Leonardo did not utter another word again.
Summer glanced at Karen, sneering before she turned and left. Before Karen knew it, Tim came up to her and stretched his hand out. “Mrs. Jarrett, please…” he said, apparently asking her to leave.
Knowing that the recording was fabricated, shame was written all over Karen’s face. She looked down and walked out. Outside the door, Summer stood there, staring at her with her arms crossed.
Karen went up to her, hesitating. “Summer, you…”
“Do you mind riding with me?” Summer looked cold and distant. It seemed strange to Karen, but she still nodded.
…
In the car, Summer and Karen sat in the rear passenger seat. Summer broke the silence first. “Was it Vicky who sent you?”
Her cold voice made it sound more like an order than a question. It seemed to indicate, “You better tell the truth or I’ll…” Karen flinched and admitted to it.
“It was her.”
“I remember her saying something before… She mentioned that someone’s obedient as a dog. Who is it again?” Summer smirked, pulling a devilish face. Karen’s face turned pale, but she still tried to defend Vicky.
“She just lost her head. She’s been treating me very well. Summer, I can see that Leonardo trusts you. You two must be getting along well, right? I hope you can bury the hatchet with your sister so that you won’t agitate her anymore. Just let her be. She’s been eating a lot less recently because of you…”
Summer clenched her fists, shouting at her at the top of her lungs.
“Enough!”
Karen sat transfixed. Never had Summer shouted at her like that before. Summer’s eyes were red, but there were no tears in her eyes. It was also her first time reacting so hysterically before Karen.
“Even if you’ve never treated me as your real daughter, shouldn’t you at least treat me like a human? I have feelings too. I’m not an item that you can manipulate on a whim. I’m a human! I have emotions, and I can feel sad!”
“I know…” Karen was visibly shocked, but she was still obstinate. “But my life in the Jarrett family isn’t any easier. I just hope that you can help me a little…”
“So was my life easy in the past? You’ve never bought me a single dress. Everything I wore, I inherited from Vicky and the maids. Every time you made cookies and prepared fruits, I had to wait for her to finish before I could get my share. Even after I’ve been forced to marry Leonardo, all of you refuse to leave me alone…”
Summer closed her eyes, facing upward, trying to fight back her tears. She then snapped at the chauffeur. “Stop the car!”
Karen quickly grabbed Summer’s hand. “Summer, please don’t go yet. Listen to me-”
“Leave me alone!” Summer flung her hand away. “Don’t touch me!”
If she glanced at Karen one more time, she feared that she would do something unimaginable to her. The hatred and disgust in her eyes were so strong that Karen winced and let go of her. She did not dare say another word.
Summer then got out of the car. From where she was, walking to the Jarrett Group was not going to be very far.
…
Hoover City was in the south, yet it had four seasons.
Outside, the temperature was hovering at around four to five degrees Celsius only. The wind was bitterly cold as it hit her face, but it was nowhere near the coldness and sadness she felt in her heart. As she picked up her pace, she found herself gasping for air as if she was suffocating.
Arriving at the Jarrett Group, Summer went straight into Vicky’s office.
Vicky’s swollen face did not look swollen at all, partly thanks to her one-centimeter-thick makeup. Seeing Summer come in, she shot her a disgusting look. “Why are you here?”
However, she soon noticed that something was wrong with Summer’s expression. By the time she finally realized what was happening, Summer had leaned over, grabbed her by her lapel, and lifted her up from her chair.
“How could you use my mom against me? A calculative woman like you is pathetic. Do you think Leonardo is as stupid as Jerome? My man’s finger is stronger than his hand! If there’s an issue, find me. If you dare disturb Leonardo again, you’d better watch out.”
She was grateful for the trust Leonardo had in her. Just because of that, she felt guilty about the incident. Leonardo was an introvert, and he shied away from meeting people. Yet, Vicky targeted him by sending Karen to disturb him.
Once Summer was done, she released her hand and slammed Vicky back into her chair. Vicky hit her waist on the armrest, but she forgot to cry in pain because Summer’s roughness shocked her. Seeing how scared Vicky was, Summer sneered and left.
It was only after Summer closed the door behind her that Vicky snapped out of her shock and breathed a sigh of relief. Recalling what Summer said earlier, she picked up the phone and called Karen. It normally took no more than one ring before Karen answered whenever she called. This time was no different.
“Vicky-”
Before she could continue, Vicky cut her off. “How did it go? Did Leonardo blow his top? Did you see his face?”
Sending Karen to see Leonardo and angering him with the fabricated recording was only part of the plan. She was keen to know whether Leonardo was as ugly as people said. It was not Summer’s first time defending Leonardo in front of her. Since Summer was prettier now, she should have set her goal higher. Why would she want to cling on to a cripple? So, Vicky was suspicious.
“He was sitting with his back to me. I didn’t manage to see his face…” Karen knew she had screwed up, her voice involuntarily turning softer. “And he didn’t believe the recording at all. He even told me off, saying that Summer belonged to the Emerson family now…”
When she heard that, Vicky nearly went postal.
“What an arrogant cripple! Just wait and see how cocky he’ll sound when he loses his inheritance to Emerson Group!”
Karen knew how pissed off Vicky was, and she felt bad. “Vicky, I’m sorry…”
“Cut it out! I knew it; you can’t do anything right!”
Then, the line went dead. Karen stared at her phone. Summer’s face, which was filled with hatred and disdain, came to mind. It was true; she could not do anything right. But. all she wanted was to stay in the Jarrett family. Was pleasing Lynn and her two children wrong? As her biological daughter, why did Summer not show her more understanding?
…
After working hours, Tim waited in front of the Jarrett Group. He had been there for a long time, yet Summer was nowhere to be seen. Most people had already left too.