Free Web NovelChapter 505: Chapter 505: Betrayed and Abandoned
Gavin Grant howled as he was kicked, repeatedly begging for mercy. "AH! I was wrong! I was wrong! AH!"
Manager Grant was truly furious this time. He had personally recommended Gavin Grant for the security team at The Metropolis Residences, but he never imagined Gavin would do something like this. His reputation was going to be completely ruined!
At the thought of his reputation being tarnished so late in his career, Manager Grant put even more force into his kicks.
Seeing this, Officer Tristan Tanner quickly pulled him back, trying to placate him. "Alright, alright, Grant. Calm down. Don’t get physical..."
’At least don’t beat someone up right in front of a police officer!’
With a tearful expression, Gavin Grant pleaded with Melody Summers and Winnie Summers, "Miss Summers, Director Summers, I truly know I was wrong. I just wasn’t thinking straight at the time, that’s why I didn’t dare refuse Section Chief Sheffield. I’m begging you both, please be merciful and let me off just this once!"
Melody Summers waved her hand, annoyed. "Enough, enough. Stop begging me. Just deal with it as you see fit..."
Melody Summers wasn’t particularly concerned about what happened to Gavin Grant. Seeing Manager Grant unable to restrain himself from kicking Gavin a few more times, she found the scene rather uninteresting and simply turned and left.
As she walked out of the emergency response office, Melody Summers immediately spotted Joanne White. Joanne was hiding by the doorway, frowning as she watched the commotion inside.
Melody Summers: "..."
Seeing Melody Summers walk out, Joanne White looked a little embarrassed and fiddled with her ponytail. She hesitated for a moment, then said in a slightly fawning tone, "...This has nothing to do with me... To be honest, I’m not that close with that Gavin Grant guy..."
’Even if we were close before, we won’t be anymore.’
That Gavin Grant was just too stupid. Joanne White decided to break up with him as soon as possible. Otherwise, she was afraid he’d do something foolish again and drag her down with him.
Melody Summers saw through Joanne White’s intentions and asked, a bit puzzled, "What? You’re going to break up with Gavin Grant? Do you have anywhere to live if you do?"
Joanne White looked awkward at the question. She fell silent for a moment before saying with a hint of resignation, "...There are plenty of men out there. I’ll just find another one... Anyway, that’s just how I am. The only way I get a roof over my head is by sleeping with a man..."
She had barely finished speaking when a silver object flashed through the air. Melody Summers had tossed a key into her hand.
As Joanne White stared in astonishment, Melody Summers said, "That’s the key to 4-1706. You can stay there for now, but it’s not for free. Once you have money, you have to pay me back for the rent!"
Joanne White stared blankly at Melody Summers, as if she couldn’t believe she was being helped.
After a long moment, Joanne White lowered her gaze. A tear fell without warning, splashing onto her hand. In a choked voice, she said, "Thank you..."
Melody Summers waved her hand dismissively, getting to her real purpose. "Did you get a good look at the man and woman who were squatting in my apartment? You’ve been wandering around outside for the past few days anyway. Help me keep an eye out. If they show up at The Metropolis Residences again, make sure to give me a heads-up!"
Her intuition told her that Sylvia Lancaster would be back soon.
Joanne White nodded. "No problem! You can count on me!"
******
Despite the Sheffield Family pulling every string and calling in every favor they could for the past two days, and even with Mr. Sheffield personally visiting his old comrades-in-arms, it was all to no avail.
The results of Winston Sheffield’s investigation came back quickly. For abuse of power and using his position for personal gain, he was made an example of and fired from the reconstruction department.
Not only that, but his actions were also announced publicly online and permanently recorded in his personal file. Barring a miracle, he would never be hired in the public sector again.
In just a few short days, Winston Sheffield had gone from a brilliant young man with a limitless future to a reviled outcast.
When Mrs. Sheffield heard the news, she fainted on the spot.
The Sheffield Family frantically scrambled to carry Mrs. Sheffield out the door to take her to the hospital.
Sylvia Lancaster apprehensively started to follow, but she had only taken a few steps before Wendy Sheffield slapped her hard across the face.
Sylvia Lancaster clutched her cheek and stared blankly at Wendy Sheffield, her expression a mask of disbelief. ’Wendy Sheffield, that little follower of hers, actually dared to hit her?!’
Wendy Sheffield glared viciously at Sylvia Lancaster, saying through gritted teeth, "This is all your fault! Sylvia Lancaster, I told you before, you’re a jinx!"
A surge of anger welled up inside her, and Sylvia Lancaster raised her hand, slapping Wendy Sheffield just as hard in return.
"What do you think you’re doing?!" Seeing her daughter get hit, Lana Grant, who had been watching coldly from the side, suddenly flew into a rage. "How dare you hit my daughter?!"
Lana Grant was like an enraged lioness. She strode forward, grabbed Sylvia Lancaster by the hair, and slapped her hard across the face twice.
Staring at the bloody welts on Sylvia Lancaster’s cheeks, Lana Grant snarled, "Wendy was right. You’re a jinx! Because of you, our Winston was fired from the reconstruction department! He lost his government position! You’ve ruined his entire life!"
The more Lana Grant thought about it, the angrier she became. ’If it weren’t for Sylvia Lancaster, if it weren’t for trying to find housing for her family, how could my precious son have ended up in this state?’
Her eyes were bloodshot with rage, and her grip on Sylvia Lancaster’s hair tightened, as if she wanted to rip it straight from her scalp.
"AH! Let me go!" An excruciating pain shot through Sylvia Lancaster’s scalp. She struggled for a while but couldn’t break free from Lana Grant’s grip. She could only look to Winston Sheffield for help, crying, "Winston! Help me, it hurts so much!"
Hearing Sylvia Lancaster’s cries, Winston Sheffield—who had always been so gentle and attentive to her—remained motionless. He sat on the sofa in a stupor, as if his soul had left his body, his gaze completely vacant.
Ever since he’d learned of his dismissal, Winston Sheffield had been in this half-dead state. Not even his own grandmother fainting moments ago had been enough to snap him out of it.
Wendy Sheffield saw this and spat in Sylvia Lancaster’s face. "You still have the nerve to call for help?" she cursed. "My brother is like this because of you! Sylvia Lancaster, you’re a walking disaster!"
"After adopting you, the Lancaster Family was driven to bankruptcy! Then you married Ethan Sutton, and the Sutton Family went bankrupt! Then the Hayes Family took you in, and their entire family was wiped out! Now you’ve come to bring disaster to our family! You really are a jinx! You’re shameless!"
Sylvia Lancaster’s scalp had gone numb from the pain. After a struggle, she finally tore herself free from Lana Grant’s grasp and shrieked, "You’re spouting nonsense! I’m not a jinx!"
Afraid that Wendy Sheffield and Lana Grant would attack her again, Sylvia Lancaster threw herself into Winston Sheffield’s arms.
She looked at Winston Sheffield pitifully, her face a mask of grievance. "Winston, I’m not a jinx... Your grandmother said it herself, I’m a woman of great fortune. I can bring you good luck..."
But before she could finish her sentence, Winston Sheffield shoved her away.
The tenderness and adoration were gone from Winston Sheffield’s eyes. He looked at Sylvia Lancaster coldly and said in a low voice, "You still have the gall to talk about being a woman of great fortune?... Sylvia Lancaster, if it weren’t for you, how could I have ended up in this state?!"
