She sat in her old room for hours, gathering her thoughts and everything she'd learn before her death:
First, her family did not give a crap about her, their actions proved so. In fact she could definitely say the only person that cared was her grandfather.
Second, John Clarkson was nothing but Lucy's lapdog.
Third, Lionel Hart was not her father. Her real father was George Hart, Gerald Hart's first born son, and if what Lucy said was true, George's death was organized by Lionel. Something told her he probably also had something to do with George's wife's death as well. The woman wasn't just George's wife, she was her mother. She choked back a sob.
The people she had stood by all her life were in fact the ones who ruined it. Killed her birth parents, turned her into a girl who did everything just for a drop of their attention, destroyed her love life, lusted after her company that was hers by birthright, and felt the only way to get rid of her was to kill her. Just thinking about everything made her blood boil. She wanted to go downstairs where she was sure they were and kill them all, but no, that would be too quick. She stopped her inner rambling and collected herself.
Quickly killing them would be far too merciful, she was going to destroy their world and everything they hold dear. Looking around her once again, she smiled sadly, how naïve and trusting she must have been that they felt they could treat her however they wanted. Her current twenty-four year old self was not as powerful or influential as she'd like, she needed to gather strength and power. Needed to become separate from the snakes downstairs. A soft knock at her door brought her out of her thoughts.
"Young miss, breakfast is ready, everyone is waiting for you downstairs."
"I'll be down in a moment, thank you." She got up, went to her closet and changed her clothes, foregoing the pastel colors for something darker- the deep purple sundress she'd bought without her parents knowledge. For some reason, they always insisted she wore dull pastel colors while they let Lucy wear bright ones, she finally understood that they didn't want her outshining their precious daughter.
Her footsteps on the stairs were soft; she didn't want them noticing her yet. She waited at the foot of the steps and watched the happy family seated at the dining table in the kitchen, the spread of pancakes, toast and eggs on the table seemed to only illuminate the 'perfect family having breakfast' image. She watched as Lionel and Abigail served their children plates, the twins as they joked with each other and played with Lucy. The time reverse brought her back to twenty-four years old that meant Lucy was currently eighteen and the twins were twenty. She coughed a little alerting the happy family to her presence. They turned to look at her and immediately their countenance changed, the relax scene from before turned guarded. Perhaps it's because she knew who they truly were that's why she noticed it.
"Big sis!" Lucy's cheerful voice called out as she took a bite of the toast, "Good morning."
"Morning Lucy." Michelle said as she joined them at the table. Keeping her voice neutral she turned to everyone else, "Good morning everyone."
The calmness of her voice surprised her, being in their presence had her boiling with rage but she knew she had to remain calm. She hadn't yet formulated a plan so she couldn't afford to be rash. She would play 'family' with these people for as long as she could but she did not intend to still be their doormat.
"You're up late." Abigail said
"I must have been a lot more tired than I thought." Michelle replied.
"Are you ill?" Lucy asked, stretching her hand to Michelle's forehead.
Michelle flinched, the image of her sister stabbing her with a sweet smile on her face flashed through her mind and she subtly shifted away from Lucy's touch.
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
Clearing his throat Lionel said, "Are you ready to start at the company? Your grandfather said you were to resume work tomorrow."
Of course, she'd almost forgotten, this was the year she'd started at Hart Industries and Lionel started dumping most of his duties on her claiming he was teaching her experience while he frolicked away with his wife on numerous vacations.
"Yes, I really am excited." She replied smiling sweetly, "I could barely get a wink of sleep, it must be why I arrived late to breakfast."
"Excitement is all good but a sharp mind is necessary in order to work hard. Make sure you get enough sleep tonight so you're not late tomorrow."
"I will-" She paused a bit swallowing the bitterness in her tone, "Dad, you have nothing to worry about."
"Now that Michelle is starting soon, she can speed up our entry into the company right dad?" Leo asked his tone hopeful.
"Our? There is no 'our', I don't want to work in the company with you, I've told you this before." Logan retorted as he sliced his pancake refusing to make eye contact with his twin.
"Oh come on, you're still on about that? I thought you were kidding."
"Well, I wasn't." Logan turned to his father, "Dad I have an idea for this-"
"Enough." Their father interrupted, "Whether or not you work in the company depends on how well your sister does. So no plans can be made until then. As for you," He looked at Logan, "We'll discuss this idea of yours later."
"Do you hear that sis?" Lucy asked, her voice still carrying that sweetness, "Our brothers futures depend on how well you do. Please don't mess it up alright."
Michelle rolled her eyes internally and replied in a voice that rivaled Lucy's sweetness,
"I wouldn't ever dream of doing such a thing." Dropping her fork as she suddenly remembered something she got up, "I'm done with breakfast now." She left the room without waiting for their permission to leave.
"Did that seem weird to you?" Lucy asked puzzled watching her sister's figure as it disappeared up the stairs.
"It's probably just nerves." Her mother replied dismissively.
"Hmm." She replied thoughtfully.
Back in her room, Michelle immediately started searching her room with a sort of manic fervor. She found what she was looking for under her bed.
Aha. She thought as she held it up. Just as I suspected. She took the object out of her room and returned a while later without it. Then she grabbed her laptop, laid on her bed and waited.
Two somewhat long hours later, a loud scream rang through the Hart residence. Michelle glanced up from her bed and smirked, it seemed the show was about to begin soon.
"Where is it?" Abigail screeched, "Who took it?"
"Wife, you'll bring the house down with all that yelling."
"But I can't find it. The diamond necklace you got me, it's not in my dresser, not in our room. I can't find it anywhere." She cried, her voice rising with each sentence.
"Are you sure you checked well? Maybe you missed it." Leo said in a bid to calm his mother.
Furious she turned to him, "It's a diamond necklace. You don't just miss it."
"Maybe we should search the entire house. Let's make everyone gather and we check all the rooms. I'm sure we'll find it mom." Lucy said sweetly as she grabbed her mother's arm smiling.
"That's a good idea." She replied. At that moment Michelle walked down, blinking curiously she asked:
"Is everything ok?"
"Mom can't find her necklace. So we're going to search all the rooms." Lucy replied.
"Oh no. That's so terrible." Michelle replied worriedly. "What are we waiting for, let's go."
"You don't mind if we search your room first do you?" Lucy asked accusing.
"My room? Why would you search my room?" She asked in confusion.
"I mean you had the most time to take it, you came to breakfast late and you left quickly, almost like you were in a hurry to do something."
"That's ridiculous. Why would I need to take mom's necklace when I could always go buy mine?"
"I don't know." Lucy shrugged, "It certainly wouldn't be the first time."
"Yeah." Leo said in approval, "You've always been stealing things."
"I see." She responded, "Alright. Let's go check my room."
Abigail, Lucy, Lionel and Leo all trooped into Michelle's room with Michelle following closely behind them. She watched silently as they, with the help of the maids, scattered and searched her room for the necklace. Yet they found nothing.
"What? How's that possible? It should be here!" Lucy cried out in shock.
"But it's not!" Abigail cried out in response. "What do I do now?"
"I'm so confused." Michelle said calmly, "You didn't find it in my room so you've given up on checking everywhere else. I thought you were going to search everywhere."
They shifted uncomfortably as they stared at everywhere but her. So they wanted her to be the culprit.
"Uh, right. Let's go." They all trooped out of her room and she followed behind them hovering and observing as they searched everywhere while repeatedly avoiding a particular area of the house. Fifty minutes passed and they found nothing.
"Madam, there is still one place we haven't searched." One of the maids said softly, "we haven't checked Miss. Lucy's room."
They looked at each other in shock, they never once though about checking Lucy's room but now they'd have to, because everywhere else turned up empty.
"Fine." Lucy said acting nonchalant, "It's not like you'd find anything."
They went on to search Lucy's room and barely five minutes later, there was the necklace hidden underneath her bed.
"What? No, how'd that get there?" Lucy asked the shock evident in her voice.
The room was so silent, you could hear a pin drop.
"I suppose you were just curious and decided to play a prank." Abigail said her voice tight.
"Yeah, that's right." Leo said as he chuckled awkwardly. "How very cute little sis, playing such a prank." He ruffled Lucy's hair.
"Uh yeah," Lucy wanting to save face decided to go along with it, "I'm sorry for causing you to worry so much mom."
"It's alright, my love. No harm was done."
"No harm?" Michelle asked arching an eyebrow, "I almost got accused for something I didn't do."
"What do you mean?" Abigail asked rolling her eyes tiredly.
"You guys searched my room first, at Lucy's insistence. Makes me wonder if she plotted to have it planted in my room but her plot backfired."
"You're being overly dramatic Michelle."
"No I don't think I am. The reaction would be different if the necklace was found in my room. Lucy, apologize for almost sullying my name." Michelle responded an air of finality in her tone.
"What? No way? It was a prank!" Lucy screeched, "I'm not apologizing."
"It probably wouldn't be a prank if it was found in my room. Apologize Lucy, that's all I'm asking for. It shouldn't be so hard. I do it all the time after all." Michelle replied arms crossed.
Staring at her, the Hart family was shocked. Then Lionel turned to Lucy and gestured for her to apologize.
"Ugh." Lucy groaned and turned to Michelle, "I'm sorry for almost putting you in trouble. There, happy?"
"Yes immensely." With that she left Lucy's room, leaving them all behind still shocked at the events that had occurred.
Michelle entered her room and locking the door behind her, she raised her fist in joy. It was so lucky that she remembered what happened in her past life:
The necklace was found in her room under her bed and she had spent a whole month making it up to Abigail, using her savings to buy another necklace as a form of apology.
As she suspected, Lucy must have had one the maids hide the necklace in her room. The family's reaction today was sorely different from how it was the last time. They accepted the 'prank' excuse that Leo came up with, baseless as it was. This incident confirmed something for Michelle- they had no trouble covering up for each other and supporting each other, they just wouldn't support her.
She would have to find ways to make sure they wouldn't be able to support each other. She'd have to make them turn their backs on each other, it would take time but materialistic people could only hold on for so long.
Yes, she could see it now, Lucy alone as her family and support system have abandoned her, on her knees begging for mercy.
The plan in her head was coming along quite slowly so she resolved to put it at the back of her mind. For now she would focus on joining Grandpa Hart's side of the family and hopefully save his life. With what they'd done to her, she wouldn't put it past her so called family to kill the head of the Hart family in a bid to get his assets, and when everything went to her instead, they got rid of her as well.
Sighing deeply, she came up with the first part of her plan- find Caleb Leroy make him one of her people. His technological prowess would prove invaluable in the long run, she wasn't sure yet but something told her she needed him and she was no going to ignore her instincts ever again. The last time she did, she ended up drugged and burnt to death.
Opening her notes app on her laptop, she began jotting down everything she could remember from her last life- from lottery numbers to business deals that tanked and succeeded- she wrote it all down. She went on to change the passwords of all her electronics and she prepared for her second first day at the office.
Waking up the next morning, she was quick to prepare for work wanting to leave that house as soon as possible. Fully dressed in a brown tweed suit, she made her downstairs and found herself in awkward territory; Lionel, Lucy and Abigail were waiting for her. She stood staring at them, not saying anything no greetings or smiles for them.
Coughing awkwardly Lionel began, "We didn't handle yesterday's incident as well as we should have."
"You mean when I was the first suspect for missing jewelry?" She retorted.
"Ah, yes. That. So Lucy insisted that she'd apologize again and she asked that we be there."
"Sis!" Lucy said in a pathetic tone, she grabbed Michelle's hand and continued with a teary voice, "I'm so sorry, I didn't know yesterday would escalate as much as it did. Please I really am so sorry."
Sighing, she freed her hand from her grip, "You should be sorry, your pranks always end up with people, mostly me, being hurt." She was referring to when Lucy was 16 and thought it would be funny to put bugs in her dishes, it went on for a week, it was a visit to the hospital that ended the prank. No one said anything about it, there was no apology whatsoever. "I have to leave now, I don't want to be late for my first day of work."
"Let me drive you." Lionel offered.
"No need, Grandpa sent a chauffeur, he's waiting outside." Not offering any goodbyes, she walked out leaving them staring after her.
Once she was gone Lucy spoke up, "What was that daddy? You said she'd react differently. She dismissed my apology. I didn't even want to apologize, you told me to." She said in a whiny tone.
"You'd not have needed to apologize if you'd planned your 'prank' better." He retorted, "It seems the thought of working at the company has started to give her wings. Don't do anything to her. We'll let her think she's going to fly far and then we'll clip her wings."
The ride to Hart Industries was quiet and Michelle let out a long breath of relief, she took in the passing view and sent a silent prayer to whatever or whomever was responsible for bringing her back. She prayed for an unwavering heart, she wanted nothing to distract her from the personal mission that she had chosen to embark on.
Hart Industries was an imposing eighty-five story building that towered over every other building on the street.
"Mr. Hart wants you to meet him first before you start your day."
"Alright, thank you."
She exited the car and entered the building. Nodding her head in greeting to the workers on the ground floor, she got in the special elevator, the only one that went directly to her grandfather's office. Her heels click clacked on the hallway as she walked towards his office. Taking in a deep breath, she knocked, waited a moment then entered.
There was her grandpa hard at work; he was here right in front of her. The sight of him before her brought tears to her eyes and she finally accepted that she had truly gone back in time. The part of her that thought she was in a coma and that she was dreaming died. She sniffled and called out in a soft voice:
"Grandpa?"
Gerald Hart looked up from the papers before him and saw his granddaughter who called out to him with a voice he'd never heard from her before. He didn't know what could have driven her to look so close to crying but it was obvious she needed him in that moment and so he did what any good grandfather would do- he walked towards her and opened his arms.
"Yes my Elle, grandpa's here." With a small sob, Michelle collapsed in his arms holding on for dear life. They stood like that in the middle of his office like that for what felt like forever and Michelle pulled away from him.
"Thanks grandpa, I needed that."
"Did something happen?" He asked the worry evident in his voice.
"I just had the most terrible dream; I was living in a world where you weren't there anymore. I was so scared." She replied softly as they moved to sit.
"It was simply a nightmare my child, I'm still right here."
"Yes, I know that now."
"If you're so worried about me disappearing why don't you join me at my estate?" He asked hesitantly, she always shot down his previous offers as she insisted she wanted to be around her parents and siblings and support them or whatever else excuse she could come up with.
"Really?" Michelle's face brightened up at that. "Yes, I will."
"Wonderful" Gerald said as he laughed heartily. "I'll make the arrangements."
"Not yet grandpa, I still have to take care of some things back home, plus I can't just leave them out of the blue." She replied.
True moving out was risky as she wouldn't be able to monitor them anymore but she couldn't always rely on her past memories and she wouldn't put it past Lucy to try strangling her in the middle of the night. Since her current issue was surveillance, cameras would fix that. She'd install them before she left, when she was sure no one would be around. Suddenly it hit her, no better time that the family vacation coming up in two weeks.
Everything would work itself out, she thought with a smile, and she turned back to her grandfather listening as he started to teach her everything related to the company and what her duties would be. Although she'd heard everything before, she still listened again religiously, enjoying the time she was spending with her grandfather, away from the judging eyes that always seemed to follow her back at home. She'd savor this moment of calm before the storm.