Chapter 110: Chapter 110 Don’t come to Wendy’s house (4)
Long after he left, Francis stood alone, utterly self-forgetful. Her exuberant mind turned into a sense of shame, breaking her down. She covered her fragile face with both hands as if to hide her shameful behavior.
She wanted to ruin Olivia.
She even thought recklessly that it wouldn’t matter even if she lost everything as long as she could ruin Wendy, but she didn’t know why and for what she wanted to do so.
Such questions came to her mind belatedly, but she couldn’t even see why she was thinking of such questions. There was an unbearable bitterness in her empty eyes.
She couldn’t know exactly when she started to hate Olivia. The more blindly she loved Dylan, the more she hated Olivia. She had been hanging on to that kind of feeling so far.
Besides, Francis was aware that she had hated Olivia much longer. Perhaps Dylan was just part of the reasons for her to hate Olivia. Francis shook her head quickly when she began to question her strong affection for him. Unspeakable fear filled her mind.
“Francis.”
At that moment, she heard somebody calling in the garden.
Calling her name with a familiar voice, the person approaching her, seemed to be smiling at her kindly at first glance.
“What are you doing, standing there blankly? Refrain from doing anything that could make servants here gossip about you.”
“Mom…” Francis stared at her mother, who looked cold behind her soft smile.
“… What’s wrong with your cheek? I think it’s swollen. ”
The countess spoke, looking at Francis’ face, reached out into her face.
Francis turned her head and said, “Oh, it looks like my makeup is wrong. My face looked swollen, so I tried to hide it…”
The countess looked at her suspiciously for a moment, then clicked her tongue as if to blame her laxness. It seemed she couldn’t even imagine that someone hit her precious daughter.
“How did your outing go?” said Francis, quickly changing the topic.
She replied with a satisfied expression, “It was great except for the chaos at the fundraising event… Well, the Scholters again caused trouble. She had a big quarrel with the daughter of the Bishop family. I’m so glad you were not there. Young ladies there got caught in the quarrel between the two. Originally, Countess Setorang had a lingering affection for Scholters, but she seemed to turned her back on them on this occasion.”
But the countess talked happily about that unfortunate thing that should have made her frowned and scorn. Looking at her mother’s strange expression, Francis’s face grew dark.
“Definitely, you’re a better candidate for the son of the Setorang family than the Scholters daughter. Mrs. Setorang is probably very well aware of that… Actually she has given me very positive feedback! Best of all, Damian seems to like you. I hear he graduates from Jeddah Academy next year… I hope you can get married to him then.”
The countess touched the brooch hanging from the center of her chest. It was a ruby brooch offered by the Setoran family in return for the sapphire necklace sent by Earl Hazlet as a symbol of their friendship.
“Look at this. Isn’t the red color here very beautiful? They remembered your hair and eyes as well as mine to prepare this gift.”
Then the countess happily wrapped Francis’s cheeks with her hands as she stared at her dumbfounded.
“Oh my baby! You don’t have to feel sad. When you go to your room, you’ll see a necklace more beautiful than this. I feel Mrs. Setoran pays particular attention to you. ”
“Mom, I…”
“Damian Setoran is a promising young man. He has the perfect condition to succeed the Hazlet family with you. As he is the second son, he will not be the heir of the Setoran family, but he has large rice paddies and fields estate in Mopensha. I hear his academic records were very good at Jeddah Academy. Rumor has it that he is an excellent young man! ”
“… I don’t want to marry him, ” Francis said, pushing her mother’s hands away. Her chin trembled lightly.
The countess got angry about Francis’ rejection and rebuked her.
“Are you stuck with that vain illusion? Don’t you know you’re done with Dylan Lennox? You have to admit that your relationship with him is over. How can you solve your entangled relationship with him? You don’t have time to waste anymore. ”
As Francis remained silent without showing any sign of repentance, her voice grew louder.
“Did you already forget the lesson you learned over the last two years? There is only contempt reserved for the weak! Oh, it really makes me shudder even to think about it. You know well how much I suffered in the social clubs after Marquis Zaxon Bahar publicly criticized our family, right? If I think of the money that Earl Duoldran took from me as the compensation for the cancelation of his marriage with Olivia, I am still very upset. How much humiliation our family suffered until now! Come to your senses! You barely pulled yourself together, then are you going to waste your time again?”
“… You know my heart, right? I can’t get married to someone I don’t love. ”
Francis shook her head with a crying voice. Tears full of resentment came down her cheeks.
“Remember there are many blood relatives who are aiming at our family’s wealth and power. They will rejoice at your weakness like this! Do you think it’s easy to make relationships with a powerful family like the Setorang family? You will be surprised to know how much Duke Engre is helping them secretly. Francis! Why are you so stupid?”
While rebuking her daughter for a while, the countess let out a sigh after seeing her despair. She soon relented her anger and began to soothe Francis by saying, “Honey, don’t ever think I’m trying to give you something bad. Please appreciate my wishes that I just want to give you only good things. It’s hard to find a better bridegroom than him. Don’t you think you should get married as soon as possible and be named heir of our family?”
“Why did you give birth to me, mom?…Did you just want to see your child be heir to the Hazlet family? Was that the reason? Don’t you wish for my happiness?”
Francis spoke, as if to vent out her resentment of her mother.
The countess hardened her face at her angry resistance.
“Don’t talk nonsense! Unless you’re a fool, how can you dream of a happy future Dylan, the son of the Lennox family? You don’t have any sense of reality! ”
“Oh my god… Was I born to hate Olivia Hazlet? Was I born as your tool to get even with Olivia’s mother?”
She shouted. As she used harsh words to criticize her, the countess raised her right hand, unable to restrain her anger. The sound of her slapping Francis sharply in the face rang through the garden.
“Watch your language! If you could understand my feelings just a little bit, you wouldn’t dare to talk nonsense like that.”
The countess warned her with an angry voice. As if she was shocked by her mother’s hitting her for the first time in her life, Francis didn’t reply. The countess barely controlled her anger, adjusting her faded red hair.
“Tomorrow… The son of the Setorang family promised to come here. We’re going to have lunch together. Keep it in mind!”
Giving her such a short notice quickly, she left the garden, leaving Francis alone. When her mother’s footsteps disappeared, Franics began to sob. As her sobbing became louder, the maids nearby were sticking around at a loss.
Crying alone in the garden, Francis cursed the desperate reality facing her.
Wendy, with her wet hair wrapped in a towel, cast a glance at the window of her neighbor’s house. It was full of darkness, as if to show Lard was not there. Wiping the water fromher neck, she lay her fatigued body in bed. It seemed that she was too exhausted to dry her hair.
“Lard…”
She rolled her dry tongue and called his name. The bitter taste of toothpaste mixed with myrrh and herb powder was on the tip of her tongue. She missed him very much tonight.
‘Should I consult with him about Francis’ visit? Can I tell him everything as it is?’
She couldn’t figure out if it was right to reveal everything about her past and her relationship with the Hazlet family. Who would be pleased with listening to her complicated story?
‘What if my complicated story bothers him?’
Lonely, Wendy closed her eyes. It was not easy for her to make a quick decision because she had never discussed her problems with anyone. Moreover, it was very difficult for her to talk to her affectionate lover.
She knew it was impossible to imagine that Francis would give up without getting even with her for her humiliation the other day. But she cautiously speculated that if Francis was smart, she would be able to easily accuse her. Of course, she had to be ready for Francis’s mother to stop by her shop at any time.
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