Chapter 307 Cleaning House
The ensuing tumult roused everyone present.
"An altercation has erupted, what could possibly be the cause?"
"I believe I witnessed Reese striking Mrs. Abby."
"How could she resort to such violence so readily?"
Earlier, I had caught snippets of a conversation where Mrs. Abby seemed to be using quite harsh language, tossing around accusations of 'seducing'. Wasn't that an outright insult?
In recent years, Mrs. Abby had grown increasingly arrogant. Having borne her husband three sons and with his business flourishing, it appeared that success had gone to her head.
However, her inflated ego blinded her to the reality of who she was challenging. Even if Reese had no personal assets, the mere fact that she had a man like Malcolm in her corner meant she held considerable sway.
We all knew better than to cross paths with them, yet Mrs. Abby seemed hell-bent on charging headlong into the fray, heedless of the consequences.
It seemed that she was unfamiliar with Reese's past. Perhaps it had something to do with Reese's family causing her own to fall into bankruptcy not too long ago. The Sawyer Group had collapsed, and now she harbored a grudge, seeking to humble Reese during this quarrel.
Such a notion was laughable. Reese had powerful connections, while Abby's resources paled in comparison.
At that moment, Abby's legs trembled with fear. Malcolm stepped forward, draping his arm protectively around Reese.
"Is someone causing trouble for my wife?"
Abby was already regretting her actions, and with Malcolm's intervention, the situation was spiraling out of control.
If her husband discovered she had provoked Malcolm, he would be furious.
With her cheek stinging and throbbing, Abby, much as she loathed it, realized she had no leverage. She didn't have the backing of someone as influential as Reese.
Lancy tried to reason with Abby, "Why not just let it go? Apologize to Reese. She's known to be forgiving and probably won't hold it against you."
Abby shot Lancy a venomous look, "Are you out of your mind? Me, apologize to her?"
The prospect of apologizing to someone younger than her, in front of all these people – how could she ever face her social circle again?
Lancy understood Abby's reluctance, but what could she do? Now that Malcolm was involved, any further aggression towards Reese would be akin to digging her own grave.
"You might want to tread carefully. Just consider the potential consequences... with your husband..."
Abby was well aware of her husband's character: exceptional in business and ambitious, but such a man prioritizes his career over personal attachments.
That meant if her husband learned about the chaos she had instigated today, she would be in deeper trouble than she could handle.
It was better to salvage what she could rather than trying to assert her dominance now.
The mention of her husband made Abby wary. After all, her comfortable life was largely due to him.
She had hoped to use this occasion to avenge her brother, to humiliate Reese if nothing else. But now, the tables had turned.
Reluctantly, she clenched her jaw and lowered her head.
"Alright, I admit, I was wrong. I hope Reese won't hold a grudge—it's big of you not to sweat the small stuff."
She genuinely believed she was making a grand gesture of sincerity. If Reese still wasn't going to let it go, then she really was out of options.
Lancy interjected on Abby’s behalf.
"Come on, Reese, we’re all part of the same scene here. Let’s not blow things out of proportion."
But they clearly didn't know Reese as well as they thought. Maybe others would have let bygones be bygones, but this was Reese—she wasn’t the kind to turn the other cheek if anyone dared to wrong her.
Especially when she hadn't provoked them, and they were still banging their heads against a brick wall—how was that her fault?
She had given them a chance earlier; they just didn't take it.
Malcolm knew exactly who his wife was. Draping an arm around Reese’s shoulders, his eyes glinted coldly.
"My wife might let this slide, but I sure won’t."
Abby’s face tensed, unable to fathom Malcolm’s intention.
"Mr. Flynn, what do you mean by that?"
"Some of you had quite a bit to say about my wife behind her back, didn't you, Mrs. Sinclair? Especially you, thinking she's not good enough for me. Well, let me set the record straight here—it’s not that she’s not good enough for me; I’m the one unworthy of her."
This comment sent ripples through the crowd.
Abby couldn't tell if Malcolm was joking.
"Mr. Flynn, you must be kidding. You're so accomplished, the tycoon of the business world, Reese. How could you be unworthy of her..."
Imagine a woman existing that even Malcolm Flynn couldn’t match up to—it would be a real sight for sore eyes.
Malcolm chuckled, "My wife is beautiful. Can you find anyone in this crowd more ravishing?”
“And she’s talented, dedicated to her work, ambitious, caring, and considerate. But most importantly, can you find anyone in the whole of Atlanta with better medical skills than my wife?”
If it weren't for her, his leg might still be a long way from healing.
How dare these clueless fools badmouth his wife.
Abby was so flustered by Malcolm's words that she didn’t know how to retaliate. Sure, Reese was beautiful—flawlessly so—but that was it. And suddenly, the bombshell drops—she’s the owner of Emerald Isle. Everyone in their circle knows it’s prime real estate, not something you can just buy with money.
Over the past couple of years, many had their eyes on buying out Emerald Isle for a pretty penny. Yet, no matter how lucrative the offers got, the owner wouldn't sell. With Emerald Isle's value on the rise, it was tantamount to sitting on a gold and silver mine. And who in their right mind would sell off such a treasure?
Reese, wasn't she just a small-town girl from Backwoods? How in the world did she suddenly transform from an awkward duckling into a graceful swan?
What could she say now? All she could do was endlessly nod along with Malcolm, right?
It was clear as day that he was out of her league. She always thought her daughter was top-notch, the perfect match for Malcolm. If Shirley hadn't been so fixated on marrying Malcolm or nothing, she would've encouraged her daughter to make a move sooner. And now, look where they were.
Everyone around was flocking to witness this spectacle, the first time anyone had dared to give Malcolm a piece of their mind. It certainly was entertaining.
Just as the tension reached a peak, Dahlia Brooks sauntered in.
"Sister, even though your husband sides with you, you can't just run wild at someone else's golden anniversary party. If word gets out, what about the Flynns' reputation? Moreover, Mrs. Abby was just speaking her mind without saying anything unforgivable. Why kick up such a fuss? Come on, be the bigger person. There are so many people here; you don't want to become the laughingstock, do you?"
Reese hadn't intended to blow the situation out of proportion. She just needed to vent her frustration, and now here was Dahlia Brooks, sticking her nose where it didn't belong. She wouldn't be blamed for handling her, too.
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