"You and Tam have just gone back to normal. Like none of this affects you. You know better than anyone what I went through during your pregnancy. I gave up my cushy life at home and holed us up in a basement taking care of you. Everything I did was for you. And how did you repay me? Instead of thanking me, you framed me! Tessie, you..."
Erica cried so hard that she couldn't get the rest of it out. Matthew always said she was stupid. She was beginning to think he was right. She was more than stupid!
Tessie also cried. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Before Erica uncovered the truth, Tessie was living worry-free for a few months. She thought things would go back to normal; that she wouldn't have to worry about her parents or a baby.
What Tessie didn't count on was Erica marrying Matthew, the most powerful man in the city. That man had vast resources at his command. She had nowhere to hide.
In the driver's seat, Matthew took out two pieces of tissue and handed them to Erica. He coldly warned his wife, "I asked you to talk to her, not sit here and cry. Cut it out, or I'll hand over her to some thugs now and then send her to the slum!"
'Wow...'
Erica and Matthew had discussed this before Tessie came out to the car. She remembered some of the things Matthew suggested doing to punish the girl.
More than ten minutes ago
With a distressed look at the man who came with her to look for Tessie, Erica asked, "Tessie needs to pay for what she did, but I can't think of anything." That was what bothered her the most. She wanted a punishment that fit the crime.
Matthew turned off the engine. "Simple," he said. "First, she needs to admit what she did. Then she needs to explain how she framed you. After that, she should apologize to you in public. Wasn't she afraid her family would find out what she did? You have to let the Su family know what happened, and make them apologize too. And don't stop there. Didn't she accuse you of bullying her? So do it. And finally, we drive her out of the city. She wanted to stay here, right? Didn't want her parents to yank her out of school? Well, she gave up that right when she messed with you. Ask nicely, and I'll ship her out of the country. To the deserted area of H Country, perhaps." 'She can join Lenora. An appropriate punishment, ' he thought.
"The deserted area? Won't they starve to death?" Erica asked.
"Not really. There's grasshoppers, crickets, ants, termites, stinkbugs. Even scorpions. Those guys might be a pain, but if you remove the stinger they roast nicely. Why are you so shocked? Didn't you want that?"
Erica shivered at his suggestion. She mentioned making Lenora eat worms earlier. But she was so angry she just blurted it out. "I didn't really mean it."
But he was right about one thing. She never wanted to see Tessie again. So exile was just the ticket.
"You could send her to the slum in H Country," he said.
"What? Isn't that too cruel?" There was an infamous slum located where the borders of three different countries converged. It was a lawless place, and the stink of garbage and offal was overwhelming.
It was a place that decent folk avoided. So did the police. Any money to be found there was stolen.
"We've been over this, Rika—the weaker branch breaks first. If you don't drive her away, she'll only hurt you again! I'm sure of it. If you really can't do it yourself, then leave her to me. I've been pretty busy lately. I might have to leave her with some thugs, so they can do the job for me. I can't be held responsible for what happens after that."
Matthew thought he had been kind enough. He told Erica what he did to force her to come to a decision.
If Erica didn't handle Tessie herself, then Matthew would deal with it. Tessie might end up hurt or worse. If that happened, exile would look like a walk in the park by comparison.
'Thugs? Can't be held responsible?' Images flashed through Erica's mind, making her shudder again. She said, "No, no. Let me think about it! I need some time." Matthew's way was too cruel for her.
Now, Erica came back to her senses and sobbed.
'He is such a jerk. I'm crying because I'm sad. Why can't I cry a bit?'
Tessie's face turned pale when she heard that they were going to send her to the slum. She grabbed Erica's clothes tightly and begged sadly, "Erica, I was wrong. Really, really wrong. Don't send me to the slum! Please! Please! For the love of god!"
Erica took a deep breath and forced back her tears. Tessie wasn't worth crying over. "I need you to tell the reporters who Ethan is. And anyone who asks you."
There was obvious hesitation in Tessie's eyes, but only for a moment, and she quickly agreed, "Okay, I'll do it. I'll say whatever you want. Please don't let Mr. Huo send me to the slum. Please!"
Before Erica could change her mind, Matthew reminded her coldly, "Erica, don't forget what I said."
Matthew told her again and again that if she didn't deal with Tessie, she would definitely continue to hurt her.
"Make the statement first. Now," Erica demanded.
"Okay, how do we do that?" As long as they didn't send her to the slum, she would do anything.
But before she got an answer, Matthew suddenly started the car and slowly drove them down the road.
Tessie's eyes widened in horror. She held her breath and looked at Erica. "Where are you taking me?"
Erica glanced at her coldly. "Don't worry. Even if I wanted to send you to the slum, that won't happen right now. There's something more important we have to do."
"Where are we going?"
"You'll know when we get there."
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the gate to the Su family's house.
When Tessie saw her family home, she was too scared to say another word. Her lips trembled violently and her hands were chilled.
Inside the house, the living room was quite busy. There were quite few people milling about inside. There were two girls in the center of this group, knocked to the floor, their faces swollen. It was obvious they had been beaten.
The people surrounding the two girls were from three different groups: the Su family, the Wu family and the bodyguards brought by Owen.
As soon as the three walked in the door, the people in the living room all made way for Matthew and greeted him warmly.
Matthew took Erica's hand and led her straight to the sofa. He sat down next to this wife. Then his cold eyes fell on the two girls in the living room.
When Erica was seated comfortably, she looked at the two women on the floor. It was Julianna and Lenora! What were they doing here? And what was it wrong with their faces?
She was also shocked to see Tam and his wife, Yanny, there.
When he saw Tessie, Lyman Su walked up to his youngest daughter and slapped her. "Look what you did! How could you? You slept with your friend's father? What the hell? You're an embarrassment to our family!" And he had every right to say thi
Lyman Su hit Tessie so hard she fell to the floor.
However, no one cared about her.
Even though her lips were bleeding, no one spared a second glance.
Since Tam had decided to go back to his wife, he no longer had any interest in Tessie.
Julianna, whose face had been beaten black and blue, glared at Tessie. She stared at the girl writhing on the floor and said, "Tessie Su, you're such a bitch! I thought you were my friend! I did everything for you! And then you go and fuck my father!" She spat the f-word as if it were something foul she were spitting from her mouth.
Erica had made a scene at Champion Group. So, Julianna and Yanny also knew that Tam and Tessie were having an affair. It was no secret after that.
Tessie, crying wet hot tears, said nothing. She just covered her burning cheek and cried silently.
The living room went dead silent. Julianna was furious. And then she started yelling at Erica, as well. "And you, Erica Li. You were Tessie's best friend and turned on her. You deserved to have her screw you over!"
A hint of malice flashed in Matthew's eyes. 'Julianna Wu? Good! I remember you.'
Erica sneered, "Come on, Julianna. We used to be friends! What happened to you?" It was just that their friendship had ended when Erica stopped Julianna from dating a bad boy.
Later, Erica heard that guy got Julianna pregnant. When the thug found out she was pregnant, he tried to make her get an abortion, and she refused. So, when she was three months along, he beat her badly. She miscarried, and the two broke up.
"You—" Julianna choked on her words.
Matthew turned his head to look at Lyman Su. The old man stared at Tessie with an angry face, as if looking at an enemy.