Chapter 9: Merissa's Plot

"Mum! Dad! I'm home!" Lily announced upon getting home. She carried the grocery bags into the kitchen where her mother was busy making dinner. 

"Where did you go? Why didn't you call and have someone escort you when you were going out? What if something had happened on the way? You aren't strong enough to walk about on your own!" Her mother reprimands her worriedly.

She moved away from the stove and checked Lily all over, Lily blushed and reassured her that she was fine.

"See, I'm fine and fit to go out now. I didn't even get scratched while I was outside!" Her mother glared at her playfully and went back to cooking.

She turned her attention to the heavy grocery bags Lily had brought in and raised a questioning brow, "What are those and where did you get the money?"

"I went out to get groceries, I worked for a company online and I got paid," Lily replied, half-telling lies and half-truths. 

"Online? I hope it's not some shady business. I heard some youths are going to jail lately after doing some online business, I hope it's not what you are doing?" Her mother asked curiously, already planning several lectures to give her daughter about scams and all.

Lily chuckled and continued arranging the groceries where they were supposed to be. 

"You have nothing to worry about, it's nothing illegal and I won't get arrested for doing it," she assured her. 

"Ehn, as long as it's not illegal, but you should keep the money for yourself now that you are fully recovered, you would need to go back to school."

"I already kept some for myself. Besides, what I bought is not even up to two hundred dollars." Lily argued. 

"Even if it's just fifty, you still have student loans to pay and everything, you can't spend your money lavishly like that, I will report to your father if you don't listen to me!" her mother threatened. 

"Fine! Fine! I won't spend lavishly, okay? But mum…" Lily called hesitantly, "What is it?"

"I was thinking I should leave school," she stated and her mother's eyes went wide in shock. 

"No way! Why would you want to leave school? Do you want to end up like me and your father, doing grunt work for others and getting bullied all day? No! You can't leave school!" Her mother argued.

Lily sighed and sat on the high kitchen stool, "Listen to me mother, I only want to leave school for a few months, at most a year. The national fashion competition is three months away and I want to join, but the school team has been finalised, so for me to join, I have to have my team and I want to join, please ma! I promise to go back to school once I finish the competition," Lily explained while making puppy eyes at her mother.

"I will have to discuss it with your father before I decide, you just have to promise me you will return to school after the competition," her mother urged, feeling helpless against the cute puppy eyes. 

"Of course, I promise!"

{You are making promises that you won't fulfil.} The system pointed out dully. 

"I will fulfil it, I will help the body owner to go to school and step on those rich kids who had always looked down on her, they would gravel at her feet and wish to be like her for the rest of their lives," Lily promised.

"Fine! You go and shower, dinner is almost ready," her mom shooed her away from the kitchen.

After dinner, Lily sat at the reading table and began planning how to create a clothing company. She researched the trends, buildings and even how to register the company. 

Throughout the night, she was busy making budgets and planning for the company that needed to be established with a standard foundation in less than three months. By the time it was dawn, she had already made the rough estimate and plans needed to build her first company in this life.

Once the plans were made, she closed the computer and went to sleep for a few hours before going back to studying with the help of the system.

While she was awake, Mark was also awake watching with relish and amusement how the intruders who wanted to get into his system got trapped. His eyes brightened up as their information began showing one after the other, including their location.

With the help of this newly upgraded firewall, he had been able to identify everyone working as a spy for other people under him. Now, he is really curious about what level five, the highest level of the firewall could do. 

As he thought it out, his mind wandered to the meeting he had with Sinful, although the other person had dressed in a way that covered up their identity, he could still tell they were young.

'If someone so young could make such an amazing programme, they are not a force to be reckoned with and they need to be properly nurtured,' he thought to himself and started devising a plan to bring her to his team on their next meeting.

***

Having heard that Lily had recovered, her parent's boss invited them to their house to have dinner. 

At first Lily disagreed, but seeing that it was an opportunity to see how her parents were treated at work, she finally agreed under her mother's persuasion. 

"It's good you have recovered well, I was really scared after the accident you know?" Merissa pulled her into a hug as they arrived at the Smith villa.

"I'm sorry about my clumsiness, if I had known the accident would happen, I wouldn't have invited you out for a drink," she added with a sorry expression. 

Seeing his daughter's frozen expression, Lily's father stepped in, "It's alright, she's not angry with you, it was an accident and there is no way of knowing it would happen," he assured Merissa.

"Hahaha, allow the children to solve their problems, please come in everyone, my wife made the dinner tonight," Mr Smith, Merissa's father urged and they all went into the dining hall.

The dinner conversation started mildly with pleasantries and compliments. While everyone was busy chattering, Lily remained silent and focused on her food but the peace she felt didn't last long as Mrs Smith brought her into the conversation. 

"Lily now that you are feeling better, you should return to school. I arranged for Merissa to help you through the classes you've missed while in the hospital," she announced boastfully, the tone had a hint of being above others and making her daughter teach Lily sounded like she was doing the family a favour.

"Oh thank you, Mrs Smith, but due to my accident, I'm thinking of taking a break from school to prevent a massive sequel in the future," Lily explained with a calm expression. 

Merissa and her mother froze up as they heard her words before sharing a glance nervously.

Merissa had only a mediocre talent in fashion and had only been able to get into the school due to her parent's connection. 

They had specifically arranged for her to share a dorm room with their employee's talented daughter so she could help. The former Lily always helped Merissa with her projects and assignments and that was why Merissa was among the top students in the class.

She had been hoping that Lily would come back to school so that she could help her design the dresses she would use during the competition. The current Lily didn't know any of this and planned to leave school as a way to beat her in the competition and get recognised by the other schools and companies, so that way she could go to a better fashion school as well as get a scholarship.

Merissa chuckled nervously, "According to the doctor, you won't have future sequelae, isn't it better to focus on studying now and relax later?" She probed while looking at her mother for support. 

If they don't get Lily back to school before the competition, there is no way she will be able to perform brightly and would eventually bring shame when people find out she isn't able to perform as well as she used to.

Merissa could already imagine the gossip that would spread around their school. Lily who didn't know why the other looked so nervous decided to question the system. 

{You didn't know but Merissa could not perform well on the team without getting help from the original owner, which is why the accident was only intended to disable the original owner and not to kill her,} the system explained and Lily grinned evilly, a new revenge plot appearing in her head. 

"I can be a student of a school with a company and then apply for the competition right?" Lily asked the system. 

{Of course you can.}

"Good!" After a pause, Lily lifted her head with determination. 

"You are right, I'm still young and I will be able to heal soon, I have nothing to worry about, I will be back in school by next week!" She announced and Merissa breathed a sigh of relief.

'I just have to be more careful and persuasive so I won't spook her unnecessarily,' Merissa thought to herself.

Mrs Smith smiled and said, "It's good you have reconsidered, children should work hard when they need to. If you need anything, you can ask Merissa, she will give them to you."