Chapter 109 Ethan felt his authority as head of the family challenged by Aliceâs defiance. âAlice, this is a family matter! You canât handle it this way!â Especially considering Chloeâs father had saved Aliceâs life. Had she forgotten?
The investigator interjected, âMr. Windham, youâre being biased. Chloe cheated; what does Alice have to do with it?â
âAliceâs the valedictorian! How could she cheat? She got the top score!â
âCheaters usually have poor grades. Someone whoâs already at the top wouldnât need to cheat. That kind of score is impossible to replicate.â
Ethan was speechless, his expression uncomfortable. He couldnât accept this. Chloe? He stubbornly replied, âBut Chloe is always obedient and understanding. Alice was the one reported first. Have you investigated thoroughly?â He still believed Aliceâs sudden improvement was impossible! It was too much!
âWe heard about Aliceâs valedictorian status. Her grades are legitimate.â âMr. Windham, your family is strange. You have a valedictorian, but youâre hoping she cheated! What kind of thinking is that?â
âYeah, you donât support your brilliant sister, but you believe a liar with failing grades. The rich are so baffling!â
Ethanâs face flushed crimson; he couldnât respond. He looked at Alice incredulously. Her sudden improvement...and the investigation cleared her? He hadnât noticed any academic talent in her as a child.
Alice looked at Chloe, sitting on the floor.âStop playing innocent. Admit you cheated; the evidence is here. Maybe you can plead for leniency.â
âAlice, your words are outrageous!â
Alice sneered.âBrother, Chloe said the same thing to me. You find âmyâ words outrageous? What about her attacks earlier?â
Ethan was silenced. He hadnât noticed. Chloeâs vulnerability had made him more protective. He found Alice too assertive.âChloe is more sensible than you. Why bother with her?â âChloeâs too dumb to even get into a good college even with cheating. I donât need to bother with her. But Iâm warning her: stay away from me! Sheâs not worthy of being my rival.â Chloe, enraged, lunged at Alice, eyes blazing. âAlice, how dare you? You bitch!â Alice grabbed Chloeâs hair and started slapping her, raining blows. She used all her strength, holding nothing back. She was on the verge of a meltdown. If the Winds didnât understand her words, then they could all go crazy together!
Chloe, losing all rationality, fought back. But Alice pinned her down and started pummeling her. Chloe, always focused on her figure, was thin and no match for Aliceâs strength. Old grudges and fresh insults mingled.
Everyone was stunned by the brawl.
Luke yelled, âBrother, what are you doing? Stop them!â
Ethan finally reacted, grabbing Aliceâs shoulder.âAlice, stop!â
4312.26 Chanter 109 Ignoring him, she continued hitting Chloe. Ethan tried to pull her away. Alice turned and bit his wrist until she tasted blood, then released him.
Ethan winced, âAlice, are you insane?â
Alice wiped her mouth, her hair disheveled, her eyes cold. âYou forced me!â
Luke helped Chloe up, her face a mess, her hair a tangled birdâs nest. Chloe wailed, âBrother, avenge me! She hit me!â
Ethan was overwhelmed. He looked at Alice.âArenât you going to apologize?â âApologize? Fine.â Alice grabbed a vase and hurled it at Ethan.âChloe started it. Why should T apologize? Why?! Apologize to who?!â
She started smashing everything in sight, her anger boiling over. She grabbed the IV stand, glaring at Ethan and Chloe.âSay that again? Apologize? I didnât hear you clearly!â Rejecting moral high grounds; embracing pure, unadulterated chaos! It felt exhilarating.
The room was a wreck. Everyone was silent. Ethan looked at the destruction. âLuke, look at what youâve done! Sheâs running amok, smashing things!â What kind of behavior was this? Luke looked helpless. Alice was driven to this point by them. They were at fault. He looked at Alice, guilt etched on his face.âPlease put down the things and letâs talk.â
âNo!â She climbed onto a table, ready to go fullâon crazy. Sheâd wanted to leave them alone, but âNo!â She climbed onto a table, ready to go theyâd pushed her to the edge.
Luke instinctively said, âAlice, thatâs Lukeâs IV stand!â
Chloe immediately cried,âAlice, take your anger out on me. Donât use Lukeâs IV stand! Heâll hurt.â
get Luke frowned at Chloe. Heâd never noticed her manipulative language before, pretending to care while subtly blaming Alice.
He yanked out the IV needle. Itâs fine. I wonât die.â He didnât want the IV stand to be another reason to blame Alice. He owed his sister so much; heâd even give his life for her.
Alice felt a pang of guilt at Lukeâs action.
She said coldly, âYou donât have to do that!â
She put down the IV stand, pointing at Chloe.âCrying, crying, all you do is cry. Every time you cry and act pitiful, itâs my fault. Itâs so annoying!â
Chloeâs carefully constructed act of distress crumbled. She hadnât expected Alice to completely lose it.
Chloe whined, âBrother, it hurts so much.â Why not use the effective ploy of playing the victim?