Chapter 409 Basic Decency and Integrity
William bolted to the little garden before dialing back.
The call connected pretty quick.
A lively dude's voice came through, mixed with women laughing, like he was at a party.
"Yo, William, hang on a sec," Ambrose said.
He seemed to move away from the ruckus to somewhere quieter.
"What'd you find out?" William asked, feeling a bit on edge. It had been a while, and finally, Ambrose, who'd been snooping around Radiant Harbor City, made some headway.
"I got something," Ambrose said, his voice now all gravelly, a far cry from his earlier playful tone. "The Price family bailing from the mainland? It's tied to the Miller family. And the puppet master was Jessica."
William's brow furrowed. He'd kinda seen this coming.
"But there's more," Ambrose continued, sounding dead serious. "Jessica's got someone backing her, and they're no joke. Watch your back. These folks aren't just gunning for the Price family; they might have the Jones family in their sights too."
William's eyelids twitched like crazy.
He took a deep breath and said, "Got it. When can you swing by?"
"Not now. I'm stuck here, but I'll find a way," Ambrose replied.
And with that, the call ended.
William sat in the garden, puffing on a smoke, looking pretty grim.
He'd been digging into Jessica for a while and had found some hints.
There was definitely someone behind her, which was why he hadn't gone after Jessica or the Millers directly.
The mastermind behind Jessica was a mystery, and William hadn't dug up any dirt on them.
So, he was waiting for them to make the first move.
Things were getting messy.
For the next couple of days, Mary chilled at home, and William stuck around with her.
"William, let's go shopping for some baby clothes," Mary said sweetly, tugging at him.
William nodded, "Sure thing."
They soon hit up a nearby mall.
Mary, glowing with mom-to-be joy, eagerly checked out baby stores, comparing all the cute outfits.
William trailed behind, heart full of happiness.
After hitting a few stores, they ended up at a fancy international baby shop. Mary was inside, picking out clothes, while William followed, holding her bag.
A cold, suspicious voice suddenly piped up behind them.
"Mary, William? Is that really you?"
A woman, all dolled up and stylish, was hanging onto a guy with a big belly who looked like he was in his forties or fifties, definitely a rich dude.
This woman was someone both Mary and William knew all too well.
She was Mary's college arch-nemesis, Maya Fairchild.
"Maya?" Mary called, smiling slightly and politely.
After all, they were old classmates.
Maya looked at Mary and William with disdain and said in a snarky tone, "Wow, didn't expect to see you in such a small town."
Back in college, Maya and Mary were always at each other's throats, competing non-stop.
Over the years, Maya had been through three marriages.
Her current hubby was the CEO of some foreign company.
She'd settled abroad and was just back for a visit.
She never thought she'd bump into Mary here.
Mary chuckled, ready to ditch the act. She pulled William to leave.
But Maya wasn't about to miss a chance to throw shade. She quickly stepped in their way, smirking, "Hey, Mary, we're old classmates. Where you rushing off to? By the way, you married? Got kids? Oh, I told you back in school, William's not the reliable guy. I heard he married into your family?"
Maya kept yapping, full of sarcasm and mockery.
After all, she had snagged a rich dude and felt all high and mighty.
Naturally, she looked down on Mary and William, and pretty much everyone else around here.
Her inherent sense of superiority led her to behave arrogantly.
"Sorry, we got other stuff to do," Mary said, smiling apologetically, not wanting to get into it with Maya.
Back in college, Mary already knew Maya was a snobby, selfish piece of work.
"Did I hit a nerve?" Maya sneered, crossing her arms.
Glancing at William, she mocked, "Mary, you were the hottest girl in school, and you ended up with him? Look at him, he screams loser."
"Watch your mouth. He's my husband!" Mary snapped, her face turning icy.
But Maya just laughed louder and snatched the baby clothes from Mary's hands. "Big brands? Can you even afford these? Can a kid from working-class parents like you wear this stuff?"
In Maya's eyes, Mary and William were bottom-feeders.
She'd heard a while back how pathetic William was and never got the chance to mock him in person.
Now that she had the chance, she wasn't letting it go.
"What do you mean?" Mary asked furiously, her face growing colder.
The argument naturally drew a crowd, sparking widespread discussion among them.
Maya had no problem causing a scene. She pointed at Mary and cursed, "You bitch, I've put up with you for so long. Seeing you like this now makes me so happy!"
Suddenly, a loud slap echoed through the store.
William's face was dark, and he slapped Maya hard, saying coldly, "Maya, shut up! You can insult me, but not my wife!"
Maya was stunned. She didn't expect William to hit her.
"William, how dare you hit me? Who do you think you are? Do you know who I am? Do you know who my husband is?" Maya fumed.
She was so angry. Getting hit by William, whom she considered a loser, made her feel humiliated.
Maya's husband, Leander Fairchild, pointed at William and shouted, "You jerk, how dare you hit my wife? I'm calling the cops to arrest you!"
William smiled coldly, glanced at Maya, and said, "You think marrying a rich, ugly dude gives you the right to insult others?"
Maya was indeed a troublemaker.
Upon hearing this, Maya pointed at William's nose and cursed, "What did you say? You're insulting my husband and me! I can sue you! Let me tell you, William, my husband is the CEO of a foreign company, here to invest. I can have you arrested and locked up for life!"
Maya was furious.
She always relied on Leander being a foreigner to act all high and mighty.
She didn't expect to get humiliated today.
How dare William, this loser, hit her?
"Who cares about his identity? Maya, this is Lindwood City, not abroad! Leave your superiority complex at the door!" William said coldly.
Livid, Maya started cursing, "William, you jerk! My husband is better and richer than you! You're just jealous! I'm now a foreign national! Just wait, I'm calling the cops. Just wait!"
Maya had used this trick many times. After all, her husband was a foreign investor.
And she had already become a foreign national.
So, she didn't believe she couldn't deal with William.
Seeing William frown, Maya sneered, her face full of mockery. "Scared now? Then apologize to me and my husband and beg for our forgiveness!"
Maya strutted around, feeling all proud.
The onlookers, even if they didn't agree with Maya, couldn't do anything.
After all, her husband was a foreigner, so they didn't dare offend him.
Mary also frowned, glanced at William, and whispered, "William, let's apologize. It's better to avoid trouble."
William, however, smiled faintly, signaling Mary to relax. He then looked at Maya and said coldly, "A foreign national?"
In the next second, he slapped her again, cursing, "Do you have any shame? You think marrying a foreigner makes you special? Are you still a decent person? Do you even know basic decency?"
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