Chapter 75 She Must Fight Back
Betty stared blankly at Brenda and the others.
She couldn't help but wonder when her sons started getting along so well with Brenda.
When Brenda first came into the picture, all five of the sons were up in arms, with Elizabeth in their mind. Kevin, in particular, was a wreck after losing Elizabeth. He'd sob every night, yearning for her presence like a lost puppy. During the day, he was a shell of himself, dragging through life with no spark.
Desperate for a solution, they even resorted to seeking help from a fortune teller. The mystic's advice was straight out of left field - have Brenda go by Elizabeth's name to bring back their lost love. The clairvoyant claimed it would herald Elizabeth's return and shower the house with blessings if Brenda adopted the moniker. And the kicker? To quell Kevin's night terrors, they suggested Brenda bunk up with him.
Brenda took the bull by the horns and bunked with Kevin, despite his initial protests. Surprisingly, within days, a change rippled through Kevin. The nightmares ceased, and Brenda's presence seemed to breathe new life into him. Their bond morphed from strangers to siblings who couldn't bear being apart.
Slowly but surely, Brenda assimilated into the fold, becoming the glue that held the fractured family together. No longer were the sons pining for Elizabeth; Brenda had won them over with her warmth and care. They no longer clamored for what was lost but relished in the newfound harmony.
As time passed, Betty couldn't help but notice a strange shift in dynamics. The sons, once distant, now pampered Brenda like a prized possession. What started as innocent gestures morphed into something unsettling. The sight of them doting on Brenda like a queen sent shivers down Betty's spine.
Were they nurturing a sister, or treating Brenda like a potential partner? Betty fumed, indignant at the unfolding scenario.
This was preposterous! How could they blur these boundaries? Brenda, naive to the nuances of adult relationships, unwittingly wandered into a minefield of emotions. While she saw them as brothers, the sons' affection teetered on the edge of something more, raising the mother's eyebrows and concerns.
Brenda, being sensitive, felt a sharp gaze and looked over.
She saw Betty's face filled with complexity and anger.
She immediately pushed her two brothers away, got up, and sat next to Betty.
She hugged Betty and, with red eyes, said aggrievedly, "Mom, they all scolded me, I'm so sad."
As Brenda settled into the comforting embrace of her brothers, she inadvertently let her guard down, forgetting the need for boundaries and restraint, especially in front of Betty.
In the past, these interactions wouldn't have raised any eyebrows. However, with the rise of an online uproar painting an inappropriate picture of her relationship with Kevin, Betty must have seen the conspiracy theories.
With a sinking feeling, Brenda began connecting the dots. It all seemed to trace back to Elizabeth's machinations. From the subtle insinuations on live broadcasts to the orchestrated scenarios, Elizabeth had sown seeds of doubt, deliberately hinting at impropriety in Brenda's relationships. The venom spread further as Elizabeth maneuvered to tarnish not just Brenda but also Eugene, Richard, and Kevin, casting shadows of doubt over their interactions.
Convinced of Elizabeth's malicious intent, a fire ignited within Brenda. She vowed to settle the score and restore the fractured pieces of her reputation.
Brenda continued to hug Betty and complain, "Mom, I..."
Betty's body stiffened when Brenda hugged her.
Listening to Brenda's grievances, her displeasure and resentment gradually dissipated.
After all, Brenda was the child she had raised, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for her, reaching out to pat Brenda.
"Loren and Richard are investigating who's behind this, and once they find out, they'll avenge you. Don't be sad."
Brenda snuggled against Betty's shoulder. "Mom, you and my brothers are the best. Having you all as my family is the happiest thing in my life."
Hearing this, Betty smiled. "We raised you, of course, we have to treat you well."
But she wasn't planning to let it go just like that.
Her smile faded, and she looked coldly at the five sons.
"Your behavior is utterly unacceptable. How could you hug Brenda like that? Brenda might not get it, but don't you all understand basic boundaries between men and women? Have you seen the wild speculations online, suggesting that Kevin and Brenda share more than just a sibling bond?" Betty's frustration bubbled over, her hand slamming against the table for emphasis.
"Starting now, you must exercise caution. No more hugging Brenda. No more overly familiar gestures," she declared, her gaze piercing each of the brothers. Her eyes settled on Kevin, delivering a pointed message. "Especially no forehead kisses or anything of that sort. You need to tread carefully from now on."
Kevin mulled over the hurtful online chatter, his anger simmering beneath the surface. How did their innocent closeness spiral into baseless accusations of romance? It was beyond absurd.
Under Betty's reprimand, Kevin shifted uncomfortably, offering a sheepish response, "Got it."
Enrique and Arnold didn't see anything wrong with it.
They had been like this with Brenda since they were kids.
And they only saw her as a sister, nothing like what those people outside thought.
Enrique said, "Mom, we are close, that's why. Those people outside are just dirty-minded."
Betty frowned and scolded, "No matter how close you are, you are adults now. Between siblings, you must avoid these things, or people will say we have no manners."
Then she looked down at Brenda and said, "Brenda, you are grown up now, you need to be mindful too."
Brenda didn't agree in her heart.
She had spent years subtly making her brothers so close and protective of her.
She also considered them all hers.
If they stopped being like this, what if they grew distant?
But she obediently nodded. "Mom, I didn't understand these things before, but I'll listen to you and be mindful from now on."
In front of Betty, Brenda was always obedient, considerate, and never threw tantrums.
This was one of the reasons Betty loved and doted on her.
Betty was finally satisfied and said, "You're still the most obedient."
She looked sharply at her sons. "Did you hear that?"
She didn't notice that Brenda, in her arms, was winking at her brothers.
They all said, "We heard, we'll be mindful from now on."
They said it, but didn't really take it to heart.
But they did need to be more careful outside, for Brenda's reputation.
This matter was temporarily settled.
Betty suddenly remembered something that had made her uncomfortable before.
She asked Brenda, "What's going on between you and Eugene?"
Brenda had already thought of how to respond to Betty and the others.
She said even more aggrievedly, "Eugene and I are innocent. We met privately because Amy likes me and would have him bring me things. That so-called couple's pendant was also a gift from Amy, Eugene and I didn't know about it. Elizabeth misunderstood, but Eugene explained to her, and she just wouldn't listen. This caused everyone to misunderstand us."
Hearing Brenda's words, Betty felt a bit relieved.
As long as Brenda wasn't stealing Elizabeth's boyfriend, she could accept it.
"I see, it's just a misunderstanding."
She then said to Richard, "Go find Elizabeth and offer her the best contract and resources from the company. Consider it compensation for her."
She paused and added, "And bring her back. She's a Clark family lady, living in a small apartment outside, what does that look like?"
She wanted Elizabeth to come back but felt embarrassed to say it herself, so she let Richard do it.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
