
Henry slammed his fork down with a sharp crack. His face was dark, clearly over it.
"Arielle, this is how you treat your mom? That's the respect you show?" His voice boomed, chilling the room to the bone.
Henry didn't blow up often, but when he did, one knew shit was real. The staff around the dining room kept their eyes glued to the floor, not daring to peek.
Arielle didn't flinch. She grabbed a plate and fork from the cabinet, set them down like it was nothing, and wiped her hands with a napkin, cool as ice.
Then she let loose, voice sharp but calm. "What's wrong with you guys? You living under a rock? You see the news? Ubrana's dumping nuclear waste in the ocean.
"That toxic crap doesn't just vanish—it messes up fish, causes mutations, and ends up on our plates. Cancer risks, anyone? You might be fine with keeling over, but I'm not."
Her words landed like a punch, all facts, no fluff. Henry coughed, thrown off his game.
He didn't expect Arielle to hit them with news clips. 'Is it really that bad? Everyone else is still eating. Is she just scared of biting the dust young?' he wondered.
Arielle's cold gaze locked onto Henry's, not giving an inch, a smirk tugging at her lips.
"You guys lost me, remember?" she said. "I was out there—freezing my butt off, starving, begging, sleeping in alleys, digging through trash for scraps, chilling with rats. All I wanted was a full belly. I like living. Now that I've got a decent life, I'm not about to check out early."
The room went dead quiet, like someone hit mute. She said it all like it was no big deal, but her words carried the weight of years of pain.
The staff swapped glances, eyes full of pity and concern.
Meredith's jaw was practically on the floor. That kind of dirty past was supposed to stay buried—high society would tear them apart for it.
'And Arielle just... doesn't care? What a trainwreck,' Meredith thought, stifling a laugh. 'No shame, no sense. Is she nuts?'
Sharon's eyes got watery. "Oh, honey, you've been through so much."
Arielle's heart twisted with a bitter scoff. Once, she'd have given anything for a mom's love, even just a kind word.
Never got it—not then, not now. Crocodile tears? Cheaper than dirt. The word "mom" just made her want to gag.
She stood, pushed her chair back with a scrape, and strode out, her back ramrod straight, vibe colder than a January night.
To her, playing happy family was a freaking drag.