Chapter 456
Chapter 456
“Karina.”
Before I could respond, Neil cut in, his tone unusually stern and filled with a strong warning. “Enough, what are you talking about?”
Karina paused, seemingly realizing her words had been a tad too pointed at me. Anyone could have heard the sarcasm and boasting in her voice.
No matter how well she pretended, she couldn’t always remain cool and collected, especially if she had feelings for Neil, if she had possession desires.
Isn’t that the sorrow of loving someone? I’ve been there before.
“I’m sorry, I just wanted to invite her over for dinner at our place. Even though what I said earlier was wrong, I truly do appreciate all she’s done for you over the years,” Karina explained to Neil. Even in this situation, she managed to maintain control, showing no signs of panic, even admitting she was wrong.
Neil’s expression softened slightly. “No need.”
“Alright, I understand.” Karina nodded her head, and as the elevator reached the ground floor, she led Neil out by the arm.
In the hospital lobby, colleagues greeted her from time to time, casting curious glances at Neil, their eyes filled with admiration and
awe.
This kind of attention would be enough to satisfy any woman’s vanity.
Karina escorted Neil to his car parked outside the hospital entrance. I finally understood that she didn’t want me to be alone with Neil, hence she personally saw him to his car during work hours.
She probably agreed to come over with Kitty because she knew I was here.
It seems I unintentionally helped Kitty out.
“Drive safely,” Karina cautioned Neil softly as he got into his car. “You drive a bit too fast. You should change that.”
“I know,” Neil responded, his tone ordinary and devoid of any intimacy.
My car was parked nearby. After getting in, I didn’t spare the pair another glance and drove off.
About three days later, I received a call from Stella.
She had finalized her divorce from Mitch. Her tone was calm, even relieved. “Rena, although I’ve been happy these past two years, I’ve always been a bit of a party animal, just like Mitch. Deep down, I’ve always been a bit nervous, always feeling like something might happen and shatter our happiness. Now that we’re divorced, I strangely feel relieved. It’s more comforting to have lost than to have owned. Is that how it’s supposed to be?”
I was speechless for a moment, because what Stella said made sense.
After my divorce from Neil, I finally led a life free from constant anxiety. Not having to worry about losing someone who never belonged to me in the first place made life much better.
It was a bit regrettable for Stella and Mitch, because their issues weren’t that serious.
Marriage is supposed to withstand tests.
Ariana was Mitch’s test, and he hadn’t crossed the line yet. But Stella was no longer willing to give him another chance.
“Yeah, maybe. So are you planning to stay in Rosemont, or…” I asked.
“I’ll stay in Rosemont. Oh, did you know that Alicia went to Ylandia?” Suddenly, Stella and I started discussing Alicia’s situation. “Apparently, it’s for that Sean guy. The two of them can’t seem to break it off. It’s giving me a headache.”
I’d been busy taking care of the kids recently and hadn’t had much contact with Alicia and Barbara.
I wasn’t too clear about Alicia and Sean’s situation. Initially, I had accompanied her to a blind date, and I didn’t expect her to fall for Sean. They had a stable relationship at first, but soon ran into various problems. Sean would disappear without a word from time to time.
“Did we get cursed or sormething?” I couldn’t help but sigh. “Why is it that all of us are so unlucky in love? Even Barbara ran into a jerk before.”
Stella was just as puzzled, and her tone became more downcast. “Yeah, did we lead the enemy into our village in our past lives or something?”
Her words instantly lightened my mood, and I burst into laughter.
After chatting a while longer, Stella had to go take care of her child, and my little Serena started making hungry noises, so we ended the
call.
The kids were really healthy, now plump and cute as two little buns. Their voices were getting louder, and they would occasionally coo and babble as if they were having a conversation.
After feeding them their milk, I started giving them toys to help them practice their grip. That’s when my phone rang again.
It was a journalist I’d contacted from another city. I was afraid that local ones might be easily suppressed. I was determined to deal with the photo studio run by Louis. Since he’d fallen out with Neil, I didn’t need to hold back any longer.
“Ms. Finch, have you arranged the things you mentioned? When will it start?” The other party asked.
“Right away,” I responded succinctly.
“Alright then.”
I had him gather news about the “As Promised” photo studio overcharging customers and all the disputes they had with customers. He edited out the most disgusting parts and pushed it to the entire network. This was something money could buy, and I didn’t lack that.
Those customers who had been ripped off by “As Promised” probably didn’t have the energy or money to fight them, but I did.
Sometimes, you can’t help but marvel at the power of money. Under my arrangement, within just one day, the negative impact of the “As Promised” photo studio reached its peak. The whole network knew about their despicable behavior and strongly condemned them. The local business bureau and other authorities started investigating to confirm the reports, and within three days, “As Promised” temporarily closed its doors.
Their other branches were also affected, either by poor business or by having to suspend operations.
No one knew I was the one pulling the strings. My goal was to teach them a lesson, not to get an apology. Even if they apologized, I would have done the same.
To put it simply, I was getting rid of a menace to the public.
But I underestimated Louis’s power. In just a few days, I received a call from a strange number. “Ms. Finch, this is Louis. Do you remember me?”
“Of course I remember. how on earth did you get my number?” I thought I’d be startled, but when the call actually came through, I was surprisingly calm, as if I’d seen it coming.
“It took some doing to track you down. You’re in Eldoria too, right? Would it be convenient to meet up. I’d like to treat you to dinner.” Louis’s voice was just as refined and easy-going as before, but the true nature of such people is utterly distasteful.
