Chapter 26: Where Did the Money Come From?

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Where Did the Money Come From?

Rona Langdon was stunned for a moment, then she exploded, "Vera Xavier, how dare you! You actually hit me!"

From her past life, Vera Xavier knew all too well how unreasonable and paranoid Rona could be. Logic was completely lost on her.

Zachary Preston hurried downstairs. "What’s going on? Causing such a ruckus so early in the morning!"

Rona Langdon said indignantly, "Vera stole money from the house to buy new clothes and shoes, and then she hit me! This is absolute madness!"

Zachary Preston looked over at Vera. She gave him a quick wink. He immediately understood what had likely happened: Vera had used the money he gave her yesterday to buy new clothes and shoes. Now that she was wearing them, Rona had mistakenly accused her of stealing from the family.

’He was in a bind. If he told the truth, Rona would find out about his secret stash of cash, and all hell would break loose at home. But if he didn’t, Vera would be labeled a thief and get a brutal beating from Rona.’

After shooting him a meaningful look, Vera said, "Dad, Mom, I didn’t steal money from the family! And I didn’t steal it from anywhere else, either!"

"Then tell me, where did you get the new clothes and shoes?" Rona Langdon demanded aggressively.

A troubled look crossed Vera’s face, but Rona just sneered. "Vera, if you don’t explain where that money came from today, don’t blame me for putting justice before family! I’ll drag you to the police station myself!"

Zachary Preston’s expression darkened. He said coldly, "Rona, Vera is our daughter. Don’t take things too far!"

"I’m doing this for her own good!" Rona’s eyes bulged. "She’s already eighteen and still hasn’t learned her lesson! She’s starting with petty theft now, what’s next? I’m afraid she’ll steal this very house and sell it!"

Vera gritted her teeth. "Fine, I’ll talk! I’ll tell you where I got the money for the clothes and shoes!"

Her eyes red, she wiped away a tear. "The money... it was a gift from Mrs. Xavier. I knew Wesley Kane was a man of poor character and I wanted to break off the engagement, but I was too scared to tell you. So I ran back to the countryside. Mrs. Xavier saw my clothes were covered in patches and my shoes had a hole in them. Her heart ached for me, so she gave me all the money she made from selling grain this spring. She told me to buy a decent outfit when I got back to the city."

At her words, Rona’s anger immediately subsided. Zachary’s gaze on Vera deepened. Cara Preston, however, clenched her fists. The Mrs. Xavier that Vera mentioned was her adoptive mother—and also Cara’s birth mother.

Rona paused for a moment, then glared at Vera. "Why didn’t you say so earlier!"

"Mom, the moment you came downstairs, you decided I had stolen the money," Vera said between sobs. "You were hitting and yelling at me... you never gave me a chance to speak."

Rona felt a pang of guilt, but she stubbornly continued her lecture. "You’re such a thoughtless child! No one here is depriving you of food or clothing. Why did you run back to the countryside? To tattle on us? Let me tell you, I’m your real mother!"

Vera sniffled, saying nothing.

Rona then asked, "How much money did Mrs. Xavier give you? And how much do you have left?"

"Just a hundred yuan. After buying the clothes and shoes, I used the rest to buy books," Vera answered softly.

In those days, clothes and shoes from department stores were expensive, but items from the open-air markets were very cheap. You could buy a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes for just thirty to fifty yuan.

’In Rona’s mind, Vera was supposed to hand over every single cent she had. The act of hiding a hundred yuan from her was an unforgivable crime!’

PS: This novel is getting review-bombed with one-star ratings. I think the girl leaving the low scores must be jealous of my beauty and is paying way too much attention to me, otherwise she wouldn’t be here leaving bad reviews right when my story just launched. To all my dears who love me, could you please do me a favor and move your beautiful fingers to leave a five-star review? Help me bring the score back up, thanks a million!