The Day I Kissed An Older Man

"Well, well, if it isn't Rita. Aren't you always too proud to grace us with your presence at gatherings like these? Why are you here tonight?" Sadie asked.

Rita raised an eyebrow coldly as she looked at her stepsister who stood several centimeters shorter than her. "This is my home. I can come and go as I please. You can't tell me what to do," Rita retorted.

Sadie scoffed. "You can only show your arrogance when you're in front of me. But let me tell you, you're the most unwelcome person in our family right now. If I were you, I wouldn't bother showing up at these events. Do you realize how much shame you're bringing upon Dad you're your job as a reporter? He suffers because of that and ends up complaining to my mother. You don't even know how to behave, but I guess I'm not surprised by how you act since you don't even have a mother to give you a proper upbringing."

Rita felt a surge of irritation at those familiar barbs, but age had taught her to hold her own against that.

"Yes, I'm a reporter. But how exactly does my work disgrace your father?' Rita emphasized the word 'your". "Just because you've changed your surname doesn't mean he's your real father. There are lots of shameless people, and I bet some of them are like you because they can easily forget about their biological father just for the sake of money. You've been an eye-opener."

Sadie nearly got physical with Rita. She despised those who brought up the topic of having a stepfather. At the time, she did not see anything wrong with her decision. After living in abject poverty for so long, anyone would be willing to forsake their father if they were presented with a shortcut to wealth and glory. Years had passed since then, yet she did not see anything wrong in her choice either. If she could turn back time, she would make the same decision as she did in the past. The kind of downtrodden life she had back then was something she refused to go through ever again.

Hearing Rita mention the surname change always rubbed her the wrong way, as it brought back memories of her miserable past. Children tended to have short memories but not when it involved seeing her mother getting beaten by her perpetually drunk father. She did not want to hide in the closet anymore, yet Rita seemed to suggest that her decision was a heinous one.

Unfortunately, Sadie forgot that Rita was no longer the vulnerable stepsister she used to bully. Over the past year, working as a reporter had toughened Rita both physically and mentally, and she was able to grip a hold of Sadie's arm.

"You're still wet behind the ears if you think you can throw a sucker punch at me," Rita asserted.

Karen just so happened to walk up the stairs when she spotted the altercation between the two. Sadie was evidently on the losing end, so she rushed over to them. At that moment, the study door swung open, and Vince was greeted by that somewhat disharmonious scene.

"What's going on here?" he demanded to know.

Karen burst into tears when she saw her husband.Copyright by Nôv/elDrama.Org.

"If your sister did something wrong, then please let me apologize to you on her behalf. She's younger than you, and you shouldn't get physical with her..." Karen wailed.

When Karen shed tears, Sadie shook her arm off forcefully and stumbled over, shedding tears in the process too. Meanwhile, Rita staggered slightly but did not fall over.

"I'm sorry, Rita! It's all my fault! I'm sorry! I won't dare do it again," Sadie whimpered.