"I don't need any maids or servants, I just want Penny," Ariana said and Penny frowned.
She knew where this was going. Ariana's an annoying little brat and will always be annoying.
"Why do you need me, Ariana? I'm an illiterate. I have no idea what you're doing?" Penny said.
"Of course you are. But you're a little better than the maids. Or wait, you're really no different." Ari smiled.
"Please come with me, big sister. I'm really sorry for hurting your husband. I was wrong." She started, faking empathy. But Penny didn't fall for it. She didn't care at all.
"I was only looking out for you. It hurt me greatly when he hurt you and I wanted to get my revenge on him. But I had no idea you loved him already." She continued.
"I should have never hurt your husband Penny. Let me make it up to you two. Let's treat him together." Ariana said.
"How sweet." Abby suddenly said.
"I was wrong for hitting you Ari, I'm so sorry. You're such a good soul." She said.
"Of course Ari is. Even after getting slapped by her elder sister, she still wants to save her husband." Penny felt like she was going crazy at their words.
Did they not see that Ariana was the one to hurt Osvaldo, or were they turning a blind eye to it on purpose?
"I always told you all Ariana is a nice person," Chris said calmly.
"Come, Penny, let's hurry before his condition gets worse." Ari held her sister's hands and dragged her out of the dungeon. The other family members followed suit too as they each left.
Penny knew why her sister was doing this. It's because Ariana doesn't know what to do and needs her help. She could turn Osvaldo into a lad rat to get revenge on her sister, but she couldn't.
Osvaldo had suffered so much to end up like this. He deserves to be normal so that he can deal with these imposters.
Though there is no cure for the mental problem yet, Penny has decided to help him out. She would do anything to make him normal so that he could kick them all out.
The family members waited around the penthouse while Ari and Penny stepped in. The reason Abby and the rest had stayed outside was because of how terrified they were to get in.
Even if Osvaldo was hurt and in his most vulnerable state right now, the memory of everything he had done to them still lingered in their mind as it had only been yesterday.
They have no idea why the madman has suddenly grown so soft, around the fat girl. The Osvaldo of before will never let anyone close to him or his penthouse.
When Penny and Ariana reached the bedroom, they were greeted by a few maids already tending to Osvaldo's wounds.
"Get out!" Ariana said in a commanding tone and the maids scrambled away one after another, dropping their towels in a corner.
Ariana's blue eyes darted around the empty room containing just a bed and a reading table.
"Aha ha ha." Ariana suddenly laughed. She couldn't hold it in anymore. From the moment she stepped into the penthouse until now, everything she had seen had been so funny.
The house was empty. Empty and cold. It feels like a completely different world from theirs even if it was located in the same place.
Penny was really living in hell, and here she thought her sister had a life of luxury.
"What's funny? I don't recall foolish laughter being a cure for injuries." Penny said annoyed by her behavior.
"The laugh of the rich is never foolish. You wouldn't understand. You, who has lived in dirt all your life."
Ariana's eyes gleamed. She stepped closer to the bed.
"You were born in suffering. You've never known peace. Now, you're married to madness." Her fingers brushed Osvaldo's pale skin.
If anything, Ariana felt pity for her elder sister. Not the good pity though.
To her, Penny deserves everything she's facing and more.
"A madman..." Ariana murmured, stepping close to the man on the bed.
"What a curse..." her fingers traced his delicate skin further, particles of his dried blood sticking to her fingers.
"I wanted to kill him before. But now I realize I was only doing you a favor. I want to see you suffer Penny." Her blue eyes met Penny's.
"I want you to suffer for everything you did to Mother and me." She said.
The birth of Penny turned Maybelline into an object of mockery. At every event, they get reminded of the curse that lives with them. The burden they couldn't get rid of no matter how hard they tried.
They have tried everything, but Penny has refused to die.
But their mother's predicament hadn't been the only thing that made Ariana hate Penny.
It was their ballet class. Penny was seven and Ariana five back then. They used to be the closest sisters before then and no matter what their mother did or said to separate them, both girls were still so close.
Ariana loved her elder sister so much, she fought in school every day for Penny. She was ready to tear down anyone who said something bad about her sister.
But something changed. As they grew, Ariana started feeling jealous of her sister. She was jealous because Penny was always brighter than her.
Penny was prettier. Having the genes of both her mother and father. Even when Penny got fat, she still shined.
Everyone loved her, even Ariana's crush loved her sister. They always chose Penny over her.
Penny wasn't only beautiful, she was a good dancer too. In their ballet class, every boy wanted to dance with Penny. Including Ariana's crush.
While Penny had male dancers flocking around her, Ariana danced alone.
And to put the final nail in the coffin, Penny was chosen to perform at their annual kid's ballet competition. She was to represent the school and the city. A competition Ariana had spent sleepless nights practicing for.
From that moment on, Ariana hated her sister without her knowing. She joined her mother to attack Penny every day.
She made a promise, she would take every man Penny loved. Every smile she held unto. She'll take and destroy every breath of her happiness.
She'll never let Penny be above her again.