Free Web NovelChapter 176: Chapter 176: Seize the Opportunity to Anger Him to Death
The Second Aunt was lazing in the sun by the floor-to-ceiling windows of her home when Simone Vaughn suddenly burst in, frantic.
"Mom! Mom! Something’s happened! It’s bad! Something terrible has happened!"
Ever since the uproar at the Old Master’s place over her and Zeke Walton, the Second Aunt had been in a foul mood, and even looking at Simone Vaughn irritated her.
Seeing her rush in so frantically, her temper flared instantly.
"What’s the big deal? Look at you, all in a panic! No wonder Zeke Walton looks down on you. You don’t have a single steady bone in your body!"
"What could possibly be so serious? Did someone die? Who? Your grandfather? I can’t imagine anything bigger than his death happening in this family!"
Simone Vaughn was taken aback by her words.
"You actually guessed it! Someone really did die!"
What?
The Second Aunt shot up from her chair in excitement.
"I really guessed it? Your grandfather is really dead? When? How did he die? Where? Why are you only telling me now!"
’Grandpa never did anything to offend Mom, did he? Why does she hate him so much, wishing him dead with every other word?’
Simone Vaughn was speechless once again, losing all desire to share the news with her.
"No, it’s not Grandpa who died, it’s Jessica Bell! It happened at our hospital. I heard Cecelia Archer pushed her off a building and she fell to her death. The hospital has locked down the news. They wanted to tell my cousin first, but they can’t reach him, so they came to report it to Grandpa, and I ran into them!"
She rattled on and on, leaving the Second Aunt utterly dumbfounded.
She never imagined that Jessica Bell—the arrogant, domineering woman who had lorded over her for most of her life, the woman she could never do anything about—would die so quietly.
And to top it off, she was supposedly pushed to her death from a building at their own family hospital by her daughter-in-law. This was just too hilarious!
"HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHA! Simone, you’re not just making up a story to cheer me up, are you? How could something so fantastical be true? Is it real?"
"It’s true! I was afraid Grandpa would be too shocked, so I didn’t let the person go over to him. I had them come here instead. If you don’t believe me, I’ll call him in!"
A moment later, Simone Vaughn brought in the hospital director. Bathed in sweat, he described the situation to the Second Aunt and then stammered,
"Second Madam, what do we do now? We can’t reach President Vaughn Junior, and the Old Master’s health is poor... We’ll have to ask you and President Vaughn to step in and take charge."
’Damien Vaughn is unreachable? How could he be unreachable at a critical time like this?’
The Second Aunt was dying to see his reaction when he found out his wife had killed his mother.
’And the Old Master, who doted on Cecelia Archer so much, yet also valued Jessica Bell so highly—what would his reaction be!’
She couldn’t care less about the Old Master’s health or whether he could handle the shock. In fact, she wished the Vaughn Family would fall apart, split up the inheritance, and go their separate ways as soon as possible!
Her eyes darted, and she said,
"My husband is also away on a business trip and won’t be back for a while... With something this huge, how can we not tell the Old Master? If he finds out later, who will take responsibility? If you’re too scared to tell him, just go back to the hospital and handle things there. I’ll go see the Old Master."
In a flash, the Second Aunt dragged Simone Vaughn and ran frantically over to the Old Master’s residence.
The Old Master was thinking about the flowers and plants Candy had planted and was currently loosening the soil in the garden.
Seeing the Second Aunt and her daughter running over in a panic, he frowned with annoyance.
"It’s the middle of the day. Did you two see a ghost? What are you running for?"
Panting, the Second Aunt gasped, "N-No... It’s terrible, Dad! Something huge has happened to our family!"
"What could be so big that it sends you into such a panic? Speak properly. You’re not young anymore, how can you be so flustered?"
The Second Aunt said, "...Dad, your health isn’t good. I’m a little afraid to say it."
Seeing her so flustered and hesitant, the Old Master tossed the trowel in his hand aside.
"If you’re afraid to say it, then don’t. When will you ever fix this habit of yours of hemming and hawing?"
As he said this, he turned to leave, but the Second Aunt grabbed his sleeve.
"My sister-in-law is dead! Damien is unreachable right now, so I had to tell you! Please, don’t panic, you have to stay strong!"
Hearing such news so unexpectedly, the Old Master’s head swam, and his body swayed uncontrollably to one side.
Fortunately, the butler was right beside him and quickly caught him.
"Sir!"
The Old Master leaned against the butler, taking a long moment before he could raise a trembling, disbelieving hand to point at the Second Aunt.
"What did you say? Say it again."
"I told you I was afraid to say it, but you insisted!"
The Old Master, now too weak to speak with any force, turned his pale face and pointed at Simone Vaughn.
"Simone, you tell me."
Simone Vaughn, terrified he might not be able to catch his breath, hesitated before speaking.
"M-My... my aunt is gone, Grandpa. My cousin is out of town on business, his phone is off, we can’t reach him. Grandpa, please, you mustn’t get agitated."
"COUGH! COUGH! COUGH!"
The Old Master’s face turned beet red. Just as she feared, he couldn’t catch his breath and began to cough violently.
The butler quickly helped him sit down on the ground and began patting his chest.
"Sir! Sir! We don’t have all the facts yet, please don’t get worked up! Your health is what’s important!"
It was another long while before the Old Master could speak again.
He furiously slammed his fist on the ground.
"What exactly happened? Explain it to me clearly!"
The Second Aunt recounted the story of Cecelia pushing Mrs. Vaughn off the building, then, as if afraid the news wouldn’t be enough to kill the Old Master, she watched his expression and added,
"Actually, I’ve known for a long time that Cecelia and my sister-in-law didn’t get along! That Cecelia is a bastard, completely unworthy of Damien. It’s not just my sister-in-law who looked down on her, I do too!"
"And look what happened. My sister-in-law lost her life, all for the sake of a bastard. *Sigh*!"
The little bit of color that had returned to the Old Master’s face instantly drained away, turning a deathly purple at her words.
He clutched his chest with a trembling hand, his face contorted in agony as he asked,
"What did you say? What bastard? Who’s a bastard? What are you talking about now?"
Simone Vaughn was terrified her grandfather would die of anger right then and there. She tugged at her mother’s clothes in fear, but the Second Aunt slapped her hand away and, with an air of throwing all caution to the wind, said to the Old Master,
"Originally, this had nothing to do with me. Damien was hiding it and didn’t want anyone to know, so I shouldn’t be saying this! But since things have come to this..."
"I’ll tell you the truth, Dad! Cecelia’s child isn’t Damien’s at all! It’s the result of her fooling around with who-knows-who back in college! A while ago, Damien happened to meet Cecelia and thought Candy looked a bit like him, so he brought them back to make you happy! Otherwise, why do you think my sister-in-law, after staying abroad for so long, would suddenly come back and pick fights with Cecelia at every turn?"
"You..."
The Old Master began to gasp violently again.
As the butler patted his chest, he said helplessly to the Second Aunt,
"Second Madam, I’m begging you, please stop talking, will you? The Master’s body can’t take this!"
"Miss, please call a doctor, quickly! I’m afraid the Master might..."
The Second Aunt ignored them, relentlessly continuing her tirade.
"It’s the truth, aren’t I allowed to say it? She brought a bastard into this family and then had the audacity to murder her mother-in-law in broad daylight! That woman is absolutely vicious! And you still doted on trash like her. Dad, tell me, have you gone senile?"
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH... PTHOO!"
After a fit of violent coughing, the Old Master spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and fainted in the butler’s arms.
