Free Web NovelChapter 281: Chapter 281: It’s Not Up to You
Joanna Sherman covered her face and crouched on the ground, sobbing. In her arms, Stella Grant squirmed restlessly. Hearing her mother cry, she grew frightened and started to cry as well.
Not long after Sophia Shaw made a call, the person who first posted the video came forward with a clarification.
They admitted to editing the video for a quick thrill.
Chad Jennings had only pretended to jump off the building to extort money from Sophia Shaw; he never actually intended to do it.
Sophia had known all along that it was just one of Chad Jennings’s schemes, which was why she had chosen to ignore it.
The person offered a sincere apology and uploaded the original, unedited video.
Seeing the truth finally come to light, Ms. Archer couldn’t help but give Sophia Shaw a mental thumbs-up.
’Faye is the one to call for this kind of thing.’
’I should have told her sooner.’
’Sigh. Because of my moment of foolishness, this whole thing blew up, and it even led to Cedric Grant getting into a fight.’
’My fault.’
「The next day.」
Sophia Shaw took Bun out for a morning walk. freeweɓnøvel.com
A project had just ended, so she hadn’t packed her schedule and had deliberately set aside time to spend with Bun.
At the entrance to the residential community, she was stopped by the property manager.
"Miss Shaw, I’m sorry to bother you for a few minutes."
Sophia Shaw looked at her impassively.
Since moving into this community, Sophia had spent most of her time working, so it was always Ms. Archer who dealt with the property management.
The property manager smoothed her hair awkwardly. "I’ve heard all about what happened, and I saw the clarification in the group chat yesterday. However, the homeowners’ association is still putting pressure on us. They’re... they’re saying your relationship with your family is too unhealthy, and they’re suggesting... you move out."
The residents here are all high-net-worth individuals with peculiar ways of thinking, which put the property manager in a very difficult position.
"I know every family has its own troubles. It wouldn’t have mattered if this hadn’t become public, but now that it has, and with your status... they’re afraid their children will be exposed to a bad influence."
"The members of the homeowners’ association said that if you don’t leave, they will."
"And they’ll rally the other homeowners to move out with them!"
"The community across the street has been trying to poach our residents. If they all move out, our properties will be vacant, which will seriously affect future sales rates."
There are still several phases of the community under construction, and sales depend entirely on word-of-mouth advertising among these high-net-worth individuals.
No matter how unreasonable the property manager thought the homeowners’ association was being, she didn’t dare let the upcoming projects be affected because of Sophia Shaw alone.
"How about this? I can apply to get you some compensation for the property. Please, just do us a favor and move out."
Ms. Archer was right behind them and became furious when she heard this. "What do you mean by that? Is it a crime just because Faye is famous?"
"Even the law doesn’t condemn people like this! What right do a few members of the homeowners’ association have to treat us this way?"
The property manager didn’t know what to say and could only apologize repeatedly.
Sophia knew the manager was just an employee and that it was useless to argue with her. "Since it’s the homeowners’ association that wants me to leave," she said, "have them come talk to me in person."
"Exactly!" Ms. Archer chimed in. "I’d like to see just what kind of freaks would be so unreasonable."
Just then, a car drove up.
It was a white car, and its wheels nearly rolled over Ms. Archer’s shoes before it stopped beside them.
Its arrival was high-profile and exceptionally arrogant.
Ms. Archer jumped in fright and was about to curse when the property manager strode over to the car. "Ms. Sterling, you’re just in time. Miss Shaw was just saying she wanted to speak with you in person."
The car window rolled down, revealing a face so pale it seemed to glow.
Half-hidden by sunglasses, her chin—which bore the obvious marks of cosmetic surgery—jutted out. A pale-fingered hand removed the sunglasses, and she glanced expressionlessly at Sophia and Ms. Archer.
The driver got out and respectfully escorted her from the other side of the car.
The woman wore a white coat and clutched a matching handbag.
She was wearing high heels that made her seem taller than Sophia and Ms. Archer, giving her an air of condescension. "When you’re told to move, you move. There’s nothing to discuss!"
Her tone was as arrogant as her actions.
Ms. Archer was incensed. "How can you be so tyrannical? Doesn’t every family have its share of drama? Just because some unreasonable family members caused a scene, we have to move? Are you telling me your own family doesn’t have any dirty laundry?"
As soon as Sophia Shaw got a clear look at the woman’s face, she understood.
This woman was Candice Sterling, Yvonne Sherman’s best friend.
’Speaking of dirty laundry, she has more than her fair share!’
’Born into a rich family and just as shameless as Yvonne Sherman, she’d ruined the relationships of several promising young men, stealing them for herself only to dump them when she grew tired of them.’
’Her shamelessness had helped her befriend a whole gang of equally shameless high-society men. They’d formed some kind of "alliance" and went around bullying people.’
’I just never expected her to come after me.’
Candice Sterling snorted, hooking a finger around the arm of her sunglasses and pointing around arrogantly. "Open your damn eyes and take a good look. My friends and I own nearly half the properties in this community. I decide who stays and who gets the hell out. Enough with the nonsense!"
The property manager came over and whispered, "Miss Shaw, you really shouldn’t argue with Ms. Sterling. Just find a new place and put this behind you."
Candice Sterling not only controlled the entire homeowners’ association, but she could also have the property management company replaced whenever she wanted. She was not someone to be trifled with.
"We can’t just move!"
Having worked for wealthy families for a long time, Ms. Archer knew a thing or two about the convoluted schemes of these so-called high-net-worth individuals.
"If Faye moves out of here, rumors are sure to fly. Who knows what they’ll say!"
People saying she was kicked out of the community would be one thing, but what if they started spreading completely fabricated stories?
Sophia Shaw was more clear-headed than Ms. Archer.
Candice Sterling was clearly using this incident to get revenge on behalf of Yvonne Sherman; it was about more than just making her move out.
She spoke up. "We’re not moving."
"Whether you move or not isn’t up to you!"
Candice Sterling gestured toward the property manager with her chin. "Get her out of here by the end of the day, or we’re all selling our units!"
With that, she turned to leave.
The driver quickly bowed at a forty-five-degree angle and pulled the car door open for her.
Clutching her handbag, Candice Sterling paused at the car door, her eyes looking down her nose at Sophia. "Don’t think you’re hot stuff just because you built a few rockets. Crushing you would be a matter of minutes!"
"If you don’t want to move, then buy all the units we’re selling."
"Otherwise, the developer of this entire property will have you carried out if they have to!"
"Leave quietly or get thrown out. Make your choice!"
Candice Sterling was simply banking on the fact that Sophia Shaw had no powerful backing.
Then, she made a call right in front of Sophia. "Old He, pass the word. Sophia Shaw is not allowed to buy property in any community where our people own units! That’s right—she won’t be able to buy a single high-end property in the entire city!"
Candice Sterling stroked her chin as she spoke, her arrogance off the charts.
"She deserves to live in some low-end, cheap apartment!"
Ms. Archer was so furious she clenched her fists. "That damn woman!"
She’s gone too far!
She lunged forward, ready to smash the damn woman’s prosthetic chin!
Sophia quickly grabbed her. "Don’t be impulsive."
She took out her phone and was about to dial when a voice suddenly rang out from behind her. "I’ll buy all the properties here!"
