While Albina was confused, Gloria was about to die of fright, especially when she saw the bodyguard aggressively approach her, grab her by the collar and run into the side alley.
-What do you guys want?
The bodyguard looked at her and let out a sardonic laugh.
-I thought you knew in your heart what we could do. How dare you speak to our lady Albina like that?
-That’s right, even Mr. Sergio from our family loves Mrs. Albina. Where are you from? Bitch. Our lord always speaks softly to her, how dare you shout at her? If you shout one more word, I’ll make you unable to utter a sound for the rest of your life.
Albina watched with cold eyes as each of her bodyguards threatened Gloria, her heart pounding.
Ariana tugged at her sleeve.
-Your bodyguards look like they mean business.
Hearing this, Albina looked at the bodyguards surrounding Gloria and suddenly burst out laughing.
-Don’t worry, it’s just to scare her, have you heard the saying: Evil has its own way?
When you deal with an old scoundrel like this, you have to be tougher than her.
I didn’t know what the bodyguards said, but when they finally took Gloria away, tears were streaming down her face, and she was a mess.
-I’m leaving, I don’t want you to keep me. I’m leaving Sogen City and I’m not coming back.
“Oh, it worked.”
Ariana also raised her eyebrows in surprise. She had been too nice in the past, it was Albina and her familiar bodyguard who were more effective.
But Albina looked carefully into Gloria’s eyes for a long moment. Even though this woman was scared to death now, there was still some defiance in her gaze, and Albina feared that at some point this woman would come back to haunt Ariana.
“In the event that I’m gone and Macos is gone, I’m afraid that Ariana, as reluctant as she is to bother people, will be harassed again.”
-Actually, it’s not that Ariana can’t keep you,” Albina spoke suddenly to Gloria’s sobs.
At these words, Gloria’s sobs stopped for a moment, and the bodyguards looked at each other, not understanding why Albina was suddenly saying this.
Ariana had been Albina’s friend for so many years and knew her character. Who else could understand what she wanted?
-What do you mean by that? -Gloria was not pleased to hear this, but filled with wariness.
“How could Albina let Ariana keep me? This woman should be thinking something bad and trying to set me up.”
Albina looked at her and let out a laugh.
-Hey, I’m serious.
-Ariana can support you, after all, you’re her mother too. Besides, you’re old, divorced and without a child, it’s inevitable that something will go wrong when you live alone.
Albina analyzed the situation and the more Gloria listened, the more pathetic she felt.
-Continue.
Seeing her interest, Albina smiled.
-Ariana can take care of your future food and drink, find you medical treatment when you’re sick and give you a pension, however, you can’t receive it without paying anything. You haven’t raised her before, so it’s time to show motherly love in the future. She made a down payment on that house and gave you all the money she saved, can you help pay for future monthly payments? It’s not much, just five or six thousand a month for about thirty years. No, no, I don’t know if you’ll make it to that age, say twenty-five years down the road.
Albina calculated, but the words that came out made Gloria’s eyes widen.
-Let’s say it’s five thousand a month, twenty-five years is a million and a half. I remember the money you were taking from Ariana, the money you were paid over the years, the alimony you got in a lump sum some time ago, and the money you got in the divorce. All that would add up to a million and a half.
Gloria’s lips quivered.
The money Ariana gave her to break off her relationship and the money from her divorce from Martin added up to a little over a million and a half dollars, no more and no less.
If she gave all that money to Ariana, she would have nothing left.
“This money is my insurance for the rest of my life. Even if I give it to someone, I can’t give it to Ariana.”
Gloria was about to speak when Albina continued:
-Ah, yes, apart from that money, there is another thing I want to remind you of. You weren’t nice to Ariana before, and she hates you too. Don’t be angry if sometimes she is uninspired and in a bad mood and yells at you, scolds you or hits you. You are her mother, learn to tolerate your daughter.
This was something Gloria had advised Ariana on other occasions, always using Ariana’s age and her status as a sister to moralize to her when Dante bullied her.
Albina saw Gloria’s face getting worse and worse and continued:
-Ariana paints and sometimes forgets to eat and probably can’t take care of you either. If you get too old to walk remember to make sure you get yourself a caretaker, or else you’ll starve to death and no one will know.
Gloria finally couldn’t take it anymore.
-So being kept by her doesn’t do me any good?
Ariana laughed.
-Albina just analyzes situations and tells the truth. Why are you still mad at a pregnant woman? You are too mean.
Albina also obediently touched her bulging belly and hummed:
-That’s right, why are you so indifferent?
The two sang in unison, infuriating Gloria.
-No way I’m paying you, it’s only fair that you feed me. 1, 5 million is off the table!
Albina’s eyes grew cold.
-It’s okay if you don’t want to pay, when you pass away, you’ll only have Ariana as a relative. The inheritance should be all Ariana’s, shouldn’t it?
Ariana nodded, her eyes bright and her face clear with eagerness.
-The thing is, I’m stressed about paying the mortgage, and as soon as she dies, that inheritance can be used to pay it off.
Gloria felt like she was being watched by a man-eating demon, her brow covered in sweat and her heart filled with fear. Finally, her psychological defenses had collapsed.
She ran away stumbling, crying and howling.