Chapter 566

She knew she wasn’t a head-turner. Her features were in the right places, with no glaring flaws; she had glowing skin peppered with a smattering of freckles. She often hid her face behind thick-rimmed glasses, casting a somewhat dull aura around her. Few people noticed her, so when someone complimented her eyes, Emma was taken aback. She bit her lip and murmured quietly, “My eyes aren’t pretty.”

“If I say they’re pretty, that’s enough. They’re bright and beautiful,” Tom replied. His tone lacked its usual flippancy, which was replaced by a grounded sincerity.

Emma felt a little shy. “I… Stop it. I’ll come see you tonight, but I need that video now. It’s urgent. My boss needs it!”

“Missing me already after just one night, huh, Lauren? Alright, I’ll send it. Anything for you.” Hughes could imagine her blushing on the other end of the line, so he decided not to tease her further. He sent the video Robbie had given him to her.

Emma promptly hung up, and he stared at the disconnected call and muttered, “Damn, that’s cold.”

Inside the lounge number two, the computer screen played a sordid scene.

Three entangled bodies. Two men and one woman.

The woman on the bed cried out, “Yes, please! Please do! Faster!”

The men were adjusting themselves, finding their rhythm.

“Penelope, let me hear you scream. I love it when you scream!”

“Oh, Robbie, you’re amazing! And you, Tanner, so fierce! Faster, faster!”

Shadows intertwined under the dim lights, with a strong and ambiguous aura.

Allison glanced at Grace’s face, which was pale, and marked with disbelief. Her eyes were wide with shock. Her fingers trembled, and her lips quivered as if she wanted to speak, but her lips moved several times without forming a coherent sentence.

Allison told Emma to shut down the computer. She faced Grace. “Who is the woman in that video?”

“This… Why would Penelope do this? She has no reason. She comes from such a good family. She never wanted for anything. Why would she degrade herself like this? It must be someone impersonating her. She would never…”

“Grace.” Allison’s voice was cold. She called her name in a way she never had before. The last threads of affection she had for Grace had evaporated. The woman before her was a stranger.

“Grace, I never expected it. After all, we have been daughter and mother for twenty-two years and I have always regarded you as the closest person. I did so much for you. I ran around borrowing money for your treatments. I agreed to be Penelope’s stand-in to cover your surgery costs. I swallowed my pride in the face of Leah’s insults. But what did I get in return? Do you even have a heart? You see a few pictures and instantly decided that’s me. You have watched a clear video, but you still can’t believe it’s Penelope. Can’t you even recognize your own daughter? Your hypocrisy makes me sick!”

Grace kept shaking, as if her illness had flared up. Her face was contorted in agony, and her lips turned deathly pale. “I didn’t… I can’t believe it… Allie, Mom didn’t doubt you! I never did! I just wanted… I just wanted you and Penelope to get along, and both of you to be happy. That’s all I ever wanted. I know how much you’ve sacrificed for my illness. I owe you too much.”