Chapter 263 Don't Feed Me That Same Old Line
Susanna knew exactly what kind of people Dahlia and Clementine were. When they talked about borrowing money, they really meant taking it without returning. Over the years, they had borrowed a lot from Madison and never paid it back.
Susanna still remembered how they ignored Vincent's serious illness and mounting hospital bills. She had no intention of being kind and generous. While Dahlia hesitated to draft an IOU, the elegantly dressed woman beside her grew restless and blurted out, "Are you planning to settle up or not? If not, I'll call 911. I don't have time for your games. What kind of drama is this?"
Seeing the woman take out her phone, Dahlia finally wrote an IOU.
Susanna's lips curled slightly. "OK, Facebook or Paypal?"
"Facebook."
Susanna transferred fifty thousand dollars to the woman, who glanced at her and said, "You're really unlucky to have such poor relatives. Stay away from them as soon as possible."
There was no other way. After all, they were Madison's family!
Susanna called out, "Madison, everything's sorted. Let's head home."
A short while later, Madison emerged, looking uneasy.
Dahlia immediately broke into tears, "Madison, you're unbelievable. You wouldn't even lend a hand and made me jot down an IOU. So disrespectful."
Clementine chimed in, "Absolutely, you're going too far. She's your own flesh and blood."
Susanna scoffed, "And where were you when Vincent needed help with those hospital bills? Madison has bailed you out countless times over the years, hasn't she? And what happened? Zilch support when she needed it, and you've been a no-show for years, afraid of being asked for money!"
The tension in the room was palpable.
Clementine interjected, "Back then, the family was really strapped for cash."
Dahlia stumbled over her words, unable to respond.
"Stop lying. I haven't brought up the past, but if you want to play the same tricks again, sorry, no way!" Susanna waved the IOU in the air. "One week to settle up."
"Susanna, where am I supposed to get that much money? You're loaded now, why bother with Dahlia?"
"It's just how I operate. One week, or I'll have to bring the cops into this and take you to court. Default and get blacklisted, and your kids suffer too." With that ultimatum, Susanna led Madison away, leaving Dahlia's cries echoing behind them.
Madison felt a bit soft-hearted. "Susanna, isn't this a bit too harsh?"
"Your nephew makes enough money in a month to pay it back. But Madison, I'm just setting some boundaries to stop them from manipulating you like before."
"I get it. My bad for being a soft touch and passing the buck to you," said Madison.
Susanna grinned, "Just doing my thing."
Without Madison's kind-heartedness, she wouldn't have had someone to turn to when abandoned by her foster family in tough times. But she wouldn't let Dahlia and Clementine exploit Madison again.
Aviana looked at her. "Susanna, well done. You have to be tough with people like that!"
When they came out, their brothers looked at them. "You women take forever in the bathroom."
As they left the restaurant, Dahlia and Clementine hurriedly followed, afraid of being left behind. They were sure Susanna wouldn't wait for them!
Back in the neighborhood that night...
Seeing Dahlia and Clementine hesitate to leave, Susanna declared, "I'm not sharing my room. You two can sleep on the floor."
Clementine quickly feigned discomfort, "My leg's acting up, real bad today."
"Mom, you can crash in my room," Madison offered, not wanting Clementine to sleep in the living room.
In the end, Susanna relented and let Madison share her bed, while Dahlia and Clementine took over Madison's room.
As she settled in for the night, Susanna felt like she was living in a dream. She'd actually become the rightful heiress of the Jones family!
But for now, she had to keep quiet about it from Madison, lest Dahlia and Clementine catch wind of it. She'd reveal all when they headed to Novaria with her brothers.
Her lips curled slightly, feeling incredibly relaxed. Did this mean she could be a carefree heir?
The next morning, Susanna had her breakfast and headed off to school, eager to avoid Dahlia and Clementine at home.
Upon arrival at the neighborhood, she spotted Austin waiting outside. "How'd you sleep?"
"Not bad."
"Why don't you move out? With Dahlia and Clementine around, you definitely won't sleep well, especially since you're pregnant. If anything happens, how will I explain it to Edward?" Austin suggested.
Susanna was silent for a moment. "I know, I'll talk to Madison later. Anyway, I can leave after my exams."
"Susanna, when do you plan to tell Edward about your pregnancy?"
Susanna paused before replying, "What do you think?"
Austin appeared a bit uneasy. "Maybe hold off till you're back in Novaria. Last time, I got an earful from Edward for not spilling the beans about your thing with Aaron!"
"Thank you, Austin, for all your help. Without you, I probably wouldn't have made it this far," said Susanna.
"Don't be silly, you're family. Who else would I lend a hand to?"
Together, Susanna and Austin made their way to school, when suddenly a thought struck her. "By the way, what's the plan with Erica?"
"That psycho? Straight to the cops. The Abbotts are bringing the heat on her too. There's gonna be a lawsuit," Austin replied.
Susanna nodded, indicating she understood. The sudden shift in roles was a bit hard to adjust to.
"Susanna, don't pity Erica. She's had years of happiness in your place. But she wasn't satisfied and even tried to erase your existence, letting Wendy take your place," Austin expressed, his tone tinged with bitterness.
Susanna's eyes widened, "Wendy tried to replace me?"
"That's right. Yesterday, we interrogated Erica's secretary, and he told us everything. The piano piece you can play was taught by the orphanage director, and you were the only one who could play it. Erica found you through that piece, but Wendy stole it."
"I taught Wendy that piece. Didn't see that coming," Susanna said.
When Susanna walked into school, her mind was preoccupied with Wendy trying to take her place. Sitting in the study room, she noticed the stares fixed on her, making her squirm.
It seemed word had spread about the previous day's incident in the auditorium, and now everyone was clued into her identity. Under the unwavering attention, Susanna felt a sense of unease.
Her phone buzzed and a message from Aaron popped up: [Come downstairs!]
Susanna went to the hallway and saw a car parked downstairs. Aaron was here?
Aaron: [Either you come down, or I come up.]
