Chapter 154 Everyone Feels Awkward
Richard was stunned when Betty slapped him. "Mom, what did I do?"
His parents had never hit him before, so this was a shock.
Loren guessed, "Is it because of the online news?"
They'd been getting calls and messages on their way back.
Betty's face was stern. "What else?"
She looked at Loren. "Have you ever been that close with Brenda?"
Loren was momentarily speechless, then shook his head. "No."
He'd carried Brenda to her room when she fell asleep and occasionally put an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. But he hadn't been overly intimate with her like his younger brothers.
Betty warned him, "You better not have, and you can't in the future. You're engaged. No wonder Michelle is distant with Brenda. She must think your relationship with Brenda isn't just sibling-like."
Michelle Cook and Brenda didn't get along, which used to bother Betty. But now she thought she might have been wrong. Brenda, their adopted daughter, had led her sons astray.
Loren was taken aback. Michelle had argued with him about Brenda, feeling their affection for her crossed the line. He hadn't taken it seriously, thinking it was just how they lived for over a decade. But now he was rethinking it.
Seeing his younger brothers comforting Brenda at home seemed normal. But the photos online today, with various captions, made him realize something was off. His younger brothers and Brenda were way too close in public. Kevin's kiss, Richard's intimacy at the bar, and Arnold holding Brenda on his lap looked very inappropriate.
Betty saw Loren's expression and got angrier. "Do you have disgusting thoughts about Brenda?"
Loren immediately denied it. "No, I just see her as a sister."
Over the years, his affectionate actions had become a habit. He truly had no romantic feelings for Brenda, only sibling affection.
Betty turned to Richard. "What about you? What's your relationship with Brenda?"
Seeing Betty so angry, Richard's anger from being slapped faded. He hadn't expected the bar photos to be posted online. He guessed it was Elizabeth and Rebecca's doing.
He retorted, "What other relationship could we have besides being siblings?"
Betty was furious. "Just siblings? Going to the bar and hugging in front of everyone, don't you have any shame? I've warned you at home before, you're adults now, you can't be so intimate with Brenda. But you ignored me. Now everyone knows what you've done. People in the wealthy circle and relatives have been calling and messaging, asking about us. You've embarrassed yourselves and dragged us down. After today, our Clark family will be the biggest joke in the wealthy circle."
Richard sneered, "Since Elizabeth left, our family's already been a joke in the wealthy circle. Brenda's the one you brought in. When we wanted Elizabeth back, you told us to treat Brenda like a sister. Now you're blaming us?"
It was absurd. He wasn't the only one close to Brenda, so why was he the only one getting slapped and blamed?
Betty didn't expect this. "You ungrateful child, are you blaming me now?"
Richard shrugged. "I'm not blaming you, but everyone played a part. Brenda's always been the one initiating intimacy. She even guided us to hug and kiss her."
After Hubert's reminder, he thought it over and realized Brenda wasn't as innocent as they thought. Since she joined the family, she deliberately got close to them, replacing Elizabeth. When Elizabeth returned, Brenda often acted aggrieved, implying Elizabeth bullied her and wanted to drive her away. Brenda claimed Elizabeth didn't even want her to have the status of an adopted daughter, wanting to take everything from her. That's why they became more dissatisfied with Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth first came back, they treated her well. Elizabeth then became close to them, caring for them in various ways. Brenda must have felt threatened, so she badmouthed Elizabeth behind her back, causing misunderstandings and anger.
Looking back, he realized how manipulative Brenda was. With Elizabeth's straightforward personality, if she really wanted to deal with Brenda, she wouldn't do it behind her back.
When they sided with Brenda and blamed Elizabeth, she would coldly retort. If asked to give in to Brenda, she would refuse, leading to a falling out. Brenda would then subtly hint in front of them, making them think Elizabeth was willful and liked to cause trouble. So, as Hubert said, they had been played by Brenda all these years.
He looked at Betty. "You saw it too, didn't you? But you didn't say anything years ago. Now that everyone knows, you feel embarrassed and blame me, why?"
Betty paused. "Back then, you were young, and I thought you were just close."
She had been pleased her sons took good care of Brenda at first and had transferred her feelings for Elizabeth to Brenda. It wasn't until recently she realized their actions were too intimate, but it was too late.
Richard irritably tugged at his tie. "Things are already like this, there's no other way. I'm going to my room to rest."
Let everyone be awkward together; he wouldn't shoulder the blame alone. He didn't wait for Betty to speak and went upstairs.
Betty was once again infuriated by Richard's attitude. She looked at Loren. "What do we do now?"
Loren was full of helplessness and fatigue. "I don't know either. Maybe we should just let it be. After a while, the heat will die down, and people will stop talking about it."
Then his phone rang. It was Michelle. As soon as he answered, she scolded him, saying the relationship between him, his brothers, and Brenda was too filthy. She wanted to break up and call off the engagement. Before he could explain, Michelle hung up.
Loren was left completely at a loss.
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