Chapter 226 How Fake Her Concern Was
Brenda's words hit Enrique right in the feels. He jumped in to defend her, saying, "Dad, seriously, we're innocent. Believe it or not, we are not guilty. I was the one who insisted on squeezing onto the hospital bed 'cause I didn't wanna sit in the chair."
Worried Paul might actually come down hard on Brenda, he added, "It was all on me; Brenda had nothing to do with it. I'll take the heat."
Paul, now laughing angrily, shot back, "Alright, fine. You wanna take responsibility? Go kneel."
He then turned to Brenda. "Even though Enrique's taking the fall, your behavior was still outta line. You're at fault too. Stay home and think about what you did."
Paul just wanted an excuse to keep Brenda at home, not letting her go out.
Brenda let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "I know I messed up. I'll stay home and reflect, Dad."
Betty chimed in, "You could use some improvement in your manners and upbringing. I'm going to hire a teacher to help you out." She planned to get the strictest teacher she could find.
Brenda didn't see that coming from Betty, who used to spoil her. Now, she seemed so detestable. Brenda was full of resentment but had no choice but to reply pitifully, "Yes, Mom, I'll do whatever you say."
In her heart, Brenda harbored resentment towards Betty for her harsh treatment, viewing her as someone with a kind face but a cruel heart. She knew Piper was the one she could turn to for comfort.
Paul then had the butler find someone to watch Enrique kneel outside. He helped Betty upstairs to rest.
Brenda, with red eyes, looked at Richard and the others. "It's all my fault Enrique's suffering. Richard, Arnold, Kevin, once Dad cools down, please help Enrique out. If he kneels all night, his legs won't take it," she pleaded gently.
In front of the Clark brothers, she had to show her usual gentleness, kindness, and consideration. She couldn't just let Enrique be punished like that.
Seeing her worried look, Arnold thought maybe she wasn't all bad.
He sighed, "We'll talk to Dad during dinner, don't worry. Your hand and leg are hurt, so take care and rest."
Kevin didn't want to believe the Brenda they cared for was so bad. It seemed she really cared about Enrique. He agreed, "Yeah, Enrique's got us."
Brenda was thrilled inside; the soft approach was working. She looked at them with innocent joy. "Thanks, Arnold and Kevin. I knew you guys were the best!"
Only Richard sneered, "Fine, you guys are the good ones, and I'm the bad guy."
He noticed Arnold and Kevin still hadn't figured things out.
Brenda couldn't understand why Richard had been targeting her lately. She bit her lip and looked at him pitifully. "Richard, are you still mad at me? If I did something wrong, just tell me, and I'll fix it."
Richard said with a smile, "I'm not mad at you. You don't need to change. You look tired from the flight. Go upstairs and rest."
Brenda knew his temperament; arguing would only make things worse. So she obediently said, "Thanks, Richard. I'll go to my room and rest now."
Richard then had Betty's assistant escort Brenda back to her room, and called Arnold and Kevin to the garden.
Talking inside the house didn't feel safe to Richard. It was better to talk in an open, unmonitored place.
Arnold and Kevin were scratching their heads, wondering why they were dragged out to the garden for tea.
Kevin piped up, "Richard, what's the deal?"
Richard leaned back. "I called you out here to have a chat."
Arnold rolled his eyes. "Talk about what? Still remember how you tricked me into that reality show?"
Richard sighed, "Arnold, you're still so impatient. I'm doing this for your own good. I've got a big secret to spill. If you don't wanna hear it, then bounce," he said, lowering his voice.
He took a sip of coffee and added, "But don't come crying to me later if something goes down and I didn't warn you."
That remark got their attention. They were about to leave but now they were hooked. "Alright, Richard, cut the mystery," they urged.
Richard motioned them closer, and they leaned in, curious. He whispered what Elizabeth had told him.
Arnold and Kevin exchanged shocked looks. "Is this for real?" they muttered, not quite believing it.
Richard raised an eyebrow. "Elizabeth wouldn't lie to us. Think about it. Since Brenda joined our family, hasn't her luck been off the charts? Her good fortune was all because she stole Elizabeth's Generational Blessings. When Elizabeth came back, Brenda started causing drama and hinting we should stay away from Elizabeth. During that time, Brenda's luck was amazing. But when Elizabeth got so fed up she cut ties and left, she became a reality show star. Brenda's luck tanked. Their fortunes are inversely related. When Elizabeth's luck is good, Brenda's Generational Blessings weaken."
Kevin huffed, "What do you mean we made Elizabeth cut ties? You weren't exactly innocent in that mess."
Arnold nodded. "Yeah, everyone had a hand in it."
Richard glared, "Focus on the main point."
They both thought about it, their worry growing. "Now that you mention it, it does seem like that."
What Richard said made sense; even if it was a coincidence, there were too many coincidences.
Arnold wrestled with the idea. Had he truly been showering attention on a troublemaker all this time? Trying to make sense of it, he said, "Does she actually have malicious intentions? Didn't she just ask us to support Enrique? She appeared genuinely worried."
Kevin nodded. "Yeah."
Richard, ever the cold realist, cut in, "Did Enrique get out of punishment because of her pleas? No. When has her concern ever turned into real action? Anyone can say they care and admit fault, but does it help? Brenda's 'concern' just made Enrique take the blame, and he still has to kneel outside."
He snorted, "Meanwhile, Brenda just has to stay home and 'reflect.' I told her to go rest, and guess what? She actually did."
Richard remarked sarcastically, "If she really cared about Enrique, even if she couldn't kneel with him, she could sit in a wheelchair and keep him company. But did she? No. She didn't even go out to see him. Do you need that kind of concern? Think about it, if it were Elizabeth, what would she have done?"
Before seeing Brenda's true colors, Richard might have thought she genuinely cared about Enrique. But now, he saw through her facade and realized how fake her concern was.
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