Chapter 50: Just Make Friends, Not Enemies
"Dean, you gotta ask this girl for money—she's my niece and lives in a villa—or you can take my wife and daughter. I'm broke!" Rhett said with a sly grin, but his tone was insolent.
Dean squinted his eyes and looked at Emily. "Your uncle..."
"Uncle!" Rhett interrupted.
"You heard what Rhett said. What's your move?" Dean asked Emily.
Emily replied calmly, "Whoever owes the debt, you go to them. I'm not paying, and don't even think about using Sofia, Violette, or Atticus as collateral."
Dean couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly, his smile disappeared, and he smashed a nearby table with a stick, causing a loud noise. "You think I'm joking?"
"I brought them back for you, how is that a joke?" Emily responded, unfazed.
Dean was impressed by her courage. "Bringing them back is useless. I want the money. Today, either you pay up or you become the collateral. I've given you a discount because I admire you—otherwise, you're not worth $550,000!"
"No, no! Take the house, mortgage the house! If necessary, I'll sell everything to pay!" Violette exclaimed, rushing to stand in front of Emily.
Emily's eyes flickered. Despite being terrified, Violette still stood up for her. Violette hadn't let her down!
Rhett immediately pulled Violette away. "What are you doing? Think about Emily and Atticus, and Mom and me. Without the house, where will we live? Besides, the house isn't worth much. Emily alone can make life better for all of us."
"You jerk! She's my niece. I won't let her pay your debt. You should be the one paying, even with your life!" Violette retorted fiercely.
Rhett, having been insulted by Emily all day, raised his hand to strike.
"Enough. I'm not here to listen to your arguments," Dean said, glaring at Rhett with disgust.
Rhett immediately calmed down.
Dean then looked at Emily with a smile. "Let's go. Don't worry, I'll treat you well."
His gaze became increasingly lecherous, as if he wanted to strip Emily bare.
Emily frowned and mentioned a name, "Alfonso Carr—have you heard of him? If you listen to me today and go after the right person, we can be friends. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude."
Dean's expression changed upon hearing Alfonso's name. He hesitated and scrutinized Emily carefully before speaking. "Alright, let's be friends today..."
"Dean, don't listen to her nonsense. She just knows Alfonso's name because he's a big shot. She's not favored in the Johnson family; how could she know Alfonso?" Rhett protested anxiously.
Emily remained silent, calmly facing Dean.
The atmosphere grew eerily quiet.
Dean hadn't expected someone so young to have such a strong presence. After years of debt collection, he could tell she wasn't bluffing.
Finally, he waved his hand. "You can go."
Emily relaxed her grip on the silver needle in her pocket and said, "Please wait outside with your men. I'll invite you and your team for a meal later to thank you. I need to handle some family matters first."
Emily seemed to have control over the entire situation right from the start.
Dean realized this belatedly and couldn't help but laugh. He wasn't angry; instead, he called his men to leave.
Inside, only a few people remained.
"Emily, you think you can fool Dean? Just wait, you'll be crying soon!" Rhett threatened.
Emily suspected his boldness was related to a message he'd sent to his lover.
"Violette, if I asked you to divorce Rhett, would you agree?" Emily suddenly asked Violette, ignoring Rhett.
Violette was stunned by the unexpected question.
Atticus, who had been silent, spoke up, "Mom, I support your divorce."
"You brat! How dare you support your mom's divorce? Do you want to die?" Rhett shouted, moving to hit Atticus.
Fallon intervened, "Don't hit him. He's still your son, your future caregiver. Don't break him. Blame Violette; she's the one who taught Atticus wrong."
Violette felt a chill as she looked at Fallon, who always belittled her, and Rhett, who seemed to want her dead.
"I... I want a divorce, but what about Atticus and Sofia..."
"Mom, don't worry about me. I'm already an adult."
"And I'll be an adult soon. You don't need to worry about us," Atticus and Sofia said in unison.
Rhett was shocked that Atticus and Sofia were defending Violette.
His face darkened. "Even if you're adults, you're still my children. I owe the debt, and you have to pay it. You can't escape me."
"You scoundrel! Are you trying to drag Atticus and Sofia down with you?" Violette shouted angrily.
Emily stepped in, separating them. "I can help you pay the debt..."
"Great, I knew..."
"I'm not finished. I can pay, but you must sign papers to sever ties with Atticus and Sofia and divorce Violette. If you agree, I'll transfer the money right now."
Emily spoke firmly. She knew this wouldn't be legally binding, but severing ties would prevent Rhett from using public opinion to tarnish Atticus and Sofia. If they stayed away from him, the debt wouldn't fall on them.
Rhett hesitated.
Fallon, cunning and calculating, whispered to Rhett, "Agree. Once we get the money, even if the ties are severed, they still have your blood. They can't truly ignore you. We can use social media to pressure them."
Emily overheard Fallon's plan but didn't reveal it, waiting for Rhett's answer.
"Fine, I agree!"
Rhett was convinced.
Emily turned to Atticus. "Do we have a printer at home? If not, I'll send you the templates for the divorce papers and severance agreement. You can print them at the store downstairs."
"We have a printer in my room," Atticus replied, relieved that he'd recently bought one for his exams.
Emily nodded and sent the templates to Atticus. Soon, he returned with the printed documents.
"Sign them!" Emily tossed the papers in front of Rhett.
"No, don't sign!" Just as Rhett was about to sign his name, the door burst open.
A woman in a red dress walked in.