Chapter 121
Chapter 121
One of the servants said, “Mrs. Fiona Hayes, we’ve known each other for so long, so please don’t blame us for being this ruthless. We really have no choice–everyone has families to feed, and we just can’t hold on any longer.
“You don’t need to pay us anymore. We’ll just take these things with us instead.”
Some servants grabbed the TV, others hauled away the fridge.
The servants thought, ‘It’s just a little over a month’s pay anyway, and the stuff the Hayes family bought is all pretty pricey. Even if we sell it second–hand, we can still get at least a month’s wages out of it.
‘Whether we stay or leave, the Hayes family probably can’t afford to pay us anymore anyway!
Fiona snapped, “How can you all be so ungrateful? Haven’t I treated you well? And now you don’t even care
about me at all?”
The servants stayed silent, gathering up their belongings as quickly as possible. Before leaving, they went over to Eleanor with an apologetic look.
One of them said, “Mrs. Hayes, it’s not that we’re ungrateful, but please try to understand us. Even Max’s medical bills were paid by selling Anna’s jewelry. Now Andrew is in the hospital, and we don’t even know if there’s any money left for that.”
Eleanor turned her back to them, saying nothing.
One of them turned to Mary and said, “Mary, Mrs. Eleanor Hayes has always treated you well, but you should get out while you still can. The Hayes family is done for.”
Mary glanced at Eleanor, who gave her a nod. Mary then handed each of them an envelope she had prepared in advance. She said, “Mrs. Eleanor Hayes knew you would leave eventually, and honestly, it’s for
the best.
“The experience you’ve gained here will help you find good jobs elsewhere. It’s the Hayes family’s fault for not being able to pay your wages, so this is a token of appreciation for all your years of hard work.
“Please take it, and feel free to take whatever you can carry with you.”
Everyone looked at Eleanor, moved/almost to tears. They thought, ‘In this house, only two people are still sane–Eleanor and Stella. It’s a pity the family is falling apart; we just hope the two of them come through it
all right.‘
Fiona kept calling out for Mary.
Mary looked over at Eleanor, waiting for her instructions.
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Chapter 121
NL).
“Before they all leave, have them help get Flona onto the bed. After that, just leave Flona to her fate Eleanor said,
Mary nodded. She felt like Eleanor had suddenly aged several years. She thought, ‘The Hayes family could have had a happy life. Fiona was the real pillar of the family–she gave them a son and two daughters all on
her own.
‘Daughters are supposed to be the ones who warm their parents‘ hearts, and Stella especially has always been the sweetest. Even after everything her family put her through, she never once held it against them.
‘But who could have imagined they’d push her so far that Stella ended up leaving for good?‘
At the hospital, Andrew needed a full–body checkup, which, of course, cost money.
All the family’s money was with Fiona, but Anna couldn’t just stand by and do nothing as Andrew was admitted. Remembering she still had some allowance she’d saved up over the years, she went to pay the
bills.
But when Anna swiped her card, the cashier said, “Miss, there is no money in your account.”
Anna exclaimed, “No money? That can’t be. I am sure there’s still plenty of money in my account.” She had even made up her mind to pay for Max’s treatment.
“There’s really nothing in there. Please step aside and figure it out, don’t hold up the line,” the cashier
urged.
Anna refused to believe it. She hurried to a nearby bank to check her account, and when she saw the balance, she was stunned–there were only a few thousand dollars left.
Ever since Anna was little, everyone in the family had doted on her, always giving her allowance. Every time, it was a pretty decent amount. Over the years, it added up to at least several million.
But Anna hadn’t moved a cent; she never had to spend her own money to begin with.
Now, seeing the meager balance on her account, Anna knew Fiona must have taken the money, yet she couldn’t abandon Andrew. After mulling it over, she decided to see if there was any cash she could draw
from Max.
Max was still lying in bed, not awake yet.
Anna knew Max’s phone passcode, so she unlocked it and checked his account balance straight away. When she saw there was only 15 thousand left, she felt utterly crushed. She thought, ‘Mom’s left us with nothing
to live on.‘
With no other choice, she went ahead and paid the 15 thousand first, then called Eleanor. She asked, “Grandma, you’re still awake?”
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“Something wrong?” Eleanor replied.
Anna replied, “Yeah. I was hoping you could lend me some money. I only have a few thousand left, and Max’s account only had 15 thousand. I already used all of it to pay for Dad’s hospital bills.
“It’s all Mom’s fault. She did all this just for that damn uncle of mine–I really can’t forgive her. But Dad is
your son, and Max is your grandson.
“You can’t just stand by and watch them suffer. Please, you have to help us.” And with that, she broke down
in tears.
Eleanor said, “I’m not refusing to help, but what do you expect me to do? If I save them, are they just going to keep hurting Stella?”
“No, none of us will ever hurt her again. I swear,” Anna said.
“Why don’t you be honest with me? Maybe then I’ll think about helping them,” Eleanor replied.
Anna felt her heart drop. “Grandma, what do you want to ask?” she asked, her voice trembling.
Eleanor said, “Tell me the truth–were you involved in Stella’s kidnapping back then?”
It wasn’t until the next morning that Stella found out Andrew had beaten Fiona so badly she almost died. She also heard about everything that had gone down at home. Instead of feeling sad, she felt a twisted sense of satisfaction inside.
It never even crossed her mind that Fiona would go this far, all for the sake of the Clark family. She thought, ‘Anyone who ends up with a daughter like Fiona is just so blessed.’
Noticing her good mood, Jordan asked, “What did Eleanor say when she called you?”
Stella told him everything.
Jordan let out a soft laugh and said, “That’s not even real karma yet.”
“Of course not. Compared to what I went through, this is nothing for them,” Stella scoffed.
She thought, ‘What happened to me was like having my skin ripped off and my bones scraped raw. What are they dealing with now? That’s not even close to real pain–barely even a scratch.‘
Jordan said, “That place isn’t livable anymore. The bank’s going to repossess it sooner or later. Should we bring Eleanor over here?”
“Grandma definitely won’t want to move in with us. How about I just buy her a house instead?” Stella suggested.
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Jordan said, “Don’t do that. If you buy her a new place, once the Hayes family gets back on their feet, they’ll just end up moving in with her. Just bring Eleanor over here. If you won’t do it, I will.”
Seeing that Jordan was really about to head out, Stella hurriedly called out, “Okay, I’ll go.”
Jordan smiled, as if he were about to pick up his own family, and it made him genuinely happy. “I’ll go with you,” he said.
Stella gave him a complicated look.
It had been ages since Stella had last set foot in the Hayes residence. The last time she left, she’d stormed out after beating the crap out of Max.
She always knew she’d have to come back for Eleanor eventually, but she never thought it would be this
soon.
As Stella and Jordan stepped inside, they were immediately greeted by Fiona’s wailing, her cries sharp and pitiful, echoing through the house.
Hearing someone coming, Fiona yelled, “Anna, is that you? Did you come back? Hurry, get me some water. No, wait–I need food. I’m starving here, it hurts so much I could die.”
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