Chapter 169: Don’t Even Think About Getting a Cent From My Family
Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Don’t Even Think About Getting a Cent From My Family
Joel Yules mustered his courage and said, "Shirley, the truth is... Mr. Donovan doesn’t really love you. He’s only in it for the money..."
"H-How do you know?" Shirley Griffin asked, her voice trembling.
Joel Yules was silent for a few seconds before he slowly said, "Because... Mr. Donovan was the one who told me to get close to you in the first place."
Shirley Griffin felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her heart, as if it were being pierced by needles. Even breathing was agony.
"Shirley, I’m sorry." Joel Yules’s voice was filled with guilt. "I never meant to deceive you."
Shirley Griffin was too heartbroken to speak.
Joel Yules continued, "I admit I had an ulterior motive when I first approached you, but then I discovered how wonderful you are, and I gradually fell for you..."
"Stop." Shirley Griffin cut him off, taking a deep breath. Her voice was choked with emotion. "Don’t say any more."
On the verge of tears, Joel Yules said, "I was wrong before. I’ll take responsibility for you and our baby."
"There’s no need." Shirley Griffin raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face. Her expression grew calm, her tone detached. "I’m the one who was truly wrong. If I had been more resolute back then, things wouldn’t have ended up like this."
"Shirley, you did nothing wrong." Joel Yules’s voice was pleading. "Please, cancel the wedding, okay? I’ll go tell my parents, and we can get married."
"Let’s just forget it." Shirley Griffin laughed self-deprecatingly. "I’m the one who violated professional ethics. I’ll submit my resignation to the school. We shouldn’t contact each other anymore."
"No!" Joel Yules said anxiously. "Please, don’t talk about yourself like that, okay?"
Shirley Griffin lowered her gaze and said softly, "Joel Yules, let’s break up."
As soon as the words were out, she hung up the phone without waiting for a response.
Renee Jennings looked at her, her voice gentle and clear. "Miss Griffin, congratulations. Things will only get better from here."
Shirley Griffin clutched her phone, nodding stiffly. "Thank you."
She turned away, tears streaming down her face.
Renee Jennings glanced down at Juniper beside her, gently scratching its head a couple of times. "Go on, go comfort her," she whispered.
"Okay-dokey." Juniper trotted over to Shirley Griffin on its four short legs and rubbed its fluffy body insistently against her.
"Juniper," Shirley Griffin said, her voice muffled. She scooped the small cat into her arms, hugging it as she began to sob uncontrollably.
Renee Jennings silently left the room.
A dozen pairs of eyes immediately fell upon her.
Mrs. Griffin walked over anxiously, wanting to go into the room to check on her daughter.
"Mrs. Griffin," Renee Jennings said gently. "Let her be alone for a little while."
"How is Shirley?" Mrs. Griffin asked worriedly.
A faint smile touched Renee Jennings’s lips. "She should be fine."
Cole’s mother shouted indignantly, "You wretched girl, what kind of lies were you spinning about my Cole in there? This is just awful! How could we have a malicious relative like you!"
"Renee Jennings, do you just hate seeing me happy that much?" Cole stared at her, his eyes dark and sinister.
"I’m doing this for your own good," Renee Jennings said flatly. "After all, what you gain through dirty tricks, you can never keep."
She looked at Rhea Dempsey. "Mom, let’s go."
Just then, the closed door opened, and Shirley Griffin walked out, holding Juniper.
"Shirley!" Mrs. Griffin said, her face fraught with worry.
"Mom, don’t worry." Shirley Griffin gave her a reassuring look, then walked over to Renee Jennings. "Miss Jennings, could you look after Juniper for me for a moment?"
Renee Jennings blinked. Although she didn’t know what Shirley was planning, she reached out and took the small cat into her arms.
Shirley Griffin turned her head to look at Cole.
"Shirley, don’t believe her," Cole explained, anxious and desperate. "My relationship with her has always been terrible..."
SLAP—
Shirley Griffin raised her hand and slapped him. She used all her strength, screaming hoarsely, "Charles Dawson, you’re shameless!"
"How dare you hit my son!" Cole’s mother lunged forward like a wild animal. "I’ll kill you!"
Renee Jennings and Rhea Dempsey reached out and held her back.
"Auntie, calm down!"
"This is Cole’s fault, after all. He deserves to be hit for what he did."
Cole clutched his face, staring at Shirley Griffin in disbelief. "You... you believe her over me?"
Shirley Griffin slapped him again, furious. "You’re disgusting! I will absolutely not marry a person like you! The wedding is canceled! Don’t even think about getting a single penny from my family!"
Seeing this side of his daughter for the first time, Mr. Griffin’s eyes welled up slightly, and his heart filled with emotion.
’His Shirley has gone through this setback. She should be able to grow from this.’
"No, you can’t cancel it!" Cole said, unwilling to accept it. "You promised you’d marry me!"
"Never!" Shirley Griffin turned her head to look at Mr. Griffin, her eyes red-rimmed. She choked out, "Dad, I’m sorry. I’ve disappointed you..."
Mr. Griffin frowned and said in a low voice, "We’ll talk about this when we get home."
"Okay." Shirley Griffin nodded firmly.
Renee Jennings and Rhea Dempsey also left with the three members of the Griffin family.
It was as if Cole’s mother could see countless riches flying away from her.
She regretted inviting Rhea Dempsey over. Slumping to the floor, she wailed, "The mansion is gone, the luxury cars are gone..."
The relatives standing in the living room looked at each other, then left one by one with the red envelopes they had prepared.
Cole’s mother had a complete breakdown. She scrambled up from the floor and started smashing everything in the living room to pieces.
Cole, utterly dejected, closed his bedroom door. He gripped his hair with both hands, unable to figure out how Renee Jennings knew everything.
「In the complex’s underground parking garage.」
Shirley Griffin gratefully clasped Renee Jennings’s hand. "Miss Jennings, thank you so much for telling me the truth and stopping me from making a huge mistake..."
"Yes, Miss Jennings, you’re our family’s benefactor," Mr. Griffin said solemnly. "Thank you for saving Shirley."
Mrs. Griffin nodded vigorously. "That’s right. If Shirley had really married into that family, I can’t imagine how miserable her life would have been."
"Miss Jennings, could we trouble you for a bank account number?" Mr. Griffin said seriously. "I’ll arrange to have a reward transferred to you."
"That won’t be necessary." Renee Jennings handed Juniper back, saying nonchalantly, "I see Miss Griffin has a cat too. If you really want to thank me, just donate the money to an animal protection organization."
She smiled and patted Shirley Griffin’s shoulder. "You’ve got this."
With that, Renee Jennings turned and strode away on her long legs.
Mr. Griffin watched her leave, his tone full of admiration. "That girl is a good person."
"Yes," Mrs. Griffin agreed with a nod. "Thank goodness she was here today. Otherwise, Shirley’s entire future..."
After parking her car, Renee Jennings walked toward her apartment building and found Rhea Dempsey still sitting on her electric scooter.
She walked up, put an arm around her mother’s shoulder, and said with a grin, "Mom, were you waiting for me?"
"I was." Rhea Dempsey got off the scooter, and they started walking. "About what happened today... I don’t think Cole’s family will just let it go."
"Are you worried she’ll come to our place and cause a scene?" Renee Jennings asked.
Rhea Dempsey nodded. "That shrew? Is there anything she wouldn’t do? And we have two little ones at home. I’m afraid she’ll scare Zane and Jasmine."
Renee Jennings said, "Mom, let’s move then."
Rhea Dempsey had just inserted the key into the lock. Hearing this, she turned to look at her daughter in surprise. "Like mother, like daughter. That’s exactly what I was thinking."