In a rented house, Camryn’s aunts sat on an old sofa while Carrie sat on a chair. A few rotten apples were placed on a wooden coffee table in between them. Brenda told Carrie embarrassedly, “This is how we’re living now, Carrie. Don’t be too picky. I used my connections and got a job as a cleaner in a hotel. It pays better than cleaning in a factory, but it’s only a few thousand dollars per month.“I’m happy that you got an early release, but I won’t be able to aid you financially. Please be understanding.”Amy added, “I adore you a lot, Carrie, but Camryn has caused us to be in this miserable state. We’ve lost our house and have no choice but to rent one. We even have to work as cleaners at this age to make a living. We wish to help you, but we simply can’t.”Next, she badmouthed Camryn, “It’s all that blind girl’s fault. She relied on the Yorks’ influence and oppressed us as revenge. Even if we did her wrong previously, wasn’t she unharmed?”The Joyners and Chandlers had coop
Carrie was stunned upon listening to her aunts. She said, “I did go back, but I couldn’t enter. Camryn replaced all the servants.“Moreover, she’s raising four guard dogs now. They almost bit me when I tried to climb the gates. I ran away.“I didn’t notice anything different about Camryn though. She moves freely in the house, so it’s hard to determine whether she’s still blind or pretending. I asked her to let me in, but she said she couldn’t open the door because of her blindness. I guess she hasn’t recovered her vision yet.”Carrie added, “Aunt Evelyn spent ten years trying to treat Camryn’s eyes, yet every attempt failed. Can Dr. Carden really heal her eyes?“Her being the legendary doctor’s disciple must have been an exaggeration. Even if a miracle healer does exist, he’s still human. Many doctors weren’t able to reverse Camryn’s blindness. She probably won’t be able to regain her sight for the rest of her life.“So what if she’s able to see again? She can’t give birth to a ch
“Your fight against Camryn is a Newman family matter. Serenity won’t go so far as to meddle in a family affair.”Carrie said angrily, “Are we letting her go just like that? Her happiness stems from our misery.”“What can we possibly do to her in our state? You can’t even return to your own home. Tell me—what can you use to go up against a Mrs. York?”Carrie was stunned. She wanted to bring up having found an accomplice, but she recalled Mrs. Clark telling her not to reveal their partnership, so she kept mum about it.She had not even gained Mrs. Clark’s trust yet. Mrs. Clark would decide on whether to join forces with her based on her performance after she returned to the Newman family. “Carrie, we’re not boosting Serenity’s ego at the expense of our dignity. It’s just how it is. You should think of a way to get everything back. Then, we’ll help you to manage the family business and strengthen the family’s influence. It’s not too late to get our revenge after becoming stronge
After a moment of silence, Carrie told her aunts, “Aunt Amy, Aunt Brenda, since I have nowhere to go now, I’ll have dinner here. When my cousins return, I’ll ask them to head to the villa with me and deal with Camryn’s guard dogs. I won’t forget to repay you if I can get in.”“Sure, wait here and they can go with you after their work.”Upon hearing that Carrie would be generous to them, Amy and Brenda hosted Carrie with much enthusiasm. “What do you want to eat tonight, Carrie? Let me know. I’ll get the ingredients and cook for you. Don’t expect too much though. My cooking skills are average at best.”Although the Newmans were not rich initially, they were not that poor either. Amy and Brenda had never experienced hardships or poverty since birth. Even after growing up, they chose husbands with statuses similar to the Newmans. While they were not filthy rich, they lived a comfortable life and owned a few factories, so they were financially well-off compared to ordinary people.
If Camryn was not willing to sit and talk, then Carrie could sue her.“Aunt Brenda, Aunt Amy, my dad can apply for good conduct time, but my mother’s chances of coming out are relatively low.”Amy said, “Your mother isn’t doing well in prison. The last time Trenton went to see her, she didn’t speak much. Trenton said that she wanted to give up on life.”“That’s impossible! My mother won’t give up on herself as long as she has a chance to live. She can’t bear to leave my brother and I. Camryn taking over everything in the Newman family is not a sight she wants to see.”Carrie knew her mother well and believed that she would not want to die.Her mother had a heavy sentence with a small chance of being released during her lifetime.“Trenton said that Paige’s health has deteriorated severely and she has lost a lot of weight. Camryn tore apart our perfect family. How can she be so cruel? Abel has been dead for more than twenty years. Paige is her biological mother after all, yet she’s
“Trenton always sides with that blind bitch whenever I get into a fight with her. He doesn’t care who is wrong and always blames me for everything, saying that I don’t treat Camryn as a sister. Back then, he even complained to my father.”Carrie was dissatisfied with Trenton.Amy said, “Trenton is kind-hearted. He’s rarely at home, so he doesn’t know Camryn’s true colors. Carrie, I’m worried that you can’t defeat Camryn alone. She has the Yorks’ support now. When you get back your phone and bank card, you should go and visit Trenton.“He's an adult now. If you two join forces, you can defeat Camryn. After all, you and Trenton are siblings, so you two should be closer to each other. Camryn treats him well, so she’ll hold back, which will be good for you.”Carrie said, “That’s only if Trenton is willing to work with me. You said it yourself, he’s bewitched by that blind bitch and always on her side.”Carrie felt vexed that her only brother was so kind to Camryn. Hence, she asked her
Camryn adored Callum’s family very much.She was well aware that Rosella was many times better than her own mother who had ill-treated her.Rosella was genuinely kind to her, having never discriminated against her even when she was blind. When Amy and Brenda came complaining to Rosella about her being unfit to be Callum’s wife and trying to break them up, Rosella stood up for her. Camryn was very touched by this act.That was when Camryn started to treat Rosella as a mother figure and Rosella happily accepted it.She looked into Camryn’s eyes and asked, “Camryn, is your vision better? How far can you see?”“Aunt Rosella, you can ask Camryn later in the house.”Serenity smiled and said to Camryn, “Aunt Rosella knew you were coming back, so she rescheduled all her appointments with her friends and stayed home to wait for you. Nana also said she was coming back for dinner.”Zachary and Serenity visited Alice and headed back to Wildridge Manor for a rest. Camryn came over just in ti
Zachary declined without a second thought and said, “I’ll walk behind them and watch Serenity. If she’s tired from walking, I can carry her back.”Callum said, “Zack, you spoil your wife too much. You’re setting the bar too high for us men!”Serenity was athletic. Although she was pregnant, her belly was not showing yet. She no longer suffered from morning sickness, so she would have no problem walking a short distance. Why would Zachary need to carry Serenity?Zachary said innocently, “I’m just doing what I can for my wife. I’m not competing with any of you.”Callum was momentarily speechless. He smiled and said, “Yes, yes. You’re not trying to be the best at anything. You’re just setting an example for the rest of us, and we should all learn from you. If you’re not getting in, then I’ll go ahead.”Seeing that Zachary refused his offer, Callum drove away by himself.He caught up with the ladies in front, slowed down, and honked at them.Rosella turned around to see her son and
Immediately, someone brought a large cup of water for Dylan. Imogen took the cup and handed it to him, urging him to drink. Dylan accepted the cup and drank it all in one go, which eased the spiciness in his mouth a little. “Imogen, your cousin said I need to finish these peppers, but I haven’t even eaten half yet.” Dylan looked at the basket of peppers and saw that he had not eaten even half of them. He had never eaten this much spice in his life. Right now, his throat felt like it was on fire, and his voice was hoarse. The intense heat was affecting him badly.If this had happened in Wiltspoon where the climate was warmer, after eating so many peppers, his throat would have been terribly inflamed, and he probably would have an upset stomach and a serious case of indigestion. Then, he would be stuck in the toilet for half a day.However, since it was cold in Huntington, eating a little chili every day was not a problem, though not as much as Dylan had just eaten. His stomach
“Did you need me for something, Layla?” Imogen, despite being in a rush to stop Dylan from continuing to eat the chili peppers, asked Layla.“Of course, I came to talk to you about work,” Layla replied.“But the discussion might take a while. Are you going to discuss work with me first, or go downstairs to stop Dylan from eating more peppers first?”Imogen hesitated for a moment but decided to stop Dylan first. Layla guessed that her cousin would choose Dylan and sighed inwardly. Imogen was already wrapped around Dylan's finger. However, Dylan had not entirely escaped Imogen’s influence either. Though he had not fallen in love with Imogen herself, he had fallen for her alter ego, who was still her cousin in the end.Fortunately, the woman Dylan loved was her cousin's alias. If he had chosen another woman, Layla would never have allowed her cousin to take him back. The Doyle ladies did not settle for second place.“Layla, give me about ten minutes.”“Alright, I’ll wait for you
It was already so spicy, there was no way it could get worse. Thus, following his family's advice, he began grabbing huge handfuls of chili peppers and stuffed them into his mouth. The heat made his eyes water, and it felt like his mouth was swelling from the spice. Imogen also saw the comments and watched as Dylan continued to eat the peppers in large mouthfuls. She turned off the livestream, not wanting to keep watching. However, her heart was in such a mess that she could not focus on her work. A few minutes later, she tossed her pen aside, pushed her chair away from the table as she stood up, and walked out quickly. She ran into Layla as soon as she left the office.“Layla,” Imogen called out. “You heading out?” To be honest, Layla knew the answer without asking. “He’s eaten quite a lot of chili peppers already. He doesn’t usually eat spicy food. And eating so much at once will harm his stomach.” Imogen still felt sorry for Dylan. Layla smiled, “If you're worried
The security guard brought out a basket and handed it to Dylan.Dylan took the basket and poured the bag of chili peppers into it. Next, following the live broadcast team’s instructions, he walked in front of the camera and said, “Last year, I unintentionally hurt Imogen’s pride. It was my fault, and I apologize to her.“Imogen doesn’t have time to deal with me, but Ms. Layla Doyle said that as long as I eat chili peppers on this livestream, she’ll allow me to come here every day to wait for Imogen. I’m afraid of spicy food and usually don’t eat anything spicy at all.“But for the sake of seeing Imogen and having a chance to get her forgiveness, I’m willing to accept Ms. Layla’s challenge and eat these chili peppers.”The live broadcast team was at a loss for words.Layla had not prepared a script for Dylan, but he went ahead and explained the backstory. Was that okay?Someone secretly messaged Layla to ask for her opinion. Her reply was to allow Dylan to say whatever he wanted a
Isabella had invited him to sit at the dining table and eat with them, but Austin refused. He said he was the chef, so he could just have his breakfast in the kitchen.He always remembered his position as Isabella's personal chef and did not let the fact that the others saw him in a more favorable light now go to his head and cross the line. His adherence to his principles and awareness of his position only made Isabella respect him more.Though he was one of the extremely affluent Yorks, after accepting the job as her private chef, he completely discarded his identity as a rich heir and earnestly took on the role of her personal chef.By the time Austin finished his breakfast, Isabella and the two young boys had also finished eating. He came out to clear the table.Phillip slid off his chair and said to Louis, “Isa’s passing by my preschool today. She said she’ll take me there.”He was showing off. Sure enough, Louis looked enviously at his sister. Isabella did not even glance
Austin placed the two breakfast portions on the dining table and then walked over to Isabella, who was still reading the newspaper. “Ms. Isabella, breakfast is ready.”“I’m coming, I’m coming.” Louis’s voice came from the stairs. Then, they saw him quickly running down the stairs with his schoolbag in one hand.“Louis!” Isabella called out.Louis immediately stopped, then picked up his schoolbag to carry it on his back before slowly descending the stairs step-by-step, no longer daring to run.The two boys really did have very similar personalities.“Good morning, Isa. Good morning, Austin.”Louis walked over to Isabella’s side and respectfully greeted them.“If I ever see you running down the stairs again, I’ll punish you by making you miss a week of eating Austin’s meals.”“Isa, a week is too long!” Louis instinctively tried to negotiate.“You still dare to bargain with me, huh? That shows you don’t want to change. In that case, I’ll make it a whole month.”Louis was speec
“Isa, Austin promised me that he would make cartoon-shaped snacks for us this Saturday. You won’t mind, right? I’ve already told my classmates, and they’re all coming to our house!”The little boy was also concerned about his image. He was afraid his serious eldest cousin would refuse, and if that happened, he would be so embarrassed. After all, after Austin promised him, the other kids at preschool treated him so well. They all wanted to try the cartoon-shaped snacks Austin made. However, since Austin was Isabella’s private chef, if Isabella did not agree, there would be nothing even Austin could do about it.Isabella lightly pinched Phillip’s cheek. “Since Austin’s promised, he’ll keep his word. I’ll be resting at home this weekend and won’t stop you, but don’t make a racket here. Go do it at your own house. I need to rest.”“Thanks, Isa! I’ll tell my friends not to disturb your rest. Isa, has Louis not woken up yet?”With Isa’s promise, Phillip’s little face lit up with a smil
Upon hearing that Phillip might be coming, Louis moved much faster.Isabella did not wait for her brother. She said, “Head downstairs by yourself later, and make sure to check your schoolbag to see if you’ve packed your books and water bottle.”She would not help her brother check those things. Every day, she made sure her brother checked everything himself because it was his responsibility. If their parents or employees tried to help, she would scold them.Now, their parents no longer dared to help Louis with things he could do himself. They let her take charge of him. Her parents had Louis when they were in their forties, and he was their only son. If they were the ones raising him, Isabella was sure her brother would have been spoiled beyond reason.“I know, Isa,” Louis replied, already starting to brush his teeth.After leaving her brother’s room, Isabella headed downstairs. As soon as she reached the first floor, she saw Phillip running in with his little schoolbag on his
Isabella patiently said, “No, you can’t. If you sleep for ten more minutes, time will be too tight, and we’ll hit the worst of rush hour when everyone’s heading to school or work. There’ll be too much traffic and you’ll be late. You mustn’t be late.” If her brother was constantly late, he would get used to it and start liking to sleep in. Isabella would not let him develop such a bad habit.“Isa, I won’t be late. Every day when I arrive at school, there are still plenty of classmates who haven’t arrived. I can just tell the driver to speed up.”“Absolutely not! It’s not safe to drive too fast. It doesn’t matter if the other students are late, but you can’t be late. Get up now, or I’m going to get angry.”Louis pouted.Amused, Isabella pinched his lips, saying, “Come on, get up. In two more days, it will be the weekend, and you’ll get another two days off.”“This holiday was too short.”Under his sister’s urging, Louis reluctantly sat up. “It feels like we just got let out for w