Chapter 166 Living on Others' Charity
Eudora walked in, carrying a fruit platter with perfectly arranged fruits.
She moved with grace, a confident smile lighting up her face. "Ms. Grey, right?" she said. "Thanks for all your hard work. I brought you some fruit."
Katniss gave a small smile, "Our ten-minute break is over. Let Aaron have them after class."
Eudora shrugged, still smiling. "No worries, let's take another ten-minute break. Come on in."
She headed into the study, setting the fruit platter on the desk, her eyes landing on Aaron and Donna's test papers.
The scores were clear as day. She frowned, picking up Aaron's test paper, her frown deepening.
Aaron leaned back in his chair, nodding toward Donna. "Have some fruit."
Eudora's air of arrogance made Donna, already shy, even more uneasy. She responded softly but didn't take any fruit.
Katniss had just entered the study when she saw Eudora slam Aaron's test paper on the desk. "This is your score? Tristan told me you were smart, but you got a D."
Donna was so scared she shivered, shrinking into the corner.
The room's tension skyrocketed. Aaron looked up, staring at the imposing Eudora for a few seconds.
Then he swept all the books off the desk. "Eudora, you talk to me like that? My scores are my business. Who asked for your opinion? If you think my scores are bad, don't come to me!"
"Uncultured! You're fifteen, not five. Who are you trying to impress with this attitude?" Eudora raised her hand, ready to slap Aaron.
Katniss quickly intercepted her hand, standing in front of Aaron. "Miss Savoy, I know Aaron's scores aren't great, but he took a year off and has only been back forabout a month. These scores are already pretty good. Don't set your expectations too high. He's smart, and it's only a matter of time before he gets good grades."
Eudora shot back, "Your expectations for him are too low. Just barely passing and you're satisfied? What kind of tutor are you? There's only half a year left before high school, and with his current state, can he get into a good high school in Velvet City?"
Eudora's chest heaved with anger, her gaze at Aaron filled with disgust and resentment, and she was equally dissatisfied with Katniss as a tutor.
"If I can't get in, then I won't take the exam. Do you think I want to go to Velvet City? To live off others and rely on their charity like you?" Aaron grabbed his phone from the desk, pushed past Katniss and Eudora, and stormed out.
The room's temperature dropped to freezing, and Donna was on the verge of tears.
After a few seconds of silence, Eudora turned and chased after him. "Stop right there! Who gave you the right to talk to me like that?"
Katniss turned to comfort the frightened Donna. "It's okay, they both have big tempers. They're just arguing."
"Eudora!" Tristan's voice came from outside the door.
He must have heard the commotion and rushed up.
His voice was urgent and anxious, full of concern.
Katniss's heart sank as she walked to the door and saw Tristan enter Aaron's room.
His deep, magnetic voice cut through their sharp argument.
Within seconds, he had his arm around Eudora's shoulder, leading her out of the room.
His dark eyes glanced at Katniss standing at the study door and he said, "You should go home."
Before Katniss could say anything, he quickly led Eudora downstairs.
Katniss tilted her head slightly and saw Tristan take Eudora into his room and close the door.
The key in the lock rattled from the force of the door closing.
"Let's pack up and go home," Katniss said softly to Donna, then returned to the study to gather their things and led Donna downstairs.
As they reached the second-floor corner, her gaze flickered over the closed door, and she took a deep breath before leaving quickly.
She hadn't expected the relationship between Eudora and Aaron to be so bad. Eudora's arrival had cut the lesson short, ending in an unpleasant scene.
After dropping off Donna, she drove home alone, the half-open car window letting in the gentle night breeze.
She suddenly remembered something.
"Eudora... Eudora?" Katniss murmured. realizing it must be the same Eudora the Forbes Family had mentioned before.
Her thoughts became chaotic, her eyes reflecting the traffic lights at the intersection. Even when they turned green, she didn't snap out of it.
The blaring car horn behind her startled her back to reality. She quickly released the brake and sped through the intersection.
After two sleepless nights, her mind was a mess, filled with fatigue.
But when Katniss got home, took a shower, and went to bed, she found herself unable to sleep.
The room was pitch black with the lights off, and her eyes reflected the moonlight outside the window. Her mind was blank, thinking of nothing.
But she just couldn't fall asleep.
The scent of Tristan lingered in the air; he had stayed here for a few days, after all.
His clothes and personal items were still scattered around. She had lived in this room for a year, but it only took a few days for it to feel like his space.
Near dawn, she finally drifted into a hazy sleep. Her usual 6:30 AM wake-up call failed, and she slept until ten.
She was jolted awake by a call from Samuel. She had promised to treat him to a meal a few days ago, but it hadn't happened yet.
So Samuel took the initiative to call and invite her to lunch. She couldn't refuse again and booked a restaurant with a unique style in Nightfall City.
At the airport, Matilda ran over, panting, her bangs wet with sweat and sticking to her forehead.
She stopped, placing her hands on her knees, her eyes scanning the airport, not yet seeing the person she was looking for.
A weight on her shoulder made her turn around to see George standing behind her, holding his bag with one hand and smiling. "Matilda, I board in ten minutes, and you just got here!"
Matilda quickly took a brown paper bag of snacks from her bag and handed it over. "These are the snacks you always liked. The ones in Nightfall City are more authentic than those in Velvet City. Try them!"
George smiled as he took the snacks and removed a gold medal from around his neck. "This is the medal I won the other day. I'm giving it to you."
The gold medal, hanging from a blue and white ribbon, reflected the airport lights.
Matilda gently touched the gold medal and then tried to take it off. "I can't accept this. This medal wasn't easy to win, I..."
"I said it's for you, so it's for you!" George stopped her from taking it off and added, "Say hi to Katniss for me. It's a pity I couldn't visit Sophia at the hospital this time. My mom will probably scold me when I get home."
He pressed the medal back into place and signaled with his eyes for Matilda to keep it on.
Seeing this, Matilda didn't take it off, holding the medal tightly in her hand. "Don't worry, I'll tell Katniss. Once my mom gets better, there will be plenty of opportunities to meet."
The airport was bustling, with boarding announcements playing repeatedly.
The two stood facing each other, suddenly falling silent. Despite the noisy environment, Matilda felt a profound quiet.
After a long while, she took a deep breath and smiled, "You should go board now, or you'll be late."
"Alright," George said, removing his hat to scratch his head before placing it back on, clearing his throat as he asked, "When Sophia gets better, are you planning to return to Velvet City?"
Return? Velvet City was where Matilda grew up, a place that felt like home. But where Sophia and Katniss were, that was her real home.
Over the past year, aside from occasionally thinking of George, there wasn't much in Velvet City that she particularly missed.
She lowered her head, thinking for a moment before saying, "This place is better for my mom's rehabilitation. We won't leave Nightfall City until she's fully recovered."
"I see." George's smile had a hint of awkwardness. Seeing his companions waving at him from the boarding gate, he frowned. "I have to go now. Take care of yourself. Next time I come to Nightfall City, I'll let you know in advance and bring you your favorite food from Velvet City."
Matilda nodded and smiled, her throat tight, unable to speak.
She turned to watch him head to the boarding gate with his ticket, a faint smile on her face.
George joined his companions and waved back at her.
She waved back, her eyes gradually calming, the light in them dimming.
Watching George and his companions disappear, Matilda turned to leave. Just as she stepped out of the airport, she received a text message.
It was from George, with just a simple message: [I'm gone.]
She bit her lip, typing many words in the chat window, repeatedly deleting and retyping.
In the end, she didn't reply, putting her phone in her pocket and heading to the bus stop.
The restaurant Katniss had booked was a representative of Nightfall City, very unique, and thus very busy.
She had made a reservation in advance, but when she and Samuel met at the restaurant entrance and were about to go in, they were told there were no available tables.
"We made a reservation in advance. You can check the phone number. It was booked under Ms. Grey."
The waiter smiled apologetically. "Sorry, it seems our front desk didn't register it properly and didn't reserve your table."
But Katniss had already received a confirmation message on her phone.
It was clearly a last-minute cancellation, which wasn't uncommon.
"Get your manager. I need a table, whether it's a private room or a regular table," Katniss said.
It was peak dining time, and all the nearby restaurants required reservations.
If it were just Katniss, it wouldn't matter, but she was treating Samuel. Was she supposed to take him to the fast-food place across the street?
Seeing this, the waiter's expression soured. "You can see that all the tables are full. Isn't it a waste for just two people to take a private room?"
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