Chapter 428
“Whatever you do, don’t let it slip to Donald that she was pregnant at the time, or that she came to you to borrow money for his medical bills!”
“And that five million dollars—that stupid woman actually took the money from Mr. Bishop and handed it right over to me. Acting so high and mighty!”
After Penelope posted the recording, it was quickly shared by others and began to spread like wildfire.
She put her phone away and looked calmly at Judy.
She would not let this vicious woman get away with it.
Soon, Judy’s phone rang. She looked shocked, then quickly went online and put the phone to her ear to listen to the recording. As she listened, her face grew paler, her expression turning to one of horror.
She kept glancing at the person lying in the ICU bed. The account owner was still unconscious, so who could have posted that recording?
Unable to keep her composure, she rushed into a nearby stairwell and called Jack.
“You were kidnapped!”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You said it was a woman who ordered Louis to do it? And she asked about Edith?”
“It can’t be Edith’s daughter. She’s not that capable!”
“But if not her, who could it be?”
When Judy emerged from the stairwell and looked at Gloria in the ICU bed again, her expression was a mix of confusion, panic, and even fear.
She realized this person wasn’t Edith’s daughter. So who was the real one?
Just then, Donald’s phone rang. Someone had also told him to listen to the recording. He quickly went online to listen, and his face changed dramatically. When it finished, he turned and shota cold, hard glare at Judy.
Judy had already prepared herself. With a stony expression, she said, “That’s not my voice in the recording. The content is fake. Someone is just trying to drive a wedge between us.”
Donald gritted his teeth. “Do you really think I’m that easy to fool?”
“Donald…”
“I don’t want to hear another word from you. I’ll investigate this myself!”
With that, Donald strode away. Judy took several deep breaths and had no choice but to chase after him.
Penelope’s lips curved into a faint smile. The show was just beginning.
Over the next few days, Mrs.
Stapleton’s mental condition deteriorated, and she had to be transferred to a psychiatric hospital.
News of her hit-and-run and her
mental health issues inevitably public. This game at a
leaked to the
critical time, as Theodore was taking full control of Zenith Group. He was stretched thin, having to care for his mother while also managing the company, which left him no time to see her.
Penelope thought this was for the best. They both needed time to cool down and figure out how to handle their situation. Besides, she had Judy to deal with.
One day, Donald called her. He said he had decided to go ahead with the art exhibition for Edith after all, so he couldn’t return her painting just yet.
As news of Donald’s decision to hold the exhibition hit the trending topics online, a rumor began to circulate that one of Edith’s paintings was a copy of a famous artist’s work.
The public outcry was immediate. Penelope opened the topic and saw a side-by- side comparison of the two paintings.
She frowned at the sight. They were indeed very similar-too similar.
Netizens agreed, and soon the hashtag #EdithPlagiarizes was trending.
Penelope knew she had to get to the bottom of this. She was about to call Donald to suggest postponing the exhibition when he made a public statement.
“I believe in Edith. The exhibition will proceed as planned. I hope everyone will attend with an open and appreciative mind.”