Chapter 182: The Reason Estelle Was Abandoned by the Lockwood Family...
Chapter 182: Chapter 182: The Reason Estelle Was Abandoned by the Lockwood Family...
Noelle Lockwood’s throat tightened, and her expression faltered into a fragile look. She was about to step forward, but Nathaniel Sloan’s icy voice cut her off:
"Seven years ago, Ms. Lowell solemnly promised that when Estelle returned to the Lockwood family, she would be its one and only young lady. When you gave Estelle a servant’s room, Ms. Lowell also told me that the servant’s room was only temporary. Because Noelle Lockwood hadn’t had time to move out, Estelle would have to put up with the inconvenience for a while."
With every sentence Nathaniel Sloan spoke, the faces of Noelle Lockwood and Rose Lowell grew another shade paler.
"It has been seven years to this day. Has it really taken Miss Noelle seven years to move out of a room? And she still hasn’t managed to leave?"
The entire villa fell deathly silent. Rose Lowell’s lips parted and closed as she tried to retort, "Nathaniel, that’s... that’s not how it works..."
Austin Lockwood wanted Rose Lowell to shut up, but Rose didn’t think she was out of line. She figured that since she adored Noelle, the whole world must adore Noelle too. So wasn’t it only right for Estelle to defer to Noelle?
Rose Lowell forced a smile. "It’s just... it’s just... I was afraid Estelle wouldn’t be used to living in such a big room all by herself! Besides, Noelle has been in this family for so many years. If we mistreated Noelle and kicked her out just because Estelle came back, what would that make our Lockwood family look like?"
"Ms. Lowell makes a very good point," Estelle Lockwood said, nodding in complete agreement.
"Kicking the adopted daughter out of her room because the biological daughter returned does make the Lockwood family seem a bit heartless. But to put your own biological daughter in the basement because the adopted daughter is used to her room..."
Estelle Lockwood looked at Austin Lockwood with a half-smile. "If word of this got out, I wonder what people would think. What do you say, Chairman Lockwood?"
Her words drained the color from Austin Lockwood’s face, his expression turning stiff.
Rage flared in Rose Lowell, and she instinctively opened her mouth to start cursing.
Austin Lockwood quickly clapped a hand over her mouth, then frowned. "Noelle, Estelle is right. Your mother is being unreasonable, but are you going to be unreasonable too? That room was never yours to begin with. Now that Estelle is back, you shouldn’t be hogging it!"
Noelle Lockwood’s eyes welled with tears as she shook her head frantically. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry..."
Austin Lockwood took a deep breath and forced a strained smile at Estelle Lockwood. "Estelle, your mother... she’s ignorant. She’s getting old and can’t tell right from wrong anymore. Your father is absolutely on your side. But you should try to be considerate of your mother, don’t hold this against her."
Estelle Lockwood gave a light laugh.
’This family... on the surface, Noelle is petty, and Rose is shrill and irascible. But after they’d exhausted every means to make things difficult for me, Austin would always step forward, harshly reprimand them, and then placate me.’
’But did that make Austin Lockwood a "good father"?’
’Without Austin’s indulgence, would Rose have dared? Would Noelle have dared?’
Estelle Lockwood scoffed. Crossing her arms, she slowly lifted her gaze. "Alright. Since Chairman Lockwood has spoken, then... Miss Noelle, did you hear that?"
Noelle Lockwood bit her lip gently, her eyes brimming with tears. "I heard..."
Before she could finish, Estelle Lockwood nodded in satisfaction. "If you heard, then start moving out."
Noelle Lockwood trembled as if she had suffered the greatest humiliation.
"Oh, right, Chairman Lockwood. Miss Lockwood just said that besides the servant’s quarters, there are no other spare rooms in the villa."
Estelle Lockwood’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "Chairman Lockwood, you wouldn’t be preparing one of the main bedrooms for Noelle right now, would you?"
Veins throbbed on Austin Lockwood’s temples, but he could only give an awkward laugh. "Of course, of course not."
In reality, the Lockwood family’s villa was so large that finding a decent room for Noelle Lockwood would have been more than easy.
But in her attempt to humiliate Estelle Lockwood, Noelle Lockwood had already stated clearly that only the servant’s quarters were left.
If they were to arrange a main bedroom for Noelle now, wouldn’t that just give people even more to gossip about!
Austin Lockwood revealed his true goal with a fawning tone, "Estelle, now that you’re back home, remember to help out the family when you have time. We’re all family, right?"
Estelle Lockwood tucked a stray strand of hair. "We’ll see how I feel."
With that, she glanced at Nathaniel Sloan and turned to walk out of the villa.
Inside the villa, Rose Lowell was trembling with rage. She pointed at the front door and began to shriek:
"What’s wrong with making Estelle Lockwood live in the servant’s room! If she hadn’t shamelessly wormed her way into marrying Nathaniel, she wouldn’t even be qualified to be a servant in our house! It’s not like we’re mistreating her! Noelle can’t handle hardship, but Estelle is used to it. What’s wrong with making her suffer a little more?"
The more she spoke, the angrier she got. Rose Lowell shrieked, her face contorted in a snarl, "Estelle Lockwood was a bastard to begin with! Have you forgotten what the fortune-teller said back then? We threw her away, but that old geezer who wouldn’t die just had to pick her up and raise her! And look now! She’s ruined the Lockwood family’s fortune! Noelle is the family’s Lucky Star, and Estelle Lockwood is nothing but a Jinx—"
SLAP!
Austin Lockwood slapped Rose Lowell hard across the face!
Rose Lowell’s words were cut short. She flinched, realizing what she had said. Her face went deathly pale, and she quickly shut her mouth, mumbling meekly, "Anyway... anyway, why are you being so nice to her? It’s completely unnecessary."
Austin Lockwood’s face was dark as he said grimly, "I don’t care what you and Noelle do behind the scenes. But in public, you will put on an act of doting on Estelle Lockwood. Otherwise, don’t blame me for what comes next!"
With that, he stormed off.
’Rose Lowell felt terribly wronged. Wasn’t everything she did for the sake of the Lockwood family?’
’The moment Estelle Lockwood was born, the Lockwood family fell into crisis. Later, after listening to the Master and abandoning Estelle to adopt Noelle, the Lockwood family was indeed brought back from the brink.’
’Now, the moment Estelle Lockwood returns home, the family is mired in a public relations storm, and their stock has plummeted.’
’Isn’t that the very definition of a Jinx!’
...
Outside the villa, Estelle Lockwood stopped. "Mr. Sloan, why did you come?"
Nathaniel Sloan inclined his head. "The Lockwood family was clearly determined to give you a hard time. Since I knew that, of course I would come."
Estelle Lockwood raised an eyebrow, and another thought suddenly occurred to her. "How did you know... that Rose Lowell put me in the servant’s room seven years ago?"
’Seven years ago, Nathaniel Sloan rarely visited the Lockwood family. On the one or two occasions he did come, Rose Lowell would always pretend to dote on me, even bringing me up from the basement to create the public illusion that the Lockwood family adored me.’
Nathaniel Sloan’s expression was natural. "I noticed something was amiss and questioned Rose Lowell. She didn’t dare to keep it from me."
"It’s just that afterward, I truly believed Rose Lowell had turned over a new leaf. I’m sorry. If I had paid more attention back then, they probably wouldn’t have dared to bully you like this."
Estelle Lockwood pursed her lips. Thinking it over, Nathaniel Sloan hadn’t done anything wrong.
’Back then, she had been too weak. She hadn’t even dared to tell anyone that she was being bullied by her own mother and forced into the basement by the adopted daughter, terrified that if she spoke up, she would lose what little family affection she had.’
Having "died" once, Estelle Lockwood had grown a great deal. She shook her head, not wanting to continue the topic. "It’s not your fault. Nathaniel Sloan, I want to go visit Old Mr. Lockwood. Are you free?"
A light flashed in Nathaniel Sloan’s cool eyes.
This was the first time Estelle Lockwood had invited him to do something since the truth about the will had come out.
Nathaniel Sloan nodded, his voice warm. "Of course. It would be my honor. However..."
He was a little curious. "What do you need to see Old Mr. Lockwood for?"