Chapter 282
“Can’t you see what’s really happening here?” Zola sneered, noticing Judie’s hesitation. “Don’t you realize how badly Eileen is treating you now? Even if she still cares about her brother, what does it matter? She’s willing to help with your debts, yet she’s living in a lavish villa and driving a luxury car. She doesn’t even want you to stay in Onaland. Do you honestly believe she’ll be thankful and offer money if you stay on her side?” Her words cut deep.
After a moment of contemplation, Judie frowned. “I’ve been to Roderick for a few years. Eileen didn’t grow up with my mother-in-law, so I don’t know much about her.” She sat down calmly and said, “Tell me whatever you know. The more information you provide, the better. If any of it proves useful to me, I’ll pay you once I confirm it.” Judie realized she did have some information about Eileen, and there would be no harm in sharing it.
This thought took hold of Judie, and she couldn’t shake it. Why should she feel guilty? Eileen had been so heartless toward Roderick. Why should she spare any concern for Eileen?
“Alright,” Judie began, lifting her head. After a brief pause, she continued, “When Eileen and Roderick were very young, my mother-in-law went through a divorce, and no one wanted to take care of Eileen. I remember my mother-in-law mentioning that the man she later married was unable to have children, so he suggested taking Eileen in. This way, they thought Eileen could support them financially in their old age. Even if Eileen married someone else in the future, they wouldn’t feel obligated to provide her with financial support or help her purchase a car or house…
But for some reason, Denise had only taken Roderick with her. Maybe she believed her son was more important than her daughter.
After marrying Roderick, Judie had noticed that Denise wasn’t particularly kind to him. Denise often reminded him of how hard she had worked to raise him and expected him to take care of her in return. What she implied was that because she had raised Roderick, he owed her lifelong care.
“Say something,” Zola interjected impatiently. She was interested in Eileen’s tragic childhood. Knowing Eileen came from a humble background wouldn’t help much.
Uncover new tales on gⱯlnσν𝓮ℓs․çom
Zola said, “Tell me everything you know about Eileen after you came to Onaland.”
Judie thought for a moment. She hadn’t been in regular contact with Eileen when she had first arrived in Onaland. At that time, Eileen had just been hired by Apex Group. Later, she had inadvertently discovered the relationship between Eileen and Bryan. Judie said, “She was his mistress back then. After all, Mr. Dawson was married at the time. Even though I didn’t know who his wife was…”
Zola already knew everything Judie had mentioned. If she was going to target Eileen, rehashing the past was useless. Judie continued, “She even went to the extent of selling her body to pay for her stepmother’s treatment. I don’t know if she was naive or foolish. Her stepmother’s illness burdened her for about seven years and drained her financially.”
The thought of this made Judie furious.
Zola frowned thoughtfully before asking, “When did Eileen’s stepmother get sick?”
“It was right after she graduated from college. If her stepmother had gotten sick any earlier, she would have had to drop out of school, and she wouldn’t have become as competent as she is now,” Judie replied, pursing her lips. She really wished Eileen were poor. That way, she wouldn’t expect any help from her and feel so angry now.
“What did Eileen do after graduating? How does she earn such a high salary to afford her stepmother’s and her stepsister’s education?” Zola noticed a loophole in the timeline. There were three years between Eileen’s college graduation and her start at Apex Group. Where had she gotten the money to pay for her stepmother’s treatment during those years?
Besides, Eileen hadn’t started her relationship with Bryan until her second year at Apex Group. Her salary alone wouldn’t have been enough to cover her stepmother’s medical expenses in her first year at Apex Group.
“So, maybe Eileen sold her body for money to other people before…” Zola’s eyes sparked with this new idea. She quickly stood up and grabbed her bag, wanting to investigate events from a few years ago.
Judie hurriedly stood up and followed, “Miss Murray, when will you give me the money?”
“Why the rush? Let’s discuss it after I figure this out.” With that, Zola left.
Judie couldn’t leave town because she was intent on receiving that money from Zola, yet she also didn’t want to give up on Roderick. She informed Roderick that a friend had helped her secure a good job here, so she intended to work here for the time being. Once Roderick managed to earn money and successfully launched the restaurant, she would resign from her job and return to help him.
She made Roderick wait for her return for a year. Upon reading Judie’s message, Roderick opted not to respond. He promptly returned home with Denise.
While they went to start the negotiation, Eileen approached Bagot. She handed him a card and stated, “Here’s a hundred grand to start with. You’ll receive the same amount every year. Once Roderick can begin repaying you, he’ll take care of the rest. For now, keep two things in mind: don’t mention a word of this to Roderick, and don’t lend Denise any more money.”
Driven by compassion, Eileen couldn’t bear the thought of Roderick’s years of hard-earned income going to waste. Bagot was delighted with the money upfront. He grinned and accepted the card. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything slip. You know Denise and Roderick well. If Roderick finds out, he’ll definitely tell Denise. And if Denise catches wind of this, she’ll be back to gamble in no time. Honestly, your brother can be a bit reckless.”
Eileen stood quietly, her hands tucked in her pockets. The desolate park was mirrored in her clear eyes.
After a pause, she said, “Go and threaten Denise from time to time to ensure she doesn’t forget the lesson she learned this time.”
Eileen could tell from Denise’s expression upon seeing Bagot that she was intimidated by him. Denise was the kind who never seemed to learn. Without Bagot’s threats, she would quickly forget about her gambling debt and keep spending recklessly.
“Got it!” With that, Bagot left, accompanied by his men. Upon turning around, Eileen spotted Bryan’s car parked by the roadside. Although she couldn’t see his face, she could feel his gaze fixed on her.
Pressing her lips together, she approached the car, opened the passenger door, settled in, and fastened her seat belt.
Eventually, she turned her head and said in a low voice, “I just gave him a hundred thousand dollars. Despite Bagot’s shady reputation and involvement in illicit dealings, he still keeps his promises.”
“Eileen, you don’t have to update me on every detail. I understand you prefer to keep me out of your family matters. I just didn’t want to see you upset, so I lent a hand. I harbor no ill will toward them, nor do I think any less of you because of them,” Bryan said.
Eileen’s expression upon seeing him made Bryan feel for her.
After a pause, Bryan took a deep breath and reached out to caress her head. “As long as you’re happy, I’m even willing to support them financially.”
His words were straightforward, but he truly meant it.
“Really?” Eileen’s joy was palpable. “Then why are you still here? I eagerly anticipate the day I’ll depend fully on you to provide for me.”
She smiled mischievously, the meaning in her words evident.
Bryan chuckled, starting the engine and driving away. “I really need to get to work now. In the evening, Grandma will discuss wedding gifts with your mother, and there are wedding preparations to attend to. I put in the effort during the day, and I still need to ‘work hard’ at night…”
His words caused Eileen’s cheeks to flush with embarrassment. She turned away, gazing out the window and ignoring him.
Contemplating the upcoming visit to the Dawson Mansion, Ruby requested Bailee’s company for a shopping excursion to find a suitable outfit.
“Let’s splurge a bit. I don’t want to cause any embarrassment to my sister,” Ruby suggested, aiming for elegance.
Eileen and Bailee shared similar spending philosophies. The most expensive outfit they purchased rarely exceeded a thousand dollars, typically ranging around seven or eight hundred dollars.
But recently, Bryan had purchased Eileen an entire wardrobe for the changing season, all from renowned brands. Eileen hadn’t inquired about the prices, but it was evident that they were all quite expensive.
Thus, it seemed fitting for Eileen to grace the Dawson Mansion in her designer attire, while Bailee and Ruby would feel out of place in such lavish ensembles.
“Sure,” Bailee readily agreed, turning to Ruby. “Mom, should I invite Eileen to join us?”
“No, don’t bother her. She’s probably busy,” Ruby replied considerately. She knew that Eileen would insist on footing the bill if she were to accompany them.
With Bailee now financially independent, Ruby didn’t want to spend Eileen’s money anymore.
Although Bailee hadn’t thought about this, she still canceled her plans for the afternoon and took Ruby to the shopping mall on her own.
In the early winter, the shopping mall was bustling with people. Ruby’s walking wasn’t as smooth as that of others, which made her stand out a bit in the crowd.
Spotting Ruby amidst the crowd, Winona hurried over, her face lighting up as she clasped Ruby’s hand warmly. “Ruby! You look fantastic! You’ve recovered so well!” Winona exclaimed, feeling genuinely delighted.
Huey had recounted Ruby’s entire recovery journey to Winona before, but he didn’t tell his mother that he was together with Bailee now because he had some concerns. In the past, Winona had favored Eileen, but now he was with Eileen’s sister. He speculated that Winona wouldn’t take kindly to the news if she found out.
Therefore, he had wanted to find a fitting opportunity to disclose the situation to Winona. But before he could, he and Bailee had ended up having a disagreement.
Seeing Bailee and Ruby shopping further fueled Huey’s frustration. Despite his repeated attempts to spend time with Bailee, she always cited busyness as an excuse.
He couldn’t comprehend how she managed to find time for shopping with her mother while consistently claiming to be too busy to spend time with him.
Fuming with anger, he averted his gaze and ignored Bailee completely.
Sensing Huey’s anger, Bailee could only compose herself before Winona and Ruby. “Good to see you, Mrs. Baker,” she said.
“Bailee! You’ve blossomed into such a stunning young woman! In my memory, you were still the shy college graduate,” Winona remarked to Ruby with a warm smile.
Ruby was caught off guard and cautiously inquired, “Didn’t Huey say anything about him and Bailee?”
Winona was surprised. She looked at Huey and asked, “What’s going on between you and Bailee?”
Hearing this, Ruby’s disappointment grew as she realized Huey had kept Winona in the dark about his relationship with Bailee.
Huey had frequently visited her house since they arrived in Onaland, yet Winona remained unaware of their connection.
“Nothing,” Huey said, dismissing the question.
Ruby’s expression soured.
Bailee held her breath, tightening her grip on Ruby’s arm, her eyes cast downward.
“My apologies. It appears I misremembered. I have a dinner engagement tonight, so I must take my leave. Let’s reconnect another time,” Ruby said politely, her expression hinting at a certain aloofness.
With a gentle tug, she guided Bailee away. As Bailee passed by Huey, he instinctively reached out for her.
.