Chapter 102 It's a Shame You're Just Bricklayers
Those dudes rolled in like a gang, circling Kyle the second they stepped through the door.
One big guy smashed a plastic basin with a steel rod and yelled, "Kyle, if you don't pay us what we're owed today, don't think I won't make sure your whole family feels the heat." "Yeah, you got cash for baby formula but not for our wages?"
"If you don't pay up today, we ain't leaving."
Everyone looked dead serious.
Kyle gave a nervous smile. "Guys, chill out. It's not like I'm not gonna pay you. You've been with me for ages, and it's just I messed up the cash flow. Give me a bit, and once I get the project funds, you'll be the first to get paid." But they weren't having it.
"Can't manage cash flow? We all need this hard-earned money to feed our families. If we weren't in this tough spot, who'd be doing this hard work?"
"Today, whether you borrow money, sell blood, or kidneys, you gotta pay us."
They were hell-bent on getting their money.
Mary was so anxious she was practically hopping. "Who are we supposed to borrow from on such short notice?" She shot a glance my way, trying to be sneaky about it.
"I don't care who you borrow from."
"Enough." I cut in, standing up.
Everyone turned to look at me.
Mary's eyes lit up, and Kyle looked like he saw a lifeline.
I pulled out my wallet, took out two hundred bucks, and tucked it into the baby's blanket.
"First time meeting the baby, here's two hundred bucks as a gift." I told Katherine Ward to take it easy during her postpartum period and grabbed my bag to leave.
As I walked past the workers, I smirked. "Nice acting. With skills like that, it's a shame you're just bricklayers. Why not head to Hollywood and become actors? You'd totally make it big."
They looked embarrassed, caught red-handed.
But Mary wasn't done. She faked anger and said, "Emily, I'm your aunt. How can you say that? Our struggles are real."
I was done with Mary's drama. "You've been here for a while, and everything was fine before I showed up. Why demand money now? If they really trashed the place, I might buy it, but just breaking a plastic basin? At least use more props if you're gonna act."
Seeing this, the "actors" couldn't keep it up and left, looking sheepish.
Mary, being all prideful, decided to be blunt.
"Emily, we really are in trouble. You've seen the tiny house. Diapers and formula are expensive, and bills keep piling up. Kyle's struggling as a contractor. If he doesn't get the funds, he can't pay his workers, and the project stops. Now that you're doing well, could you lend Kyle some money for my sake?"
I couldn't believe I was still listening to this. "Mary, I have no reason to use Ethan's money, let alone to support the Ward family. I've had tough times too. And compared to that, your situation isn't that bad. Whether you have money or not, life goes on. Do poor people not raise kids? There's a saying that adversity breeds talent. Growing up in such an environment might not be a bad thing for my nephew."
With that, I walked out of the construction site without looking back. I could feel their angry stares on my back.
When I came, I had a hunch Mary had ulterior motives, but I didn't expect them to be this shameless.
The only person I felt a bit sorry for was Katherine. She was kind and had no say in the family.
So, while they were acting, I secretly gave her five hundred bucks to buy some nutritional supplements.
When I got back, I didn't mention going to the construction site.
Having such relatives was embarrassing.
Now that Jason had moved out, it was just Ethan and me at home.
When Ethan came back, I had just finished cooking.
After dinner, I was in the kitchen unpacking the meds the doc had prescribed for my infertility.
From the kitchen, I could hear Ethan's phone buzzing non-stop.
Having seen that text from someone named Fiona, I was now super sensitive to the sound of his texts.
I carried the unpacked meds out.
He was lounging on the couch, eyes glued to his phone, fingers flying.
Was he texting Fiona? What were they talking about? The big surprise she mentioned? But Fiona was dead. Who could be sending these texts?
Holding the bowl of medicine, my mind was racing, totally distracted by the sound of his texts.
Curiosity got the best of me, and I walked over with the bowl of medicine in hand.
I moved quietly, and he didn't notice me coming.
Standing behind the couch, I leaned over suddenly. "What's got you so hooked?"
He didn't even flinch or hide his phone.
Turns out, he was just texting the company's legal advisor about work stuff.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
He caught a whiff of the medicine and turned his head. "What's that?"
I walked over, set the bowl on the coffee table, and filled him in on my recent gynecological check-up.
Giselle's situation had really shaken me.
"Why is it so easy for others to get pregnant? Just one try, and they're expecting? The doc said this medicine might boost my chances a bit."
"Boost your chances?" Ethan looked up from his phone, smirking in that cheeky way of his.
"Does that mean you'll be horny after taking it? I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up."
I blushed and gave him a playful punch. "Get lost."
He put down his phone and shamelessly scooted closer, wrapping his arms around me. "Tomorrow, I'll ask the doc for some meds too, to keep up. Otherwise, you'll drain me dry."
I hit him again, embarrassed. "You rogue."
He pushed me down onto the couch, straddling me with that mischievous grin.
His mind was always on sex, and his sudden moves always caught me off guard.
The steamy moment was cut short by a call from Bella.
After the call, Ethan drove us to the taekwondo gym like a bat out of hell.
We rushed to the rooftop as soon as we got out of the car.
When we got there, my legs turned to jelly.
Giselle was standing on the railing, looking like a strong breeze could knock her off.
Bella was standing a bit away from the railing, facing Giselle like they were in a standoff.
The building wasn't super tall, but it was still eight stories high. If she fell, could she survive?
I hadn't expected Giselle to go this far after her failed attempt at playing the victim.
"We're all adults here. This is really childish." Bella spoke to Giselle calmly, trying not to set her off.
"Yes, I am. This is the only time I'll be childish. If it weren't for you, Oliver wouldn't have left me. It's all because of you." Giselle was shaking, her body trembling as she spoke, making my heart race with fear. "Giselle, calm down," I urged her.
"I don't want to calm down. I want to see Oliver."
I said, "Okay, come down first, and I'll call him."
Giselle sneered. "You think you can trick me? I'm not listening. I'll wait here. You bring him to me, or I'll die right here and make him feel guilty for the rest of his life."
I pulled out my phone to call Oliver. "Oliver, Giselle is..."
Before I could finish, Oliver's irritated voice came through the phone. "Let her jump if she wants to. Stop wasting time."
It seemed he already knew the situation.
Giselle was staring at me intently, with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
But she must have seen something in my expression because she suddenly became agitated and shouted.
"Oliver, if you don't come, I'll jump. Even as a ghost, I won't let you be together."
Giselle's body swayed on the railing, and suddenly Bella climbed up as well, making my heart almost leap out of my chest.
"Bella, what are you doing? Get down. Don't do anything rash," I yelled.
Bella said expressionlessly to Giselle, "If you jump, I'll jump too. Either way, you'll drive me to death."
Oliver must have heard Bella's words because he shouted anxiously before hanging up, "Bella, you wouldn't dare!"
I was worried about Bella and tried to calm Giselle, telling her that Oliver was on his way.
Oliver arrived quickly. As soon as he appeared on the rooftop, his eyes locked onto Bella, his face dark with concern. "Bella, get down."
Giselle was heartbroken. "Oliver, you only care about her? Do I mean nothing to you? Not even a little? Do I have to jump for you to remember me?"
I was worried that Oliver's focus on Bella would further agitate Giselle, leading to an irreversible tragedy.
Oliver's chest heaved with suppressed emotion. He took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "Giselle, this won't solve anything. Come down, and we can talk."
A glimmer of hope appeared in Giselle's eyes. "You don't want me to die? You still care about me, right?"
Oliver glanced at Bella and said rationally, "Yes."
He took slow steps forward, clearly moving closer to Bella.
I thought this wasn't good.
Sure enough, Giselle suddenly broke down. "You're lying. You want to save her, not me. Fine, if you care so much about her, I'll make her die."
On the narrow railing, she suddenly took two steps towards Bella.
Bella didn't react in time, and neither did any of us.
We watched in horror as Giselle pushed Bella off the edge.