Chapter 25 Eighty Million Dollars to Hire You for Acting
On the way back, neither of us said a word. I felt this deep sadness, like I was stuck in this relationship with no way out. I couldn't help but think, 'Edward, how can I ever really leave you?'
We pulled up to the Howard Villa. As I looked at the familiar garden, I hesitated, wondering how to start the conversation when I saw Anne. Even though Edward and I had been fighting a lot lately, I hadn't really had any issues with Anne, so I still had to keep up appearances.
The villa was all lit up but eerily quiet. When I opened the door, I was surprised to see not just Anne, but also Hayden, Clara, and even Mia sitting on the sofa.
The weird vibe in the room made my heart feel heavy.
Melissa saw us come in and quickly handed over slippers and took my bag. "Mr. Howard, Mrs. Howard, you're back."
Edward didn't say anything, just changed into his slippers and walked straight into the house.
Melissa, seeing no one was paying attention, discreetly gave me a look. Following her gaze, I saw Anne sitting on the sofa, sobbing. I instantly got what Melissa was hinting at.
I quietly sat down next to Edward.
"Edward, Diana, you're finally back. What on earth happened today? We got a call from the teacher and rushed over. We asked Anne, but she wouldn't tell us anything, just kept crying. How are we, as parents, supposed to handle this?" Clara stood up and asked urgently.
"Don't worry. Diana and I will help Anne sort it out." Edward stepped forward, took Clara's hand, and led her back to the sofa.
"Diana, Anne's teacher called today to say that Anne has been skipping classes a lot and has had conflicts with her classmates. I'm afraid she might not graduate. You've always overseen her education. Haven't you been supervising her properly?" Hayden, having been the head of the Howard Family for many years, spoke with an undeniable authority.
Not wanting to upset them further, I simply lowered my head and murmured, "Dad, it's my fault for not paying enough attention to Anne's situation." Hayden and Clara had always treated me well, and I didn't want to create a rift between us over this.
"It's not Diana's fault. It's all my fault. Seeing Diana and Edward arguing because of me, I thought Diana didn't want me to stay at the villa anymore, so I wanted to move back to the school dorm. But I don't know how to handle relationships with my classmates and got bullied. I didn't dare to tell you, and now it's come to this. I don't even want to go to school anymore," Anne said.
"Nonsense!" Hayden struck the floor with his cane, making me shiver. Anne was also startled and immediately lowered her head. "You came to the Howard Family with your mother, and no one in the Howard Family has ever failed to graduate from college. Are you going to disgrace the Howard Family?"
Anne hid behind Edward and started crying again. I thought Anne was ashamed of not being able to graduate, but I didn't expect her to make a fuss about not going to school. At the same time, I wanted to see what Anne was up to, so I said, "Anne, why would you think I don't want you to stay here? This is your and Edward's home! Hayden, don't worry. Why not listen to what Anne has to say?"
Seeing me support her, Anne sobbed and said, "I heard that if you donate ten million dollars to a prestigious foreign university, you can get a diploma. A prestigious foreign university is much better than this lousy college. I won't fail to graduate."
Ten million dollars?
I looked at Edward, who calmly crossed his right leg over his left, remaining silent.
"Anne, what are you even talking about? Hayden and I had plans to send you abroad for grad school after you got your college diploma. Now you want to spend ten million dollars to buy a degree? Do you think Edward's money grows on trees?" Clara's voice was firm. When she married Hayden with Anne, people gossiped that she was after his money. But over the years, as Hayden's wife and Edward's stepmom, Clara had been nothing but exemplary.
"Anne, I'll think about the whole going abroad thing. But for now, you have less than a year to graduate, so it's better to get your diploma first." Edward's tone was clear. "You've never lived in a dorm, so you're not familiar with the situation there. Before you graduate, you should stay at home. Rest assured, this will always be your home, and no one can drive you away." Edward paused for a second before adding, "That matter has nothing to do with anyone else. You need to handle it." He gave me a meaningful look.
Anne nodded repeatedly, saying with a hint of grievance, "I've already handled that matter. I knew Edward wouldn't drive me away. Edward is the best to me." She seemed to have some unspeakable secret, covering her face with her hands and crying in Edward's arms.
Of course, Edward was good to Anne. I didn't care about the specifics of what they were talking about, nor did I want to watch Anne's performance. I kept my head down, fiddling with my phone.
Edward ignored Anne, turned his face, and deliberately brushed his cheek against my lips. I found Edward's sudden gesture inexplicable and looked up to see the elders staring at me.
Seeing me remain silent, Clara asked with concern, "Diana, how have you and Edward been lately?" I didn't expect her to ask me this. I stopped what I was doing and stared blankly at Clara. Clara smiled. "I heard from Anne that you and Edward had a quarrel. A few days ago, when Mia came to see me, she also mentioned something similar. If Edward dares to bully you, just tell me, and I'll stand up for you."
I had to admit, Clara often did better than Mia. I could see that her kindness wasn't an act but a genuine hope that Edward and I would live a happy life. But she was Anne's biological mother, a relationship deeper than that of Edward. I wasn't sure if Clara would side with me or Anne in this matter.
"Clara, what are you talking about?" Before I could speak, my mom, Mia, interrupted. "Diana has been spoiled by me since she was a child, unlike Edward and Anne, who are so sensible. I don't think Edward would bully her. It's more likely that she doesn't appreciate the good life she has now."
Clara seemed pleased with Mia's words. Mia continued, "Next month is your 66th birthday. Edward is busy with work, and Anne is too young to handle anything. I think Diana should organize your birthday party."
With that, Clara turned to look at Hayden.
"Good, good. I trust Diana to handle it," Hayden nodded repeatedly.
I whispered in Edward's ear, "If you had agreed to the divorce earlier, there wouldn't be so many problems now."
"Just think of it as me spending eight million dollars to have you act and make Hayden happy. Do you want to anger Hayden with a divorce?" Edward's cold voice near my ear seemed to press a switch, freezing my blood.
"Look at them, already whispering to each other. They've been married for so many years and are still so close," Mia saw Edward holding my hand tightly and couldn't help but tease. She seemed relieved, with a satisfied smile on her face.
Edward gently patted the back of my hand and looked at me ambiguously. "Dad, Mom, Diana is a bit tired today."
I was so angry that I wanted to pull my hand away, but he held it even tighter. "Get some rest," Clara covered her mouth and laughed.
"I'm tired. Why don't we go back too?" Hayden's voice sounded weary. "Mia, let Edward's driver take you home later."
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