Chapter 464 Gullibility
Yosef gave my hand a thoughtful pat and asked, "Did Jenny mess with Brad? Just let me know what you need, and I'll help out."
I was taken aback by Yosef's sharpness; he saw things clearer than most adults and cut right to the chase.
"How did you figure it out?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.
Yosef grinned proudly, looking extra cute. "Of course, I know. Jenny's awful. We all can't stand her. She always acts like we're dirty. One time, I asked her about the city bars, and she pinched her nose and told me to stay away. It made me cry."
He went on, "She told my grandpa she wanted to help our village, but she did nothing. She just followed Brad around, bringing him water and cooking for him, but Brad never accepted it. Once, she tried to wipe Brad's sweat, and he angrily pushed her away. Another time, I was playing in the woods behind the school and heard her tell Brad she liked him and asked if he felt the same. Brad's face twisted in a way I'd never seen before."
Really? I couldn't help but wonder how Brad reacted.
"Brad said he had a girlfriend he loved very much and would never change. He told Jenny to respect herself and leave him alone. Jenny ran off crying, glaring at me as she passed by." Yosef clearly got the meaning of love, and his ears turned red as he finished.
I smiled knowingly.
Jenny probably still didn't get that Brad's patience, tolerance, affection, and deep love were all for me. He kept everyone else at arm's length and never showed them the same kindness.
That was the privilege of being loved.
It was all because of the assurance Brad gave me.
Jenny might have genuinely liked Brad, but at some point, that affection turned into an obsession. It got so intense that if she couldn't have him, she'd rather see him destroyed.
Her obsession created hurdles for Brad and me, but obstacles were only temporary. The truth eventually came out, and in the end, she only brought about her own downfall.
Maybe living under the Taylor name without being a true family member, always feeling restricted, had messed up her perspective.
I told the Coopers the important parts about Jenny pretending to be Brad's savior and using that to manipulate him. They were furious and kept saying how awful Jenny was.
When I recounted what Jenny had done over the past few days, along with the accusations and insults Brad and I had faced, Genevieve kept pounding the table, saying she'd never seen anyone act like that in her sixty-plus years.
Even Yosef was mad, waving his arms and saying he always knew Jenny wasn't a good person. He said they all knew Jenny just wanted to be a homewrecker and cling to Brad. But the adults didn't believe him, otherwise, Brad wouldn't have been hurt so badly by Jenny.I couldn't help but let out a sigh. How could Jenny be so transparent that even thirteen-year-old Yosef saw right through her?
Was being a homewrecker really that appealing?
Jenny was seriously lacking in character and morals.
"Cooper, I want Yosef to be our witness. If we can prove Jenny's story about saving Brad is bogus, we can expose her and clear Brad's name. Otherwise, Brad might lose his job as a teacher." I added that last part to tug at their heartstrings a bit.
Cooper and Genevieve were on board. Yosef, hearing that his testimony could help Brad, got so excited he almost jumped up. He proudly patted his chest and said he'd bring the other kids who were trapped with him. It was their way of repaying Brad for saving them.
I couldn't have been happier about this.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, it was noon. Cooper invited me to stay for lunch, but I was eager to get back and talk things over with Brad, so I politely declined.
On the way back, I felt a surge of excitement, like a heavy burden had been lifted. I felt light all over, and even the blue sky seemed different.
Without the weight of that supposed life-saving debt, Brad and I could fight back with everything we had.
It had been less than a year, but Jenny had caused us so much trouble. Now, we could finally turn the tables and hold our heads high.
Thinking about how I could soon get back at Jenny for all the grief she caused us, I felt overjoyed and couldn't help but hum a little tune.
With this major turn of events, I excitedly and urgently called Brad on a video call.
Surprisingly, the network signal seemed to share my happiness, and the call connected almost instantly. Within seconds, Brad's handsome but slightly tired face appeared on the screen.
I didn't have time for small talk or to ask about his progress or if he had found a reliable solution. None of that mattered now.
I directly told Brad about what happened on the day of the mudslide and relayed everything Yosef had said.
Brad, who likely hadn't expected to be manipulated by Jenny, was furious and stayed silent for a while.
I said, "Brad, take a deep breath. This isn't the time to be angry; we need to figure out how to fight back. Yosef is willing to testify for us, and you can take it from there. If you need him to come over, I'll make it happen."
The cold tension around Brad began to ease. He shut his eyes, and when he opened them again, they were filled with guilt and regret.
The guilt likely stemmed from Yosef and the kids who had lifted him onto the table. Although Brad's intention had been to save their lives, it was really those kids who had saved his.
Kindness could be contagious.
The regret probably arose from Brad's initial gullibility. If Brad had communicated more with the kids, he might have uncovered the truth sooner. Had that been the case, Jenny wouldn't have had the chance to use a fabricated life-saving story to manipulate Brad for so long.
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