Chapter 302 Unreasonable
The matter was resolved, and James was about to leave, but Mary and Charles kept persuading him to stay, so he ended up staying for dinner.
The meal was prepared by Melissa, and it tasted quite good.
Besides, the atmosphere was also different from a few months ago.
Except for Addison, who still criticized James a lot and defended her own status, Charles and the others were much more polite and enthusiastic towards James.
Mary was especially attentive, serving James food throughout the meal.
This was the most comfortable meal James had had since he entered the Smith Family.
To maintain this rare peace, James stopped Mary several times from revealing the owner of Peach Blossom Villa No. 1, allowing the Smith Family to have some temporary tranquility.
However, this harmony was soon disrupted. After dinner, Melissa was cleaning up and washing the dishes.
Not long after, there was a crash from the kitchen, and a porcelain bowl was broken.
Addison's face changed instantly, "Damn it, so careless. If she weren't so cheap, working twenty-nine days a month for just a thousand dollars, I would have fired her long ago! Fuck, when she comes out, I must dock her pay for this!"
Addison had fired all ten servants in the villa and hired this diligent but low-paid Melissa from the labor market.
Melissa was not only responsible for the daily life and meals of the Smith Family of four but also had to clean the entire Peach Blossom Villa No. 1, working from morning till night.
However, Addison's disdainful attitude meant that no matter how well Melissa, who came from a poor background, did her job, she would never get Addison's approval.
Just like James, who had been diligent and hardworking back then.
In Addison's eyes, being poor was the original sin.
James frowned slightly, "Melissa works hard and cooks well. Don't be too harsh on her."
"Shut up! This is none of your business." Addison put on her authoritative air again. "My house, my rules. If you don't like it, get out."
Mary couldn't help but speak up, "Can you be reasonable? Besides, this Peach Blossom Villa No. 1..."
"Am I wrong? This is my house. Isn't it my rule?" Addison interrupted Mary and said impatiently, "Don't think that just because you have some money, you can throw your weight around. In the Smith Family, seniority and rules matter the most, not money!"
Although James had helped her a lot and was rich now, Addison wanted to defend her authority.
Mary laughed in anger. "Money doesn't matter? Then give the 32.2 million dollars back to James."
Addison was noncommittal, "I earned that money with my ability. Why should I give it back?"
At this moment, Melissa rushed out of the kitchen with a phone in her hand, looking anxious as she spoke to Addison. "Mrs. Smith, my niece is seriously ill again. I'm worried about her. I want to take a day off to see her."
She then added, "I... I'll be quick, I'll be back by tomorrow afternoon and won't miss dinner."
"No way!" Addison snapped, "Always asking for leave, you want to be fired? Your niece is not your daughter. Why bother visiting her? If you leave today, don't come back, and don't expect this month's salary. And for the broken bowl, according to my rules, it's a thirty-dollar fine."
She was uncompromising, "If you don't like it, you can quit."
"No... no, Mrs. Smith, please, don't fire me. I need the salary for medical bills," Melissa's eyes were filled with tears, "Mrs. Smith, just give me one day off. I won't take any days off for the next three months."
James frowned, "She has an emergency. Just give her the day off."
Mary also spoke up, "Mom, Melissa has worked diligently for a month. What's wrong with giving her a day off?"
"I said no, and that's final," Addison's face turned cold. "If she dares to take a day off, she shouldn't come back."
James was about to say something, but Melissa grabbed his hand and looked at Addison, saying, "O... okay, I won't take the day off. Don't argue."
She was kind-hearted and didn't want to cause internal strife within the Smith Family because of her.
"Change this tea, and brew a new pot." Addison pointed at the teapot.
Melissa lowered her head and picked it up to change the tea leaves, but she stepped on a watermelon rind discarded by Addison, lost her balance, and fell to the ground.
The teapot also shattered.
As Melissa could manage to stand, Addison slapped her twice and shouted, "What do you mean by this? Are you causing trouble on purpose? If you don't want to work, then leave. Get out. And don't expect your salary!"
Melissa covered her face and repeatedly said, "Mrs. Smith, I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
"Get out." Addison raised her hand to slap her again.
"Enough!" James grabbed her wrist and said sternly, "Addison, don't go too far. It's one thing to bully us, but now you're bullying a maid?"
Seeing Melissa being beaten like this reminded James of the past. "She's just doing a job, she's not your slave!"
Mary also hurriedly helped Melissa up and fumed, "Mom, how can you do this?"
"Damn it, what are you doing! Are you going to hit me?" Addison, in a fit of temper, raised her chin and shouted at James. "Go ahead, hit me! Do you dare? Just because I showed you some kindness, do you think you can push your luck? I'm telling you, if you hit me, don't even think about entering the Smith Family again!"
She looked as if she had James cornered.
James's eyes turned cold. "Stop talking nonsense, apologize to Melissa!"
Charles also chimed in, "Yeah, Addison, hitting people like that is wrong, and Melissa didn't do it on purpose."
Feeling James's coldness, Addison shivered and, with a tough exterior but weak inside, said, "Apologize? Apologize for what?"
Melissa also waved her hands repeatedly, "No... no need to apologize. It was my fault for slipping. My mistake."
The day after tomorrow was payday, and she was worried that if she offended Addison, she wouldn't get her thousand dollars.
"Did you hear that? Her fault, her fault! Why should I apologize?" Addison smugly broke free from James's grip and then snorted at Melissa. "Smart move. I won't kick you out this time. Hurry up and clean up! Never try to annoy me, or I'll kick you out!"
Addison pushed James aside and arrogantly went inside to take a shower and sleep.
Melissa wiped away her tears and lowered her head to clean the floor.
James walked over, took out a business card, and handed it to her. "Melissa, this is my card. Have your niece transferred to JZL Medical Clinic? There are three top experts there, and the registration fee is only five dollars. They will definitely cure your niece. Just tell them your niece is referred by me. No need to wait in line, and the medication will be free."
Melissa was slightly stunned, then she gratefully said, "Dr. Williams, thank you, thank you so much!"
She knew about JZL Medical Clinic. Many people said the doctors there were very skilled. She also wanted to take her niece there for treatment.
But she was worried that her niece's illness would cost a lot of money, and the daily hundred slots were almost always gone instantly, so she planned to earn some money at the Smith Family before taking her niece for treatment.
"If you can't stand here, you can also help out at JZL Medical Clinic," James offered her another option. "The salary isn't much higher than here, but you can get one day off a week, and you'll be happier."
Melissa nodded repeatedly, "Thank you, Dr. Williams, thank you, Dr. Williams. I understand."
"Melissa, here's fifteen hundred dollars. Take it and pay for your niece's medical bills first," Mary also took out a stack of cash from her bag and handed it to her. "You can pay me back when you earn this amount."
"Hurry up and finish your work. Tomorrow, you can have a day off," Charles also came over. "I'll talk to Addison. There won't be any problems."
Melissa was moved to tears, she was at a loss for words.
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