Chapter 62
âSheâs just a child, James. Get changed and go back to your room to dry off. Iâll see you later.â
Concerned about Angie, Suzette hastily straightened her clothes and hurriedly intervened.
âYou better behave, you bastard, or Iâll kick you out!â James grumbled before pulling his pants up and
walking back to his room. Before he left, he gave Angie a final, hard kick! Having been kicked until her
entire body was in excruciating pain, Angie lay on the ground with her hands around her stomach.
Tears started flowing down her cheeks as Suzette helped her up.
âMom, how could you possibly want to be with a monster like him? Where were you while he was
beating me up? Do you not care for my life? Did you know that I nearly died of hypothermia after
passing out outside the restroom this afternoon?â Finally, Angieâs pent-up rage and frustration erupted.
âWhere did you go? Why did you leave me alone with that jerk?â
âAlright, alright. Iâm back now, arenât I? Stop crying and wipe off your tears.â Suzette merely retrieved
some tissues from the coffee table and handed them to Angie without much of a reaction to what she
had said. Upon hearing her motherâs cold remark, Angieâs sobs only got louder. How could a mother
stay silent when her daughter was nearly killed and abused in front of her? She was completely
distraught.
âOh, shut up! Get out of here if youâre going to cry again! We donât need a crybaby in the house!â
Suzette scolded after getting annoyed by Angieâs cries. Angie went silent as she was taken aback by
Suzette. To Angie, Suzette was the only person that could help her right now, and she had endured
more than enough!
âAngie, this is how it is now. If you wish to live under another personâs roof, you must abide by their
rules. Otherwise, whoâs going to put up with you?â
âMom, itâs hisâ¦â
âJames is my partner now. Please, just go along with him for my sake.â
âBut he took advantage of me! Heâd beat me up even if I were to die! Why do I have to put up with all of
these?â
âPerhaps he wouldnât have acted that way if you hadnât made him angry. Angie, things have changed,
and so should your attitude!â
âMom, but heâs a monster, youâ¦â
Suzetteâs furious expression cut Angie off before she could finish her sentence. Suzette was already
irritated after being dumped with a bucket of water, and she was even more so after being disappointed
by Angieâs attitude. As a result, she smacked Angie across the elbow with the damp towel, which she
was using to dry her hair.
âShut up! You canât deny that youâre depending on a jerk like him! Doesnât that make you worse than a
jerk?â
Not wanting to argue any longer, Suzette brushed her hair with the towel while walking toward her bag
to retrieve an invitation and she threw it at Angie.
âKeep it, itâs an invitation to Coltonâs birthday banquet. Sneak into the banquet by then and act
accordingly. Remember, this is your last chance. No oneâs there to help you if you screw it up again!â
âInvitation? Mom, how did you get this?â Angieâs anger dissipated once she had her hands on the
precious invitation.
âYou donât have to care about that. Do what has to be done! Do you realize that if you screw this up
again, itâs game over for you? Whereâs your spirit? Stop making such a miserable face!â
âDonât worry, mom! I promise to give it my all!â
âThatâs my girl. I await for the day you become a part of the Quincy family.â
âMom, do you still have any money? I wouldnât feel right attending the banquet without a fancy dressâ¦â
âDidnât you buy a wedding dress before? Sell it. A wedding dress is traditionally a gift from the groom to
the bride. It is frowned upon for a woman to buy her own wedding dress.â
âButâ¦â
âCome up with something else if youâre not going to sell it!â
â¦â¦
LM Boutique, Old Berkeley Street.
Albert slowly stopped the car before sprinting around to the passenger side to open the door for
Madeline. She looked comfortable in her Baymax hoodie and sports leggings, paired with a pair of
white sneakers. Her hair was tied up into a simple ponytail and her petite face was covered by her
sunglasses.
âGo and find a place to wait. Pick me up in an hour.â
âVery well, Ms. Madeline,â Albert responded and opened the boutiqueâs door for her. Once Madeline
was inside the boutique, he started the car and drove off. Madeline expected to see the store clerk
when the wind chime at the entrance rang, but instead found Elise waiting there. The moment Elise
spotted her, she made her way over to greet her.
âMaddie, I heard you were hurt! Let me have a lookâ¦â Elise was in the midst of applying a face mask
and had rollers in her hair, making her look more like a typical housewife than a famous designer! The
store had closed early since Elise was expecting Madeline. She held Madeline gently as she examined
her with great care, fearing that she would accidentally hurt her.
âYou should take care of yourself! I got you some jelly, cakes and chocolate milk. See if you need
anything else and Iâll prepare them for youâ¦â
Elise pulled Madeline over to the couch, where she set out all of the treats that she had prepared onto
the coffee table. Madeline grew awkward seeing Eliseâs enthusiastic hospitality.
âElise, did you do something wrong to me recently? Just tell me!â
âHow ridiculous, Maddie! I could never do anything bad to you! Why wonât you trust me?â As Elise
started to get dramatic, she clung onto Madelineâs arm and brushed her cheeks on her shoulder,
causing parts of her face mask to stick onto Madeline.
âSpeak properly! Stop pressing your face onto me!â Annoyed, Madeline pushed Elise to the side and
even sat further away from her. She hated that her clothes had become sticky due to the lotion from the
face mask.
âI have some good news to tell you thoughâ¦â
âThen stop beating around the bush⦠You almost tricked me into believing you and youâre displaying
your true colors now? Huh, words from a woman can hardly be trusted!â Madeline intentionally let out a
long sigh and simply took a sip of the chocolate milk Elise had prepared for her with a straw. She felt
the warmth of the chocolate milk lingered in her mouth.
âMaddie, you wouldnât believe this. Your archnemesis, Angie, called to say sheâs selling the Mirabelle
wedding gown that she bought previously! Seems like her plan to marry into the Quincy family failed, or
else why would she give up on such a priceless dress?â Elise said happily while massaging Madelineâs
legs. She appeared to be more thrilled than when she had won the designer award.
âYou never know. She might be facing some financial issues. Besides, I heard the Grantsâ eldest
daughter nearly put them into bankruptcy.â
âYou mean she still yearns for Noah?â
âMaybe.â
âWhat about you?â
âHmm?â
âDo you still yearn for him?â
âYes, I do.â
âHuh? Does that mean you still like him?â
âI meant that I yearn for him to realize how blind he was! It would be quite a scene.â Madeline laughed
and took a bite out of the warm, flaky egg tart. Delicious!
Elise could not help but feel concerned for Madeline. She looked at a nearby surveillance camera and
shook her head in pity.
The pleasant warmth from eating the egg tart lifted Madelineâs spirit. She then said, âSince Angie wants
to sell that wedding dress, take it back and find another buyer then.â
âAre you sure you want to sell it to someone else, Maddie? After all, itâs your favorite bridal dress.â
âIâm past my youthful wishes.â