Chapter 106: He Must Pay

ISABEL.

My expression turned incredulous as I revealed the extent of Estelle's misbehavior. "Can you believe that Estelle tried to bribe her way into becoming my account manager? She was even ready to offer me money to secure the position!"

Bennett's jaw dropped at this revelation. "You've got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed. "The audacity of that girl is unbelievable! How did you respond to such a ridiculous proposal?" She was clearly as shocked and appalled as I was by Estelle's actions.

I continued, "Mr. Cruz was the one who had the meeting with Estelle and Mavis. He informed me about their attempt to bribe me into hiring her. All this happened before Estelle decided to lift a necklace from my Mall."

Bennett's brow furrowed in confusion. "Wait, she graduated with an accounting degree? Why would she resort to such desperate measures? That doesn’t make any sense!"

"Believe it or not, Estelle misplaced her certificate." I couldn't help but chuckle. "Estelle managed to drag Mavis into this mess, too. The girl's like a walking disaster!"

Bennett nodded in agreement. "I saw the picture of them standing together online. I wonder how Mr. Mulan will react when he learns that the Mall she was caught stealing from is yours. It seems like he's unaware of the true ownership."

"Mr. Mulan has no idea," I confirmed with a nod.

Bennett placed a hand on my shoulder, her expression serious. "Listen, Isabel, it's time for you to come clean. People need to know that the Mall belongs to you. If you don't, you might be wrongly linked to Mavis' actions because of your connection to Mr. Mulan. Do you understand what I’m saying?"

"That's precisely what I plan to do. Tomorrow, the media will be present, and they'll broadcast the truth about who owns the Mall," I said with a nod.

Bennett smiled, "Now you're talking! No need to worry about your name being tarnished anymore. Everything will be cleared up and everyone will know the truth. You got this, Isabel!"

Bennett's smile remained fixed on her lips as she pressed for more details about my love life. "Now now, what about this neighbor of yours? I thought you two had a thing going on. Am I way off the mark or is there something brewing between you two?"

My cheeks flushed slightly at her question, "Well, well, it seems you're not too far from the truth. Let's just say that we've been spending quite a bit of quality time together lately."

"Then what else? Is that all?"

"Well, he has been acting differently ever since he found out about my relationship with Mavis. But it's understandable, any man would feel the way he does. However, he did make a promise to me. He said if Mavis rejects me, he will come for me."

"What are you waiting for? Go and tell your neighbor that Mavis isn't part of your future anymore. Mavis might be planning to tell Eric lies about you to make him stay off, but he's still no match for you. And Estelle? She's just using him to bounce around like a ping pong ball."

Bennett gave me a little nudge with her elbow, playfully goading me into action. "Don't you think it's time for you to take control of your own destiny? You deserve to be with someone who treats you right."

"Mavis is an unpredictable character," I agreed. "Who knows what his plans are? But given the current situation with Estelle and the public's reaction, I doubt he'll have much time or energy to focus on us right now."

"That's why it’s the perfect opportunity for you to give your neighbor a chance," Bennett said, trying to bolster my confidence. "Take the reins, girl. You know you are worth it!"

I chuckled, "Send me those screenshots, girl! It'll be like the icing on the cake. That's the proof we need to show Estelle's true colors."

"The more proof we can gather against her, the better," she agreed.

Bennett, deeply engrossed in her phone, suddenly gasped. "You won't believe it! Jackson is defending Mavis! Can you imagine that?"

"What in the world is he thinking?" I exclaimed, surprised at the thought of someone sticking up for Mavis in this situation. "What did he say?" I leaned forward, eager to hear what Bennett had to share.

"Hmph," Bennett sighed, passing her phone to me with a resigned shake of her head. "At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter why Jackson's doing this. The point is that despite everything that's happened between them, he’s still willing to stick up for Mavis. I guess there's something to be said for loyalty, even if it’s misguided."

"That’s what true friendship is all about, isn't it? Sticking together, even when the chips are down. I suppose Jackson is a better man than we gave him credit for," I remarked.

"I heard that Mavis lost his job and he's been living a cold life lately. I wonder if he will be able to repay the damage that he's involved in.

My eyes sparkled mischievously as I recalled Mavis' recent visit to my house. "Actually, I have his credit cards and ID card stashed away in a hidden place. Can you believe he came by the other day to get them back? Talk about nerve!"

Bennett let out a loud laugh. "Well, I think it’s time to return those cards to him. What else are you going to do to him, kick him while he’s down?" she teased, the laughter still lingering in her voice.

"Now here's an idea!" I replied with a grin. "I will leave the cards with me, and you can use them to negotiate a settlement with him for all the trouble he's caused me."

Bennett's laughter rang out, "How will we call it? A 'friendship compensation' or something equally ridiculous?

"Anything at all, after all, I don't need his money anymore, and it's only fair that he atones for his misdeeds, even if it's in a roundabout way." I chuckled at the thought of Mavis' reaction when he received a "bill" for damages.

Getting up with my bread toast, I went to retrieve the safe box from where I hid it. I kept it in my closet, under my bed.

"Well, well, well," I said, placing the safe box in front of her, “Seems like the tables have turned, haven’t they? You’ve got everything we need right here." As I pulled out each credit card, Bennett nodded in approval, the corner of her lip curling into a smile.

"I have a feeling Mavis will play along nicely," She said with a chuckle. "But I’ll wait until you give me the signal to start.

"It's hard to imagine going back to Los Angeles when I have no idea if I still have any family left there," I said, my voice weighed down by the uncertainty. "Mom disappeared, and I fear she's retreated to my late father's abandoned house. It feels like I've lost everything that ever made Los Angeles home."

"I might be able to reach your mother," Bennett suggested thoughtfully. "If you can tell me what to say, I could try to communicate with her on your behalf. Perhaps a different voice can open her heart and allow her to reconnect with you. Who knows? Maybe she’s just waiting for someone to make the first move."

I reached for a pen and began to draw a rough map on a sheet of paper. "Here," I said, handing the map to Bennett. "These are the directions to my father's old house. It's quite secluded, but you should be able to find it if you follow this path."

Bennett studied the map, committing it to memory. "Thank you, Isabel. I'll go there and see what I can do. Just remember, it might not be easy. But sometimes, all it takes is one heartfelt conversation to bridge a gap like this."

She hugged me and patted my back. During the night, all I could think of was Bennett conversing with Mom but Mom rather trying to convince Bennett with facts to draw her to herself.

In the morning, while I prepared for work, Bennett left to search for my Mom.