Chapter 65 William Sees This Scene Upon Returning to the Courtyard
This loser actually has the nerve to call me?
Walter, that idiot, cheated and pissed off her dad so much that he's still in a coma.
And now he has the audacity to call me?
"What? Ready to come back and beg for death?"
Walter had planned to be polite since he needed help, but Thalia's tone crushed him as soon as she answered.
"Thalia, what will it take for you to release Emma?"
Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Wood, begging for help in such a unique way? You think the Smith family deserves to be pushed around by the Wood family? If I catch you, the first thing I'll do is cut off your genitals and throw them into the sea. And you still have the nerve to cheat? Real impressive."
"Every time I went to your office, your secretary always looked at me with a challenging expression. So, you're together?"
"What? Did she have your baby yet?"
Harper: ... Thalia sure knows how to talk!
She’s really got a way with words!
Walter always knew Thalia was sharp-tongued. Even though she was high and mighty, when they were together, she would always stand up for him if someone insulted him.
Despite being engaged for so long without any physical relationship, Walter felt Thalia still protected him.
But he never expected that the person who once protected him would now be so aggressive...
"Thalia, can you honestly say you have no regrets about our relationship?"
"What? Not sleeping with you means I should feel guilty? Just say it outright: I didn't sleep with you, so you couldn't resist and went for the secretary? You're dirty, and you try to drag me down with you? Who gave you the right?"
"Don't think the world owes you just because you made a mistake. If you're so capable, why don't you go save the world?"
"You—"
"If you want me to release Emma, fine. Apologize to me publicly, on your knees, or Emma goes to jail!"
Thalia said her piece and hung up decisively.
She turned around and was startled to see Harper standing behind her, looking surprised.
"How should I address you?" Thalia asked politely.
Harper was momentarily taken aback. Was this polite person the same furious woman from a moment ago?
"Just call me Harper."
"Harper, water," Thalia said, reaching for the glass in Harper's hand.
Harper snapped out of it and nodded quickly. "Right, right, yelling for so long must make you thirsty."
Thalia: ...
At the Wood villa.
Walter hung up the phone.
Wesley Wood asked, "Well? Did she agree?"
Walter didn't respond, just looked at Wesley.
Wesley stood up angrily and started cursing. "Of all people to offend, you chose Thalia? She's the princess of Emerald City! Even if her family went bankrupt, she still has pride. And you, you left the most beautiful woman in Emerald City for a secretary with no background and a bunch of poor relatives."
"I could tolerate supporting you, but now I have to support your wife, your kids, and her leech relatives? If something happens to your sister, you're out. And you leave with nothing."
"Dad, I didn't want this either."
"What do you mean you didn't want this? Thalia wouldn't let you touch her? Couldn't get the swan, so you settled for a toad?" Wesley was fuming, utterly humiliated by recent events.
The Wood family used to be a big name in Emerald City, but now, thanks to Walter, they were a laughingstock.
Business contacts were avoiding them.
Wesley, still seething, was about to leave when he saw Aria Clark standing in the doorway, pregnant.
His eyes darkened even more.
"From now on, you stay in this house and take care of that baby. When it's born, we'll do a paternity test. If it's a Wood family child, we'll take care of it. If not... you'll pay back everything you ate during your stay."
Aria stood in the doorway, head bowed, eyes glinting with a hint of malice.
But Wesley didn't notice.
"I understand, Dad."
Wesley felt even more stifled hearing her call him "Dad."
He didn't even want his own son anymore, let alone this woman with no blood relation.
...
"So Walter really came back," Evelyn said after hearing Thalia's suspicion that Walter might have returned.
She had someone stake out the Wood villa for half a day to confirm it.
"Why would he come back now? Is that woman about to give birth? It hasn't even been two months."
"No idea," Thalia replied lazily, grabbing a tissue to blow her nose.
Evelyn heard the sound. "Where are you now? Still at William's?"
"Yeah."
"What's wrong with you? Falling in love after being mistreated? William's treating you like this, and you still won't leave?"
"William already feels really guilty..."
Just as Evelyn finished speaking, there was a noise beside her.
Thalia recognized Amara's voice and paused. "You're with Amara?"
"Yeah, we drank together last night and got wasted."
Thalia tossed the tissue into the trash, but it missed and landed on the floor. She couldn't be bothered to pick it up. "I'm dying here, and you have the nerve to go drinking?"
"When you were busy with your man, did you think about me being alone?"
In fact, last night, Amara had insisted on taking Evelyn out for drinks to keep her from bothering Thalia and William.
Two women, two bottles of wine, and a shared acquaintance. The night was set.
They spent the whole night cursing William.
By the time they were done, it was morning...
Evelyn realized she had been tricked when she saw Amara sprawled on her bed. Amara had deliberately kept her from going to Thalia.
Evelyn cursed and hung up the phone. Thalia sniffled.
"Drink your medicine first."
"Thanks."
Thalia took the cup Harper handed her and drank the medicine. Harper, seeing the tissues scattered on the floor, didn't mind and bent down to pick them up.
William came back from court just in time to see this.
His face darkened. "Thalia..."
Thalia: ...
What was that?
Was he mad at her?
Is this what Amara meant by feeling guilty?
William had always respected Harper. After all, she treated him and Vaughn with nothing but kindness.
William had come to treat her like a mother, but without the casualness of a real mother. Seeing Harper picking up Thalia's used tissues like a servant made his anger flare.