Maya's point of view

It all happened too quickly for anyone to comprehend but we all saw the water bottle fly straight to Kim's face.

Pandemonium broke out.

Grandmother didn't know what to do or who to comfort: me that was bleeding through the stomach with my face scrunched or Kimberly who had a hand to the side of her eye and howling in pain.

"You child, what have you done?!" Grandmother cried out in despair, still at a crossroads on who to help.

There was a bewildered look on her face as she stared at the kid who hurt Kim but sat expressionless with her arms folded across her chest.

"I'm sorry grandmother but you must have suffered a lot," Isabella said, confusing granny further.

"Huh?"

"At such an age, you still have to deal with that witch"

"Who are you calling a witch?" She asked.

"The ugly one with that witchy grey eyes" Isabella as matter of fact pointed in the direction of Kimberly.

It was surprising to me, the proud Kim I know would have wolf out on the kid but since she was bearing the pain in good faith, it could only mean one thing - she knew who Isabella was.

Kimberly knew she couldn't speak against her nor touch a strand on Isabella's head unless she wanted to die an early death.

"She has witchy eyes?" Grandma was astounded, "Is that why you threw that at her because you don't like her eyes?"

Isabella was surprisingly polite to my grandmother, "Of course not Maya's granny" she said with gestures and all, "I might enjoy torturing people but some specimens don't deserve to get my strength and time wasted on them which was why I threw it.

Isabella went on, "Moreover, I wouldn't have wasted my energy by throwing that if she hadn't hurt Maya"

"Hurt Maya?"

Isabella facepalmed and I knew that was the time for her to spit fire from her mouth so I tried to intervene but Isabella was faster.

"Grandma, I get that all your senses are failing with age but I bet some of your brains cells are smart enough to figure out that Maya started bleeding after that witch hugged her"

I scratched the back of my head. Well, that one was manageable, I guess?

Grandmother frowned, "What are you trying to say?"

"Kimberly hurt me, " I told her this time.

"It was not intentional," Kim was quick to protest, "I was just trying to pull out of the hug when my elbow mistakenly hit her"

"Really?" Isabella scoffed, "Your frail Granny who cannot walk without shaking hugged Maya and left yet nothing happened to her but when it comes to your turn, your healthy arm deteriorates and deviates from its position?" She attacked Kim who opened and closed her mouth helplessly, unable to defend herself.

"Moreover" I supported Isabella, "You came to visit a patient, the first thing that should cross your mind is my safety yet you were careless and hurt me - it shows my place in your heart ."

Grandma turned her fierce gaze on Kim," Is that true?!" She queried, stomping her walking staff on the ground angrily.

"Grandma, it's a misunderstanding. Maya has always held a grudge against me, she's purposely turning you against me" came her pathetic excuse.

I bet if she wasn't scared of Isabella, she would have tagged the little girl as my accomplice. Tsk tsk, what a great master planner.

Kim must have schemed this meticulously on her way here, she just never knew Isabella would be here nor speak out on what she did.

"Just because I'm old, you take me as a stupid woman, right?" Grandma's features grew dark while she slowly approached Kimberly whose blood had drained from her face.

"Of course not," she answered, putting on a nervous laugh and taking a few steps back.

In reality, Grandma had no actual power in Kim's household but there has been this innate fear and respect imprinted in us from birth that we showed her.

"Get out! "

"Grandma, I never -"

"I said get out !" She boomed, motioning to the door.

In haste to pick her purse from my bed, Kim's face was revealed to us and I couldn't help but gasp at the black eye Isabella gave her.

"I don't want to see you back here!"

"Don't bother yourself, I'm not returning!" She glowered at granny, striding out of my room.

"Notwithstanding you did it out of defense but you're not to hurt anyone ever again " I scolded Isabella sternly, making sure granny heard it while she was dealing with Kim.

"Except that one" I whispered to her, a smirk tugging my lips to the side and lifted my hand as Isabella noiselessly gave me a hi-five.

But when granny turned around, I became mean with her, "You child, do you hear me?!"

I knocked her on the head yet winked at her from the corner of my eyes alongside a secret thumb up.

"Ouch" Isabella cried out in pain, rubbing that painful spot however winked back, signaling she perfectly understood what I was doing.

"Don't beat the child too much. If I had punished you that way, would you have grown this tall?" Grandma scolded me for disciplining Isabella.

Hurhurhur, look at this woman! I couldn't even count the numerous times she punished me during my childhood and to crown it all, I was quite naughty.

Spanking, pulling my ear, pinching, scolding, doing squats and sit-ups, solving maths problems- I hate maths, kneeling, and extra chores; I suffered in her hand - literally.

But she did those with love and knew the limit she should go. She never once abused me as my mother did.

"Grandma" Isabella's character did a three-sixty degree turn leaving me dumbfounded. It was as if I was seeing an upgraded version of Anabelle.

She pouted and let three drops of tears fall down her face, hugging my granny around the waist with an aggrieved expression.

"I can't believe you have the nerve to hurt such a cute, poor child " Granny lifted her walking stick to beat me but I quickly pointed to my soaked gown.

"Granny, I'm a patient!"

And what the f*ck! What a cute child! Had she forgotten the cute child called her other granddaughter a witch minutes ago?

"Where are those doctors, they should come and do something about that" That old woman referred to my reopened wound yet her attention was fixed on Isabella.

Great, I forget grandma loved children more than her own life else she wouldn't be bugging me to give her grandchildren at my age.

Nose wrinkled in displeasure, I reluctantly called for assistance through the intercom and they responded immediately - perks of being in a VIP room.

The doctor stitched me up with a warning not to go beyond my temporal limit.

Yeah, grandma didn't tell him someone ripped my wounds open but lied that I tried to lift something heavy.

Truth be told, I sensed my wound ripped open that time Adam pressed his hand into my side, it hurt like a bitch then. Kim was just unlucky enough to carry the brunt of the blame.

"Granny, feed me," Isabella demanded.

Yeah, that was the latest happening. Isabella has been sabotaging my granny's attention for the past hour.

"Of course my little girl, who would resist this cute face of yours" she pinched her cheeks playfully and Isabella giggled.

A scene that freaked me out. Just a close glance and one could see the goosebumps appearing on my arms.

It was like watching Anabelle but with Isabella's face as she and my granny communed. This little devil imitated Anabelle's mannerisms so much I couldn't spot any difference.

That was so creepy. I tried to imagine if Isabella was my doppelganger, she would imitate me flawlessly.

Gosh, I was spooked out.

"Aaah, open your mouth" Grandma signaled her.

"Aaah" Isabella widened her mouth, granting the spoon access.

She chewed on the fried rice with her mouth whining and her eyes rolled back to show how much she enjoyed the food.

"Is it sweet?" Granny asked with anticipation.

Isabella smiled sheepishly at her with a thumbs up, "Your food is the best, granny"

"What a cute child" this old woman smiled back and tousled the hair of that little imp who didn't seem to mind.

My jaw dropped. That betrayer!

Each time I tousled her hair, Isabella would glare at me but here she was stretching her face to the point I noticed she has dimples for the first time.

I looked down at my food served on a tray, resting on top of my laps and waiting to be eaten.

For some reason, it suddenly looked unappealing to me instead, I wanted the one Isabella was eating even though it was the same food.

I was still contemplating the food when Eden returned as promised.

"Granny, you came" Eden switched on his flattering skills, "I now see where Maya got her beauty from"

"You're not bad yourself young man" Granny laughed, "You must be Maya's friend"

"Yes, I am "

"Alright you two have fun, don't mind me," she said, "As you can see, I'm having the time of my life with this little angel here"

"Yeah, it's obvious" Eden was as shocked as I was the first time. No one could blame him, Isabella being this humble and totally unlike her? That was unbelievable!

He looked away with difficulty, finally settling his attention on me, and was quite taken aback to see my sulky face.

He frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Feed me"