Chapter 181 We Are Finished
Arabella used Daisy's mouth to deliver her answer to Alexander. That night, she didn't even go home.
She curled up on Daisy's bed video chatting with Becky. "What did you have for dinner?"
Becky's sweet little face lit up with a smile. "Mr. FitzRoy made braised lamb chops, roasted salmon, and lots of other yummy dishes!"
Arabella's expression froze for a moment before she smiled. "Then make sure you eat plenty. You have to eat well to grow tall."
Becky cheerfully agreed, though her expression seemed a bit hesitant. After a pause, she asked carefully, "Ms. Bourbon, did you and Mr. FitzRoy have a fight?"
Arabella smiled. "No, I just stayed out too late with a friend. I'm spending the night here."
Becky's lips turned down. "Then why did Mr. FitzRoy make a whole table of your favorite foods and wait for you until eight-thirty? When you called to say you weren't coming home, he looked completely crushed."
"Uh..." Arabella was momentarily speechless, only able to brush it off. "I'll be back tomorrow. You finish your homework and get to bed early, okay?"
Becky nodded obediently.
After hanging up, Arabella tossed her phone aside and let out a groan.
What had she done to deserve this?
Daisy walked in drying her hair, leaning against the doorframe with a raised eyebrow. "What are you complaining about? It's not too late to change your mind. Just call a cab and throw yourself into Alexander's arms."
Arabella rolled around on the bed a couple times, thoroughly deflated. "I'm finally being rational for once. Can you please not drag me backwards?"
After a pause, she suddenly sat up cross-legged on the bed, looking at Daisy. "Speaking of which, I haven't had a chance to ask you yet. That day outside the mall, Ethan said you need to take responsibility. What's really going on between you two?"
Daisy visibly tensed. "Let me go dry my hair first..."
Before she could escape, Arabella grabbed her by the collar. "Running away won't solve anything. Come on, you have to tell me."
Her escape attempt foiled, Daisy sighed heavily. "Would you believe me if I said I'm innocent?"
Arabella blinked. "Are you saying he forced you? That doesn't sound like your style."
Daisy smacked her with a throw pillow. "Arabella! Are you going to listen or not?"
"Listening, listening!" Arabella quickly raised her hands in surrender. "Come here, sit down and talk."
She patted the bed beside her.
Daisy plopped down with the pillow, letting out a sigh. "Basically, it was just one night of drunken loss of control. Then he latched onto me, insisting I take responsibility, saying I stole his first time."
Her indignation grew as she spoke. "Just because he says it was his first time doesn't make it true. What normal guy in his twenties still has a first time? I don't believe it for a second! Plus his performance was so awful—honestly, giving him two hundred bucks would've been generous. I could've called an escort who'd do better."
Arabella looked at her skeptically. "You don't like him at all?"
Daisy shook her head firmly. "And you know what the worst part is? This bastard has a fiancée. If I'd known he was taken, I wouldn't have touched him with a ten-foot pole."
At this, she let out a cold, sinister laugh. "And guess who his fiancée is? You'll never guess. Rachel! Fuck, I feel disgusted just being associated with him now. It's like stepping in old chewed gum."
Arabella blinked in surprise. The world was way too small. How did everything circle back to the Watson family?
Unbelievable.
She smiled helplessly. "Here I thought you'd found your soulmate. Turns out it's a toxic mess. What are you planning to do now?"
Daisy shook her head, looking miserable. "Honestly, I feel like I really screwed up this time. Ethan says he wants to call off the engagement for me, come clean to his family, then have his parents go to mine to propose—actually marry me... Arabella, I'm freaking out. I mean, I can't stand Rachel, but I'm not low enough to hurt her this way. Most importantly, Ethan seems dead serious. I'm genuinely scared he'll just show up at my dad's place to propose one day."
Arabella thought for a moment. "You said yourself he's just some player. You barely even talk to your dad. Even if he wants to find him, he'd need a way to do it. As long as you refuse to tell him, there's no way he can track your dad down."
Daisy's eyes lit up. "You're right! And here I've been feeling guilty this whole time. I'm holding all the cards here. If I don't want him meeting my parents, what's he gonna do, bypass me somehow?"
Arabella patted her shoulder. "Exactly."
With Daisy's drama as a distraction, Arabella's earlier gloom lifted considerably.
You had to keep moving forward. This wasn't her first time dealing with something like this. She felt much calmer about it now, psychologically.
Move forward. Don't look back. You've got this, Arabella.
Meanwhile, at Evelyn's hotel suite in Majestic City.
Ethan clung to Evelyn's arm. "Mom, I need to ask you a favor. You have to say yes!"
Evelyn had always been stern with this son, though secretly soft. She let out a cold snort and slowly set down her coffee. "What trouble did you cause now? As long as it's not too serious, I can smooth things over with your dad. But if it's major, you better start preparing yourself."
Ethan considered this. "It's kind of big, kind of not."
Evelyn turned to look at him with some surprise. "Since when do you talk so sensibly? Alright, stop pretending. Spit it out. How much money do you need?"
Ethan grinned. "No money. I want to call off the engagement."
Evelyn's expression changed. She refused without hesitation. "Don't even think about it. Did you forget the promises you made to your father and grandfather?"
Ethan's face fell. "I didn't forget. Back then I promised them I'd marry someone and have a kid for them, and they'd let me leave the family business to do what I want, not have to deal with company stuff anymore. But I didn't have anyone I liked then. I figured having a kid couldn't be that hard, and was it really more important than my freedom? But now I've found someone who matters more than my freedom."
Evelyn's expression cracked. After a long moment, she finally processed this. "What did you say? You have a girl you like? Who is she? Does she know your identity? She's not after your money, is she?"
Ethan quickly reassured her. "No way. She doesn't even like me much, so why would she care about the Green family? She's just an ordinary girl, and right now... she hasn't even said yes to me yet. But I have a fiancée, so I can't properly pursue her. What kind of position does that put her in?"
Evelyn's feelings were complicated.
She'd raised this son herself. Rebellious, stubborn as hell. He refused to inherit the family fortune, insisting on acting instead. He'd rather cut ties with the family than give up performing, to the point where her father had decreed that no one was allowed to give him any resources.
No one understood this son better than she did.
To think there was actually a girl in this world he'd set his sights on. And he was willing to compromise with the family for her sake.
It was practically a miracle.
She couldn't help being curious. "What's this girl like? Do you have a picture?"
"Yeah," Ethan said mysteriously. "But I took them secretly. Haven't asked her permission yet, so I can't show you."
Evelyn didn't know whether to laugh or cry. After hesitating, she said, "If this girl has a clean background and isn't some schemer, I can try talking to your dad. I've never liked that Watson girl anyway. She's shallow, can't handle herself properly. I already can't stand her before the wedding—if we actually got married and I had to see her face every day, it'd be the death of me."
"Mom, you're the best! I knew you'd agree." Ethan was thrilled. "I promise she's not a schemer. Once I call off the engagement, I'll bring you to her family to propose. You'll see when she's home—she's amazing. She could tear down the Green family if she got mad enough. Our house hasn't been this exciting in years."
Evelyn was startled. "That hot-tempered? Didn't you say you haven't won her over yet? You're going to propose right after breaking the engagement—won't she beat you up?"
Ethan spread his hands. "She already agreed! She said if I call off the engagement, she'll be with me."
Evelyn looked at him helplessly. "Fine, look at you. I'll talk to your father about this later, okay?"
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Ethan blew her a kiss. "Best mom ever! Love you! Gotta run!"
Talk about single-minded focus.
Evelyn called after him with a laugh. "And here I thought you came back to visit me. Can't you at least pretend a little longer when you're using your mother?"
"No way! My love and respect for you is pure and sincere. How could I be using you?" Ethan ran off with a grin.
Evelyn smiled helplessly. This kid.
She picked up her phone and called Gary, telling him about Ethan finding someone he liked. She reminded him, "It's good the boy found someone he likes, but don't get too excited yet. Have someone investigate first. That kid doesn't have a brain cell to his name—make sure he's not being played. If she's actually decent, help him marry her."
They'd basically given up hope, just praying Ethan would produce an heir so they could raise the next generation while they were still young enough. So they hadn't had high standards for a daughter-in-law. With their son being such a mess, what could they really demand?
But after interacting with Rachel, everyone realized they did have some requirements for a daughter-in-law. Maybe not a perfect lady, but at least someone reasonable. Unfortunately, Rachel didn't even meet that bare minimum.
They'd just been stuck because things had already progressed so far. Backing out now would look terrible.
But now that Ethan had found a girl he actually liked, everything suddenly had a way forward.
Even if just for this girl, Ethan would cooperate somewhat with the family's arrangements.
Thinking about this made Evelyn sigh. Really, what other family's heir turned out like this?
Such a massive fortune, and he was ready to just walk away from it all.
Ugh.
Not long after she hung up, there was a knock at the door. Evelyn thought Ethan had come back, and walked over to open it with mild exasperation. But when the door opened, it was Rachel.
Her smile immediately vanished. "What are you doing here?"
No wonder she was annoyed with Rachel. She hadn't told anyone from the Watson family which hotel she was staying at in Majestic City. She was just here for the wedding, staying a couple nights. Yet Rachel had managed to track her down precisely.
What did that mean? Rachel had investigated her.
Using these kinds of tactics to investigate your future mother-in-law before you'd even entered the family—how could she not find that offensive?
Add to that how the woman who'd ruined her niece's wedding today turned out to be Anthony's ex-wife, and Evelyn was thoroughly irritated just looking at Rachel now.
Rachel quickly put on a fawning smile, acting sweet and obedient. "I heard you were staying here. You came all the way to Majestic City and I haven't properly hosted you yet, so I came especially to check on you. Mrs. Green, are you comfortable at the hotel? If not, you could stay at my place..."
Before she could finish, Evelyn cut her off. "No need. I'm leaving tomorrow."
Hearing this, Rachel's anxiety spiked. "So soon? Won't you stay a few more days? I have time—I could show you around..."
She'd followed Anthony to the police station today, but her brother had told her to come back and find Evelyn, to figure out who this Lady FitzRoy really was. And if possible, to get Evelyn to make an introduction.
She hadn't expected Evelyn to be leaving tomorrow. She was even more glad now that she'd come tonight.
"I've been to Majestic City before. Why would I need you to show me around?" Evelyn wasn't having it, asking bluntly, "Do you actually need something? If not, go home."
Rachel quickly blocked the door, not daring to waste more words. She smiled ingratiatingly. "That Lady FitzRoy today—is she really important? Important enough to have you attending to her?"
Evelyn looked her over. "You don't even know who Lady FitzRoy is? Well, I suppose at the Watson family's level, you really wouldn't have access to that circle."
A flash of embarrassment crossed Rachel's face, but she pressed on. "What circle?"
Evelyn said leisurely, "The circle of top-tier elite families. The FitzRoy family. Haven't heard of them? Well, you must know the Fushenlia brand from overseas, right?"
Rachel froze. "Fushenlia? That top-level conglomerate?"
"That's the FitzRoy family's business. The FitzRoy family immigrated out a century ago. Real old money. Their business spans the globe. I heard they've started gradually returning to develop domestically in recent years. I was lucky enough to attend one of those high-society gatherings once. I saw Lady FitzRoy from a distance."
Rachel's eyes went wide as her face turned ashen.
That old woman was actually that important?
But Arabella had called that old woman Grandma... Could it be that the man Arabella married was from the FitzRoy family?
She didn't even dare guess he might be from the main FitzRoy line in power—just being connected to the FitzRoy family was shocking enough!
Wasn't that guy just some insurance salesman? How could he be from the FitzRoy family?
If they'd offended Alexander that badly, did they have any way out?
No, they were already done for... Connecting this to all the inexplicable setbacks the Watson family had faced recently, a terrifying thought flashed through Rachel's mind.
Could this be related to the FitzRoy family? Was it the FitzRoy family trying to destroy the Watsons?
Was this Alexander's revenge on them?
Seeing Rachel standing there unresponsive like an idiot, Evelyn lost patience and simply shut the door.
Outside, Rachel stood frozen for a long time before finally walking away in a daze.
She had to get back immediately and tell Anthony this news.
Late that night, Anthony returned home.
He was in a good mood. Though Cassidy had pissed him off, she'd ultimately been convicted.
All that time giving his statement at the police station until now had been worth it. With Cassidy's already dirty background, plus his deliberate guidance, life in prison without parole was a sure thing.
Then with a little more maneuvering, he should be able to arrange for her to die in prison.
Though it was a shame he couldn't end that bitch with his own hands, this outcome wasn't bad either.
Anthony walked into the villa with light steps. The moment he entered, he saw Rachel sitting on the sofa looking like death.
Seeing him, Rachel turned her head woodenly, her eyes immediately reddening as she choked out, "Anthony, figure something out. We're finished."