Penelope turned her back to him and raised her middle finger.
Daisy and Penelope, although they were sisters, were completely different. One’s adoptive parents were the richest people in the Upper East Side. The other’s adoptive father was a short-lived smoker. Their lives were very different.
Their lives had always been different. When Penelope was walking down the street for a living, Daisy studied in a bright and warm bedroom. When Penelope was working several part-time jobs to make money to study, Daisy had already performed on stage and held her first piano concert.
Those were their own choices, and both of them were happy, so there was no need to intervene with each other.
As she walked out of the City Hall, the oncoming sunshine was very soft. She felt comfortable.
****
In the morning, Monica went out to buy breakfast for Penelope.
Monica looked at her distracted face and asked, “You’re not going to eat this waffle?”
“I can’t eat anymore. I got up too early, so I don’t have an appetite,” Penelope touched her stomach and stretched her arms.
“I think you have no appetite because you miss someone.” Monica took a sip of coffee and glanced at her.
Penelope raised an eyebrow. “I’m going to change my clothes. Help yourself, please.”
“Are you going to call your boyfriend?” Monica asked.
Rat-a-tat, someone knocked on the door.
“Coming.” Monica got up.
When Monica opened the door, she was stunned. Then she looked at the bedroom and turned to the person in front of her.
“I’m looking for Penelope Seinfeld.” Standing in the doorway, the woman in a dark blue suit said.
“You are her sister, Daisy Seinfeld!” Monica suddenly realized.
Daisy pushed the door open and walked inside. “Is she here?”
“Yes, she is. I’ll get her for you,” Monica replied while walking. The sisters were so similar, like copy and paste.
Penelope heard the voice vaguely and saw Monica pushing open the door. She asked, “Who is looking for me?”
“Your sister.”
Penelope frowned. “I haven’t seen her for ten years. Why is she here?”
“This is my first time seeing your sister.” Monica crouched at the door and commented as she peeped, “Look at her clothes and the handbag; they probably cost the same as your living expenses for six months.”
“Go away.” Penelope pushed Monica away. She fixed her collar and walked out.
After looking around the entire house, Daisy sat on the couch casually. The old sofa Penelope had picked up from outside seemed like an Italian leather sofa with her graceful posture.
Penelope opened the door and made eye contact with her.
“You’re looking for me?” Penelope slammed the door and blocked Monica in the room behind her.
“Ouch…” Monica stepped back and almost got her nose hit.
Daisy looked at the woman in front of her. They hadn’t lived together for ten years. Now they were in the same room, and it was very embarrassing.
Daisy lifted her chin and said, “Sit down, please.”
“This is my home. You don’t have to invite me.” Penelope sat far from her.
“I know that Ross asked you to persuade me out of marrying his father,” Daisy stated calmly. “He just underestimated my determination. Even if our mother comes back, I’m not going to change my mind.”
Penelope laughed and asked, “Have I ever stopped you?”
Daisy said, “Because you know that you can’t stop me. Though we are sisters, do you think there is love between us?”
“Yes, I know my position. If you want to marry someone, I won’t intervene.”
“That’s good.” Daisy lifted her face and stood up to leave.
“Goodbye,” Penelope said without getting up.
Daisy turned her head and said, “I have something to explain to you.”
“If it’s something between you and Ross, then you don’t need to.”
“If I knew he was your boyfriend, I certainly wouldn’t have done that.”
“I see.”
Daisy bowed her head to take a check from her handbag. She placed it on the table and said, “This is one hundred thousand dollars…”
“Daisy, you underestimate me,” Penelope stood up angrily.
“I’m not giving it to you, but it’s for the baby in your stomach. I am his aunt. This is a gift for him,” Daisy explained.
“He has parents and doesn’t need your help.”
Daisy laughed. She seemed to not understand Penelope’s stubbornness. “I think you know that my help is better than that of a man.”
“I can earn by myself.”
“Can you earn so much?”
“It’s my business.”
“Penelope, you are too self-consumed!” Daisy was also angry.
“That’s what I am,” Penelope said, standing straight.
Daisy glared at her, grabbed the check, and stuffed it into her bag. “Well, you are great. You win.”
After that, she walked away.
Daisy walked downstairs on high heels. This building was old and dark, and the stairs were steep. She walked furiously, so it sounded very loud.
“Who the hell is walking?” The man who lived inside the hallway opened the door.
Daisy looked at him angrily with great momentum. The latter froze for a moment, gently closed the door, and choked back his words.
“Daisy.”
Daisy looked up and saw Penelope upstairs.
“If you are really marrying for love, I bless you. But if you are just marrying for wealth and status this time, you know what I will think of you.”
Daisy touched the back of her neck and answered, “Hmm, I also bless you that you can get married before your child grows up.”
Then she stepped downstairs. It sounded like she walked steadily at every step.
Penelope leaned against the railing and gritted her teeth. “Why do I want to care about her? I must be crazy.”
Monica leaned against the door and said, “I don’t think you are sisters. You are actually enemies.”
Penelope glanced at her and entered the room to take her phone.
“What are you going to do?”
“I haven’t called Warren yet.”
No one answered the phone. Penelope had to dial Asher’s number.
“Uncle Warren? He is in the ICU,” Penelope asked about the situation, and Asher answered.
“ICU? Your grandfather is not alright?”
“Yes, it’s a little serious,” Asher looked at his grandmother at the end of the corridor and said, “My grandmother agreed for Uncle Phillip to visit him. It seems that my grandfather doesn’t have much time.”