Chapter 44
Alison and Aurora never got along, so whenever Alison found an opportunity, she would start mocking Aurora.
Aurora smirked after hearing her. She had just enjoyed a tasty breakfast and was in a great mood. She didn’t feel like wasting time on irrelevant people, so she casually replied, “Maybe.”
Behind her, Alison stomped her foot in anger at Aurora’s indifferent attitude and muttered under her breath, “She’s just some unwanted orphan living under someone else’s roof. What’s she got to be so smug about? Just wait. She’ll get what’s coming to her.”
When Alison returned to Class A, she wanted to wait for Maura to ask if Aurora had been kicked out so she could make fun of Aurora. But to Alison’s surprise, even when the bell for morning study rang. Maura still hadn’t shown up.
Maura never missed a day of class, so Alison sensed something was off and tried calling her, only to find that her phone was off.
Alison ran to the office and asked the homeroom teacher, Ruby, “Ms. Bates, why isn’t Maura here today? Did she ask for leave?” Meanwhile, Alison thought that if Maura had been on leave, she would’ve mentioned it to her.
Ruby adjusted her glasses, remembering that Alison and Maura were close, so she answered, “Mr. Crawford called this morning. Maura’s stek and in the hospital.”
Alison frowned and muttered, “Sick? Didn’t she just get discharged a few days ago? How could she be sick again? Is Aurora cursing her or something?”
She remembered that Maura had always been in good health, so she couldn’t help but wonder why, ever since Aurora came back, Maura had ended up in the hospital twice.
Ruby raised an eyebrow, remembering how Aurora had openly insulted her in front of Frank, and a flicker of disdain crossed her face. Without thinking, she blurted out, “Isn’t Aurora just some country bumpkin? Who knows, maybe she’s carrying some kind of virus.”
Alison nodded in agreement. “She’s probably infected Maura with something dirty from her.” She thought to herself that when she got the chance, she’d have to scrub Aurora clean from head to toe.
Meanwhile, Aurora, who had entered Class F, had no idea that people were gossiping about her. As usual, she stood at the front of the class, teaching.
The class still had that bet with Class A on their minds, and even after a few days, their motivation hadn’t faded. Erik had even hired a tutor, which had his parents absolutely thrilled.
After school, Margaret deliberately hung back, and when she didn’t see the Crawford family’s car, she happily linked arms with Aurora, trying to drag her to her own car. “Come on. Ride with me today, Rory.”
Aurora skillfully slipped her hand out of Margaret’s grasp. “I’ll just catch a taxi.”
She had only been riding in the Crawford family’s car before to guard against Stacy pulling any dirty tricks, and she’d borrowed the McLean family’s car as a precaution when she had no other options.
But now that things had blown over, and with Maura stuck in the hospital, Aurora figured they wouldn’t have time to cause trouble, so she didn’t want to bother Margaret any further.
Margaret pulled a face and wanted to insist some more, but Aurora’s words stopped her in her tracks, and she obediently got into the car.
Aurora said, “If you don’t leave now, I’m not going shopping with you tomorrow.” Tomorrow was Saturday, the day they had planned to hang out together.
Margaret got into the car and leaned against the window, staring at Aurora with puppy–dog eyes. “Rory, you better call me first thing in the morning. I’ll be up really, really early.”
Aurora gave a soft hum in response and, just like in the morning, called a taxi to go back to Crawford Manor.
With Maura in the hospital, both Stacy and Jaxon had gone to visit her, leaving Crawford Manor unusually quiet. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a golden glow over everything. The flowers in the garden were blooming in full splendor, bursting with life and color.
Aurora dropped her bag on the low table and stretched out under the sun umbrella, letting out a long, contented sigh. She propped her head up and admired the view of the garden. Within arm’s reach were a drink and a slice of cake, sweet and soft, practically melting in her mouth.
“Who would’ve thought Stacy really knows how to enjoy herself at home,” she muttered, scooping up a large piece of cake, savoring the flavor with her eyes closed, thoroughly enjoying this rare moment of peace.
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11:39 AM
Chapter 44
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At dinner, Emma couldn’t help but bring it up, saying, “Ms. Crawford, I heard Ms. Maura Crawford is sick. Aren’t you going to the hospital to check
on her?”
She mused, ‘Mr. Crawford and Mrs. Crawford made such a fuss last night that the whole staff knows about it by now. Even though Ms. Maura Crawford is Mr. Crawford’s stepdaughter, she still calls him Dad. And since he went to the hospital, wouldn’t it look bad if Ms. Crawford doesn’t go?‘
Aurora continued eating at her leisurely pace, not bothered in the slightest by what Emma said. “I just got out of school. Can’t I get a moment to relax?”
She pondered, ‘Besides, Maura probably doesn’t want to see me right now anyway. I’m a good sister. I wouldn’t make things worse for her!
“Ms. Crawford, Mr. Crawford and Mrs. Crawford have been at the hospital since last night and haven’t come back. You really should go check on Ms. Maura Crawford, Emma urged gently.
She had been working at Crawford Manor for over ten years now, and with the family in such turmoil, the tension in the air was thick. The servants were walking on eggshells, terrified of making a wrong move, and life wasn’t exactly easy for them either.
Aurora ladled herself a bowl of beef stew that had been simmered until it was soft and tender, took a sip, and nonchalantly said, “If she’s sick, she should see a doctor. I’m not one, so what good would it do if I went?”
Emma opened her mouth, about to say something, but the sound of the elevator dinging in the living room cut her off. It was the elevator coming up from the underground garage.
The next moment, a voice filled with rage echoed through the air. “Aurora, you still dare to come back?”
As the elevator doors opened, Stacy immediately spotted Aurora sitting at the dining table. A wave of old and new grudges surged through Stacy all at once. Without thinking, she marched over and swung a slap at Aurora.
But the sharp sound of a slap never rang out in the dining room as Aurora had caught Stacy’s hand.
“How dare you dodge me?” Stacy trembled with fury, trying to wrench her hand free, but it didn’t work. No problem, though she still had another hand.
Unfortunately, Aurora caught Stacy’s left hand as well before it could land, her voice icy as she said, “Who do you think
you are, daring to hit me?” With that, she shoved Stacy backward. Stacy, unprepared, stumbled back a few steps, her waist crashing into the edge of the dining table, her face contorting in pain.
“You bitch!” Stacy seethed, her chest tight with anger. Thinking about Maura lying weak and dying in her hospital bed and then seeing Aurora standing there perfectly fine made her blood boil even more.
“What do you think you are doing, you ungrateful brat?” Jaxon, a step behind as he stepped out of the elevator, saw Aurora shoving Stacy and was instantly furious. “She’s your mother! How dare you raise a hand against her?”
Aurora pressed her lips tightly together, not bothering to hide her disgust toward Stacy. “A stepmother doesn’t deserve to be called my mother.”
Stacy was thrilled to hear that, and tears immediately began streaming down her face. She clung to Jaxon’s sleeve, crying out in a pitiful voice, “Honey, did you hear what she just said? Yes, I’m her stepmother, but I’ve never treated her badly since she came to Crawford Manor! I bought her dresses worth over 300 thousand dollars. Maura doesn’t even have those.
“Whatever Maura has, Aurora has. And whatever Maura doesn’t have, Aurora still gets.
“I bet there aren’t many stepmothers who’d go this far as me, are there?” She threw herself into Jaxon’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably as if the whole world had wronged her.
