Taken aback by the change of topic, Ashton paused for a moment before nodding his head. “Marcus forced her out of White Corporation, so she went back to J City.”
Marcus was traumatized by the death of his parents. And now, he was threatening me with the incident from four years ago. I wonder if his goal is to have me or to make Ashton suffer?
Leaning against his chest, I asked wearily, “Did something happened between you and Marcus?”
He froze for a second and held my shoulders. “Why?”
I looked up at him and said, “He’s a completely different person now. He even threatened me with a video from that night four years ago. I don’t understand why he did that. He’s no longer the person I knew.”
He pondered for a moment and sat me down on the sofa. Then, he held my hand and confided, “Back when Aunt Sally was in charge of Fuller Corporation, he came back from M Country and wanted to take back White Corporation from her. It was supposed to be easy for him to do so, but Mr. and Mrs. Bauman suddenly heard of the truth behind their daughter’s death. And someone from the Fuller Corporation even leaked the news of Sharon’s infidelity to the media. In the end, the elderly couple could not accept the news and passed away.”
It took me a while to digest what he had said. Then, I asked, “Who did it?”
Ashton avoided my question. “And that’s how the rivalry between the Fuller family and the White family started. I knew he was the one behind the incident that night. All these years of business feud benefit no one. I guess he wants you to be with him because he wishes to join hands with the Moore family.”
I sighed, feeling a little frustrated. Resting my head against his shoulder, I had no mood to speak further on this matter. Before this, I thought things would be over after four years. But I guess everyone is different. Some people just can’t let bygones be bygones.
I was a little surprised when Sally came to find me. Recently, Ashton had been very busy with his work, and I started my preparation for the admission test.
The guard let Sally in, and the housekeeper told me at the entrance of the study that Sally was waiting for me in the living room.
I nodded blankly and went downstairs.
The last time I saw her was about half a month ago. Now, she was modestly dressed as usual. But at the age of forty, signs of aging had appeared on her complexion.
She slowly took a sip of tea and looked at me. “Charlie and Helen immigrated two years ago, so I’m the only elder left here in the Fuller family now. You and Ashton were once husband and wife. Since both of you have parted ways, it’s always good to have a clean break. When you left four years ago, you didn’t take anything from us. Now that you’ve come back, I’m guessing you probably want something from the Fuller family, so don’t hesitate to tell me. We’ll do our best to give you whatever you want.”
It was obvious that she was here to tell me to leave. After a brief moment, I replied, “Are you chasing me out, Ms. Fuller?”
She shook her and gave me a faint smile. “No. I just think that as the adopted child of the Stovall family and the biological daughter of the Moore family, you must know that if some unpleasant news of you is spread out in the future, it wouldn’t be good for your reputation. Am I right?”
Each and every word of hers sounded as if she was being considerate of me. But I did not believe so. Since she had blatantly expressed her intention, she left me with no choice but to leave.
Hence, I stood up and smiled politely at her. “Thank you for your advice, Ms. Fuller. You’re right. I shouldn’t be living with Ashton since we’ve been separated. It is inappropriate for me to stay here.”
I then continued, “Thank you for your kind words. I’ll pack up and leave immediately.”
I had always been a straightforward person, so I swiftly turned around to go upstairs. But she stopped me and smiled. “You’re definitely an impatient child. I’ve only been here for five minutes and you’re suddenly trying to leave. Wouldn’t this be an outright indication for Ashton that I’m the one who chased you away?”
I raised my brows in response. “Isn’t that so?”
The smile on Sally’s face immediately turned into an awkward grin. “Of course not. I’m just doing this for your own good. A girl needs to have a good reputation, after all.”
I smiled back. “Thank you again, Ms. Fuller.”
She shook her head in response and the awkward look she had on her face faded. “You don’t have to be in a hurry to move out now. Actually, you can discuss this with Ashton first. You know how unreasonable he can be at times. So, why don’t you find a reason to leave him and move out later? This is for the good of you and him.”
Is she saying that I should pick a quarrel with Ashton so it seems like I’m the one who wants to move out?
I almost laughed out loud at her suggestion. Being born with a rebellious temperament, the more she did not want it to happen, the more I was motivated to do it.
Looking at her, I said, “There’s no need for so many excuses. I have no intention of staying here for long anyway. It’s just a matter of time before I move out.”
As soon as I finished speaking, I went upstairs and put all my clothes in my suitcase. When I came down, Sally looked nervous and she blocked my path. “Scarlett, you don’t need to rush.”
I beamed at her and said, “It’s alright. I’m free today.”
