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Chapter 54
ver in a short time,
Lindsay studied at the university in Nanston. She came over in a
She appeared at the Rose Garden with a backpack and luggage, dressed in sudent attire, exuding a youthful aura.
Lindsay felt a sense of nostalgia as she looked at the blooming roses in the courtyard.
The last time she had been to the Rose Garden must have been three years ago, during the funeral of Ken and Rebecca. It was also the day she saw the once–spoiled and cheerful Pearl cry uncontrollably.
Not long after that, Pearl “died” Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
She watched Ralph and Tina move into the Rose Garden and remove all the rose bushes. At that moment, she fully understood the meaning of the phrase. “Things will remain, but people will change.
“Lindsay, you’re here!”
Tina exclaimed enthusiastically. She had been half–heartedly memorizing the family rules and was struggling. Then, she came to life when she saw Lindsay’s arrival. Rushing down the stairs, she warmly welcomed Lindsay.
Lindsay felt a bit uncomfortable and unaccustomed to Tina’s enthusiasm. She awkwardly pulled herself away from Tina. She forced a smile and sofily greeted. “Hi, Tina.”
“Lindsay, we’re cousins. Why be so distant?”
Tina said cheerfully. She pulled Lindsay into her room, even pushing the bodyguards out. “Let’s have a sisterly chat. You all can leave and come back later!”
Lindsay looked at the two bodyguards, still trying to figure out the situation. She asked, “Who are they?”
Once the bodyguards left. Tina’s demeanor changed. She rushed forward and hugged Lindsay tightly, tears streaming down her face. “Lindsay. you’re finally here! You have no idea how much I’ve suffered during these days!”
Lindsay was dumbfounded.
Tak, Tina is a natural actress. It’s a pity she didn’t go to film school”
Hubert commented while watching the surveillance video on the computer screen. Holding a cup of black coffee, he almost choked on Tina’s sudden and dramatic performance.
Pearl multitasked. She was watching the video while signing documents. S
She commented, “Film school standards are not this low”
She raised her eyes and noticed Lindsay’s delicate face. It had been three years, and Lindsay had grown up.
Lindsay had lost some baby fat, leaving her looking even more slender.
Lindsay hadn’t quite grasped what was going on when Tina grabbed her hand and began a relentless complaint against Pearl Tina described vividly how Pearl had subjected her to inhumane treatment” in the name of being the older cousin since Pearl’s “resurrection
Tina said, “Look at my knees. The swelling hasn’t even gone down yet, and she made me kneel by the toilet the whole night!
“By the toilet 1 knelt there the entire night! Can you believe it?”
Tina continued, “She even forced me to memorize a set of family rules, a whole list of a hundred, and she somehow found a whip and threatened to hit me if I couldn’t recite them all. Why should I endure this? It’s clear she’s bullying mel
Listening to Tina’s accusations, Hubert couldn’t help but laugh and playfully mudged Pearl’s shoulder. “You’re a bit ruthless with your cousin, aren’t you! Where did you learn to be so tough!”
“Is this considered toughs?” Pearl snorted. “Considering all the nasty things she did to me, I’m being pretty lenient by not hanging her up and giving her a beating”
She could have reported Tina to the authorities and let her spend a few years behind bars, making her p all, Tina had colluded with Manfred to go after her, and they had genuinely wanted her dead.
pay
for the w
wrongs she had committed. After
Pearl decided rupt to kill Tinn, and not reporting her was already an act of
art of mercy.
Family matters must be handled behind closed doors, like the saying, “Don’t air your dirty laundry in pi
public.”
It was not a bad thing to let Tina suffer a linde and learn a valuable lesson.
12:20 PM C
Chapter 54
Lindsay, listening to Tina’s complaints, couldn’t hide her surprise. “Is it true that Pearl did all these things to you?”
“Why would I lie to you?” Tina pointed at herself. “Other than her, who else would dare treat me like this? I feel like I’m in prison every day now, with no one to talk to. Thankfully, you’ve come.
Lindsay forced a faint smile. She didn’t feel there was much to say to Tina.
Tina watched Lindsay’s expression, observing her carefully, and held onto her hand. She said, “Lindsay, do you still blame me for what I did to you when we were younger?”
Lindsay pressed her lips together and remained silent.
“At that time, I was too young and didn’t understand anything. Besides, I didn’t mean to bully you. In fact… there’s something I haven’t told you.” Tina hesitated to speak more
Lindsay looked up at her and asked, “What is it?”
Tina bit her lip as if she had made up her mind and said, “Actually, all those things I did to you when we were kids, including cutting up your dress, drawing a turtle on your face, pushing you into thorny bushes none of that was my idea. It was Pearl. She forced me to do those things!”
“What?” Lindsay squinted. “Pearl made you bully me? Why?”
Tina replied, “What else could it be? It was just for fun.
“We’re different from Pearl. She’s always been the little princess of the Woolery family. Grandpa doted on her, and Uncle Ken and Aunt Rebecca treated her like a precious gem, pampering her endlessly. Even when she didn’t want to go to school, they hired the best home tutors for her. Well, that’s what happens when Uncle Ken’s family has money.”
Tina continued, “What about you and me? You know, my dad is a low–level manager, earning barely enough to make ends meet. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ventured into stock trading, which ended up losing our savings and costing him his job. Otherwise, my mom wouldn’t have divorced him. And you had it even tougher, stuck with that stepmother. You’ve endured so much unfairness since childhood. In front of Pearl, we’re not really cousins. It’s more like we’re her servants and have to live according to her whims,”
Lindsay shook her head. “You can’t put it that way. Our difficult life wasn’t because of her. It was because we didn’t have loving parents. It’s not Pearl’s fault. She’s been good to us
“If she had truly been good to us, she would have brought us to live with her at the Rose Garden! She should have given us the same elite education!”
Tina had a resentful expression as she confidently stated, “We are all daughters of the Woolery family, but why should there be such a big difference between us and Pearl? Do you think that when she gives you some clothes and food, it means she’s being good to you? In reality, she’s just satisfying her vanity and condescendingly providing for us. Why can’t you see that? In her eyes, we are ants she can easily crush. If we don’t want to be crushed, we have to unite against her!”
Lindsay asked, “How do you want to go against her?”
“Tve already confronted her openly, and she’s on guard against me. But you’re different. You’ve just arrived. If you act obedient in front of her initially, gain her trust, and then strike when the time is right.”
Tina advised Lindsay, saying, “Once she trusts you enough, you can do anything. If you want h
Lindsay became speechless.
her goue by midnight, she won’t make it to dawn
As Pearl watched the video, she observed Tina’s twisted and malicious expression. A hint of coldness appeared in her eyes.
Her mother had been right. Some people were born bad, and there was no changing or saving them. When they had rotten to their core, it was