Chapter 34 You’ll Be the One Who Suffers
Courtney looked back and sneered once she got on the escalator. “I have other things to do with my day. I’m not like you—the princess of the Hunter Family—who has nothing better to do apart from scheming to get the family’s inheritance and find yourself a rich man.” Her words left Anna digging her nails into her palms as she fumed with rage.
6 years ago, Anna invested all of her effort into staging an incident that would ruin Courtney’s reputation once and for all. She wanted her father to despise Courtney so that she would lose the rights to inherit any of their family’s wealth. However, Anna hadn’t expected Courtney to escape that night, much less for her to disappear for 6 whole years. I’d been enjoying myself for the past 6 years since her disappearance, but why is she back now? What is she trying to do?
After work that day, Courtney went home and prepared a meal for Tina in the kitchen. Right then, her phone rang in her pocket. She rubbed her palms against her apron before pulling it out and glanced at the screen, but her face fell when she saw the caller ID. It was her father.
“Dad.” She greeted him.
“I heard you were back.” Her father’s voice was deep and quiet from the other end; he sounded a little more worn out since the last time she contacted him years ago.
“Yeah,” she replied softly as she ran her fingers back and forth across the home screen of her phone. She was certain that Anna was the one who had told her father about it, but she didn’t know what Anna had said about her. It’s probably nothing good.
“Why don’t you move home since you’re back here? How can you live alone for such a long time?” he asked.
She frowned upon hearing this. “It’s fine, Dad. I like living outside by myself.”
“I know you’ve always had your opinions against me after what happened with your mother, Courtney. We’re still family regardless; it worries me to imagine a girl like you living alone out there. You should—” But Courtney interrupted him before he could go on. “Dad. I’m doing really well now. I… I have a job, and I live really close to the company. Alright, I have to end the call now as I have other stuff to handle. I’ll visit you when I’m free,” she uttered.
Her father had no option but to end the call after sending her his regards. Courtney had always been a stubborn girl since she was a child. Unlike Anna, she had never been one to act in a sweet and adorable manner in front of adults. Conversely, she was seen as the ‘unlucky’ child since she lost her mother soon after birth; most of the adults at home didn’t like her as they thought that she was a loner.
Courtney stood in the kitchen for a long time after she ended the call. “Mommy.” A sweet, child-like voice brought Courtney back from the depths of her own mind, and she quickly forced a smile onto her face once she saw her daughter. “What is it? Are you hungry? Dinner’s almost ready.”
Tina walked in and pointed at the phone. “Was that my grandfather?”
“Yeah.” Courtney nodded and stroked Tina’s hair gently. “Would you like to meet your grandfather, Tina?”
The young girl obediently blinked at her mother. “Do you want to meet him, Mommy? I’ll go back with you if you want to meet him. I’ll follow you wherever you go, Mommy. I’m your little sweetheart wherever we go, anyway.” Her words flowed through Courtney’s chest like a stream of warmth. “That’s right. You’re my little sweetheart no matter where we go, Tina,” Courtney muttered as she pulled her daughter into her arms.
In the past, Courtney brought her baby overseas all by herself, mainly because she wanted to run away from the man who forcefully took her other baby from her. Furthermore, she wasn’t on good terms with her family, and she was afraid that they would all judge and criticize her if she were to bring a child home on her own.
She therefore decided to avoid all of them. It’s been 5 years now. I can’t hide the truth about Tina for much longer, can I? Even if I don’t seek them out myself, it’s only a matter of time before someone finds me. Melrose isn’t exactly a huge place; Anna will probably find out about the truth sooner or later, so I have to be prepared for that.
Later that night, Britney had her arms around Alexander as she flashed him a concerned gaze. “You’ve had a lot to drink, Alexander. Let me send you home.” She then glanced at an inconspicuous van that was parked a distance away from them. A number of high-quality cameras recorded their every move as Britney helped Alexander out of the hotel.
She tightened her grip around Alexander as she leaned her body toward him. Her breasts, covered by her fitting evening gown, were losing its shape as it was pressed tightly against his arm.
Alexander seemed rather tipsy as it took him a while to feel her leaning against him. He frowned as he pulled his hand away. “I’m fine. I can walk by myself.”
“Alexander.” Britney lifted the hem of her dress up as she ran after him. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go home alone so late at night. Let me send you home before I leave,” she said. The sound of the camera shutter came from the van as they took a few more images of Alexander and Britney getting into the car together.
Alexander stayed in a villa in Royal Park at the East Side of Melrose City. He felt as if the alcohol he drank that day was a lot stronger than usual, as his footsteps were light and wobbly when he got out of the car. Britney had to call for his maids to help him in, all the way up into his own bedroom.
“How much did he drink? Anyway, thank you for sending him back, Miss Price,” the maid said.
“No worries. We’re about to be family now, so it’s my job to take care of him.” Britney sat herself down on the side of his bed as she ran her long fingers across the edge of Alexander’s shoulder. “You can leave now; I’ll take care of him.” She spoke while glancing at the maid.
“What? Are you not going home, Miss Price?” The maid was a little surprised.
“Didn’t you hear what I just said? This place is going to be my house soon; where do you want me to go home to?” Agitation flashed across Britney’s face. The maid quickly shook her head after realizing how she might have said the wrong thing. “That’s not what I meant, Miss Price. Please go ahead and take care of Young Master. I’ll leave now; you can call me if you need anything.”
Britney simply scoffed arrogantly, as if she was already the owner of the house. Her eyes began to sparkle with victory the moment the maid went out and shut the door. The room was dimly lit as she slowly turned around and laid both her palms against Alexander’s chest.
“Alexander…” He was extremely drunk, and he seemed irritated as he struggled to loosen his tie. “It’s hot,” he muttered in a hoarse voice.
“Is it? Let me take your shirt off,” Britney whispered by the side of his ear before her fingers swiftly moved to unbutton the top of his shirt. Once she made her way down, she pulled his shirt open to reveal his tan, well-built chest. Britney felt her cheeks flushing with excitement as she took her own shoes off and kneeled over his body while her hands began to move down his body.
All of a sudden, there was a loud, distinct noise that came from the door as someone fumbled with the doorknob. Creak. The noise was clearer in the middle of the night, and light spilled in from outside the room as the door opened to reveal a tiny shadow—it was Jordan. Britney felt her pent-up rage rising in her chest when she saw who it was. “Who allowed you in here? Get out,” she hissed.
On a regular day, Jordan would have definitely run off the moment he caught a glimpse of Britney. But right then, he forced himself to stay still, his teeth gritted and his face pale as he thought of what he had just heard the maids say.
An expression of anger and hatred flashed across Britney’s face as she had no option but to stop what she was doing and get off the bed. She pulled Jordan out of the room and quickly wrapped her hands around his neck once she saw that there wasn’t anyone else around. “Do you remember what I’ve warned you about, Jordan? Don’t you dare ruin my plans. You’d be the one who suffers if that happens.”
The young boy began to wrestle away from her as she was hurting him. “Behave yourself,” Britney hissed as she was afraid the noise would attract the attention of others. She then let go of him and shoved him away angrily. However, the moment he pulled himself away from her, the young boy felt his feet slipping on the ground before he fell backward directly toward the stairs.
