Seeing Ivy’s expression, Magnus felt inexplicably irritated. Why couldn’t these two just give him some peace of mind?
“Which part did you get right? I find it strange too. Ever since Aurora returned, why have you looked at her unfavorably and picked fights with her at every turn? What exactly has Aurora done to make you despise her so much? You previously wronged her by accusing her of being a homewrecker, but it turned out she and Julian are genuinely in love. Now, you even ridiculously claim that Zachary’s gambling debt and high-interest loans are her doing. Do you think she is a god, that Zachary would head to the casino just because she nods?”
Magnus couldn’t hold back any longer; it seemed that this daughter of his really needed strict discipline, especially now that she was fabricating such lies to slander Aurora.
“Dad, I’m not lying to you. Zachary went to the casino because he was led astray, and Aurora was the one behind it.”
Ivy didn’t realize that once labeled a liar, even if she spoke the truth, she would end up like the boy who cried wolf.
Especially since she had no evidence against Aurora and was merely speaking ill of her, which only incited Magnus’s displeasure-a fact Aurora had long understood. Hence, she never spoke ill of Genevieve and the others in front of Magnus and Grandpa Montgomery. From her return, she had been crafting a good image for herself.
It seemed she had succeeded, for even without being present or speaking in her own defense, Magnus would not believe she was capable of those accusations.
“She’s the instigator? Can’t you come up with a better story? If Julian owned the casino, I might believe he was helping her. But do you know who owns that casino? It’s owned by Mr. Coleman, and I don’t need to tell you the kind of influence Mr. Coleman has. Who would dare to pull tricks in his casino? Not to mention Aurora has just returned to the country; how could she possibly connect with Mr. Coleman? People line up to see Mr. Coleman and he wouldn’t give them the time of day, let alone a young girl like Aurora asking for favors. And even if someone did influence him, doesn’t Zachary have a mind of his own? He knows full well that our family strictly forbids gambling, yet he knowingly committed a grave offense! And here you are, blaming Aurora for it, creating something out of nothing and making unreasonable accusations. Also, regarding your entry into the company, if it weren’t for her speaking well of you to your grandfather, would he have agreed?
I saw what happened on the day of the interview. You couldn’t answer any of the questions she asked, and yet you have the audacity to complain here?”
“She was deliberately making it difficult for me, those questions she asked-not just me, but no one could have answered them,” Ivy still wasn’t convinced.
“Making it difficult for you? You’re really judging her by your own petty standards. I’ve seen her interview others, and she asked you the same questions. Based on your performance that day, you didn’t deserve to be in the company, yet she still agreed to let you in. That shows she was helping you, and the questioning was merely a formality, just like it was with everyone else. You’re still not satisfied today and continue to speak ill of her.
Ivy, Aurora isn’t much older than you, but she is far more sensible and competent, and your grandfather values her greatly. I’m not asking for much, just that you stop causing trouble and don’t end up like your mother, unappreciative of the good life…”
As Magnus spoke, he grew angrier and inadvertently brought up Genevieve. He quickly stopped himself.
“What about my mom?” Ivy sensed that recently Magnus’s feelings towards Genevieve had changed; he used to cherish and adore her in every way.
Perhaps it was the guilt he felt towards his ex-wife, whose death had struck him hard, that led him to dote on and indulge Genevieve and Ivy. However, recently, their roles had abruptly reversed. Now, it was Genevieve who seemed eager to please him, while he either gave her the cold shoulder or remained silent, leaving Genevieve feeling extremely embarrassed.
Even Ivy and Zachary, who were usually oblivious, noticed that something was amiss between the two. From the tone of Magnus’s voice, it seemed that Genevieve had done something wrong.
“It’s nothing; let’s leave it at that. Go wash up and get back to work.”
“Dad, so we’re just going to let it go that Aurora slapped me?”
“I believe Aurora wouldn’t have done that without a reason. I have a lot to deal with, so please leave,” Magnus thought, his toes could tell that Ivy was being unreasonable.
Previously, she had vehemently demanded Aurora’s office, likely causing another stir, but Magnus didn’t bother to elaborate.
“Dad, you’ve changed. You weren’t like this before. I hate you.”
Ivy stormed out again, and Magnus sighed. What was he going to do with his daughter? When would she ever grow up?
Ivy rushed back home. The Magnus who used to support her at every turn now seemed indifferent, and the gap in her heart felt immense.
Genevieve sat blankly by the window, watching the chrysanthemums bloom outside, a look of sorrow in her eyes. She had hoped to find excuses to stay, but now that both children had successfully entered the company, her excuses had run out, and there had been no change in Magnus for many days.
If this continued, it was highly likely that Magnus would indeed ask her to leave the Montgomery family. What could she do to stay?
Lost in thought, she was startled by the sound of a door slamming shut a sound typically made by Ivy. A bad feeling spread through her heart.
“Miss, you’re back?” the nanny greeted politely.
“Get lost, I don’t want to talk to you.”
Ivy shoved the nanny aside, her eyes reflecting a belief in the hierarchy between people, with servants being beneath her.
“What’s wrong? Isn’t today your first day at work?” Genevieve quickly composed her expression to hide any clues from Ivy.
“Mom, Aurora slapped me. It was my first day, and she slapped me in front of everyone.”
Ivy hurried into Genevieve’s arms.
Genevieve thought about how excited and happy Ivy had been that morning, having the servants pack many things for her. Although she was just a junior employee, seeing her daughter so thrilled had put Genevieve at ease. Little did she know that Ivy would return so soon.
Hearing it involved Aurora again, Genevieve sensed trouble. The current Ivy was no match for that sly fox, Aurora.
“What happened?”
Filled with righteous indignation, Ivy recounted the whole incident.
“Mom, isn’t it Aurora’s fault? She slapped me in front of so many people! Don’t I have any dignity?”
“Foolish.”
Genevieve’s response after hearing the whole story was just one word.
“Mom, are you also on Aurora’s side?” Ivy looked at her in disbelief.
“I’m saying your approach was foolish. If you get upset being slapped, how do you think the woman you slap feels? I’m telling you, many things shouldn’t be handled openly.”