The world seemed to suddenly turn upside down, and she felt her understanding and worldview collapsing.
Angry, filled with hatred, she wanted to scream loudly.
“Thelma, Thelma, listen to me.” Eric stepped closer to her.
She stepped back, avoiding him. The boyfriend she had longed for now looked so ugly and dirty, “Get away! Go, don’t come near me!”
She appeared very agitated.
Eric indeed stopped in his tracks.
At that moment, Thelma’s phone rang. She took it out, her fingers trembling. It was a call from her sister, who said that Chris and Susan had come to see her and asked where she was and when she would be back.
Thelma hung up the phone, walked over to Ava, grabbed her hand, and moved forward. She often exercised and was quite strong, so Ava had no way to resist. She hailed a cab back to the Peace Hotel, where Chris and Susan were indeed waiting.
She stormed in, and the three of them were at a loss as to what had happened. Thelma then released Ava’s hand and rushed to the three of them, “Do you know where this good step-sister of mine took me yesterday? She got me drunk, drugged me, and made me sleep with a stranger! And as if that wasn’t enough, she even secretly got together with my boyfriend behind my back.”
She felt so helpless. She didn’t know what to do; she urgently needed someone close to her to take charge and provide her with comfort.
However, Ava showed no sign of panic upon hearing her words. She even squeezed out two tears and said pitifully, “I only took you out to cheer you up because I saw you were in a bad mood. Who knew you would get drunk and insist on kicking me out, saying you had a good friend coming to see you? I was angry! I’m your best friend; who could be better for you than me? But I didn’t expect you to be so ungrateful and sleep with your online friend while stabbing me in the back.”
Thelma was furious. She had experienced too much in one night and felt like she was about to lose her sanity. “You drugged me! You sent messages to my online friend using my phone! It was you!”
Chris glanced at Thelma’s face, then at Ava’s. “What exactly is going on here?”
Ava wiped her tears, looking utterly wronged. “I don’t know what’s going on either! She came to find me early in the morning, scolding me for no reason. I really don’t know anything! As for Eric, I was also deceived! He told me he didn’t like Thelma anymore and was about to break up with her. I’m not as smart as Thelma, and I was easily fooled by his few words. To put it I’m also a victim!”
Thelma couldn’t believe she had such a talent for twisting right and wrong. She trembled with anger and shouted, “Didn’t you hear me say I was too drunk to send messages to anyone yesterday? And just now, I heard your conversation with Eric; you weren’t saying this then!”
Ava said nothing, only cried.
Susan looked at Thelma with concern and said to Chris, “I think Thelma has been under too much stress lately. Should we find a doctor to take a look at her?”
Thelma knew what she meant and snapped, “Shut up! I’m perfectly clear-headed; I know what I’m saying.”
Samantha couldn’t bear to watch any longer. She stepped forward to support Thelma and said to Chris, “Regardless of anything, Thelma is your daughter. I believe what she says. As a father, you should give her an explanation.”
Chris snorted coldly, “Explanation? I see her as just making a fuss, acting crazy. So what if she can’t sing? Does our family lack that little bit of money? I can support you for a lifetime; it’s not like I can’t afford it. Why make such a scene? Don’t you fear being laughed at?”
“You don’t believe me?!” Thelma looked incredulous.
Perhaps seeing Thelma’s red eyes, Chris finally softened his tone and said, “We are a family; families should be harmonious. If you want to make a fuss, that’s fine, but don’t go too far. As for that Eric, a person who changes partners like the wind, if you don’t want him, then don’t. There’s no need to make such a scene over an outsider and make it so ugly with your sister Ava.”
“Didn’t I just say she took me out drinking and drugged me? Didn’t you hear that?!”
“What drug? Ava is your best friend; you know what kind of person she is, and I know too. You made a mistake; your Susan and I won’t blame you. You don’t need to push the responsibility onto Ava. Also, don’t talk about this kind of thing again. A girl getting drunk and going to sleep with another boy, does that sound good? If you’re not ashamed, I’m still ashamed!”
