CHAPTER 13
1284 Words
Walking down the chilly street, Maya felt like her ears were about to freeze off. It was unusually cold today.
She called Margaret.
The two of them had just returned from their trip, arriving on the ten o'clock train. After hanging up, she hurried to the school. Since the incident happened so suddenly yesterday, she hadn’t taken a leave or informed anyone, so she needed to handle the aftermath.
The principal was understanding, only giving her a few warnings to be more careful in the future.
After acknowledging his words, she requested another day off, and the principal agreed without any fuss.
After having breakfast, Maya rushed to the train station. The train was delayed, and she waited an extra forty minutes before finally spotting the two of them.
As she got closer, she could hear Margaret complaining, “The train is always late! My back is killing me from sitting so long.”
George Cooper just laughed, “I told you to take the high-speed train, but you wouldn’t pay a little extra for a much better experience, faster, nicer, and more comfortable.”
Taking the suitcase from George, Maya supported Margaret with one arm. “Mom, Dad, let’s stop by the nearby KFC first. I need to talk to you about something.”
She hadn’t planned on telling her parents about the house, especially since they were getting older and not in the best of health. She worried they might not handle the news well.
But right now, Benjamin her brother was completely unreliable. Maya knew she couldn't handle this alone, so she decided to be honest.
After ordering three cups of coffee, she hesitated for a moment before telling the two about everything Tessa had done.
When Margaret heard that the house had been sold, she staggered back in shock. George quickly supported her, his expression and breathing becoming heavy.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, "If it’s sold, then it’s sold.”
"Dad!!" Maya could hardly believe what she was hearing.
"Your grandfather bought that house for your brother. The title is in his name, so he can do whatever he wants with it."
Maya’s breathing quickened, "But Dad, this is all Tessa’s doing! Aren't you going to do anything about it? Are you just going to let her run wild?"
"How can I intervene? I can scold my son all I want, but what about my daughter-in-law?" George sighed deeply. "I was against your brother marrying her from the start. But they eloped and made a big fuss. I couldn’t control them back then, and what makes you think I can now?"
"So, are we just going to pretend this never happened?" Maya felt it was utterly absurd.
"Your brother listens to Tessa. Now that Tessa has sold the house, he won't even say a word," George replied, looking at Maya.
“What kind of person is Tessa? I never expected her to take care of me and your mom in the future. As long as she doesn’t spit in our bowl, that would be a huge relief. Now that she’s sold the house and taken the money, it’s just the three of us moving on while those two figure out their lives. I never counted on your brother for anything anyway..."
Maya was so furious that her nails dug into the soft flesh of her palm, but what could she do?
Once the money was in Tessa’s hands, there was no way to get it back.
"Dad, I agree to what you said, and I can help find another place, but I have one condition.”
Maya started.
"Tessa will definitely come back for more. If she dares to step into this house, I’ll make sure she leaves with a mouthful of dirt! You two better not stop me or protect her.” She gritted her teeth, emphasizing each word.
George and Margaret both nodded, indicating they would follow her lead.
With that, she managed to calm the turmoil in her chest. She called Miss Steele from school, asking for help in finding a rental apartment.
As luck would have it, Miss Steele informed her that there was a place available right next door, and she would call the landlord to inquire.
Maya had visited Miss Steele’s home before, so she was familiar with the layout, size, and transportation options, and she immediately agreed.
In no time, they had settled on a price; all that was left was to sign the contract and make the payment.
She asked her parents to start moving their things while she went with Miss Steele to meet the landlord and take care of the remaining details.
After getting her leave approved, Miss Steele hurried to the café where Maya was waiting.
"Don't you already have a house? Why the rush to rent a place? Are you planning to move out on your own?" Maya forced a smile and shook her head, recounting the entire situation to Miss Steele.
After hearing the story, Miss Steele’s expression shifted to one of understanding. She was furious about Tessa’s behavior, but more than that, she felt a sense of helplessness. Every family has its own struggles to deal with.
"Let's go check out the apartment," Maya said.
Half an hour later.
She had thoroughly inspected every corner of the room, finding no cracks or signs of damage.
The landlord stood behind her, reassuringly, "Miss, you can rest easy. This place is in great condition. If I weren't in a hurry to go abroad to take care of my son, I definitely wouldn't be renting it out.”
Nodding, she turned around, "Then let's sign the contract."
After signing the contract and making the payment, George and Margaret arrived just in time with their belongings.
The four of them busied themselves organizing the room, and by the time they finished, it was already six o'clock. The days were short in December, and it was dark outside.
Margaret had prepared dinner and insisted on having Davina Steele join them.
After some persuasion, Davina smiled and agreed.
Just as they sat down at the dining table, Davina's phone rang. She answered, "Hello?"
Whatever was said on the other end made her face turn pale in an instant, devoid of any color. Even her hand holding the chopsticks began to tremble slightly.
Seeing Davina's reaction, Maya couldn't help but furrow her brow, feeling a sense of worry. What on earth had happened?
“Auntie, Uncle, I need to step out for a moment. Thank you for your hospitality,” Davina said, standing up to leave.
But before she could take a step, Maya quickly grabbed her hand and stood up as well. “I’m coming with you.”
Davina hesitated for a moment but then nodded in agreement.
Once they were seated in the taxi, Maya finally asked, “What’s going on? You look pale.”
Covering her mouth with her hands, Davina slowly replied, “My brother got drunk at a bar and got into a fight.”
No wonder, Maya thought, urging the taxi driver to speed up. She dialed Ethan’s number, realizing she wouldn’t be able to make it to tutoring today.
After a moment, the call connected, and she spoke directly, “Ethan, I’m sorry, but I can’t make it to tutorial today. You don’t need to wait for me.”
“Miss Cooper seems to have a busy personal life…” came the low, deep voice from the other end, laced with the unique magnetism of a mature man.
Maya froze, her heart racing as she sat there, momentarily stunned. She bit her slightly dry lips and quickly blurted out, “Mr. Darwin?”
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