Chapter 77 Better Not to Eat This Meal
Back in the day, Camilla stirred up quite the drama. Alistair and Bella even made a special trip to Imperial City, but they clammed up when they got back.
From the gossip she picked up, the truth wasn't too far off.
Camilla just didn't wanna keep studying 'cause she was head over heels in love.
Word on the street was her boyfriend was loaded, like seriously rich. No wonder Camilla ditched school to stick with him.
Alistair and Bella couldn't help but frown.
Camilla, though, stayed chill. "Nah. We already broke up."
"I heard rich dudes have high standards and might just be messing with you. You shouldn't have taken it seriously. Marrying into money ain't for everyone," Heather said, shaking her head.
"If you ask me, a woman's rep is everything. After all this time, didn't he give you any compensation?"
But Heather felt a bit salty. 'In TV shows, those rich old guys are super generous, and the breakup fees are huge.
'In that case, Camilla didn't really lose out.
'Sleeping with someone for a few years and getting so much cash, how is that fair?
'Camilla ain't some stunning beauty, so why does she get to earn this money so easily?
'Wouldn't that mean Alistair's family is also getting rich?'
Camilla looked up, her gaze sharp as she stared at Heather. "What do you think I should get in compensation?"
"Money, jewelry..."
"Enough!" Alistair slammed the table and stood up abruptly. "Heather, even though we're family, I ask you to speak more respectfully!"
Heather also stood up. "How am I being disrespectful? I'm just worried about Camilla. Is that not allowed?"
"Is this how you show concern?"
"Alistair, what do you mean by that?"
Bella stood up and squeezed Camilla's hand. "Heather, Alistair means that your words are harsh, inappropriate, and baseless."
Heather thought Bella was stepping in to mediate, as Bella usually had a gentle nature, especially in front of Ryan and Zoey.
She didn't expect Bella to directly refute her this time!
Seeing the couple united and knowing she was in the wrong, Heather couldn't argue back. She kicked Jared beside her and scolded, "Are you dead? Your wife is being bullied, and you don't care?"
Jared pouted and kept eating, showing no reaction.
Patricia also chose to ignore it.
Zoey coldly looked at Alistair. "Are you done? Heather just said a few unpleasant things, but she wasn't entirely wrong. Plus, her intentions were good. Do you two have to make such a big deal out of it?"
Alistair felt wronged. "Mom! Did you hear what Heather said? How can she talk about Camilla like that? Why are you siding with her?"
"Heather's words may be unpleasant, but if you think about it, she's not wrong. Even regular couples get emotional distress compensation when they break up, let alone rich folks from Imperial City. They should be more generous. Otherwise, Camilla slept with him for nothing."
"Mom!" Alistair's eyes were already red with anger. "Camilla is also your granddaughter. How can you say that?!"
Bella almost lost her cool too, but she managed to stay rational. She took a deep breath and turned to Alistair. "This meal is really pointless. Honey, let's go home."
Facing Ryan and Zoey, she had tried to be as tolerant and accommodating as possible, but when it came to Camilla, if she backed down any further, she wouldn't deserve to be a mother!
"Not just pointless, it broke my heart! Bella, Camilla, let's bounce!"
With that, Alistair led Bella and Camilla out of the room.
Zoey watched their backs and cursed, "You! You've been led astray by Bella, and now you dare to defy me! I say one thing, and you have ten retorts, all of them defiant! Go, go far away, and never call me mom again!"
Bella's open defiance was a severe humiliation for her.
At that moment, Zoey's dislike for Bella hit an all-time high, and she even resented Alistair, her own son.
She thought, 'Of all people, why did he have to choose someone like her?
'Alistair must be blind!'
On the way home, Alistair stayed quiet.
Bella noticed and gently squeezed his hand.
Alistair looked up and smiled at her, letting her know he was okay.
He had long been used to Zoey's favoritism against him over the years, and such "unpleasant endings" were nothing new.
He used to tolerate it as much as he could, but when it came to Camilla, even with his good temper, he couldn't let them trash-talk her like that.
At home, Bella was about to cook when Camilla stopped her.
"Mom, let me handle it," Camilla said.
"You?"
In the past, Alistair always prepped the meals and served them to her.
"Yeah, today I'll let you taste my cooking."
"Just don't burn down the kitchen." Even Alistair, who had been feeling down, couldn't help but comment.
Camilla was indignant. "Am I that bad?"
Both of them nodded in unison.
Camilla fell silent.
An hour later.
Looking at the table full of dishes, Alistair and Bella's expressions were as if they had seen a ghost.
Bella swallowed. "You made all this?"
Camilla lifted her chin. "Yeah~"
Alistair took a bite and his eyes lit up. "I gotta say, it tastes pretty good!"
Bella said, "Really?"
"Try it."
"Wow!" Bella took a bite of the beef and gasped. "When did you learn this?"
She could hardly believe it!
Camilla replied, "Did you think I was just wasting time these past few years? Hurry up and eat before it gets cold."
The three of them had a hearty meal.
After eating, Camilla made Alistair and Bella sit on the couch to watch TV while she went to the kitchen to wash the dishes and clean up.
When she came out, she heard Alistair's choked voice, "Bella, Camilla has had a tough time these past few years."
"Yes, seeing how she handles the vegetables and cooks so skillfully, she must have done it a lot."
Camilla's eyes welled up.
In the middle of the night, a heavy snow fell. The wind howled outside, but the people inside slept soundly.
Early in the morning, Camilla heard Alistair say, "The snow was too heavy last night, and the balcony door is busted. Don't go to the balcony these days; it would be bad if you got hurt."
The old neighborhood had been their home for decades. Although the structure was still solid, the interior had long since become worn and decayed. Extreme weather could easily cause problems.
Camilla looked around. She had lived here since she was born, and the house hadn't changed in all these years.
She hadn't noticed before, but today she realized that their house was really old.
Even the decor was from over a decade ago.
"Why do you say I broke it? Which eye of yours saw me do it? Just because you're some so-called writer doesn't mean you can slander me!"
At the argument outside, Camilla and Alistair quickly ran to the yard.
They saw Bella with red eyes and rapid breathing, while Anouk stood opposite her, hands on her hips, looking smug and relaxed.
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