The Queen Back From Hell - Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Arielle had scoped out the Bradford mansion with Lexi, skipping only Meredith and Henry's bedroom and his study.
Gotta admit, their place was straight-up loaded.
Lexi, treading lightly, asked, "Miss Badford, want me to grab your stuff for your room?"
Her things were still in the guest room.
"Nah, I got it," Arielle said, brushing it off. She didn't have much—just a small bag she could carry in one hand.
The Bradford house felt calm. Too calm. Arielle crashed hard all afternoon, not waking till nine at night.
She'd told Lexi to skip calling her for dinner—she needed sleep more than food.
Henry and Sharon didn't bat an eye, thinking she was just adjusting. So, the three of them had a cheery little dinner, totally forgetting about the daughter zonked out upstairs.
When Arielle finally got up, Lexi had her food warmed and ready. She hustled to the kitchen and brought out a hot plate.
Lexi's heart sank watching her. Arielle was skinny, like she hadn't eaten right in years.
'Good thing she is back,' she thought.
Next morning, Sharon, Henry, and Meredith were laughing it up over breakfast.
When Arielle walked in, their smiles froze. They weren't used to the extra person yet, so no one thought to call her down.
Lexi figured she was still out cold, so she didn't check.
Arielle ignored their stares, pulled out a chair, and sat.
"Hey, Arielle, sleep okay? Settling in?" Sharon asked, forcing a warm tone.
Lexi set down a plate of breakfast. Arielle barely glanced at her mom. "Nope. Rough night. Real rough."
The three of them went quiet, caught off guard.
Henry, thinking she was just thrown by the new place, asked, "What's up? Bed too hard or something?"
"Room's too small. Felt cramped," she said, all chill, digging into her food.
'Say what?' They nearly choked. 'Too small?Isn't this place a million times bigger than wherever she came from?'
They thought she was totally poking the bear.
Meredith was loving it on the sly. She didn't even have to try, and Arielle was already ruffling feathers.
'Keep it up—make Mom and Dad done with you,' she thought.
Just as Sharon was about to snap, Arielle spoke again, cool as ever. "When I was sleeping under bridges or on the street, the air was better. Last night's room was stuffy."
Her face was blank, but her words hit like a gut punch. They couldn't believe she just said that at breakfastworming up the whole house.
"Okay, after breakfast, Lexi can show you other rooms. Pick one you like. And… let's not bring up the past," Sharon said, trying to move on.
Meredith chimed in, all sweet and sunny. "Mom, Dad, I can give Arielle the tour. I've got time."
Sharon's frown eased as she looked at her perfect daughter, a proud smile sneaking in. "You? Don't you have piano practice? Stop playing around."
Her tone was warm, teasing.
"Mom, I like Arielle," Meredith said, laying on the charm. "I'll just practice later. No big deal."
Sharon grinned wide. "Fine, if my star girl says so, go ahead."
But when she faced Arielle, her warmth vanished. "Need anything for your room? Just say so."
Henry watched it all, nodding at Meredith like a proud dad.
In his usual stiff tone, he said to Arielle, "Meredith'll show you around. Got questions? Ask her."
After dinner, Meredith grabbed Arielle's arm and tugged her upstairs.
Arielle pulled away quick, her stomach twisting. A cold chill hit her hard.
Meredith wasn't happy about Arielle's frosty vibe but kept her game face on.
First up, she showed off her room, ready to flex. It was huge, decked out—the best in the Bradford house.
Her mind raced. 'So what if she is the "real" daughter? Mom and Dad still love me most.'
She was sure Arielle would be green with envy. Wrong. Arielle didn't even blink.
"Neat," she said, like she was scoping out a gas station.
Meredith's plan to get a rise out of her tanked. That one-word jab left her second-guessing Arielle's game.
Not backing down, she led Arielle to the third floor—Henry and Sharon's bedroom.
"Hey, sis," Meredith said, all fake-sweet, "this is Mom and Dad's spot. Don't even try sneaking in without their go-ahead. Mom will lose it."
With a smug grin, she nudged the door open, making her point clear: I'm the exception, Arielle. You? Don't even dream about it.
Meredith could stroll into any room in the Bradford place. Arielle? Not a chance.
Arielle's lips twitched into a cold smirk. Meredith was pushing hard, and if Arielle didn't push back, it'd be a waste of all that shade.
Meredith played tour guide, strutting through every inch of the mansion like she owned it.
Half an hour later, she spun around with a fake grin. "So, Arielle, which room's your vibe?"
Arielle shot back a smile just as fake, but it had a weird edge.
Swallowing her anger, she told herself to play it cool. There'd be plenty of time to knock this princess off her throne and into the dirt—maybe even make her feel some real hurt.
Two could play dirty. Arielle raised an eyebrow, throwing a little attitude. "This it?"
Meredith's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?" 'Is this girl seriously dissing the Bradford's massive house? The nerve,' she thought.
Arielle's smile turned sharp, her eyes glued to Meredith. "I'm stuck between two rooms. Help me pick."
Meredith exhaled, thinking she'd dodged a bullet. 'Just picking a room? Pfft. Nothing tops mine. Time to let my "dear sister" feel like a nobody.'
"Spill," Meredith said, smirking.
Arielle frowned, like it was a tough call. "I'm feeling the third-floor room… and yours. Both are pretty sweet, but I gotta pick one. What's your call?"
Meredith's smirk faded fast. Her eyes narrowed, fists tightening.
Everything in her room—furniture, decor—was high-end, straight from overseas. Even her trash can was a limited-edition LV.
'This small-town nobody thinks she can just waltz in and claim my spot? Or my parents' room?' she fumed. 'Is she serious? Who even says that kind of wild stuff out loud?'