The day ended quickly, and the next day the whole family woke up without people banging at their door."Claire, check if there is really no one outside," Matilda hid behind the kitchen door and said to Claire, who was about to go outside.Claire, who had placed her hand on the doorknob, paused and glanced towards the direction the voice came from."There's really no one. Just Ethan and Honey waiting outside for Chloe."A small frown settled on Matilda's face."Then what about the people we owe? They said they'd be here this morning if we don't return their money to them. Wait, don't tell me that good-for-nothing really made true his promise?""Haven't you seen the news this morning?" Claire raised a brow and turned on the TV.It was a breaking news about someone who found bags of money in a field."Early this morning, numerous bags filled with money were found in a football field by a man. The government traced it to know its owner, but it turns out the money was taken from the people
She understood that Matt Peterson wasn't part of the people who saw what happened that day, but Gladys was there and even defended her from the people who tried to soil her name by saying the only reason she accepted to work in Springdale National College was to seduce scions from wealthy families.Gladys did a lot of things for Chloe to see her as a friend, which included even walking her to the car whenever Kane came to pick her up.So how could she be among the people trying to set her up?"Gladys, say something. You were there when that student handed this jewelry box over to me.""I even tried to return it to him, but you said it didn't matter if I collected the gift as long as I made it clear to him that I am a married woman and wanted nothing to do with him romantically."Gladys' frown tightened, and she immediately rebuked Chloe."Don't try to drag me into your mess, Ms. William. Yes, I was there, but I wasn't there from the start. I only entered the teachers' lounge after I w
Chloe didn't respond immediately. She remained standing and staring at him for more than a minute before she suddenly laughed and dug her fingers into her hair."Chairman Peterson, it just occurred to me you're the mastermind behind what is happening to me right now.""At first, I thought; why would the other teachers say such a thing when they clearly saw what happened that day? Why would Principal Coleman stab me in the back when she also knew the truth?""I've been wondering that since this morning, and it finally occurred to me that someone who decides if they continue working here might've threatened them to spin the truth about what happened that day and paint me as a thief.""And why would he do something like that? So he can use it against me, offer me a solution that'll enable him do what he has wanted since the first day he set his eyes on me; sleep with me." Chloe was used to men ogling at her whenever she walked by, but whenever she turned them down numerous times and mad
"What is he blabbing about? Who went to prison for murder, him or Principal Coleman?""I didn't want to say this before because I feared I'd be wrong, but my cousin who worked in a female prison as a correction officer once saw Principal Coleman and said she looked like an inmate he used to know. I dismissed it back then because Principal Coleman didn't seem like someone who'd commit a crime heavy enough to be sent to a correction prison.""So you're trying to say we've been socializing and doing things with an ex-convict for years? A murderer for that matter? This has to be the most scariest thing I've heard in a while now!""If you heard something like that why didn't you just drop it as anonymous in the school's website? Do you know how badly my skin is crawling right now just thinking of how she has held me with those hands she used in cutting someone's skull open?!""Don't raise your voice at me, okay? I didn't know it back then because Principal Coleman seems too kind to kill so
Chloe sat up with a jolt the next time she opened her eyes.Without looking around her, she felt her entire body for any pain but felt nothing. It wasn't until she paid attention to the free-fall gown she was wearing that she realized it wasn't what she left the house in this morning.Her eyes stung with tears, and she sniffled, quickly concluding Matt Peterson had succeeded in sleeping with her.She heard someone tug on the doorknob almost immediately and grabbed the lamp holder closest to her, ready to smash Matt Peterson's head in the moment he walked in.She was ready to hurl the lampstand when she realized it wasn't Matt Peterson but her..."Ethan?"Ethan, who had no idea what was about to befall him as he had his attention on the tray he was carrying, halted and looked up."Huh?"When he saw she had woken up, his dull eyes immediately lit up."You're awake. You were asleep for three hours. I was starting to get worried." The man beamed lightly, walking closer to her.He lowered
Chloe patiently listened to him talk about how his family had refused to lend him money for his mother's treatment, but shamelessly came to claim her body from the hospital where she died.He had grabbed a mop stick with a sharp edge and threatened to kill them with it if they came any closer to his mother. He hurled insults at them before chasing them away from the hospital.Right before they left, they cut all ties with him, officially leaving him to fend for his life as an orphan.Both his mother's family and his father's family cut all ties with him."So on the day I buried my mother, I vowed to make each and everyone of them pay for letting her die when it wouldn't have cost them anything to save her life," Ethan concluded his reminiscing, staring into the empty space.Chloe understood he was having a moment, so she refrained from saying anything for the meantime until they were about to leave.As she buckled her seatbelt, she turned to him and smiled lightly, "I understand it wh
"What? Why?" Claire blurted out, furrowing her brows in confusion."He asked me out, but I turned him down. Then he gave me the jewelry saying I can always find him around the school if I change my mind," Chloe explained, a sigh of exhaustion escaping her lips as she slumped down on the couch behind her."Why would Paul ask you out? He knows you're my sister. He would recognize you anywhere, so why would he do something like that?" Claire bit down on her lower lip, lowering her eyes to the floor."To get back at you and me for what happened to the Jespersen family." Ethan chimed in calmly, his eyes as hard as ever.A sudden silence engulfed the living room for a few minutes before Claire broke it with a snort."The Jespersen family? Paul doesn't give a damn about the Jespersen family.""Yes, they might have asked him to get back at us for what happened to them, but Paul isn't doing it for them. It's just so he can pin it on them when whatever he's planning backfires on him."Chloe's e
Paul found the man's suggestion about Ethan calling Kane to help him good. Now that he thought of it, that imbecile with Ethan had also intimidated him that day.Moreover, he didn't want to risk someone coming after the Michigan family in the future to avenge Ethan's death.So he exhaled loudly and leaned towards the table."Your suggestion doesn't sound too bad. The more, the merrier. Plus, it'll be fun watching the expression on this loser's face when I kill that sidekick of his."The man in front of Ethan slipped his hands into his pockets and snorted into his face."Mr. Michigan always knows the best way to make an example of people. So you better be grateful he's extending your lifespan by a few minutes.""Now take out your phone and call this friend of yours. Be fast about it because I can't afford to let you live any longer than Mr. Michigan wants you to."Ethan maintained the stoic look on his face as he stared back at the thug with drooping eyes. He appeared as though he hear