Chapter 211 Why Is It Only Ten Thousand Dollars?
After hitting up the club, James took Kaitlyn over to Bright Heart Hall Clinic and told her to chill there for a few days.
As for Damon and John, James didn't really give a damn. He wasn't looking for trouble, but he sure as hell wasn't scared of it either.
If they pushed their luck, James wouldn't mind dealing with them like he did Joseph.
Next morning, just as James was about to bounce, he got a notification about a withdrawal.
His mom had pulled out ten grand early that morning.
James usually didn't stick his nose in his mom's spending—he'd left her with plenty of cash—but this sudden withdrawal had him curious.
He wondered if something was up with her.
James thought for a sec and decided to head back to White Rock, partly to check on his mom and partly to convince her to move to Bright Heart Hall Clinic.
Since he was already done with Mary, he didn't have to worry about the Smith Family anymore.
"Morning, James!"
"Hey, James."
Just as James was about to leave, a Mercedes rolled up in front of the clinic. Mia and Nathaniel stepped out.
Both greeted James with respect.
James was a bit taken aback. He figured Mia was there for some chores, but what was Nathaniel doing here?
"James, sorry I'm late."
Mia quickly apologized and grabbed a broom to start working.
Nathaniel, looking less lazy than usual, asked nervously, "James, is there anything I can help with?"
He'd heard from Bruce that James had perfected the set of fist skills of the Davis family and healed his dad's leg. The two had even become sworn brothers, which made Nathaniel super anxious.
Not only did he realize James's skills, but he also sensed his dad's respect for James. Nathaniel knew he couldn't seek revenge and might even get crippled.
In fact, Richard had personally warned him that if he dared to mess with James again, he would cripple Nathaniel and confine him at home.
This freaked Nathaniel out so much that he didn't sleep all night.
He didn't know how to fix things, but when he heard Mia was going to the clinic for chores, he decided to tag along.
James snapped out of it and asked, "Mr. Davis, what are you doing here?"
"James, I was a fool before. I messed up many times, and I ask for your forgiveness," Nathaniel said, leaning on a crutch. "I know a simple apology isn't enough, so I've decided to come to the clinic for chores to show my sincerity. I hope you'll give me a chance."
Nathaniel looked genuine.
"I don't have any work for you here," James waved his hand. "Go back. I don't hold grudges. The past is already forgotten."
"Please don't," Nathaniel, hoping to make things right, grabbed James's arm and said, "James, I'm really sincere. Just let me do some work. Otherwise, I'll feel uneasy and restless. I can sweep the floor or wipe the tables."
He was determined to stay at the clinic no matter what.
"Alright, alright, I'll find something for you. Sit at the cash register for now." James, eager to find his mom, pointed to the counter. "Once your leg heals, I'll figure out something else for you."
Nathaniel was over the moon. "Thank you, James. Thank you so much."
He then hobbled over to the cash register, looking so happy someone would think he was guarding a treasure vault.
James shook his head with a smile, gave some instructions to Daniel and the others, and then had Samuel drive him to White Rock.
"Mom, where are you? I need to talk to you."
On the way, James called his mom to see if she was at home or at the tea shop.
"James, are you coming to see me?" Michelle's voice came from the other end of the line. "But I'm out right now. I won't be back soon. You'll have to wait a bit."
"Where are you?" James was worried that Michelle might have been scammed. "I'll come find you."
Michelle hesitated for a moment before finally giving an address. "I'm at the Pearl Garden complex. Your uncle and the others have some business with me."
Hearing about his uncle, James felt uneasy; it couldn't be anything good.
"Mom, I am coming right now."
James said, then instructed Samuel to head to Pearl Garden.
Pearl Garden was a mid-range residential complex in Rosewood City, a place where white-collar employees lived, with housing prices around fifty grand. It was only three stops away from White Rock.
James rolled up to the sales hall of Pearl Garden and spotted his mom chilling on a sofa on the east side.
Sitting with her were his uncle, Robert Williams, his aunt, and his cousin, Eleanor, flipping through brochures and barely talking to Michelle.
A few bored saleswomen glanced their way but didn't say a word.
James had zero love for his uncle's crew. They only showed up when there was something to gain, having leeched off his parents for over a decade while often mocking him for not knowing his parents.
When his dad went missing and his mom needed treatment, his uncle's family not only didn't help with money but also snatched his dad's house.
That house was worth over a million bucks.
So yeah, James was pretty pissed seeing them.
This family was definitely up to no good.
Sure enough, before James could even say hi, his uncle crossed his legs and looked at Michelle with a brochure in hand.
"Michelle, Eleanor's starting school in a few days. Did you forget the date?"
His aunt chimed in with a reproachful look. "School is such a big deal. Can't you be a bit more concerned?"
James immediately got what they were after.
Eleanor was his uncle's younger daughter, younger than Marcus, and was in her senior year of college. When Eleanor first got into college, his parents, out of family consideration, sponsored her with ten grand.
Once that money was given, his uncle's family not only took it for granted but also came every semester to ask for more, sometimes even hitting his parents up for living expenses.
Michelle, being kind-hearted and not wanting to break family ties, gave Eleanor ten grand for tuition every semester.
Five semesters, two and a half years, amounted to fifty grand.
Later, when his dad went missing and his mom needed treatment, his uncle saw no more benefits to gain and stopped asking for money, instead seizing the house.
Now, seeing that Michelle had recovered and was selling tea at the market, his uncle's family came to ask for money again.
"Eleanor's starting school. How could I forget?" Seeing James's pissed-off expression, Michelle quickly smiled and pulled out an envelope.
Michelle, being kind-hearted, wouldn't create conflicts unless absolutely necessary. Besides, she thought Eleanor only had one year of college left, and it would soon be over.
"Robert, this is for Eleanor's schooling."
Before his uncle could speak, his aunt, who had an accounting background, grabbed the envelope and squeezed it, exclaiming, "Why is there only ten grand?"
His aunt's face turned dark. "You should be giving twenty grand."
Hearing this, his uncle's face also darkened. He opened the envelope, counted the money, and then looked at Michelle with dissatisfaction.
"Michelle, last year, seeing you were seriously ill, we didn't ask you for the ten grand and let Eleanor take out a student loan instead. But just because we didn't ask doesn't mean you shouldn't give. We were considerate of you, but you pretended not to know. This makes us feel very disappointed."
"And a ten grand loan carries three grand in interest for a year. Out of family consideration, I'm not even asking you for the three grand."
His uncle took on a fatherly tone. "And now you can't even give ten grand. What is this?"
His aunt also snorted, "When you were sick and hospitalized, we even gave you two hundred bucks."
The saleswomen, hearing bits and pieces, thought Michelle had borrowed money and not repaid it, shaking their heads slightly at how many people these days didn't repay their debts.
Michelle forced a smile and explained, "RobertI originally wanted to give Eleanor more."
She hadn't expected her uncle's family to remember last year's tuition as well.
"It's just that James is unemployed and needs money to find a job. Plus, with the weather getting colder, the tea business isn't doing well, so I can only give ten grand. After the New Year, when James has a job and business is better, I'll give Eleanor more money."
She made a promise. "I will definitely make it up."
His uncle and aunt's faces immediately darkened.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
