Chapter 38 : Do You Think You’re Special?
Nigel tried to stomp it out, but the fire only flared higher, nearly catching his pant leg.
By the time the flames finally died down, Nigel, pale with rage, picked up what was left of the notebook and flipped it open. He was shocked.
Half of it was gone. The half that remained was completely blank, without a single word written on it.
He slammed the scorched remains onto the table and yelled, “Who told you to burn it? Mr. Todd was very interested in Dad’s notes!”
Allison looked innocent. “Mom told me to burn it and send it to Dad. I was just doing what she said. And you never told me Mr. Todd wanted it. If I had known, I wouldn’t have burned it.”
“What’s the use of saying that now?” Nigel said angrily.
Ruth looked both angry and regretful. “You still shouldn’t have burned it without asking!”
Allison answered sweetly, “I just didn’t want you to keep having headaches. I thought if I burned it sooner, Dad would stop bothering you.”
Ruth was so angry that she could not even speak. She turned her head away and refused to look at Allison.
Allison gave a cold laugh to herself. It was not that she did not know how to play innocent. They simply were not willing to believe her.
Now that they had failed to get the notebook, they probably hated her even more.
But what could they really accuse her of?
She had done it for Ruth’s sake. No one had ever told her they planned to trade the notebook for Gabriel’s favor.
Their suspicion and hostility only made their argument fall apart even more.
Sherrie glared at Allison from behind Nigel, seething.
She was certain now. Allison had gotten smarter. She had done it on purpose.
At the same time, Sherrie realized she had underestimated her. She had assumed Allison would never bring herself to destroy something her late father had owned. Instead, Allison was so jealous that she would rather burn it than hand it over.
Sherrie was not ready to give up. “Allison, Gabriel really cares about that notebook. Why don’t you just write it down from memory? You wouldn’t want Nigel to lose face, would you…”
Nigel looked at Allison again. It was clear that if she were willing to make up for it, he might have let the matter go.
But Allison looked troubled. “I’m not well educated. I only finished high school. Dad’s notes were very complicated. I couldn’t even understand half of them, let alone memorize or rewrite them.”
Hearing this, Nigel shoved Sherrie aside and confronted Allison directly as his anger flared up. “You did this on purpose. You’re upset just because I didn’t introduce you to Gabriel today.”
“I never said you weren’t my sister. At home, you get everything you should have. But why do you insist on bringing your condition, and my identity, into public situations?”
“I kept my distance outside to protect your dignity!”
“What makes you mad now? You’re my sister. You should be supporting me, thinking about me. If it were Sherrie, she would never put me in this position.”
But wasn’t it Nigel who had exposed her condition and humiliated her in the first place?
Allison looked at him coldly. “Then next time, just pretend you don’t know me. That way, you won’t feel embarrassed. I’ll make sure not to acknowledge any of you either.”
Nigel’s heart skipped a beat. He stared at Allison in disbelief.
Was she really cutting ties with him?
Ignoring the shock on his face, Allison went on, “Other than that notebook, I don’t have a single thing from the Rogers family. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and search my room.”
She turned toward the door. “I’m leaving.”
The more she brushed him off, the angrier Nigel became. “Don’t you have any manners? No one else has left yet. Do you think you’re special?”
Allison acted as if she hadn’t heard a word and shut the door behind her.
Sherrie approached Nigel and patted his shoulder. “Don’t let her upset you, Nigel. With her around, you and Mom can’t even eat in peace.”
Nigel gave her a look of relief. At least he still had one sister who cared.
If only Allison could be as gentle as Sherrie.
He sighed again. “If Allison could just get the Berry family to help clear your bad press, we wouldn’t have to keep currying favor with Gabriel.”
Sherrie sounded doubtful. “You really think she’d help me?”
“I saw her go to the Berrys myself,” Nigel said. “She’s just too jealous to offer help. But I know she still cares about this family. She won’t just stand by and let the hospital’s reputation fall apart.”
Sherrie scoffed to herself. What could Allison possibly do to get the Berrys involved?
Still, she had to admit it. Allison was not as easy to handle as she had been three years ago.
The next morning, before leaving for work, Nigel handed Allison a phone. “Next time you go to the Berrys, don’t take a cab. Just call Carlos and have him drive you.”
Allison’s chest tightened. He knows I went to the Berrys?
Noticing the flicker in her eyes, Nigel patted her head and said, “I know you still care about this family. Build a good relationship with Mr. Berry. They won’t treat you badly.”
A chill swept through her heart. So Nigel still had not given up on marrying her off to that man.
The Berrys were part of the healthcare system. Getting on good terms with them would benefit the whole family’s future.
So what if it meant sacrificing just one person?
Sherrie stood beside Nigel in a stylish, Chanel-inspired outfit, her jewelry catching the light. She smiled sweetly. “Allison, this phone used to be mine, but it’s basically brand new. You don’t mind, right?”
Nigel’s tone hardened as he added, “Even if it’s used, it still costs real money. You don’t have a job right now, so don’t be picky.”
The more guilty someone felt, the harder they tried to act like they were not.
Nigel knew, deep down, that he owed Allison. But instead of facing it, he twisted things around and made it seem like she was the one being unreasonable.
He was also trying to control her, warning her not to cause trouble.