Chapter 4
“Damn it! Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Quentin stomped his foot in frustration.
“I did warn you that Mr. Yorke needed me,” Kai replied calmly before walking away, leaving Quentin fuming where he stood.
As the head of the Murphy Group, being bossed around like that was infuriating. But what could Quentin do? In terms of strength, he was no match for Matthew.
With no other choice, Quentin left begrudgingly, planning to plead his case again that evening in hopes that Matthew would spare him from being sent to that desolate place.
…
“Mr. Yorke, I’ve looked into it. Ms. Albright is studying at Bronwich College,” Kai reported, standing before Matthew’s desk.
“Got it,” Matthew replied coldly.
“What would you like to eat today?” Kai asked. “Given your injury, you should stick to lighter meals. I’ll have Abel arrange something.”
“Whatever, you decide.”
Kai finished his report and quietly exited the office.
Once the door clicked shut, Matthew raised his head and murmured, “Nelly Albright.”
A faint smile curved on his lips.
…
Back in her tiny rental apartment, Nelly sneezed violently. She rubbed her nose and muttered, “Who’s bad-mouthing me behind my back?”
Just then, her phone rang.
“Hello?” Nelly answered groggily.
“Nelly! Do you know what time it is? Today’s Ms. Tyrant’s class! Are you actually skipping it?” her best friend Clover yelled over the phone.
“Wait, what? Oh no!” Nelly bolted upright, suddenly flustered and scrambling.
“Now you’re panicking? What were you even doing earlier? Seriously, what’s wrong with you?” Clover scolded, clearly exasperated.
Nelly paused, remembering how she had rescued someone last night. She glanced at the couch, but the man was gone. It was as if nothing had ever happened.
“He’s gone,” Nelly mumbled.
“What? Who’s gone?” Clover asked, confused.
“A cat,” Nelly lied quickly. No way was she dumb enough to reveal the truth.
“Get to class right now! Ms. Tyrant isn’t going to let you off easily!” Clover continued yelling.
“Okay, okay, I’m on my way,” Nelly replied good-naturedly.
After hanging up, she began hastily gathering her things.
“This is all that guy’s fault! If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be late. Now Ms. Tyrant’s going to chew me out. Ugh, what rotten luck,” she grumbled while rushing to get ready.
By the time Nelly finished getting ready, it was already 10:00 am. Grabbing her bag, she sprinted toward Bronwich College.
Getting into Bronwich College to study jewelry design had been her lifelong dream.
When she arrived, she was immediately summoned to the office by her professor, Miriam Lear—also known as “Ms. Tyrant” among the students.
“H-Hello, Ms. Lear,” Nelly greeted sheepishly.
Miriam was a slender woman in her 40s. She was dressed in a sharp business suit and had a pair of glasses perched on her nose.
She slammed a test paper onto the desk. “Nelly, look at your math score!” she berated. “It’s bad enough you did so poorly, but now you’re skipping class too? What do you have to say for yourself?”
Nelly blinked innocently and tried to defend herself. “Ms. Lear, I had my reasons.”
“Whatever your reasons, bring your parents in,” Miriam said, uninterested in her excuses.
Nelly gave a wry smile. “They’re busy.”
“Then tomorrow. Nelly, I’m saying this for your own good. If you don’t improve in math, you’ll regret it in the future,” Miriam said sternly.
“I understand. I’ll have my parents come tomorrow,” Nelly replied reluctantly with a nod.
“Good. You may go now. Correct every mistake on this test.”
With the test paper in hand, Nelly left the office. As she headed downstairs to find Clover, she spotted someone she didn’t want to see.
The woman wore a pale yellow dress paired with several-inch-high heels. Her loose hair cascaded down her shoulders, and her lips were painted red. From head to toe, everything she wore screamed luxury.
At the sight of her, Nelly instantly turned to leave.
“Nelly, wait for me!” Giselle Loftin’s saccharine voice called out behind her.
Nelly couldn’t suppress a shiver at the voice but kept walking without a pause.
“Stop right there! Didn’t you hear your sister calling you?” shouted another woman in a white dress.
“Exactly! How rude can you be?” chimed in a girl in pink.
Nelly scoffed inwardly.
Who were they calling rude?
From as far back as she could remember, Giselle had been the one snatching everything she loved. She’d stolen her father’s affection, framed her countless times, and turned him against her.
There was a time when Giselle had stolen something from a neighbor and blamed Nelly, crying crocodile tears. Her father had believed Giselle, and Nelly had borne the punishment.
Nelly couldn’t understand why, despite her efforts to avoid conflict, Giselle seemed determined to make her life miserable.
“Casey, Sandra, don’t say that. I’m sure Nelly has her reasons,” Giselle said tearfully.
Nelly was used to Giselle’s theatrics and remained silent.
“Giselle, you’re just too kind. That’s why Nelly keeps walking all over you,” Casey Zenon said.
“Yeah. You try to talk to her nicely, and she ignores you,” Sandra Pittman added.
Pleased by their remarks, Giselle smirked secretly before continuing her act, saying innocently, “No, Nelly must just be in a bad mood. Don’t blame her.”
“Giselle, are you done yet?” Nelly asked sharply.
“What’s with that attitude? Giselle is so kind to you, but you’re still ungrateful,” Casey snapped.
“What a low-class brat,” Sandra mocked.
Nelly unflinchingly laid a trap as she asked, “Crazy, who are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you!” Sandra spat back.
“Oh,” Nelly replied with feigned realization, “so you admit you’re crazy.”
When Sandra realized she’d walked right into it, her face twisted with rage as she glared at Nelly.
“You bitch! How dare you insult me!” Sandra screamed and lunged at Nelly, grabbing for her hair.
Casey and Giselle stood by, enjoying the spectacle.
Giselle felt a surge of triumph. “Mark my words, Nelly. I’ll ruin you,” she thought smugly.
“Stop it!” a furious voice rang out.
Nelly and Sandra finally let go of each other. Nelly’s neck bore a visible scratch, while Sandra’s face was marked with several scratches courtesy of Nelly’s nails.
