Chapter 205 Hide and Seek
That night, after Molly slipped away from Eric, she couldn't sleep a wink.
When she got home, she noticed a big scrape on her elbow, oozing blood and pus. The pain was so bad it almost made her cry.
She had snuck out, so she didn't tell anyone. She grabbed the first aid kit, patched herself up, and crawled into bed with her teddy bear, feeling miserable but unable to sleep.
In her daze, memories flooded back.
She remembered being forced to eat lunch in a filthy bathroom, boys throwing her headfirst into a trash can under Jessica's orders, finding a dead mouse in her backpack and Jessica tearing up her favorite novel and tossing the pieces like confetti.
She remembered the piano in the music room, a constant nightmare.
"Jessica, Eric. So, Eric, is he her brother? Is he?" she wondered.
Molly's thin face was streaked with tears as she clutched the blanket, crying silently until dawn.
Despite her issues, Molly wasn't heartless.
"Even if Eric is Jessica's brother, he's still my savior. Without him, I might've died in that car accident," she thought.
So, in the afternoon, Molly quietly went to the kitchen and followed an online tutorial to make a blueberry mousse cake. She planned to have Edward deliver it to Eric as a thank-you.
After making the cake, she put it in the fridge, clapped her hands in satisfaction, and headed to her room.
But as soon as she opened the door, her relaxed expression froze. She stepped back in horror. Debra was sitting there, legs crossed, arms folded, smiling in a way that made Molly's scalp tingle.
"I am your sister, you don't even bother saying hi?" Debra flicked her new golden nails and drawled, "You're just silly, right? Not mute?"
"Debra," Molly whispered.
"Tonight, I'll take you out for some fun, okay?" Debra suddenly smiled brightly.
"No need, Debra. I don't know how to have fun. I'll just bore you," Molly replied, head hanging low and trembling.
"Are you sure you don't want to go? Well, okay then." Debra stood up slowly, looking at her mockingly. "I wanted to bond, but if you are not interested, I won't force you."
With that, she walked out the door with her hands behind her back.
Molly let out a long sigh and walked heavily into her room.
Suddenly, she rushed to the bedside in shock, turning over the neatly folded blanket and pillows, but her cherished teddy bear from Evelyn was gone!
"My bear, Debra!"
She knew Debra wouldn't come into her room without some malicious intent to torment her!
'She must've taken it!'
Molly, drenched in cold sweat, stumbled out the door and rushed downstairs.
Outside the villa, Debra was already seated in the car, the butler closing the door.
"Give it back! Give me back my bear!" Molly ran and shouted hoarsely.
Debra rolled down the window, wickedly stuck out her tongue, waved the teddy bear, and instructed the driver, "Drive."
The luxury car's engine roared and disappeared from Molly's sight in an instant.
"Debra! Give it back, give me back my bear!" Molly cried and shouted, but it was useless.
At that moment, she felt like a helpless mother watching her child being taken away by a criminal. Even the butler felt bad for her.
"Prepare a car for me!" Molly glared at the butler with red eyes.
It was the first time Molly had ever commanded someone like a true Wellington.
"But Mrs. Wellington doesn't allow you to go out," the butler explained.
"I'm also Patrick's daughter! Why can Debra order you around, but I can't? Go now!" Molly shouted.
The butler, pale-faced, went to prepare the car.
As night fell, the city lights shone brightly.
In a top luxury private room at Alahle Club, Jessica and a few rich friends from Mugden were drinking, smoking, and partying, their usual refined images nowhere to be seen.
After studying abroad at Yatuok since middle school, Jessica didn't have many friends left in Mugden. These boys and girls were her middle school clique, all of whom had bullied Molly under her orders.
"I wonder how Molly is doing now? I haven't seen her since graduation. For a Wellington, she's way too low-key, isn't she?"
"Hey, I heard from my mom that Molly has mental issues, so Mrs. Wellington doesn't let her out much."
"Really? No wonder she seemed so dumb in middle school. Turns out she's actually an idiot!"
"Hey, calling her an idiot is rude," Jessica said, crossing her legs and taking a deep drag from her slim cigarette. "The proper term is autism."
"Actually, she's still an idiot!"
The room erupted in laughter.
Jessica listened to the mocking laughter, a smug smile playing on her lips.
At that moment, the door to the private room opened, and Debra walked in, led by a waiter.
As soon as Debra arrived, the room fell silent, everyone looking at each other.
"It's okay. Debra is one of us," Jessica said lazily, as a rich kid immediately brought over a crystal ashtray to catch her ashes.
Debra was stunned by the scene.
She thought Nicole was good at pretending, but Jessica's act of being a pure and sweet girl was even more masterful. She wonder what Eric would think if he saw his usually elegant and noble sister acting like this.
"Hey, Debra, you didn't bring Molly?" Jessica looked displeased when she saw Debra alone. "Well, tonight's entertainment will be lacking then."
"Molly is getting more disobedient as she gets older," Debra sighed theatrically, then smiled mischievously, waving the teddy bear in front of Jessica. "But Jessica, don't worry. With this, Molly will definitely come tonight."
"What? Debra, are you planning something interesting?" Jessica asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Just wait and see," Debra said proudly.
Not long after Debra entered Alahle Club, Molly's car arrived.
Seeing the grand and bustling nightclub entrance, with cars and people everywhere, Molly's social anxiety flared up. Her lips trembled, and her face turned even paler.
She quickly got back into the car and called Debra.
"What's wrong, Molly?" Debra said.
The other end of the line was incredibly noisy, but Molly could still hear the hint of malicious glee in her tone.
"Give me back my bear!" Molly's voice trembled, her face flushed with anger.
"You mean that dirty, ugly thing? I hid it."
"Hid it? Where?" Molly asked frantically, tears welling up in her eyes.
"It's in Alahle Club. If I told you, it wouldn't be hiding, would it?" Debra's sweet voice dripped with malice. "Molly, I've never played with you before. Let's play a game tonight. Go find it, or your bear will be lonely in a corner."
Molly's eyes burned with rage, Debra's malicious laughter making her hair stand on end, trembling uncontrollably.
She had never felt such intense hatred, even when Debra insulted and tormented her.
Tears welled up in Molly's red eyes. She gritted her teeth and rushed into the door of Alahle Club like a rocket fueled by anger.
