Chapter 210
At the Rhett residence, Kristin sat rigid at the dining table, her grip on her cell phone white–knuckled and
tense.
Garner had called earlier, advising her to stay out of it, to let Madge learn her lesson the hard way. If no one bailed her out, she’d have to spend a full twenty–four hours locked up.
“She should reflect on her actions behind bars today,” he had said.
Not long after, the police station called again.
“Lady, isn’t Madge your mother?” the officer inquired.
“Sorry, I don’t have a mother. Does she have proof otherwise?” Kristin retorted.
The cop seemed taken aback, sensing family discord. “Well, then she can spend the day reflecting at the station. Someone will need to come down and pay the $500 fine to release her.”
The call ended abruptly, and Kristin let out a sigh of relief. She considered calling Rhett to check on him at the FitzGerald Group, knowing well that today he would be like a lone sheep amidst a pack of wolves.
“Kristin, Rhett’s place is huge!” Harriet exclaimed as she emerged from the bathroom, her eyes scanning the luxurious surroundings with envy. “Imagine, which lucky lady will get to be the owner of this house someday?”
Caught off guard, Kristin didn’t respond.
“Kris, you’ve got to aim high. If you can get Rhett to fall head over heels for you, all of this could be yours,” Harriet said pragmatically, voicing a harsh truth. “If you manage to win over Rhett, every hardship you’ve faced in the first half of your life would be worth it.”
Kristin clenched her fists tightly.
“It’s just a shame we don’t have the family background. These rich folks will never marry someone like us,” Harriet continued, sitting opposite Kristin with a solemn look. “Stay rational, don’t get hurt, and don’t fall too deep.”
Kristin nodded, her head nearly buried in her chest. She felt as though she was alread
+no deep.
“By the way, did you hear about Sybil? She got out of prison a few days ago. Since she’s.. Ivergrove City, we got in touch. She mentioned wanting to catch up sometime soon,” Harriet changed the subject.
“Sybil’s out?” Kristin looked up, surprised.
“Yeah, her husband apparently had a change of heart,” Harriet swore under her breath. “Men! No good, any of them. Sybil was a fool for taking the fall for her husband’s tax evasion and fraud, shouldering all the blame and doing four and a half years.”
Sybil had been the fall guy for her husband’s company. When trouble struck, he threw her and the accountant under the bus to take the heat.
“Now, he’s thriving on the outside, building up SereneLife Medical Inc. over these years,” Harriet scoffed. “I didn’t have the heart to tell Sybil, but working at that luxury boutique in IF, I saw her husband with a young, glamorous woman, buying the most expensive handbag–a million–dollar piece!”
Harriet cursed, outraged.
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Kristin was shocked. ‘Does Sybil know?
“Of course not, Harriet shook her head.
Sybil had taught Kristin a lot in prison and had been there for her during her darkest times. Kristin fett a pang of sympathy
“We should tell her… Kristin felt compelled to let Sybil know her husband wasn’t worth it
“But is it right to tell her directly? Given her state of mind? Harriet was unsure
“Her husband and his mistress must have visited the boutique before, right? Kristin pressed
“No doubt about it. That mistress is a diamond member at our store; Harriet said angrily. ‘Do you know what that means? It means she’s spent at least a million with us.”
Kristin gasped. “Then we’ll let her know about the new arrivals, the ones that are really pricey if she likes them, she’ll surely bring that man to pay. We’ll arrange for Sybil to be there and see for herself-
Harriet nodded in agreement. “That’s a good plan.”
Distracted, Kristin fiddled with her phone.
“Can you believe how small this world can be?” Harriet suddenly burst out, “The woman that Sybil’s husband is seeing, do you know who she is?”
Kristin shook her head.
“It’s Adrienne’s cousin, a little starlet in showbiz. She made her debut flaunting her connection to the Haywood family and even clung to James Bryce, claiming the Aurora Tech mogul was her cousin–in–law
Harriet marveled at the twisted connection to the Haywood family.
“The Haywood family again…” Kristin massaged her forehead, feeling the irony of the situation.
“If you’re worried about offending the Haywoods, maybe we should drop it?” Harriet suggested, concerned for Kristin.
Kristin shook her head. “This time, it’s a strange coincidence…”
She bit her lip in thought. If Rhett refused the Haywood’s marriage alliance, it would in who might then target Rhett’s shares.
Holcomb
But if she could tarnish the Haywood family’s reputation before that, would Holcomb reconsider une alliance?
The Haywood family had not yet recovered from the damage caused by Adrienne’s bullying and assault scandals. If another scandal broke now, revealing that a Haywood relative was a homewrecker, even Hertha Haywood’s public antics wouldn’t save their reputation.
“What’s the mistress‘ name?” Kristin asked, determined to take action.
She was done being a sitting duck.
Rhett only needed to throw some dirt on the Haywoods, and they’d be down for the count, with no chance of a comeback. In those moments, a rejected proposal from Rhett would seem just as natural as it had been for James.
“Kris… are you finally making your move?” Harriet asked, her gaze heavy with implication.
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Kristin looked up at Harriet. “I have my lines that can’t be crossed. Summer and Rhett… they’re off–limits to
everyone…”
A smile danced on Harriet’s lips. “Then take him down a notch. I’m rooting for you.”
Kristin remained silent, her clenched hands slowly relaxing.
Harriet reached out and embraced Kristin. “You’ve had a tough go of it all these years.”
Kristin shook her head. She had grown numb to it all…
“Hertha doesn’t deserve Rhett. He deserves someone better,” Kristin finally said, her voice hoarse with
emotion.
“What kind of family background, what kind of grace and elegance, would be worthy of a man like Rhett?” Harriet whispered.
The first thing that came to Kristin’s mind was the true heiress of the Lewis family. “The undiscovered daughter of the Lewis family, the wealthiest family in town. Probably only someone with that level of blue–blooded heritage would be a match for Rhett.”
Harriet looked at Kristin in astonishment, then joked half–heartedly, “What if it’s me?”
Kristin glanced at Harriet, and they both burst into laughter.
“Let’s not dream those high–society dreams,” Harriet said, grabbing an apple. “What’s so great about the elite? They’re all tasteless snobs. My boss says that rich folks stay rich because they lack conscience. If they had one, they wouldn’t make a dime.”
Kristin chuckled. “Not all of them… Rhett, he’s different.”
Whenever Kristin praised Rhett, she blushed.
“Oh? Taking his side already?” Harriet teased.
“No…” Kristin looked down.
“Don’t fall too hard. If something comes of it, I’ll be the first to congratulate you But if it doesn’t, don’t let it break your heart, okay?” Harriet spoke with earnest concern.
Kristin nodded firmly.
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