Chapter 125 Half of My Property Belongs to Her
Cassidy couldn't help but shrink back, as if remembering something terrible.
She carefully explained, "Molly had some trouble at school, so I came to check on her..."
Anthony's voice was harsh and commanding. "Come back immediately. From now on, you're not allowed to step foot outside the house without my permission!"
Cassidy held back tears and said, "Okay."
After hanging up, she sat in the passenger seat looking out the window, not understanding how things had come to this point. Tony used to be so good to her, so gentle. Why had he suddenly become so violent? Was it just because she'd been kidnapped and suffered through that ordeal?
But if you truly love someone, how could you mind such things? When Sawyer saw her back then, he only felt heartbroken for her. But Tony, whom she loved deeply, only thought she was shameful and dirty. He locked her in the basement, beating and cursing her every day.
The root of all this was clearly his mother and sister. If Jennifer hadn't ordered Rachel to kidnap her, how would she have suffered through such things?
She didn't even know how she'd gotten through these past few days. Every day in that pitch-black basement, the servants brought her one meal a day. She could only count those meals to know another day had passed. If this continued, she'd go insane!
If Molly hadn't run to find her last night and helped unlock the basement door, she might have died in there.
Thinking of this, fear flashed in Cassidy's eyes. No, she didn't want to die. She was only thirty years old with a long, beautiful life ahead of her. She'd made the wrong choice, but it wasn't too late to repent now.
She'd finally managed to escape this once—she couldn't just go back like this!
A huge impulse surged in Cassidy's heart. This impulse made her joyful, but she didn't dare show anything unusual in front of the driver and Molly. Her fingers trembling, she opened her phone and sent Sawyer a message: [Sawyer, if there's a next life, I hope to repay your kindness again.]
After sending it, she deleted the message. If she fell back into Anthony's hands, he couldn't see this.
She was betting that Sawyer wouldn't leave her to die. Sawyer's feelings for her ran deep—she was very confident about this. He'd kept his distance before because he didn't want to put her in a difficult position, but once he knew she was living in hell, he would definitely help.
As long as Sawyer took her in, she could completely escape Anthony's control, because in terms of family power, the Watson family couldn't compare to the Tucker family.
The driver had already started the car. Cassidy's heart grew more and more panicked. No, she couldn't just be taken back like this. Even if Sawyer wanted to save her, he wouldn't be able to. She had to find a way to get out of the car.
"There's a pharmacy over there. Stop for a moment—I need to buy something." Cassidy tried to put on her high-and-mighty act as she instructed the driver.
She knew the family's drivers were never on her side. She had to act very natural to avoid arousing suspicion.
Sure enough, hearing her words, the driver didn't immediately stop but said, "What do you need to buy? The family doctor has everything. If you're feeling unwell, just have the family doctor examine you. There's no need to personally go to these street-side shops—if someone takes photos, they'll say the Watson family is lowering their standards."
"Are you lecturing me?" Cassidy glared at him displeasedly. "I need to buy emergency contraceptives. Do I have to explain that to you too? What, do I also need to tell you that Tony and I had sex last night without protection?"
The incident of her kidnapping had become widely known these past few days. Although the Watson and Reeves families had urgently taken down the videos, those who needed to know already knew. The servants were crystal clear about Cassidy's unwelcome status in the Watson family.
Hearing her say this, the driver began to have doubts. Was she really buying contraceptives? Mr. Watson did seem quite fond of this woman. Moreover, in terms of status, she was the lady of the house while he was just a driver. Mr. Watson had only told him to keep an eye on her, not to control her every move.
Thinking of this, the driver didn't want to antagonize Cassidy, so he pulled over and said, "I'll accompany you."
Cassidy certainly didn't want that, but there was no better option now, so she could only nod.
Getting out of the car, she ignored the driver and walked straight toward the pharmacy. The driver followed closely behind her. Cassidy secretly checked her phone—Sawyer still hadn't replied to her message.
She was anxious and could only try to delay as much as possible, insisting to the pharmacy clerk that she wanted a specific brand of contraceptive that the store didn't have. When the clerk suggested she buy it elsewhere, she threw a tantrum, demanding the clerk find a way to get it for her.
The clerk had no choice but to contact nearby pharmacies to help her get the product. The driver stood in the store for a while, then got bored and went to the entrance to smoke.
When he finished his cigarette and went back inside, Cassidy was nowhere to be seen!
His expression changed dramatically as he rushed forward to ask the clerk, "Where's that woman from just now?"
"You mean the woman who came with you?" the clerk said irritably. "She left a while ago."
"Wasn't she waiting for another brand of contraceptive?" the driver pressed.
The clerk snorted. "Who knows what got into her? Just now she insisted on that specific brand, then suddenly said the store's brand was fine too. She paid and left. If she'd said the store's brand was okay from the start, would I have needed to go through all that trouble getting it from far away?"
The driver had no interest in the clerk's complaints. Holding onto one last hope that maybe Cassidy had returned to the car, he hurried back, only to find just Molly alone. His heart began to panic as he searched everywhere nearby, but couldn't find any trace of Cassidy.
Finally, the driver could only call Anthony with trepidation. "Mr. Watson, I'm sorry. I lost track of the lady. She... ran away."
---
"You escaped?"
Sawyer looked at Cassidy in disbelief. Seeing her haggard face and the various injuries on her body, he felt both heartbroken and shocked. "That bastard Anthony actually dared to treat you like this! I won't let him get away with it!"
Cassidy's eyes welled up with tears as she shook her head. "Sawyer, don't say that. I'm already grateful to have escaped that hell. Thank goodness you came in time to take me away, otherwise I really wouldn't have been able to survive..."
She cried with trembling shoulders that looked heartbreakingly fragile. Sawyer couldn't help but pull her into his embrace, comforting her. "It's okay, it's over now. Don't worry—with me here, I'll never let him hurt you again."
Cassidy looked up at him pitifully. "Sawyer, I have a request that might be presumptuous. You know I have no one to rely on in this city. Could I temporarily stay at your place? I know this request is very forward, but I really have no choice. If I stay at a hotel, Anthony will definitely find me."
Sawyer's heart ached as he agreed without hesitation. "Silly girl, why are you being so formal with me? Don't worry, you can stay at my place until you figure out your next step. I don't believe that Watson guy can trace you to me."
Cassidy breathed a sigh of relief, looking at him gratefully. "Sawyer, you're so good to me."
Sawyer almost drowned in her gentle, tender gaze, his heart filled completely by her. He shook his head, looking deeply at her. "For you, I'm willing to do anything."
Cassidy seemed startled and hurriedly lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.
Men don't treasure what they get easily—she couldn't repeat the same mistake she'd made with Anthony.
After much consideration, Sawyer decided to settle Cassidy at the old mansion. Usually only Grandpa lived there with few visitors—it was quiet and safe.
As for his father, he definitely couldn't hide such a big matter, but he hadn't planned to anyway. Before, it was because Cassie's heart was entirely with Anthony that he chose to watch her happiness from afar. But now that he knew she wasn't happy, he was determined to be brave once and fight for his family to accept Cassie.
Sawyer secretly made up his mind—this time, no one could stop him from pursuing his true love.
Meanwhile, Arabella and Alexander brought Becky home. After arriving, Becky saw the sumptuous dinner on the table and an exquisite cake, asking in surprise, "Ms. Bourbon, Mr. FitzRoy, is today some special occasion?"
Arabella smiled. "Didn't you say you had midterm exams today? This is your first exam since coming here, so we wanted to celebrate for you."
Becky first stared in disbelief, then lowered her head somewhat sadly, saying shamefully, "But my test paper was destroyed. I got a zero on this midterm exam."
Arabella ruffled her hair comfortingly. "It's okay. Grades are just a reference. As long as you tried your best, that's what matters. We're celebrating for you not because you need to get good grades, but because we hope you can adapt to and like it here."
Becky's eyes reddened as she tried hard to hold back tears like a little adult. "Ms. Bourbon, thank you."
She was grateful she'd taken that step. Initially, she'd just wanted to fight for an opportunity—she'd never imagined she could receive so much love. She couldn't help but reach out to hug Arabella, saying softly, "Thank you."
She secretly vowed: 'I'll work hard, and when I make something of myself someday, I'll definitely repay you properly. I'll let everyone know that your choice wasn't wrong.'
Thinking she was still upset about school, Arabella patted her back comfortingly. "Alright, it's all in the past. If those kids target you again in the future, tell the teacher. If the teacher can't solve it, tell me and I'll help you."
Becky nodded, not daring to mention what Alexander had told her at school. His exact words were: "If this happens again in the future, don't be polite. Beat them into submission first, then talk. You were too gentle today—you didn't even leave any real injuries. Don't worry, I've got your back. No need to compromise yourself."
She figured if Ms. Bourbon knew Alexander had said such things to her, they'd probably get into a fight. She definitely wasn't going to say anything.
Becky spent the happiest evening she could remember. She'd gotten into a fight at school but wasn't scolded—instead, she was comforted in every way. Coming home, there was delicious dinner and tasty cake, and even a midterm exam was celebrated. That night she slept as sweetly as the cake she'd eaten.
The next morning, after Arabella dropped Becky off at school, she and Alexander went to the hospital together.
The surgery was scheduled to start at nine. Dr. Kessler had completed his pre-operative preparations and was obsessively checking the instruments and tools over and over again.
Because of the surgery, Percy had been without food and water since yesterday. When Arabella entered the hospital room, she didn't see Marilyn. Arabella felt somewhat displeased. She'd called Marilyn last night after leaving the hospital, instructing her to come take care of her father today. After surgery, her father would need to stay bedridden for over half a month and would need personal care.
She'd thought Marilyn would come at least to put on an appearance, but she hadn't expected her not to show up at all.
To put it bluntly, Marilyn was essentially her father's personal caregiver. She paid her $5,000 monthly to take good care of her father, not to do charity. This had been made crystal clear when they first made their arrangement.
She could see that over these past few months, Marilyn had gotten too comfortable. Not only was she no longer dedicated to caring for her father, but when asking for money, the amounts kept getting bigger. Arabella had wanted to have a talk with Marilyn before, and seeing this situation now, she was even more determined not to indulge this behavior anymore.
If Marilyn was willing to live properly with her father and take dedicated care of him, then she'd continue as before—providing money and effort without hesitation. But if Marilyn thought she could manipulate her father to freeload $5,000 monthly while acting like she was the head of the household, then Arabella wouldn't keep her around anymore.
This time, she wouldn't listen to her father's words.
Having made this decision, Arabella walked in with a normal expression and asked Percy, "Dad, how are you feeling? Don't be nervous. Dr. Kessler is an experienced doctor, so safety is definitely guaranteed. Whatever the surgery results, good or bad, we can accept them. It won't be worse than now anyway."
Percy smiled and waved his hand. "I'm fine, don't worry. Dad's taking it in stride."
Seeing he wasn't very nervous, Arabella relaxed and sat beside him, chatting casually to keep him company. Alexander accompanied them quietly like a transparent person. Percy looked at him and coughed. "Arabella, go buy some fruit. After my surgery, I'd like to eat an apple."
Hearing this, Arabella immediately stood up. "Okay, I'll go buy some right now."
She said goodbye to Alexander and hurried out. Alexander watched the hospital room door close before looking at Percy, his voice steady. "Dad, is there something you need to tell me?"
He could see at a glance that Percy had deliberately sent Arabella away.
Without his beloved daughter present, Percy couldn't maintain his smile anymore. He sat up and pointed to a small bag nearby. "Take this. If I don't make it out of the operating room, give these things to Arabella."
Alexander paused but didn't move, only frowning. "You don't need to worry. This surgery has an 80% success rate and won't threaten your life. It's just like taking a nap—when you wake up, you'll be able to get out of bed and walk."
Percy smiled bitterly and waved his hand. "I know all this. At my age, I should have come to terms with life and death long ago. But I can't stop worrying about Arabella. I'm giving you these things just to prepare for the worst. Inside are some deposit slips and bank cards—the passwords are all included. Alex, I trust you. You won't harm Arabella. I don't want Arabella to worry about me. Before my surgery has results, don't tell her about this. Can you promise me that?"
Alexander looked at him. Their eyes met in a man-to-man promise. Alexander finally nodded in agreement. "Dad, don't worry. As long as I'm alive, I'll protect Arabella with my life. I won't take a penny of her property, and half of my property belongs to her."