Reborn From Oblivion

Nellie watched Jasmine leave the stage, feeling a bit lost.

"Nellie."

Caught up in her thoughts, Nellie hardly noticed Cameron as he stood up and made his way over to her, grabbing her wrist with a grip like a vice. Nellie looked at him with a cool detachment as if he were a stranger to her.

Her gaze hit him hard. "Nellie, what are you doing in Milan? Didn't I tell you to stay put in Australia?" he demanded, annoyance clear in his voice.

Nellie smirked, a hint of sarcasm in her expression. Did he really think shipping her off to America meant she had to follow his every whim? To him, she was just a mindless accessory.

Cameron blinked, momentarily stunned. "Even if you wanted to come to Milan, you should've given me a heads-up."

That's when Greta stepped in, adopting a condescending tone. "Nel, do you know how worried Cameron was when you went missing? You shouldn't be so reckless."

She expected Nellie to take her rebuke quietly, just like old times. But Nellie simply gave them both a once-over, a playful grin spreading across her face. "He was too busy with his precious sweetheart to spare a thought for me, wasn't he?" Both Cameron and Greta's faces flushed with embarrassment.

Trying to defend himself, Cameron said, "Nel, I did go to Australia to look for you."

The old Nellie might have been touched by this, but now, she just found it laughable.

"When exactly?" she paused. "Before I left, you swore you'd come for me in three months. But you only went to Australia last week..."

Nellie didn't hold back, revealing Cameron's insincerity. "The Dawson family needed me to play the perfect daughter-in-law at their annual shindig. That's why you bothered to make the trip, right?"

Cameron looked deflated. He hadn't expected this fierce, no-nonsense version of Nellie. Her words stung like a slap.

Greta was totally flustered by Nellie's biting remarks. She looked uncomfortable. "Nel, why have you turned so harsh?"

Nellie turned to her, unfazed. "Think I'm harsh? Then maybe stop doing things that are, well, gross. Like pretending to be innocent when you're anything but..."

Greta began to cry, playing the victim. "Nel, how can you think that of me? Cameron and I were childhood friends, sure, but since he married you, he's been nothing but loyal. He's never crossed the line with me." Nellie's eyes fell on their intertwined fingers, a mocking smile tugging at her lips.

Cameron awkwardly let go of Greta's hand but shot back defensively, "Nellie, don't think so little of me. I've told you I'm committed to you for life. There's no need for you to test us."

Nellie let out a dry laugh. "Cameron, how do you plan to be responsible? By leaving me overseas to fend for myself? Is that your idea of responsibility towards your wife?"

A flicker of guilt flashed in Cameron's eyes. "I gave you money; you just didn't take it."

Nellie replied, "Because I don't want to have any ties with you anymore."