After successfully cashing the check, Isabella felt as if she was on cloud nine, for she had assumed that the check
her daughter had given her was a fake.
Little did she expect the bank staff to complete all the paperwork courteously when she brought it to them.
Thereafter, Isabella took out a hundred thousand in cash while leaving the balance on her bank card.
On the way home, the usually stingy Isabella was willing to splurge on a taxi ride for the very first time.
Even after she got in the car, she still felt as if she was still dreaming. It wasn't until she felt the pain from pinching
herself that she realized everything was real.
Noticing his passenger pinching herself repeatedly and hugging a bulging black leather bag, the driver couldn't help
but take a greater interest in the paranoid-looking Isabella.
Consequently, the latter tightened her grip on the snake-skin bag. The moment she spoke, the small-town feistiness
in her was on full display. “What are you looking at? Keep your eyes on the road!”
She was fearful that the driver would snatch her bag from her.
Even though Isabella had no idea where Nina got the money from, she didn't care. In fact, even if Nina was involved
in prostitution, she wouldn’t mind it as long as her daughter brought home the bacon.
As a result, Isabella planned to cook up a feast to please her daughter. It was to ensure the latter continue bringing
home more money which she could then use to pull strings on her son's account.
Fortunately, the taxi driver was a good-natured man who simply shook his head and decided not to argue with his
crass passenger.
Nonetheless, due to the ongoing roadworks, the journey home was a bumpy one.
Even after Isabella alighted from the car upon arriving in her residential area, she didn't stop cursing the driver for
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇthis terrible driving.
Given that Isabella was a shrew, she could disparage someone the entire day without having to use the same
vocabulary twice. As human traffic was naturally heavy at the entrance of the residential area, many of the
passersby stared at her as if she was a monster. Faced with such an uncultured middle-aged lady, everyone
avoided her as best as they could.
Meanwhile, Avery, who had just arrived, heard Isabella ranting away.
Not expecting to run into Isabella at the main entrance, Avery was thrown into a dilemma by the coincidence.
If it wasn't for Nina's sake, she couldn't be bothered with someone like Isabella. However, on the account the latter
was Nina's mother, Avery had no choice but to approach her. “Is Nina home, Mrs. Richter?”
As she was already annoyed at being interrupted, Isabella was further enraged when she looked up to be greeted
by the sight of Avery.
“What are you doing here? Have you not done enough harm to my son? Are you planning to hurt my daughter
too?” Isabella spoke with a piercing voice, for she was filled with the urge to plunge a knife into Avery's heart.
If it wasn't for her, my son wouldn't be in prison.
“Mrs. Richter, Zayne is reaping what he sowed. If he had no intention of hurting anyone, there's no way he would
be arrested. Anyway, I'm here to see Nina and not argue with you.” The moment she finished, Avery turned around
and walked into the residential area.
Before Avery broke up with Zayne, Isabella believed the words of the neighborhood gossipmonger, Deborah, and
thought that the former was someone's sugar baby. Not only did Isabella hit Avery before, but she also covered for
Zayne when he cheated on the former with Milana. Therefore, Avery had no respect for Isabella at all.
Nevertheless, she still kept her attitude toward the latter in check on Nina's account.
Despite the restraint shown by Avery, Isabella refused to let the matter go.
Instead, she blocked Avery's way and—forgetting that the snake-skin bag was filled with cash—swung it at the latter.
“Get lost, you despicable woman. You're not welcome here! Even though Zayne treated you very well, you repaid
his kindness by collaborating with another man to get him arrested. Have you forgotten who it was that stayed by
your side when you were overseas all those years? Instead of being grateful to my son, you kicked him when he
was down. How can someone as cruel as you still be around? As for the foolish Nina, she, too, is being manipulated
by you. I don't want you to harm my family any further, so get lost!”
Just like a raving mad shrew, Isabella railed at Avery before hitting her relentlessly.
Although Avery desperately tried to avoid the attacks, her slender figure was no match for the strong Isabella, who
wasn't a stranger to manual labor. Amidst the struggle, a few deep red scratch marks were left on Avery's fair and
tender neck.
As for the crowd that had gathered, everyone watched on without any intention to help.
After all, Isabella was famous among the residents as a crass and feisty character. Whenever she lost her temper,
no one could stand in her way, and neither did anyone dare to do so.
Looking on sympathetically, everyone wondered what the pretty Avery had done to infuriate the crazy woman.
Unable to tolerate it any further, Avery grabbed Isabella's hand and snarled, “Stop it or I'll make you regret it!”
When the sight of Avery's face reminded Isabella of how her son was suffering in prison, her rage burned with
greater intensity.
Pointing her finger at the former, she hissed, “You adulterer! When you were with my son, you cheated on him with
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmanother rich man and caused him to be thrown into prison. And yet, you have the cheek to come to my house still?
Where did you even find the gall?”
Upon hearing Isabella's revelation, the crowd began to frown upon Avery.
Faced with Isabella's wild accusations, Avery sneered, “Mrs. Richter, don't you feel embarrassed to say such words?
It was your son who attempted to drug and rape me. Furthermore, he even arranged for other men to do the
same. A humiliation like this is unforgivable for any woman. Hence, all I did was follow the rule of law. He is, after
all, guilty of his actions.”
“It turns out that Mrs. Richter's son is in jail for attempted rape! Tsk-tsk. You really can't judge a book by its cover.
No one would have expected that underneath that gentle demeanor is a perverted...”
“Just think about it. Given how boorish his mother is, how much better can her son be?”
“This is terrible. I didn't expect to be living in the same neighborhood as someone so unprincipled. Their entire
family must be up to no good. My goodness, we had all better stay away from them.”
As the gossiping crowd changed their perspective abruptly, Isabella was outraged by how the tide turned.
Cognizant that she wouldn't get to see Nina and that any escalation would only hurt the latter, Avery had no choice
but to return another day. With that, she walked back out to the street.
However, she could never have imagined that Isabella would swing the snake-skin bag at her head.
By then, the bag—which wasn't really strong in the first place—had its seams broken from the earlier alteration.
Therefore, when Avery ducked to avoid it, the bag smashed loudly against a branch by the street.
Subsequently, the cash inside poured out onto the ground.
In spite of that, Avery wasn't bothered at all as she treaded on the notes while walking away.
As for the passersby, the sight of cash raining from the sky and being blown around by the wind filled them with
ecstasy. After a frantic scramble for however much they could grab, they stuffed the money into their pockets
before disappearing from sight.
From a distance away, Avery could hear the faint curses and exasperated cries of Isabella as she desperately tried
to stop the public from stealing her money.