Seeing that people started to gather around him, Casper got off his car to ask for directions.
He approached a middle-aged woman and asked politely, âExcuse me, can you tell me where Peopleâs Community, No. 1 Apartment is?â
The womanâs expression, however, turned strange at the mention of the address.
He was bewildered. She appears to be trying hard to suppress a laugh. A sarcastic laugh, for that matter. But I canât make out if sheâs snickering at me or toward the family Iâm looking for. This is weird.
Still trying hard to stifle a smile, the woman pointed her finger at the road. âGo along this road, turn left at the crossroads and then take a second right. Once you reach Peopleâs Community, you can ask for more directions.â
Slowly, Casper realized that the elder woman was not the only one looking at him oddly.
A few other middle-aged men and women started to gather around him and they all shared the same, complicated expression with a mixture of suppressed laughter, sarcasm, sympathy, and even contempt.
Casper had never witnessed such a rich exhibition of facial expressions. Honestly, he was even more impressed by the fact that these were displayed on a group of people instead of just one person.
It looks like they are all familiar with Ameliaâs family. I had no idea her family is so well-known in the community. Things may be worse than what Iâd imagined.
Casper paused for a few more moments to digest the information.
He took a deep breath and was about to bid goodbye with the middle-aged woman when suddenly, she appeared as though she was hesitating to speak.
âIs something wrong?â Casper asked.
âMay I ask why you are looking for that family?â
âIâm Ameliaâs classmate. She hasnât been to class for a few days, so I thought Iâll check up on her,â
Casper explained.
âFrankly, Iâll advise you against it. The family is dead set on trading their daughter in exchange for money. They wonât waste any more money on sending her to the university.â
The comment from the woman seemed to have opened the floodgate for more people to voice their opinions. âThe girl is kind and not at all like the rest of her horrible family, who are real bloodsuckers.â
âIâm telling you, theyâve definitely gone mad. Theyâve borrowed money from literally everyone living within in the ten-mile radius.â
âThatâs right. Itâs not that we mind lending a hand to them in times of crisis. After all, weâve been neighbors for the longest time. The problem is, theyâve never paid back any of the money theyâve borrowed!â her voice was full of distaste.
âIâm afraid theyâre now fulltime con artists and will do anything for money. Thereâs no line that they wonât cross.â
âOther than the elder daughter and Harvey, theyâre all dirtbags!â
âWhoâs Harvey?â Casper asked curiously.
âHarvey is Ameliaâs father. He passed away a few years ago due to some illness.â
âBecause of that, the family was able to live luxuriously for a little while.â
âThey are shameless bast*rds. They didnât even leave a cent for the daughter despite the sizeable inheritance from her father,â cried another woman. It was not difficult for one to detect the indignation in her tone at the familyâs unfair treatment of Amelia.
Casper finally understood why everyone had the same expression on their faces.
Theyâre all repulsed by Ameliaâs family.
Casper shook his head. âIâm worried about my friend, so Iâm still going to look for her,â he uttered before leaving in his car.
As Casperâs car slowly moved out of sight, the elder woman let out a long sigh. Neither she nor those standing next to her could understand how a sweet girl like Amelia was related to a family who had no morality whatsoever.
Meanwhile, after another twenty minutes of turning around in the alleyways, Casper finally arrived at the address given by Hilda.
Third Floor, Building 1, Peopleâs Community.
It appeared to be a yard with a three-story house.
The design style of the house, however, clashed bluntly with the rest of the community buildings, causing it to stick out like a sore thumb.
The immediate surroundings of the house were deserted sandlot and withered crops.
It was as though the occupants in the stand-alone house attempted to distinguish themselves from the residents by alienating their residence from the other villagers.
Casper got off his car and walked toward the door.
His arrival had captured the attention of the mother and son who had been waiting in the house as they dashed to the door to greet him.
They were mentally prepared to meet with the wealthy Prince Charming, but instead, they were greeted by an unkempt Casper arriving in a Santana.
The glint of excitement and expectation in their eyes were immediately replaced with disappointment and disdain.
Well, that sucks a big one. He looks like a penniless hobo. Hilda pursed her lips.
Just as Hilda was sizing him up, Casper, too, was paying close attention to Hilda and Cody.
Cody was wearing the latest Adidas series from top to toe with a pair of limited-edition sneakers. His entire outfit would have cost thousands.
Nevertheless, Casper was taken aback by the unsightly appearance of Cody.
Not only was his oily face littered with zits and pimples, but he was also chubby.
Unlike Robinâs baby fat that people might find appealing, Cody was clearly overweight.
Casper was convinced that his pudgy figure was the direct result of unchecked diet.
I canât believe this. Not only do the siblings bear no resemblance to each other, but the way they are treated by the family is a world apart. Theyâre clearly spoiling Cody but treating Amelia as though sheâs not part of the family. Could that be the reason why they are always out to get her and see her as an outcast?