A Reborn Bride Pearl Emerging from Dust

"Callie, just give us a chance, will you?" Monty shouted, his voice echoing through the living room.

"Yeah, sis, please. Give Mom a chance, okay? She really does love you, even if it doesn't always seem like it. Don't think she doesn't care."

"We're family, after all. Blood is thicker than water. There's no fight that can't be forgiven between family."

"I know you're upset with me. If you don't want me involved with the Jewell family business, I'll leave. You don't have to worry. They're your family, not mine. I'm not trying to take anything from you."

"All I'm asking is that you help us out. Don't just ignore what's happening to the Jewell family. That's still your family, Callie. They're your roots. When the Jewell family is strong, you're Ms. Calliope Jewell. If the family falls, you're left with nothing behind you."

"I know you have all these friends and people who care about you now, but they're not your blood. They might not be there forever. Real family doesn't walk away."

Calliope looked at Lisette with a wry, amused smile. "You're not completely wrong. Is that why you keep helping out your birth parents?"

"But you're missing something. My brothers, my friends might not be blood, but they've never left my side. Not once."

She stood behind Quentin and the others, chin lifted, eyebrow arched.

Lisette bit her lip, suddenly unsure of herself. She glanced nervously at the people beside her, worried they'd figure out she'd been supporting her own family in secret. But right now, everyone's attention was on Calliope, and no one seemed to notice her slip.

Lisette let out a sigh of relief. That was close. The last thing she wanted was for the Jewell family to find out and turn their backs on her.

"Callie, are you really not even going to talk to me?" Zelda finally broke in, when it was clear no one else could get through.

"Callie, I'm your mother. How could I not love you? Zelda's words were honeyed, desperation peeking through her carefully painted smile. For the sake of the company, for her country club life, she had to get back

Calliope's good side, no matter how much it galled her.

Calliope regarded her with surprise.

Zelda never gave in, not when Monty and the others had tried to

apologize, not ever. But now, here she was, putting on her best

sad mom act.

"I've always loved you," Zelda insisted, voice trembling with earnestness. "You just misunderstand me, that's all! Why don't we talk? Just the two of us?"

Calliope shrugged, nonchalant. “I don't think I've misunderstood anything. If all this was just a misunderstanding, why didn't you clear it up before? Why now?"

"You say you love me? Well, if that's love, it's got a pretty weird way of showing itself."

With that, Calliope turned and walked away, not even bothering to look back at Zelda.

Zelda's face twisted with frustration, jaw clenched tight. She couldn't believe it. After all her effort to play nice, e, to

be the bigger person, Calliope just brushed her off and

walked out.

Monty and the rest could only watch helplessly as she disappeared, out of reachnoveldrama

and out of patience.