Chapter 74 Throw a Mop at You
"Whoa! No way, it's really you, Camilla! Thought I was seeing things at the door!"
That was Anouk Powell, the nosy, loudmouth neighbor from next door!
Anouk's hubby also taught at Maplewood High, and they moved in the same year as Camilla's fam.
Seeing Camilla step out, Anouk hustled over and gave her the once-over. "Unreal! No wonder folks say the big city does wonders. You've really hit the jackpot!"
Camilla just stood there, silent.
"Check out your outfit, your figure, and those clothes and shoes. So trendy!"
Anouk showered her with compliments, then leaned in, lowering her voice and winking. "Camilla, I heard you're doing great in Imperial City and got some connections. Can you hook my daughter up?"
Camilla looked puzzled. "Hook her up with who?"
"With a big shot, a rich dude. My daughter's got a killer figure, she's pretty, and most importantly, she's only 22!"
Camilla's face darkened, and she took a step back. "Anouk, you got it all wrong. I didn't go to Imperial City to mess around, and I don't have any connections. I can't help you."
Anouk frowned. "Camilla, we're neighbors. Why keep things to yourself? You've made it big; shouldn't you help others too?"
Camilla laughed, clearly annoyed. "Who do you think I am? You think I can just make things happen for people? Anouk, you're giving me way too much credit."
Seeing her refuse, Anouk's smile vanished. "You've become so arrogant ever since you made it big! I was just joking. Who'd want their good daughter to do something so low?"
"Anouk! Watch your mouth!" Before Camilla could respond, Alistair threw down his bike and rushed over to shield her.
His face was stern, eyes blazing with anger. "You can't just say whatever you want! Camilla is clean and decent. Stop talking trash!"
"Me, talking trash?" Anouk was fuming. She never got along with the Learmonds, and there were always little spats between them. "Go ask around. Everyone knows Camilla hasn't been home for years and is out there with rich men. It's not just me saying this. If you've got the guts, go shut everyone up!"
"You!" Alistair's eyes were red with rage, his chest heaving. "Nonsense!"
"If you don't want us talking, then don't let her do it in the first place. So fake!" Anouk's sharp gaze swept over Camilla. "What decent girl dresses like this? Always looking to seduce men, disgusting!"
"Get out! Get out!" Alistair clutched his chest, struggling to breathe.
"Dad!" Camilla quickly pulled out some blood pressure meds and gave them to him.
Looking up, her eyes were icy as she stared at Anouk. "We've been neighbors for years, and I tried to be nice, but you keep pushing it, even insulting us at our door? Fine, no more Miss Nice Girl!"
With that, Camilla grabbed a mop from the corner, still wet from Bella's recent cleaning, and swung it at Anouk.
Anouk screamed, "She's hitting me! She's hitting me!"
She couldn't dodge in time!
Though she managed to avoid the mop, most of the water splashed onto her.
Camilla smirked. "Oh, I just mopped the bathroom, and it hasn't been cleaned yet. Perfect!"
Anouk's face twisted like she could actually smell the stink on herself. "You're awful!"
Camilla shook the mop and kept swinging it at her.
Anouk bolted for the door, still yelling threats, "This ain't over between us!"
"Your damn wisteria is creeping into my yard. Tomorrow, I'll burn it all down! It's so annoying!"
She ran off as Camilla chased her with the mop.
"Get out! Come back, and I'll whack you again!"
Camilla put down the mop and took a deep breath, but when she turned around, she saw Alistair's serious expression, and her heart sank.
After a moment, she hesitantly spoke, "I'm sorry, Dad, I..."
"When did you learn that?"
"What?"
"That... that." Alistair mimicked her mop-swinging motion.
Camilla stayed silent.
"A lady should be gentle and elegant, not act like a shrew."
"Dad," Camilla said, linking her arm with his, "didn't it feel good just now?"
Alistair replied, "It did."
"Wasn't it Anouk who pulled out the wisteria near her yard?"
Actually, there was a small piece of land between the two houses. Anouk had filled it with soil to grow veggies, and she dumped waste on it every day. The wisteria the Learmond family planted had only climbed over the wall and hadn't even reached that piece of land before she destroyed it.
Alistair was generous, and Bella didn't like conflicts, so they never mentioned the land, making Anouk think it was hers.
"Anouk said the branches blocked her veggies from getting sunlight, so she pulled them all out," Alistair sighed. "It broke your mom's heart."
Camilla bit her lip. She hadn't realized how much her parents had endured while she was away.
"Dad, about what they said..."
"Ignore it! Treat it as nonsense! They don't know anything and just gossip. I know you better than anyone; you are not that kind of person."
Camilla's eyes reddened.
"Alright, don't mention this to your mom later. She tends to overthink."
"Okay."
The day after Christmas, they started visiting relatives.
Early in the morning, Bella pulled Camilla out of bed. "Don't sleep in. Get ready and dress nicely. We're going to your uncle's house."
Camilla's grandparents, Ryan Learmond and Zoey Learmond, had four kids. Alistair was the third, with two older brothers, Maurice and Jared Learmond, and a Mooreer sister, Laura Learmond.
Alistair's eldest brother, Maurice, dropped out of school in his teens to work on construction sites. In his twenties, he started taking on jobs himself, and after making his first pot of gold, he switched to the building materials business.
Now he owned his own building materials company, lived in a villa, and drove a luxury car. In Starlight City, he was considered a big boss.
Ryan and Zoey have always lived with him, so every year on the day after Christmas, the Learmond siblings gather at Maurice's house.
In the past, only Alistair and Bella went, but this year, Camilla joined them.
"Donna, hello."
Maurice's wife, Donna Turner, opened the door and stared at the tall, graceful girl in front of her for a few seconds. "Are you Camilla?"
Bella smiled slightly. "Hello, Donna."
As she spoke, she handed over a fruit basket and some health supplements for Ryan and Zoey.
Donna said, "You didn't have to bring anything. We've been waiting for you. Come in, please."
"Wow, is this Camilla? You haven't come back for years. What made you decide to return this year?"
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