Tale-Telling
Demi was so overjoyed after hearing Liam’s ingenious plan that she quickly nodded while cheering
aloud. “That’s wonderful! We’ll do as you say. Let me go tell Dad and Mom about this!”
Before she could run back into her parents’ room, Liam firmly held her by her hand before quietly
bringing her into the kitchen. “Wait! Let me finish!” he hissed.
He then continued in a softer voice, “How are we going to appear useful if you were to tell your parents
about the plan?”
Demi momentarily paused in confusion before asking, “What do you mean?”
“Your parents are now fully relying on Matthew to get them out of the problem because they trust him,”
Liam began to explain. “Even if we were to tell them that we could help them, we wouldn’t really appear
any more useful than he is. But what if Matthew refuses to help and we step in instead? Don’t you think
that it would completely change your parents’ impression of Matthew and the both of us?”
Demi pondered on his words for a moment. It indeed made a lot of sense.
In an equally hushed voice, Demi asked, “So, you’re telling me to not look for him?”
“No, you need to tell Matthew, but you have to make him say no on his own,” Liam said as he shook his
head.
“But will Matthew refuse to help out?” Demi asked again while she scratched her head.
“Even if he won’t, you know your sister will,” Liam said with a small laugh. “Okay, so here’s the plan…”
After five minutes, Demi finally made her way to the master bedroom on the second floor.
She pushed the door to the bedroom open with all her might and after stomping her way into the room,
she loudly declared, “Matthew, Dad and Mom need you to contact Mr. Newman. They need his help with
something.”
Sasha’s eyebrows knitted into a frown the moment she heard her sister’s voice.
Just what were they up to now?
Did they think that Mr. Newman was someone they could talk to whenever they wanted to?
Without waiting for Matthew’s reply, Sasha immediately answered on his behalf, “What could they
possibly want with Mr. Newman? What are they up to this time?”
“Of course, something big has happened!” Demi half-heartedly said after she threw a glance at Sasha.
“Matthew, just tell me whether you can help or not.”
Seeing how bossy Demi was despite being the one asking for help, Sasha started to get defensive too.
“Just how big could the situation be to require help from Mr. Newman? Tell Mom and Dad that we will
settle our own problems. Why the hell would we need Mr. Newman’s help?”
Demi might have seemed indifferent on the outside, but at that moment, she was having a whole
celebration on the inside––this was the exact reaction she was hoping to get from her sister.
Liam had taught her to start the conversation by saying that their parents had something to talk about
with Billy. As expected, Sasha had reacted zealously without Demi having to tell them the reason they
needed Billy’s help.
“Hmph! So much talk for someone who refuses to help!” She quickly threw that out before she hastened
out of the room.
Sasha, with a livid look on her face, shut the bedroom door close behind Demi. “What are they thinking?!
Just when I thought that they had finally stopped getting ideas! Why are they acting up again?”
“Sasha, how about we go downstairs and ask them ourselves?” Matthew asked.
Sasha waved her hand dismissively before saying, “There’s no need for that. What could we possibly
need Mr. Newman’s help with? Matthew, we can’t keep owing people favors. Remember the dispute with
the Lewis Family? It wasn’t easy for you to get Mr. Newman’s help to settle the problem, was it? Dad and
Mom definitely don’t need a big shot like Mr. Newman to help them.”
After hearing Sasha’s words, Matthew chose to do as she said without saying a thing in reply.
Demi, on the other hand, had just marched her way downstairs into her parents’ room.
“Dad, Mom, they don’t want to help!” she wailed.
The hopeful expression on James’ and Helen’s faces immediately disappeared when they heard that.
“Did… Did they say why?” James urged.
Demi answered with a pout, “Dad, this is too big and embarrassing of a favor for them to ask. They said
no because they aren’t comfortable with asking for help either. As Sasha said, we should help ourselves
as much as we manage to dig a hole for ourselves. We should get ourselves out of our own mess.”
James began to flush with anger after hearing his daughter’s words. Matthew and Sasha were blatantly
mocking him!
“What did he say? We’ll get ourselves out of our own mess? I’m his father-in-law, for God’s sake! What is
there to feel ashamed about?!” he huffed before starting to head for the door. “This won’t do. I’ll have to
talk to him myself!”
Right on cue, Liam walked into the room and stopped James just in time. “Dad, we don’t need Matthew’s
help on such a small matter. Just leave it to me. I’ll get it done in no time!”
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