Chapter 25 A Hope Uprooted

A Hope Uprooted

Rina, brought to her senses by the slaps and scolding of her sister and parents, has a pale face, but her despair is not over.

“Rina, you are no longer a member of our family.”

“Huh?”

Rina was stunned as if she couldn’t understand what she was being told.

That’s understandable; anyone would find it hard to believe if their own parents told them they were cut off.

But they mercilessly deliver the final blow.

“We are strangers now. No matter what you do or where you go, it no longer concerns us. So live freely from now on. And at least try not to cause trouble for others.”

“Ha…? Wait a minute… Dad, Mom… Wh-what do you mean…?”

Not understanding the meaning of Ryohei-san and Mana-san’s words, Rina asked again with a trembling voice.

No, she probably understood what was said, but she never thought that they would actually cut her off.

Hana-chan stepped forward and said with a cold look to Rina, who was very upset.

“Can’t you understand even after hearing this? I mean, we’re cutting off all ties with you. I can’t see you as my sister anymore, someone like you.”

“Eh…?”

Come to think of it, Hana-chan seems to have stopped calling Rina a sister a while ago.

In other words, it means a complete rejection.

Finally understanding the meaning of those words, Rina hastily asked the three of them.

“Ar-are you kidding…? Hey, everyone…? Ar-are you going to abandon me…? We’re a real family, aren’t we…?”

But no one answered Rina’s words.

Instead, they looked at Rina with cold eyes.

Understanding from their reaction that they were serious, Rina burst into tears and fell to her knees.

“Sorry, but that’s not enough, is it?”

Tokudou-san mercilessly dealt the final blow to Rina, who was lost in grief.

She motioned to me with her eyes, and I nodded deeply and turned to the door, calling out.

“Please come in.”

“…?”

Rina’s eyes were filled with confusion at who had just arrived.

As if in response to my words, the doorknob turned and the door opened, revealing the shocking figure of a person who surprised Rina.

“Wh, why…? Why are you here, Senpai and the Personnel Director…!?”

The ones who appeared were the senior that Rina had feelings for and the personnel director of the company where she worked.

At the unexpected appearance of the two, Rina was unable to move at all and just sat still, looking up at the two in astonishment.

Well, that’s not surprising.

Tokudou-san, who had been asked by me, had leaked the information to Rina’s company and was working to make them take responsibility.

I also received a business card from that senior, so I contacted him beforehand and asked him to come over.

Rina, who had no way of knowing such a thing, could only be stunned.

Just seeing her face made me feel a little better.

“Nice to meet you all. My name is Sougen (草原), and I am the Personnel Director of U&M Holdings. I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused by our employee this time.”

“Nice to meet you; I’m Fushimi Toru (伏見透). This time, although I didn’t know it, I did something very disrespectful. I’m sorry.”

The personnel director, Sougen-san, bowed politely, and Fushimi-san, Rina’s beloved senior, even kneeled down and apologized on the spot.

Her parents and Hana-chan widened their eyes at the sudden scene and couldn’t hide their surprise.

I was surprised too, but I quickly recovered and spoke to them.

“Both of you, please raise your heads. You’ve done nothing wrong. Especially Fushimi-san, you were the victim who was deceived by Rina, so please stand up.”

“Uchida-san…but, I…”

He seemed to have a painful expression on his face, probably because he felt guilty even though it wasn’t his fault.

Even though he apologized on the phone, when I saw him apologize in person, I didn’t feel like hating him. No, there was no reason to hate him.

The only one who was really wrong was Rina.

“Stop blaming yourself. You and I are both victims of Rina. So I forgive you.”

“U, Uchida-san….”

I approached him, extended my hand, and helped Fushimi-san stand up.

“Handsome man x handsome man, huh… cute….”

Huh? Did I hear a strange murmur?

Turning my head towards the source of the voice, I saw Tokudou-san with a blissful expression, her cheeks flushed red.

Her eyes were half closed, and she seemed to be lost in thought.

Seeing that sloppy expression, the cool image of Tokudou-san completely collapsed.

…Yeah, let’s just pretend that we didn’t hear that.

First of all, we have to punish Rina.

I cleared my throat and finally spoke to Rina.

“Ahem… Rina, I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to charge you for damages. It won’t be much though. Of course, it’s not just me….”

“I’m sorry, but you’ll also have to pay the cancellation fee for the dinner I reserved. It’s not a big amount, but it’s a high-end restaurant, so it will cost a little.”

“Gah…!”

Yes, I called Fushimi-san not to apologize but to have Rina pay the cancellation fee for the dinner that he had to cancel because of Rina.

He, too, was a victim who was deceived. He has the right to be. She played with the heart of a man who wanted to make her happy. She must take responsibility.

But it doesn’t end there.

Next, Sougen-san, the personnel director, talks to Rina.

“Rina-kun. We don’t usually interfere in private matters, but infidelity is different. You know the president doesn’t like it, right?”

“…Yes.”

“If we keep you employed, it might hurt our company’s image as well. I’m sorry, but you have to take responsibility by getting fired.”

“…”

Rina didn’t answer, just hung her head.

That’s not surprising. She was cut off from her family, dumped by the senior she liked, and fired from her job.

There’s nothing left for her.