Summer Rain in the South

My older sister married into a wealthy, prominent family and brought me, her deadweight little tagalong, with her. At the family dinner, I was eating with my head down when I suddenly realized someone under the table had nudged my calf with their foot. A chill ran through me. I looked up and met the gaze of Huo Siyin, the man in charge of Huo Group, sitting across from me. His expression was perfectly calm as he asked in an even voice, “Do you have something to say?” Under everyone’s eyes, my face flushed scarlet as I choked out, “Second Uncle… you’re stepping on my foot.” Without the slightest change in expression, Huo Siyin said, “Sorry.” But beneath the table, his polished leather shoe only settled lightly over the little white sneaker on my foot.