SWNOVELS Chapter 171-180
Chapter 171
“Zachary.”
Yolanda tried to say something, but Zachary cut her off: “I gotta hit the john a sec.” After he left, Yolanda felt a bit annoyed. Arabella always popping up like a bad
penny.
Just then, some classmates showed up, and Yolanda greeted them cordially, leading them into the private room.
“Alright folks, today’s feast is on Yoli’s husband–to–be. Pick whatever you fancy to eat and drink, but don’t go wild, we don’t want to leave a bad impression on her man. Don’t make Yoli lose face, Sophie said.
Everyone nodded in agreement, praising Yolanda’s fiancée, and started gossiping about his family background.
“His dad’s the richest guy in Golden City.” Yolanda mentioned it casually.
“Golden City’s top dog? Rolling in money, huh?”
“No wonder he was considering the ten–million private room earlier, he’s loaded.”
“What ten–million private room?”
“You guys probably didn’t know that Yoli’s man was really splashing cash earlier.” Everyone started chattering about Zachary’s generosity and singing Yoli’s praises. Zachary returned from the restroom, and a couple of girls immediately flocked to him.
“So you’re Yoli’s fiancée!”
“Please look after Yoli in the future; let me buy you a drink!”
Zachary was a bit ruffled by Arabella, but he kept his cool, accepting drinks from whoever offered. He gulped them down one after another.
Yolanda could tell the girls were trying to curry favor with Zachary, but she knew Zachary wasn’t the type to fall for that, so she just chilled out and chatted with others, not letting it bother her.
Before long, the door to the room was pushed open, and a mischievous guy walked in with a bunch of friends.
“Oh, it’s Wilson!” Sophie recognized the newcomer and promptly put a bottle of booze on the table in front of him, saying, “You’re late; you’ve got to drink! Everyone else chimed in, “Drink up, Wilson!”
Wilson scoffed, his gaze passing over everyone and landing on Yolanda.
He’d heard she’d returned to her birth family, but he hadn’t expected her to have become so elegant.
She was wearing a strapless dress that day, showcasing her sexy figure: He felt a pang of nostalgia.
Wilson was the class clown and a bit of a bully because his family was well–off. He dropped out when he was a sophomore in high school and became a minor hooligan, leading a gang of twenty or thirty.
He picked up the whiskey glass in front of him, gave a smirk, and downed it in one go. Many people clapped and cheered.
“Tonight, it’s on me.” He tossed the glass aside, which was promptly caught by one of his lackeys.
“You’re a bit late for that.” Sophie said easily, “Yoli’s fiancée has already forked out three hundred grand for this swanky room; all the expenses tonight are on him!”
At the mention of ‘three hundred grand‘, Wilson’s gaze turned to Zachary, scrutinizing him with an icy arrogance. Out of everyone in the room, he had the most outstanding aura.
No doubt, he must be Yoli’s fiancée.
“Nice to meet you; I’m Zachary.”
Chapter 172
Although Zachary wasn’t really into this bad boy from the get–go, he extended a hand out of politeness because he was Yoli’s classmate.
But to his surprise, Wilson didn’t reciprocate. Instead, he raised his voice and announced, “Listen up, everyone; Yoli’s fiancéee is footing the bill. Pick whatever you want to eat or drink!”
Upon hearing this, his cronies immediately started ordering the most expensive dishes.
“Wilson.” Yolanda stepped forward, hoping he would tone it down a bit.
But Wilson looked at her with an incredibly sleazy grin and said, “Oh, you’re on a first–name basis with me now?”
Zachary found their interaction odd. Just then, Sophie stepped in to defuse the situation: “Wilson, this feast is to celebrate Yoli’s second–place victory in the piano competition. So let’s raise our glasses and toast to Yoli, shall we?”
She shoved a wine glass into Wilson’s hand, hinting at him not to cause trouble and even instructed others not to order expensive dishes. The whole class then raised their glasses in a cheer.
However, under Wilson’s command, nobody dared disobey. Even though they refrained from ordering expensive dishes, they ordered plenty of pricey drinks.
“So you’re Yoli’s fiancée, huh? Seeing as Yoli performed so well in the competition, shouldn’t you have a few more drinks?” Wilson downed his drink in one gulp, waiting for Zachary’s response.
“Zachary.” Yolanda instantly regretted it, as she knew Wilson was a man who never spared anyone’s feelings.
Zachary picked up a glass, gestured in a gentlemanly manner, and downed the drink. In comparison, he seemed much more refined and cultured than Wilson, earning him unabashed admiration and adoration from the other girls.
Wilson continued to drink, and Zachary, not to be outdone, matched him glass for glass. His mood was down because he had just run into Arabella, so the drinks served as a good distraction.
Wilson then picked up the whole bottle and started drinking directly from it.
Just as Zachary was about to join him, Yolanda grabbed his arm and said, “Zachary, that’s enough. I’ve received your congratulations. Don’t drink anymore. How are we supposed to get home if you’re drunk?”
“What kind of man doesn’t drink?” Wilson looked at Zachary provocatively and said, “To make this party more fun, I’ve invited some people.”
With a clap of his hands, seven or eight women walked in. They were all dolled up, and obviously they were the local courtesans.
“Wilson! You finally let us in! We’ve been waiting so long that our legs are numb. You need to give us a massage!” Several women fawned over Wilson.
Wilson waved them away, saying, “I have a friend who’s engaged. I invited you here today to ‘test‘ her fiancée.”
“Oh, the handsome young man over here? I wonder what kind of girls he’s into. The passionate type or the gentle type?”
The women quickly surrounded him.
“Wilson, don’t push it!” Sophie immediately protested.
Yolanda held onto Zachary’s arm tightly and said, “Stay away from my fiancée.”
“I need to use the restroom.” Zachary had been tolerating Wilson’s behavior for a while. Years of a good upbringing helped him maintain his composure.
Seeing Zachary leave, Wilson sneered, “He’s got such a short fuse?”
A few of his lackeys started laughing.
Yolanda glared at Wilson and was about to leave when Wilson grabbed her hand.
In the restroom, Zachary washed his face, thinking to himself that Yoli’s friends were no good. Rather than wasting time here, he’d rather leave early.
As he was thinking, he overheard a few girls chatting while washing their hands.
“I really don’t get it. How could the son of Golden City’s richest man be interested in a girl like Yolanda?”
Chapter 173
“I just don’t get it! Any of us girls are better than her, right?”
“She was raised by a cleaner, she just reeks of poverty!”
“Even with fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, it doesn’t hide her poor vibes.”
“Seeing her with all those jewels, it’s just laughable. The combination totally doesn’t work; she just forces it to show off in front of us.”
“So shallow!”
Zachary was about to step out and warn them to watch their tongues when one girl said, “She’s just lucky to have a father who’s a tycoon. What about us? Even if we’re good girls, nobody cares!”
“I think Zachary is quite polite to Wilson; he probably doesn’t know about Yolanda and Wilson’s past relationship, right?”
“Not only a past relationship, they even slept together!”
“I bet Wilson is nothing good, there’s definitely some drama to expect.”
Zachary paused, unable to move until they walked away!
Yoli dated that punk before? And they slept together?
Didn’t Yoli say before that he was her first love?
And he remembered how clumsy she was at kissing not long ago, saying it was her first kiss.
Could it be that she lied to him?
Meanwhile, in another room,
Hayes pleaded with his hands clasped, “Ladies, have mercy; this is already millions of dollars. If this continues, I might have a heart attack and be sent to the hospital.”
“Look at you; it’s just opening a couple of bottles of wine.” Kelly said as she uncorked another bottle.
Hayes looked pained. “Ladies, this is a limited edition whiskey, worth a million dollars. Bella, aren’t you going to stop her?”
“What, our friendship isn’t worth this million dollars?” Kelly raised an eyebrow.
“That’s right!” Arabella nodded in agreement.
“Of course it’s worth.” Hayes was nearly in tears. “It’s not about the money; I’m just worried about you guys getting a hangover tomorrow!”
“Drink when there’s wine, right, Bella?” Kelly sipped her wine and said, “Good stuff! The limited edition is worth it; it’s just a pity that the alcohol content is too high for Bella.”
Arabella gave a small smile and said, “Let’s go.”
If they didn’t leave now, Hayes might really lose it.
“You guys go ahead.” Kelly stood up and said, “I’m going to the bathroom, Hayes. Get my car ready.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The smell of alcohol in the room was strong. As Arabella stepped out, Hayes handed her a bank card.
She was a bit confused.
“This is me paying back the money I owe you.”
Arabella remembered that Hayes had taken quite a lot of medication from her before because his family was sick.
She gave light smile and said, “No need; it’s my treat; consider it the cost of the wine.”
After all, those medicines were easy for her to make, but Hayes‘ wine was limited edition.
“No, no, I can’t do that to you. I’m a man; I have to take responsibility. And even though you guys drank a few bottles of my wine tonight, I was a bit hurt, but I was happy to share with you.”
Hayes handed her the card and said, “Please accept.”
He also gently touched her hair.
Chapter 174
Zachary saw everything from a distance, and he was boiling with rage. He couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Arabella!!”
Arabella and Hayes both looked up at him and saw Zachary stomping toward them, fuming with anger. like a boyfriend who had been offended.
“So this is your sugar daddy?” Zachary glanced at Hayes. He had to admit that Hayes was handsome, cool, and rich. No wonder Arabella was into him.
But this only made him angrier. “Do you have no shame for doing this in front of everyone?”
“What did you say?” Hayes suddenly grabbed Zachary’s collar. “Say that again! What did you just say about her?”
“She’s been around the block before you!”
“Go to hell.” Hayes punched him right away.
Just then, a waiter carrying drinks for the guests was bumped into by Zachary, and the bottles fell to the ground and smashed.
The loud noise attracted a lot of attention.
Someone opened the door to the private room and said, “Yoli, your fiancée is getting beaten up! Come and see!”
“What??”
Yolanda rushed out and saw a carefree–looking young man beating Zachary and sternly warning him.
“I’ll protect Arabella; if I hear you badmouthing her again, prepare to spend your life in the ICU!”
Zachary got punched again, then was thrown into the shattered glass by Hayes.
Many classmates saw this and were shocked. What’s going on? Wasn’t Zachary the son of the richest person in Golden City? Why was he getting beaten up and no one was stepping in to help?
“Zachary, are you okay?” Yolanda hurriedly rushed to support him.
Seeing Zachary’s arm covered in shards of glass, Yolanda couldn’t help but angrily look at Hayes.
“What did Zachary do to offend you? You’re hitting someone for no reason; do you believe I’ll call the police?”
“Jahere, I am the police!” Hayes looked at them haughtily. “You don’t like it? Sue me!”
Being a newly opened club, everyone didn’t know he was the owner, but hearing him say this, everyone felt the immense power behind him, especially his arrogance and his luxurious clothes.
“What happened?” Kelly came out of the restroom, and seeing this scene, she was a bit surprised.
Yolanda turned her gaze to the girl behind Hayes, angrily saying, “Sis, don’t you think you should say something? Zachary was looking out for you; he was afraid you’d lose your way for money and tried to steer you right. And you? Seeing Zachary get hurt for you, don’t you feel the slightest bit guilty?”
Arabella had no interest in dealing with them, telling the person beside her, “Let’s go.”
“Hold on!”
Yolanda couldn’t lose face in front of all the classmates; she helped Zachary up and loudly asked Arabella, “Dare you tell everyone, how many old men have you,
been with?”
The classmates behind her were all shocked. What happened? This beautiful girl was sponsored by an older man. And it sounded like there were many older men sponsoring her?
“Do you have any evidence to prove that I’ve been sponsored?” Arabella raised an eyebrow, her indifferent demeanor like that of a queen.
“Oh, so you dare to do it, but you don’t dare to admit it? How many luxury cars have you ridden in? And when accompanying older men to hotels, do you admit or deny these things?”
Arabella found it absurd.
When had she ever accompanied older men to hotels?
Chapter 175
“What’s up, a cat got your tongue?” Yolanda thought Arabella was caught off guard, unable to retort, and scoffed, “It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t mind your
filth.”
“You sanctimonious witch.” Kelly suddenly rolled up her sleeves and said, “I can’t stand it anymore; no one stops me today!”
She lunged forward and grabbed Yolanda by the hair. Zachary tried to protect Yolanda, but Kelly kicked him away, sending him crashing into shards of glass again. “You can’t control your girlfriend; you need me to do it for you?”
Kelly held Yolanda’s hair with one hand and slapped her hard with the other.
“Who’re you calling dirty? Dare to say it again? Say it, I’m all ears!”
“Who the hell are you?” Zachary, who had fallen into the glass shards and could hardly stand up, said angrily, “You’ve crossed the line! I’m calling the cops!”
“Go ahead, call the cops! You think I’m scared?” Kelly continued to slap her. “You said I’ve gone too far? I sure did! I failed to protect Arabella in time and let you bully her for so long! Who do you think you are, flexing in front of Arabella? Today I’m going to teach you a lesson: stay away from Arabella in the future!”
Yolanda was harshly reprimanded by Kelly and thrown into the shards of glass.
The other students were stunned and dared not intervene. They didn’t expect this girl to be so fierce.
“Let me make it clear to you today! Anyone who dares to bully Arabella is picking a fight with us, the Piper family! I’ll beat you up every time I see you!”
Kelly’s gaze swept over everyone, emanating a cold aura. “If you’re not convinced, come–find me at Piper Group!”
The students around were all dumbfounded. Her daring to reveal her identity publicly meant she was afraid of no one!.
Knowing she was from the Piper Group, the people around her shrank back.
That’s a top–tier financial group!
They said there’s a princess in the family who was adored by everyone.
Could she be the one right here?
“My name’s Kelly; remember that!” Kelly threw out this threat, then turned to Arabella with a smile and said, “For your sake, I’ve held back.”
Arabella could tell that Kelly really hadn’t gone all out. Normally, she might have beaten them into becoming disabled people.
Anyway, the Piper family was powerful and feared no one.
Today was the grand opening of the new club, and Kelly didn’t want the place to be stained with the scent of blood, especially the blood of these scumbags.
“Let’s go.” Arabella said it indifferently, and the three left together.
“Yoli, Zachary, are you guys okay?” Sophie and the other students finally mustered the courage to come forward and help.
“I’m sorry, the Piper family is too powerful; we didn’t dare to mess with her.” Sophie vented her frustration on the waiter: “This club had such a big incident; why didn’t you step in?”
“Miss, we’re just workers; life’s hard.” The waiter said, “She’s the Piper family’s miss. Who dares to provoke her?”
Yolanda knew that the influence of the Piper family was so great that even if the richest men in Tranquil City and Golden City joined forces, they wouldn’t dare to offend them lightly. Even if the situation got extremely serious, they would be the ones to suffer!
Yolanda had heard that the Piper family adored their daughter.
She could only grit her teeth and stand up. “I’m fine.”
“I can see that your sister doesn’t care about herself; you and Zachary are just looking out for her, worried that she’s heading down the wrong path.” Sophie pretended to mediate.
“Let’s call it a day for the gathering.” Yolanda’s face was swollen from the beating, and she helped Zachary towards the front desk.
Zachary also felt extremely awkward and wanted to pay and leave as soon as possible.
Chapter 176
“Room 2201, time to settle up.”
“Sure thing, sir.” The cashier rang up the bill and then said reverently, “Your total expenditure tonight is $670,000. Your account only has $500,000. You still need to pay $170,000.”
“You said what?” Yolanda froze, snatched the bill for a look, and there were over seventy bottles of expensive liquor on it!
“That Wilson and his posse have been guzzling down booze like it’s water.” Sophie whispered into Yolanda’s ear.
“When was this?”
“Just now, when you and Zachary were gone.”
Not only didn’t they finish the alcohol, but they also spilled it all over the place.
They just wouldn’t listen to reason!
Just then, a staff member whispered something to the receptionist, who recalculated on the calculator.
“I’m sorry, sir, your friends dirtied our sofa and left stains on the wall. And you accidentally broke several of our bottles in the upstairs hallway. In addition to the unpaid $170,000, you need to pay another $300,000 in damages, totaling $470,000,”
“What?” Yolanda was completely stunned this time.
Even Zachary’s face turned sour. He had only topped up his card with $500,000, and now he had to pay an extra $470,000?
This party was a disaster!
“Where’s Wilson?” Yolanda asked angrily.
“He left a while ago.”
Sadly, he had left early and missed the spectacle of Yolanda and Zachary being sucker–punched.
Yolanda was so angry she was gnashing her teeth and subconsciously reached for Zachary’s arm. “Zachary.”
To her surprise, Zachary withdrew his hand, paid the bill, and stormed off!
“Zachary, wait up, Zachary,”
Everyone around could tell Zachary was really pissed. Guess he wasn’t as generous as they thought.
When Zachary went to get the car, he found his Porsche had been scratched up!
Without a doubt, it was Kelly who did it!
Seeing this, Yolanda was furious: “That Kelly went too far! How dare she do this to such an expensive car?”
Not only did she scratch the car, but she also drew two turtles on it!
For the first time, Zachary didn’t open the car door for Yolanda. He got in angrily, and Yolanda had to open the door herself.
“Zachary, I’m sorry; I didn’t know Wilson was such a jerk.”
“What’s your relationship with him?” Zachary suddenly asked.
Yolanda was taken aback and quickly said, “We’re just classmates, barely acquaintances. I don’t know him well. If I knew he was like this, I would have told Sophie
and the others not to invite him.”
Zachary sneered inside. If they weren’t close, why would Wilson go out of his way to target him? Ordering all those expensive drinks just to make him lose money?
“Get some medication when you get home,” Zachary suddenly said.
Yolanda thought Zachary trusted her and cared about her, and he quickly said, “You too! When you get home, make sure to disinfect first, then apply medication. Don’t let the wound get infected, understand?
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“Alright Zachary answered her perfunctorily, dropping her off at her door. He didn’t even bother to get out of the car, signaling for her to scram. “Zachary.” Yolanda looked at his indifferent profile, instinctively reaching out for his hand. “I’m sorry for making you spend so much tonight; I’ll pay you back for the excess.”
But she honestly didn’t have that kind of money; it was just lip service.
“No need” Zachary glanced at her. Her face was swollen from Kelly’s punches, her earrings and necklaces were all askew, her hair was a mess, and her clothes were stained
He suddenly recalled what her classmates had said about her wearing all that bling. It didn’t match, but she insisted on wearing them together.
They also said that despite wearing all those expensive items, she still gave off a poor vibe.
Looking at her now, they might have a point.
“Zachary.” Yolanda noticed his distant gaze, even a hint of disdain. Was it because her current state was making him uncomfortable?
With that thought, Yolanda hurriedly tried to fix her hair and jewelry.
But the more she tried, the messier it got.
“I’m hurt, I won’t get you out of the car.” Zachary’s message was clear: she could leave now.
“Well, you should get some rest when you get home.” Knowing that staying wasn’t going to change anything, Yolanda got out of the car, waving him off gently. “Zachary, drive safe, and when you get home, give me a
Before she could finish her sentence, Zachary’s car had already driven off.
Attlee was in the living room enjoying a drink when he saw Yolanda walk in all disheveled. “Yoli, what happened to you? I thought you were going to a classmates gathering?”
“She must have partied too hard; I bet everyone’s clothes look like this?” Olga didn’t seem too bothered, taking a sip of her drink before realizing something: “Wait, where’s Zachary? Why didn’t he walk you in? Is he still outside? Invite him in; your dad just opened up a good bottle of wine from our neighbor.”
As Yolanda got closer, Attlee noticed that it wasn’t just her clothes that were dirty; she was injured, and her face was swollen!
“Yoli, what happened?”
Olga also noticed, exclaiming in surprise, “And your hand.”
“Miss Yoli, I will get the first aid kit.”
“Miss Yoli, wait a moment; I’ll get an ice pack for you.”
The two maids, realizing something was wrong, hurried to fetch the items.
Yolanda sat on the sofa, tears streaming down her face. “Mom, Dad, we ran into Arabella tonight! She was in a VIP room with a rich boy; Zachary spoke his mind for her own good, and then.”
Before she could finish her sentence, tears started falling. “That rich boy just started beating up Zachary, saying that Arabella was under his protection, and if anyone dared to bully her, he wouldn’t live to see the next day.”
“What an arrogant jerk.” Olga stood up in anger, asking, “Who is he? How dàre he attack Zachary? Did you tell him Zachary is the son of the richest man in Golden City?”
“What about you? How did you get hurt?” Attlee asked.
“Arabella brought a female friend.”
Yolanda took the ice pack from one of the maids and winced in pain as she applied it to her face, tears streaming down her face.
“I was just trying to convince her to turn over a new leaf, but her female friend just started beating me up.”
“What?! She dared to hit the daughter of the richest man in Tranquil City?” Olga was fuming. “What’s her name? I’m going to get someone to teach her a lesson right now!”
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“Mom, that woman is a big shot; we shouldn’t mess with her.”
“Why shouldn’t we?” Olga wasn’t having it. “They’ve already pushed you around this much! Even if our family goes down, I’ll make her kneel and apologize to you!” “She dared to bully my daughter? I want not just her but her whole family to come apologize to my girl!”
“She must also cover the medical bills!”
“Yeah, yeah! And compensation for emotional distress! Plus all other related costs!”
“Mom, Dad.” Yolanda tried to get a word in, biting her lip and looking utterly pitiful.
Impatient, Olga urged, “Spill it; what’s her name? Don’t hold back; you’ve been wronged so much; we’ll get back at them for you.”
“Right, right!”
Originally, Yolanda was worried they would be too scared to confront the situation. Seeing their fervor now, she softly said, “Her name is Kelly, the daughter of the Piper family.”
Upon hearing this, Attlee and Olga were stunned. “Kelly? The Piper family’s daughter?”
“She said anyone who messes with her is messing with the Piper family. If we don’t like it, we can find her at the Piper group.”
Attlee and Olga were speechless, their expressions frozen.
Everyone knew Mr. Piper of the Piper Group doted on this daughter the most; confronted him about this? He’d probably toss them out on their asses.
The Piper family had significant influence in Summerfield.
Even if they pooled all their resources, they’d barely make a dent in the Piper family.
This wasn’t worth it!
“Yoli. Mom knows you’ve been wronged, and it’s all because of Arabella! Just wait, I’m going to settle the score with her!”
Olga knew she was powerless against the Piper family, so she could only vent her anger on Arabella.
Arabella, who had nothing, was poor, and had done such shameful things..
This is indeed Bella’s fault; she strayed from the right path, and Yoli kindly tried to guide her back, but she didn’t listen and even had her friends attack people!” Attlee pointed at his phone and said, “We should call her up and give her a piece of our mind! Make her apologize to Yoli; let’s call her right now!”
Seeing that they only dared to bully the weak and didn’t dare to confront the Piper family, Yolanda felt somewhat disappointed yet powerless.
Because the Murphy family simply didn’t have the clout to stand up to the Piper family.
As soon as Arabella arrived home, her phone vibrated. She saw it was Olga calling and knew immediately what it was about.
She hung up and blocked the number without saying a word, then walked into the main hall.
Granny Grace was always good to her, and Granny Grace only had one son, which was Attlee. So, unless absolutely necessary, she wouldn’t lose her temperat them.
Thinking of Granny Grace.
She entered her bedroom and called Caden Newton to ask about the old lady’s recent condition.
“Bella, how many days has it been since you last visited Grace Murphy? Grace has been waking up more frequently and for longer periods. Following your instructions, we haven’t told the Murphy family about this, and Grace herself said she doesn’t want to see them.”
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“Is her mood stable?” Arabella asked softly.
“She’s steady alright, just missing you a ton. She’s been begging the nurses to lend her their phones so she can call you. But they keep telling her you come by often, and as soon as she stays awake a bit longer, you two will be able to meet.”
Grace’s phone was confiscated by Olga, fearing that the old lady might wake up suddenly and contact Arabella, possibly leaving her entire fortune to her due to her confusion. That’s why she didn’t allow any phones around Grace.
“I’ll visit her tomorrow.” Arabella’s voice was calm.
“Great, I have a complex case here; can you help me check it out tomorrow?”
“Sure.”
After ending the call, Arabella saw a flood of WhatsApp messages from Olga.
[You are such a disgrace. The Murphy family has bent over backward to raise you all these years, yet you show no gratitude.]
[Yoli did her best to get you back on track, and you instigate your friends to attack her? Look at what she has become now.]
Il demand you come here immediately and apologize to Yoli sincerely!]
Perhaps because she didn’t get an immediate response from Arabella, Olga sent several more messages, all insulting her.
【The Murphy family has wasted their efforts raising you all these years. If they raised a dog, at least it could guard the house. You’re not even as good as a dog!] [If I were you, I would apologize to Yoli immediately and do everything possible to get her forgiveness.]
[I’m telling you to come here right now; did you hear me?]
Arabella replied to her, [Are you nuts?] Then she blocked her account and prepared to take a shower and go to bed.
At this moment, Edith’s voice came from outside the door.
“Ms. Bella, are you asleep? The lady wants you to come downstairs for some mushroom soup.”
Arabella wasn’t hungry, but she didn’t turn down her mother’s kindness. She packed up her medication for the night and went downstairs.
Serena Collins served a bowl of mushroom soup in front of Louisa, sweetly calling, “Mom, here’s your mushroom soup.”
Then she served another bowl and handed it to Kenneth Collins, saying, “Dad, this is yours.”
“You don’t need to do this.” Kenneth said with a smile that he felt his child was growing more and more considerate.
Louisa also smiled and said, “Serena, you don’t need to bother with these trivialities.”
Back when they didn’t know she wasn’t their biological child, the Collins family had always taken good care of her.
Even a play that lasted eighteen years would create bonds, let alone their genuine affection for her over such a long period.
Although she wasn’t their biological daughter, seeing her being as filial and obedient as before, even serving soup like a small thing in front of them, Louisa felt very comforted.
Seeing Arabella come downstairs, Louisa smiled and asked, “Bella, you’re here? Come sit next to mom.”
“Sis, this is your mushroom soup.” Serena served Arabella a bowl personally, and only then did she serve herself.
“Serena is so thoughtful, treating her sister so well!” Louisa looked at Arabella with a loving gaze and said, “Hurry and drink it while it’s hot.
Arabella took a spoonful of soup and brought it to her mouth. She smelled a familiar scent–hemp seeds?
This kind of Chinese herb was often used with other medications to treat constipation.
But Arabella also smelled another medication, croton tiglium. She smiled slightly. Were they trying to give her diarrhea?
Arabella fooked up and saw Serena and Martha secretly watching her. As she looked at them, they quickly diverted their gaze.
Arabella put the spoon down, and the smile on her face grew.
“Thanks to Martha’s teachings, Serena has become so considerate. Since Serena personally served this soup, Martha should have a taste first.”
Martha immediately felt something was wrong: “Ms. Bella, you’re too kind; I am just a servant; how can I eat such precious food?”
“Of course you can.” Arabella put the mushroom soup in front of her and smiled slightly. “We’ve never treated you as a servant in our house, and besides, it’s just a bowl of soup, right, mom, dad?”
“Yes, Bella is so kind; just eat it.” Kenneth added with a smile.
But Martha didn’t dare eat the mushroom soup in front of her. She swallowed and smiled awkwardly. “Sir, ma’am, you might not know, but my stomach hasn’t been good lately; let Ms. Bella have this bowl of mushroom soup first. Thank you for your kind intentions, Ms. Bella.“.
“Mushroom soup is rich in protein, essential amino acids, and trace elements, which are beneficial for enhancing intestinal mucosal repair. Martha, your stomach isn’t well; you should drink more mushroom soup.”
Without waiting for Martha to refuse, Arabella smiled and added, “There are also some good ingredients added. Martha, you should give it a try.”
Martha felt the girl in front of her was like a devil; how could she know what was added just by smelling it?
dirty.
“Martha, do you think the spoon I used earlier is dirty, so you don’t want to eat?” Arabella changed a new spoon for her. Seeing her still not moving, her eyes showed a bit of disappointment. “Is it because I just got home and no one listens to me anymore?”
“Martha,” Kenneth couldn’t bear to see his precious daughter doubting herself, so he quickly said, “If Bella wants you to eat, just eat it; it’s just a bowl of soup.”
“Bella, don’t think too much; how could everyone not listen to you?” Louisa said it with pity.
“Maybe it’s because I came home too late; everyone listens to my sister more. Even if I want to give someone something good to eat, they won’t accept it.”
Hearing these words, Kenneth and Louisa immediately realized something. Yes, these servants had been with Serena for a long time; naturally, they would lean
more towards her!
Bella must feel bad in her heart.
Thinking about this, Louisa made up her mind. Nope, she had to hire some new help. She couldn’t let her precious Bella feel wronged.
“Serena, why don’t you try and get Martha to eat? If Martha really doesn’t have an appetite, you can eat for her. She might not listen to me, but she might listen to you, right?”
At this, Serena’s face turned pale as a‘ ghost, scared that her scheme had been blown.
“Since Ms. Bella is so kind, I might as well eat.” Martha knew she couldn’t avoid eating any longer and picked up her spoon with trembling hands.
Arabella smiled and said, “That’s the spirit. Martha, is it good?”
Martha felt sick but still took a couple of bites and forced a smile, saying, “It’s good.”
“Well then, you should eat more later.”
“Thank you very much for your kindness, Ms. Bella, but one bowl is enough. I really can’t eat anymore.”
“There are a lot of ingredients in this mushroom soup. You work so hard; you should replenish your energy.”
“Thank you for your concern, Ms. Bella.” Martha felt conflicted. After finally finishing the mushroom soup, she quickly made up an excuse and left.
Chapter 180
Arabella knew that mixing those two medications wouldn’t cause instant diarrhea, but about half an hour later, it would definitely trigger severe diarrhea. Those two medications were so potent that even anti–diarrhea pills couldn’t stop them.
Martha sure was in for a rough night.
Arabella glanced up at Serena, who quickly looked down and, in her flustered state, knocked over the mushroom soup.
“Are you alright there, Serena?” Louisa asked.
A servant came over to help Serena clean up the mess.
Serena, distracted, said, “I’m fine.”
“Arabella, you’re such a caring soul, looking out for the household help,” Kenneth said, full of praise. “But you’ve got to remember to eat too.”
“Sure thing” Arabella served herself another bowl and ate slowly, while Serena seemed restless and soon made an excuse to leave. Meanwhile.
Zachary had just gotten home to find his parents waiting on the living room couch, frowning.
Zachary’s father was about to lose his cool, but upon seeing his son bruised and dirty, he was taken aback. “What happened to you? Who did this to you?” Their usually neat and tidy son was a mess. His white shirt was dirty and stained with alcohol and blood, and his arms were covered in wounds.
“I’m fine.” All Zachary wanted to do was going upstairs, taking a shower, and washing away the whole disastrous night.
“Hold it right there!” Zachary’s mother scolded. She looked at his injuries and angrily demanded, “Did you go out with Yolanda tonight? What did you buy her? Why did you spend so much money? And look at the state you’re in!”
The earlier refill of hundreds of thousands of dollars was from Zachary’s personal savings, but for the extra money the club demanded, he had to take it from his parents‘ emergency funds.
So, not long after Zachary swiped his card, his parents received a text message notification.
“You’re not even married, and you’re already spending so much on her, even getting yourself into a state like this! Look at you now; you’re no aristocrat. People who don’t know better might even mistake you for a thug!”
Zachary’s mother was furious: “If you were interested in Arabella, I could understand. She has a certain cold and aloof charm. But Yolanda? What do you see
her? Do you like her affectations or her stinginess?”
“Mom, I’m exhausted.” Zachary didn’t want to say anything else. He headed upstairs.
Zachary’s mother was livid. “Look at him.”
“Alright, alright. The lad’s all banged up; let’s leave him alone. Someone get him some medicine,” said Zachary’s father. As he saw his wife dialing a number, he quickly asked, “What are you doing?”
“I want to know what happened tonight!”
After calling Olga and learning about the night’s events, Zachary’s mother scolded, Just as I thought, both your daughters are no good! Zachary’s injuries–I can chalk it up to bad luck! But what about the forty thousand tonight?”
“Over forty thousand? I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Olga was confused by her words: “Zachary just accompanied Yoli to a classmate gathering.”
“A classmate gathering cost over forty thousand? My son isn’t even married to your daughter, and you’re already treating him like an ATM? And withdrawing this much? People will think you haven’t raised your daughter right!”
‘Mrs. Panter, could you please show some respect? Are you implying that my daughter is ill–bred?”
“You can still understand what I’m saying! Let me make something clear today: we, the Panter family, don’t want Yolanda! This over forty thousand tonight can be considered a breakup fee. Don’t contact Zachary anymore!”