Chapter 296 A Real Poor Thing
Amelia's brows knitted together, her face serious.
Selah grabbed Amelia's hand, her voice soft. "Amelia, you know Daniel's a nostalgic guy. He just got back, so of course, he's catching up with old friends. This isn't about you..."
Amelia cut her off, her voice low. "Mrs. Vanderbilt, Daniel's a grown man. He should know how to handle this. And you can't just decide to take a DNA test like this. Even if Daniel wants it, Ms. Gonzalez has to agree. You need to respect her wishes too."
Selah jumped in, "Ruth keeps saying the kid's Daniel's. If she won't test, she's hiding something. If she won't test, fine. We'll wait till the baby's born. If it's Daniel's, our family will seek custody."
Amelia stayed quiet for a long moment.
Selah realized she sounded too harsh and looked a bit embarrassed. "Amelia, I was just angry. I lost my cool. Don't take it to heart."
Amelia pressed her lips together and said calmly, "It's fine. But I'm sorry, I can't help you with this, Mrs. Vanderbilt."
Selah sighed, "If you can't help, so be it. I did some research before coming. Once the pregnancy hits five weeks, a DNA test is possible. There are plenty of places online that do it. I just wanted to know if the results are accurate."
Amelia frowned, "I'm not an expert in that field, so I can't say for sure."
Selah knew Amelia was dodging. She took a deep breath, her smile stiffening. "I understand. Go on with your work. I won't bother you anymore."
Amelia said softly, "I'll see you out."
Selah shook her head, "No need."
She opened the office door and left.
Amelia watched her go, frowning slightly. She could sense Selah's displeasure.
Back in Fondaniss, they had got along well. Even though Amelia had turned Daniel down multiple times, Selah never held it against her.
Now, this situation would likely strain the relationship between the Davis and Vanderbilt families.
Amelia sighed. Another headache. But she couldn't get involved.
Ten minutes later, Amelia got a call from Rachel.
"Did Mrs. Vanderbilt come to see you this morning?"
Amelia replied, "Yeah. I swear you have a camera in my head."
Rachel always seemed to know what was going on.
Rachel chuckled, "What are you thinking? She called me too. Asked for a reliable testing place, so I recommended an old biology professor."
While talking, Rachel saw Shirley rushing to the restroom with her phone, so she ended the call and walked toward the restroom.
Seeing Rachel hang up, Amelia figured something urgent came up on her end, so she put away her phone too.
Shirley saw her mom, Layla Murphy, calling and quickly ducked into the restroom to answer.
"Mom, I'm busy at work. Can I call you back later?" she whispered.
Layla's anger flared up instantly. "Shirley, I had someone check. You're not working at Hastings Group at all!"
Shirley's grip on the phone tightened, her face tense. "Mom, you must be mistaken. I am working at Hastings Group."
Layla wasn't buying it. "Where are you really? Can't you just be honest? If you can't make it there, come back to Yaradia!"
Shirley quickly replied, "I don't want to go back to Yaradia. Hastings Group's hiring is tough. I did apply, but I didn't get in."
Just as she finished, Rachel snatched the phone from behind her. Shirley's eyes widened in shock.
Rachel's gaze was icy, almost regal. For a moment, Shirley felt like she was looking at her mom.
Shirley bit her lip, staying silent.
Rachel put the phone to her ear and heard Layla's furious voice. "Useless! Shirley, you're useless! I've given you everything. Can't you learn from your sister?"
Rachel had thought Shirley was pampered at home, but Layla's harshness surprised her. She snorted and spoke softly, "Ms. Murphy, how can you treat your daughter like this?"
Layla's tone turned colder. "Who are you? How I discipline my daughter is none of your business."
Rachel sneered, glancing at the silent Shirley. "I'm Rachel Davis."
Silence.
Rachel checked the phone. The call was still connected. She chuckled softly. Just as she was about to speak again, the call ended abruptly.
Shirley looked at Rachel cautiously, seeing her lips curved but her eyes cold, like an ice queen.
"Ms. Davis, how did you know who my mom is?" Shirley asked carefully.
Rachel's blue eyes studied her thoughtfully. Shirley couldn't read her, feeling Rachel was particularly inscrutable.
Rachel tossed the phone back to Shirley. She caught it, worried Rachel might think she was a corporate spy.
"I assure you, Ms. Davis, I'm not some undercover agent sent by the Wright family," Shirley hurriedly clarified, carefully avoiding any mention of her brother. "I came across you in a magazine and was genuinely impressed. When I didn't land a position at Hastings Group, I considered pursuing a role with you instead."
Rachel glanced at her indifferently. "You have a sister?"
Shirley nodded. "My sister is great, but she's still inferior to you, Ms. Davis."
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Being inferior to me is still impressive. No wonder Layla treats you that way. Turns out you really are a poor thing."
Shirley heard the sarcasm in Rachel's words, her expression changing slightly as she lowered her head humbly.
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