Chapter 68: Exactly the Same

Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Exactly the Same

This was the scene that greeted Rona Langdon when she returned. She was stunned for a moment, then shouted, "What’s going on here? Why is everyone blocking my doorway?"

"You’re finally back!" Grandma Dixon said as soon as she saw her. "Your house was broken into!"

Hearing this, Rona Langdon immediately grew anxious. She rushed inside and saw that the big-ticket items, like the color TV and refrigerator, were still there. She breathed a sigh of relief, but then she suddenly remembered something, and she felt a pang of guilt.

At that moment, Vera Xavier also saw her. Rona was wearing the very light green dress Nathaniel Nathan had given her. The dress had a slim, cinched-waist design that made Vera look delicate and slender, but on Rona Langdon, it made her waist look as wide as a barrel.

Rona Langdon, however, seemed quite pleased with the dress. She had even paired it with a pair of high heels she usually only saved for visiting relatives, and she was carrying a handbag.

Vera Xavier’s eyes narrowed. Then she threw herself at Rona Langdon. "Mom, our house was broken into! You’re finally back! I was scared to death!"

Rona Langdon’s expression shifted several times. She glared at Vera Xavier. "It’s just a burglar. No need to make such a fuss. All right, stop wailing. I haven’t eaten yet. Go make me dinner!"

After saying this, she yelled at the onlookers by the door, "It’s fine, everything’s fine! Everyone, go on home!"

Just as the onlookers were about to leave, Vera Xavier cried out as if she’d made a shocking discovery, "Mom, why are you wearing the dress that was stolen from me?"

The moment she shouted this, the people who were about to leave immediately stopped in their tracks. ’Ooh, the plot thickens!’

Rona Langdon’s expression turned foul. "What do you mean I’m wearing your dress? I just bought this! Stop talking nonsense and go make dinner. I’m starving!"

Vera Xavier had gone to all this trouble just waiting for her to appear. How could she possibly let her off the hook so easily?

Vera Xavier asked, "Mom, where did you buy this dress? It’s identical to one of the outfits that was stolen from me!"

As she spoke, she pulled a stack of receipts from her schoolbag. "These are the receipts my cousin sent along with the clothes. They have the store’s name and the style number on them. There’s a branch of that store here in Crestfall, too."

In reality, she had asked Nathaniel Nathan for these receipts when he bought her the clothes. They only listed the store’s name, with no address or city.

When Vera Xavier had asked for them, her original intention was to calculate how much Nathaniel Nathan had spent so she could find a way to repay him with something of equal value. She never imagined they would come in handy like this.

Someone in the crowd recognized the clothes from that boutique. "I know that store carries this style. A dress like that costs several hundred!"

"That dress looked really nice when I saw it in the boutique. I was even thinking of buying it, but not anymore."

"Same here."

The onlookers, who were never shy about fanning the flames, started to laugh amongst themselves as they spoke.

Grandma Dixon immediately understood what was going on. She looked at Rona Langdon and said, "You there, from the Preston family, don’t tell me you’re the one who stole your own daughter’s clothes?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Rona Langdon flew into a panic. "How is that possible? How could I ever do something like that!"

Thanks to an incident a few days prior, word of how Rona Langdon treated Vera Xavier had already spread throughout the residential compound. Everyone knew she was awful to her daughter.