Chapter 84 The Whole Family Knew
That thought made Heather feel a pang of jealousy.
Out of the three Learmond brothers, Maurice was the top dog, way more successful than his other two brothers.
Next up was Jared. He wasn't the best, but he was doing alright.
Thanks to his in-laws' connections, he snagged a manager gig at some testing company. Easy job, pulling in about $300k a year.
Heather herself worked at the power company, and now Patricia had joined too. They were a comfy middle-class family, living the good life.
The worst off was Alistair's family.
She thought, 'So what if Alistair got into a fancy college? He ended up as a broke teacher, the kind who can't make any real money.
'And Bella? Calling her a "full-time writer" is just a nice way of saying she's "unemployed."
'All these years, she hasn't cranked out any big hits, published a bunch of books, or sold any rights.
'She hasn't even had a single book signing. What kind of writer is that?
'Things were fine, but now Alistair's family suddenly moves into a villa!
'And it's in the swankiest part of Starlight City.
'My parents blew their whole savings on a regular high-rise apartment, and it's the smallest unit.
'How did Alistair's family pull that off?'
"Jared, what's Alistair's family been up to lately? Anything weird?"
"How would I know?"
"Aren't you his brother?"
"We don't talk much, and besides, didn't you tell me to steer clear of them?"
Heather went quiet.
She really didn't like dealing with Alistair's family. Who wanted to hang out with people worse off than them?
She was even scared Bella would hit her up for money!
Jared asked, "Why are you bringing this up now?"
"Alistair's family bought a villa. Doesn't that seem off to you?"
Jared went silent.
How could it not?
He thought, 'It's super weird!
'It's like a beggar suddenly becoming a millionaire.
'Who wouldn't be curious about that?'
Jared said, "Bella said Camilla bought it."
"How did Camilla get the money? Did she sell herself?"
"Watch your mouth!"
Heather thought, 'Wait a minute!
'Selling herself!
'Why didn't I think of that?'
Heather's eyes lit up, her face showing disdain and disgust, with a hint of jealousy and resentment.
She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
"Hey, Laura, you busy?"
"What's up?"
"I went to check out houses in Stardust Enclave today. Guess who I saw?"
Laura sounded bored, "Who?"
"Bella and Camilla!"
"They were at the sales office too?"
"Yeah. Not only were they there, but they also bought a villa!"
"What?" Laura couldn't believe it. Either Heather was talking nonsense, or her ears were playing tricks on her.
She never thought Alistair's family could afford a house.
"Are you sure it was Bella? Not Maurice and Donna?"
Heather's mouth twitched. "I'm not that old and blind. I wouldn't mix them up."
Besides, Donna and Bella were so different, no way to confuse them.
Laura swallowed. "Their family, buying a villa? You must be mistaken."
"I saw the purchase contract myself. How could it be fake?"
"How is that possible!"
Heather sighed. "I couldn't believe it either, but Camilla is really something. She didn't come home for a few years, made a ton of money, and bought a villa for Alistair as soon as she came back. We can't compete with that."
Laura caught the key point. "Wait, you said Camilla bought the villa?"
"Yep, Camilla's really something! Not like Patricia, who just pulls in a steady paycheck."
"How did Camilla, a Moore girl, get that kind of cash?"
Heather covered her mouth, laughing slyly. "I don't know. But you said it yourself, Camilla's a Moore girl. These days, Moore girls are pretty resourceful. They might not buy branded clothes and luxury bags themselves, but they sure know how to get them as gifts..."
Laura frowned deeply.
"Oh dear, look at me, running my mouth. Alright, I'll hang up now."
Heather knew when to stop and didn't push further.
Laura, however, held her phone, which had already been hung up, looking thoughtful.
Right after hanging up with Laura, Heather dialed Donna.
"Hey Donna, it's Heather."
"Perfect timing. I got some cigarettes, booze, and local goodies from a client. I've split them into two portions, one for your family and one for Alistair's. Come pick them up when you can."
In previous years, Donna would share some of the client's gifts with Heather, but this was the first time she was also giving some to Alistair's family.
Heather felt a pang of jealousy.
"Why include Alistair this year?"
Donna replied, "In previous years, there wasn't much to go around, so I only gave it to you. This year, there's more."
Heather thought, 'I could take them all.'
"You're always so considerate. I'm very grateful, but I'm afraid Alistair's family won't appreciate these things."
"Won't appreciate them?" Donna frowned.
"Yeah, they're living in Stardust Enclave Villas now. What good things don't they have?"
"Stardust Enclave Villas?" Donna had heard of this development.
Not only heard of it but also looked into it.
Lester was of marriageable age, so she, as his mom, had started prepping for a marital home.
Lester was handsome and had started his own company. He was bound to marry a girl from a good family, so the marital home couldn't be shabby.
It wasn't just about living comfortably and having convenient transportation; the community environment and social network were also important. It was best if it was a wealthy area.
After much consideration, she settled on Stardust Enclave.
A high-rise wouldn't do; it had to be a villa.
Donna had been to the sales office twice, once to prepare the financial verification and once to officially view the house.
She was very satisfied with the villa, from the structure to the interior design. It was one of the best developments in Starlight City, but even the cheapest villa cost $4 million.
A loan was out of the question; it would make the bride's family look down on them.
Besides, nobody took out a loan to buy a villa. It had to be paid in full.
After she discussed it with Maurice, he hesitated.
"Although we're doing much better now, you know how the construction materials business is. Developers often delay payments. Last year alone, we had nearly $2 million in unpaid invoices. The company's cash flow is tight, and we can't spare $4 million to buy a villa. Don't worry, we'll definitely buy a marital home for Lester, but there's no rush. He doesn't even have a girlfriend yet; it's too early to think about this."
Donna paused her ironing. "But that development is super popular. If we don't buy now, we might miss out."
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