CHAPTER 69

Chapter 69

Zachary held Scarlett’s hand and said to Fiona sincerely, “Ms. Pearson, please rest assured. I’ll treat Scarlett well. I’ll love and take care of her. 1 take good care of you two too. We’re a family now”

Fel’s eyes it up. When he was about to speak, Fiona twisted his thigh.

Receiving Fona’s gaze, Felix raised his cup. “Mr. Winslow, I’m a boor, but si happines

e said so, Mom and I feel relieved. I wish you and Scarlett

Zachary smited and clinked the cup with him. “Don’t mention it. Just call me Zachary.”

Feln grinned. “Okay, Zachary!”

Using the cup to block his face while drinking, Felix glanced at Scarlett, and the latter nodded imperceptibly.

To achieve the desired outcome, Scarlett returned home in advance and explained what should be said and done today to Fiona and Felix, promising Felix 600 dollars to prevent him from messing up the plan.

Felix smirked, feeling delighted that making money in the future would become much easier. He sincerely wished Zachary could get along well with Scarlett for a long time.

Yvonne had been keeping a low profile since the school started.

Nathan spent money and used some means to subside the previous incident. Some insiders had gotten their lips seated in different ways, so nobody mentioned the incident during the holiday after school started.

The people who usually followed Wonne had gone, and now only Waylon and Alice stayed with her loyally.

Wonne was generous to them, so they were willing to work for her.

In the afternoon, the two got ready to accompany Yvonne to buy clothes after class.

Walking on the campus‘ tree–lined path, Wonne listened to the two talking about handsome boys from various faculties. Suddenly, she saw a crowd gathering ahead and faintly heard a quarrel.

Wonne motioned for Waylon and Alice to have a look together.

Person A shouted, “You fell by yourself. Why should I take the blame?”

Person B retorted, “You suddenly rushed out of the roadside, and I fell because I couldn’t dodge you.”

Person A said, “How can you blame me for your bad cycling skills?”

“Why are you so rude and unreasonable?” replied Person B.

Person A retorted, “I’m rude and unreasonable? Look who’s talking!”

Person B shouted, “Which faculty are you from? I’ll sue you!”

Person A clicked her tongue and snorted. “Whatever. My name’s Mandy Murray. I’m a freshman in business management. I’ll wait for you to que me then. Let me see how you can sue the Murray family!”

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Chapter 69

“Mandy?” Yvonne thought excitedly and split into the crowd, pushing her way to the front.

A girl with a bleeding arm was confronting two other girls, and her bicycle was lying on the ground.

One of the two girls looked arrogant and spoiled, while the other whispered somewhat timidly, trying

Yvonne looked at them and suddenly smiled.

ersuade her companion.

She believed that if an opportunity was gone, another would eventually come, in which it came at this moment.

“Let me see your hand,” Yvonne said softly to the injured girl.

The girl was stunned while looking at Yvonne.

Yvonne smiled at her and then looked at her hand, exclaiming, “Oh my, it’s bleeding. Waylon, Alice, take her to the infirmary for disinfection and treatment.”

Waylon and Alice immediately stepped forward to get the bicycle and coaxed the girl to the infirmary.

Mandy stared at Yvonne with hostility.

Yvonne smiled. “The freshmen would get into accidents here every year. That’s why we call this road an accident–prone area. Everyone always said we should set up a sign here to remind the freshmen, but it has never been implemented. Looks like we really need to urge the student council.”

Mandy stayed silent.

Queenie responded politely with timidness, “Thank you! W–We’re not familiar with this place-”

Yvonne was friendly and patted them on the shoulder. “Everyone feels the same when they first came here. So nobody is at fault. Don’t be mad anymore. Why don’t I take you two to have some drinks? You probably still don’t know which drink on campus tastes the best, do you?”

Queenie smiled shyly, and Mandy’s expression softened as well.

Yvonne said, “My name’s Yvonne Ingram. I’m in my sophomore year. I enrolled here a year earlier than you, so I’m familiar with the campus. I’ve no class this afternoon, so let me take you to have fun and get delicious treats if you’re free.”

Her warm smile made Queenie and Mandy have a good impression of her.

Queenie said, “Nice to meet you, Yvonne. I’m Queenie Flemington.”

“I’m Mandy Murray,” said Mandy.

“Nice to meet you two. Well then, let’s go, shall we?” Yvonne uttered with a smile.

The three enjoyed meals and drinks all afternoon, having a good time.

Mandy and Queenie were new to Moulmore and exposed to a new environment. Unlike in Nusridge, everyone knew their identities from elementary to high school. Both grew up being the center of attention, but now the sense of superiority was gone. They had also developed arrogant temperaments since childhood, making them bad at socializing. As a result, they ended up having poor social skills, and nobody wanted to deal with them.

On the other hand, Yvonne, who suddenly showed up before them, was beautiful and gentle. She treated them so nicely that they immediately had a good impression of her.

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As for Yvonne, she easily confirmed that Mandy was Clayton’s younger sister and had a twin brother named Channing, whereas Queenie was the twin’s cousin.

Yvonne quickly became good friends with Queenie and Mandy.

She took them home and was warmly received by Winona.

At home, Mandy kept mentioning “Yvonne,” which made Jennie curious. Later on, upon hearing the two describing the Ingram family’s background, Jennie understood that Yvonne also probably came from a good family.

Hence, she asked Mandy and Queenie to invite Yvonne and Winona over.

Everything was going according to Yvonne’s wishes.

At the weekend, Yvonne and Winona paid a visit to the twins‘ residence.

Mandy and Queenie showed Yvonne around the mansion, making Yvonne feel very excited.

She mused, ‘Clayton, I’m finally at your house. I’ll prove to you that I’m not worse than Isabella. You were just being deceived. I’ll show you how good I am.‘

The style of Clayton’s mansion was completely different from that of the Ingram family, which exuded Clayton’s cold, noble demeanor everywhere.

Yvonne and Winona descended from upstairs without Mandy showing them around the second floor. Standing on the stairs, Yvonne was confused because she had seen Channing’s room but not Clayton’s. She wanted to feel Clayton’s scent in his room and get closer to his space.

“The second floor is where Clayton lives. He’s busy and has gone abroad for a long time. He doesn’t come home very often. He has a weird quirk and won’t allow us to touch his things, so we dare not enter his bedroom, study, and gymnasium. Mom will scold us if we do.” Mandy stuck out her tongue naughtily.

Yvonne understood and thought, ‘It doesn’t matter. If I can enter his house, I can walk into his room and step into his heart one day too.‘ She could tell from Mandy’s words that Clayton held a high position in the family, and no one dared to mess with him.

Looking at the three chirping girls, Jennie said to Winona smilingly, “I have raised Queenie since she was young. She grew up with Mandy and looked like twin sisters with her. On the contrary, Channing is always bullied by them.”

Winona smiled. “Look at how lively your family is. It’s good to have more children. Yvonne is too lonely, so she told me she likes Queenie and Mandy very much and often talks about them. Even when our housekeepers cooked something delicious, she would remember to bring some for them.”

Jennie nodded. “Right, right. The two kids also treat Yvonne as their sister. Being the only daughter in a family will feel lonely. But it’s good now. Let them play together more often, and we can hang out too.”

Winona nodded in agreement but then sighed. “Actually, Yvonne has an elder sister. It’s just that they haven’t been close since childhood, so having a sister or not makes no difference for Yvonne.”

Jennie was surprised. “Oh? How come? Yvonne is so good–tempered. How could she not be close to her sister?”

Winona smiled bitterly. “Yvonne’s sister is not my biological daughter.”

Jennie was even more surprised. “What? I’ve never heard Yvonne say that.”

Winona explained, “It’s kind of difficult to say. Jennie, I can see we get on like a house on fire. I’ve always lived in seclusion and have no

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friends. I feel upset sometimes, but there isn’t someone I can talk to.” With that, her eyes reddened with tears.

Jennie patted Winona’s hands to comfort her. “We’re all the same.”

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“Jennie, you don’t know my suffering. My husband and his first wife have a daughter, who’s Yvonne’s elder sister. She’s two years older than Yvonne, who is about the same age as her. You’ve no idea that it’s difficult being a stepmother. Yvonne’s sister, Isabella, has a stubborn temper and behaves indifferently toward us. To her, only she’s the daughter of the family. All these years, I’ve asked Yvonne to put up with Isabella, considering Isabella lost her mother at a young age. However, the more Isabella grows up, the more she hates us. Yvonne has a good personality and never admits anything about Isabella bullying her. She wishes to get along well with Isabella, but unfortunately, Isabella never treats her as her sister.” Winona sighed.

With the story stirring up her concerning thoughts, Jennie stated coldly, “Winona, you and Yvonne are too kind–hearted. Your stepchild is an ingrate, so she can’t be taught properly. To tell you the truth, my second son is not my biological son, so he doesn’t like me and my other children either.”

Winona pretended to be surprised. “Your second son? Do Mandy and Channing have other siblings?”

Jennie replied, “The Murray family tree is big. The eldest child is my eldest brother’s son, and the second child is my husband and his first wife’s eldest son. His first wife died in a car accident, and her son was only around three years old at that time. I raised her son myself, but the older he gets, the more he distances himself from us. It’s not easy to even meet him in person now. He doesn’t care about his younger siblings and even treats me like nobody, let alone respect me. So, like you said, it’s hard being a stepmother.”

Winona felt excited but kept herself calm. “Jennie, you’re different from me. Your second son is a man, so even if he treats you badly, in the future, you can have him marry someone who would side with you, right? You can still take control of him that way. But I’m different. My stepdaughter is going to marry someone sooner or later, and she’ll join the husband’s family once she gets married. If I visit her husband’s house and get told that I, the stepmother, treat her badly, I would have gotten my name tarnished.” She shook her head and sighed as she spoke.

Winona’s words hit the mark on Jennie’s mind, but it still made her sigh. “It’s easier said than done. Unless a gentle and sensible girl like Yvonne can persuade Clayton to prioritize the family, our family will be dismantled sooner or later if we find an insensible woman instead.”

Winona didn’t continue the topic and said smilingly, “Don’t worry. He’ll surely find a destined person. You’re so kind to take care of your son for so many years. A nice girl would definitely show up for him.”

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