Chapter 542: I Wonder Who He’ll Be Scammed By This Time
Chapter 542: Chapter 542: I Wonder Who He’ll Be Scammed By This Time
Mrs. Bell’s brow was deeply furrowed, her lips pressed into a tight line. Her eyes, filled with a complex mix of emotions, were locked on her daughter’s face.
Susan met her gaze with a cold expression.
After what felt like an eternity, Mrs. Bell finally spoke, her voice laced with resignation. "Susan, are you in a bad mood today? Did you get into a fight with a friend?"
Susan let out a bitter laugh. "I didn’t fight with any friends. Mom, with the way you and Dad treat Harvey, how could I possibly be in a good mood?"
Mrs. Bell opened her mouth to say something, but just then, Harvey stomped over, tugging hard on her hand. "Go outside and play! Hurry up and take me outside to play!"
"Okay, okay, be careful you don’t fall," Mrs. Bell quickly placated him. "I’ll take you downstairs to play right now. Don’t be so impatient."
After saying that, she looked back at Susan. "We can talk about whatever it is when we get back."
Susan remained silent, her disappointment in her parents growing deeper.
She watched them, looking like a perfectly happy family of three, as tears streamed silently down her cheeks.
「」
[Daffy, have you eaten?]
[Still busy? Why didn’t you pick up when I called?]
[Daffy, what’s wrong today?]
In the dim living room, Daisy Chapman sat on the carpet with her knees drawn up, staring blankly at her phone screen.
’So Young Mr. Quinn also sends a barrage of messages when he can’t reach someone, just like I do.’
In the past, whenever he reached out to her, she had always replied in seconds.
The phone screen went dark. Daisy Chapman lit it up again, gazing at the chat history in a daze.
She bit her lip and mumbled, "Young Mr. Quinn, how could you be so cruel..."
Half an hour later, the screen lit up on its own.
A new message from Young Mr. Quinn arrived: [Not going to reply?]
Daisy Chapman hesitated for a moment, then typed out a few words and sent them: [Young Mr. Quinn, when are you free in the next few days? Let’s meet up.]
The next second, the screen flashed, showing an incoming call from Young Mr. Quinn.
Daisy Chapman closed her eyes, swiped her finger across the screen, and answered the phone. "Hello."
"Daffy," Young Mr. Quinn’s worried voice came through the receiver. "Did something happen?"
"Nothing," Daisy Chapman said, her voice devoid of emotion.
Her reaction was so different from usual that Young Mr. Quinn didn’t believe her. He asked with concern, "Is it something at work? Did someone bully you?"
"No," Daisy Chapman said sullenly. "Don’t ask. We can talk about it when we meet in a few days."
Young Mr. Quinn was silent for a moment, then his tone cooled. "Alright. I’ll find some time to come over in the next couple of days."
"Okay. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up."
"Mm."
Daisy Chapman frowned, ended the call, and placed her phone face down on the table.
Misty snuggled up to her, cooing softly, "COO~ Daffy, don’t be sad. He’s a bad guy, don’t be friends with him!"
Daisy Chapman turned her head to look at Misty and scooped it into her arms. A faint smile finally appeared on her tense face. "Misty, I’m so glad I have you."
「」
Renee Jennings and the others went their separate ways after a late-night snack. Michelle Fuller and Sylvia Brooks went home with her, while Charles Lockwood took Sean Fuller home.
Lying in bed after her shower, Michelle Fuller sighed. "Today was such a thrilling day."
"Yeah," Sylvia Brooks agreed softly. "You know, every time I close my eyes now, I just see scenes from the movie."
"What scenes?"
"The one where Wendy Brooks is standing on a stool, opens the cabinet, and sees a human head..."
"AHHH! I shouldn’t have asked!"
Sylvia Brooks sighed. "And the main character’s last name was Brooks, too. I’m actually really freaked out."
"Don’t say that! Don’t let your imagination run wild," Michelle Fuller said loudly. "Summer, you’re blessed with great fortune. Something like that would never happen to you!"
Renee Jennings chuckled and suggested, "Let’s talk about something happy and fun before bed, so we don’t have nightmares tonight."
"I agree!" Michelle Fuller chimed in immediately. "How about we talk about those two girls from your stream this afternoon?"
"Susan and Daffy?"
"Yeah. Do you think Susan will have a showdown with her parents?"
"Honestly, I’m not sure."
"It’s hard to understand the insistence of some parents. Is having a son really that important?" Michelle Fuller mused. "After watching Susan’s segment this afternoon, I called my mom."
Sylvia Brooks asked curiously, "What did you ask her?"
Michelle Fuller rolled over, cupping the back of her head with her hands. "I asked my mom why she had a second child, and if she was obsessed with having a son."
"And what did she say?" Renee Jennings sat up, intrigued.
"My mom said that mitochondrial DNA is only passed down by women, not men. So for her, only having a daughter meant truly continuing this unique matrilineal legacy." Michelle Fuller’s voice held a trace of smug delight.
Sylvia Brooks sat up too, nodding in agreement. "Your mom put that so well."
Renee Jennings: "A very insightful statement."
"Totally," Michelle Fuller said gleefully. "I then asked my mom, if that’s the case, why have a second child at all?"
"What did she say?" Renee Jennings and Sylvia Brooks both looked at her curiously.
A wide grin spread across Michelle Fuller’s face. "My mom said they weren’t planning on a second kid, but one time, a condom my dad bought was defective. The second pregnancy was an accident, so they just went with it."
"So that’s how it happened."
"Does Hank know about this?"
"Nope." Michelle Fuller shook her head and explained, "I don’t dare tell him; I’m afraid it would hurt his pride. But my parents are really fair to us. If they give me ten thousand, they’ll give my brother ten thousand."
Renee Jennings gave her a knowing smile. "And you trick Hank out of half of his share every time?"
"Hey now," Michelle Fuller said, her eyes curving into crescents as she spoke with complete self-assurance. "It’s mainly because Hank is a bit dumb. Better for me to trick him than to let someone else do it. Keep it in the family, you know?"
Speaking of which, Renee Jennings remembered how Sean Fuller had asked for her help picking out a necklace that afternoon, and she recounted the story. "Has he got a crush on a girl?"
"Another girl he likes?" Michelle Fuller frowned, a worried look crossing her face. "Sigh. I wonder who’s going to trick him this time."
"Why do you have so little faith in Hank?" Sylvia Brooks found it funny. "He seems pretty smart."
"Summer, you don’t know about the things he’s been through. He only looks smart on the surface. In reality..." Michelle Fuller pointed to her head and sighed. "Maybe it’s because my parents didn’t plan the pregnancy... they just... ended up with a dumb Hank."
Sylvia Brooks: "..."
Renee Jennings: "..."
’Truthfully, Michelle Fuller wasn’t that bright herself.’
Of course, neither of them said this out loud.
Meanwhile, Sean Fuller was also lying in bed.
He held his phone, his two long hands typing furiously.
[Yvonne, sorry for only getting back to you now. I seriously didn’t even have time to look at my phone. I almost died today, you know? It was so dangerous, so thrilling, so awesome.]