Chapter 2 Family Trip
1042 Words
Nelia smiled at her best friend Linda Kolmann, knowing full well that Linda wouldn't let her suffer alone.
"My money is her money. How dare you say she's poor? Do I look broke to you?"
Lorelei put on a flattering smile, looking at Linda.
"Ms. Kolmann, you must have misunderstood. Your family's financial power is globally renowned. Who am I to—"
"Exactly, who are you to talk about my girl like that?" Linda interrupted, her voice sharp. "You're just a nobody with nothing!"
Without another word, she took another glass of wine and splashed it all over Lorelei, who didn't even dare to move. She just stood there, soaking in the wine.
*****
Linda walked over to Nelia, bowing slightly like a knight.
"Beautiful lady, would you honor me with your company for the rest of this boring evening?"
Nelia chuckled and nodded.
"Of course, but just give me a moment. After all, the show is only just beginning."
She handed Lorelei a piece of paper.
"Here's the divorce agreement. Get Buper down here to sign it, and I'll give you the flash drive."
"You had it planned all along?"
Lorelei froze as she watched Nelia handle the situation with such ease. Only now did she realize she had walked right into a trap.
"This is serious. I need to call my husband."
She wiped the sweat off her brow, pretending to stay calm.
Nelia waved dismissively. "You've got ten minutes. If you're late, too bad."
Of course, Nelia had already taken control of Lorelei's phone.
No matter how many times she called, it would just show that the line was busy.
Sure enough, after several failed attempts, Lorelei sighed and, frustrated, rushed upstairs.
*****
When Buper was dragged downstairs, he hadn't even bothered to put his shirt on.
The moment he saw Nelia's expressionless face, he quickly covered the lipstick stain on his neck and panicked.
"Sweetheart, let me explain..."
Before he could say another word, Lorelei slapped him across the face with the document.
"Stop pretending! Sign it, now!"
Meeting Lorelei's angry glare, Buper grabbed the paper and started reading it.
"What? You want me to leave with nothing? Why do you want to divorce me? Haven't I been good enough to you?"
Buper looked at Nelia, his eyes filled with grievance, but Nelia kicked him to the floor. "Cut the act, you bastard!"
Nelia had seen him playing the pitiful act so many times that she'd long become immune to it.
Turning to Lorelei, she said coldly, "Make him sign it, or... I'll take it to the police."
Lorelei shot a frustrated look at her son, who was still sitting in a daze on the floor. "The cat's out of the bag. Just sign it!"
"Mom! That b***h has no right to make me sign this! I won't do it!"
*****
Just as Nelia was about to say something harsher, she noticed Lorelei whispering something to Buper.
The next moment, Buper's defiance evaporated, and he quickly signed the document.
Nelia squinted, realizing she might have stumbled onto something much bigger than she expected.
But still, something didn't add up. If there was really something hidden, she should have discovered it by now.
After all, since she decided to divorce, she had practically hacked every electronic device in their house.
However, she found nothing useful in the records...
"Here you go!" The sudden thud of a document landing in her hand interrupted her thoughts.
She glanced at the signed agreement with satisfaction, then tossed the flash drive to Lorelei.
She caught it eagerly, visibly relieved.
But Nelia's next words made Lorelei's face harden again.
"I've given you what you wanted, and I'm not going to dig any deeper into it. However, I can't guarantee that nobody else would dive deeper into this matter."
The sound of police sirens suddenly echoed outside.
"Are you Lorelei Bush? We've received a tip-off saying you've been aiding a fugitive. Please come with us for questioning."
*****
Lorelei froze, her face ashen.
"What did you say? Aiding... a fugitive?"
No one answered, but Lorelei seemed to exhale in relief.
"Officer! I'm the one who reported it. The evidence is in her hands."
Nelia smiled at Lorelei and Buper's hateful glares, her voice calm as she spoke.
"You were just bluffing me!" Lorelei's face twisted in disgust as though she had swallowed something revolting.
"I only said your family was connected to a fugitive from Eostre Isle. You should know more about it than I do, right? Wait... are you implying there's more to this than just that?"
Nelia raised her voice, and Lorelei immediately began shaking her head.
"w***e! You'll regret this!"
Buper clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fury, as though he wanted to tear Nelia apart right then and there.
"Ah, almost forgot about you..."
Nelia suddenly remembered something and pulled out her phone, showing it to a nearby officer.
"Officer, here's the footage of this man driving drunk and hitting someone before fleeing the scene. You should arrest him immediately."
Buper was stunned.
*****
Back at the police station, after finishing her statement, Nelia ran into Lorelei and Buper once again.
Lorelei looked angry but unhurt, while Buper was already wearing handcuffs.
Lorelei glared at Nelia, pointing at her, ready to yell.
Before she could, Nelia grabbed her extended finger and twisted it in the opposite direction, making Lorelei scream in pain.
"This is a police station! You're trying to attack me here? Let go!"
Officers intervened, and Nelia, clearly disgusted, wiped her hand as though she had touched something filthy.
"Sorry, I have a severe case of trypophobia. When people point at me, it makes me uncomfortable, and I can't help but snap."
Buper looked at Nelia with eyes full of disappointment.
"I treated you so well, and in the end, you betrayed me. Twice!"
Nelia gave him a pitying look as if she were staring at an intellectually challenged child.
"Are you blind, or just stupid?"
Without a second glance, she walked out of the police station, leaving Buper staring helplessly at her retreating figure.
"Nelia, it won't be long before we meet again. I just hope you'll still be as calm when that happens," he hissed.
- Writer
