Chapter 544: "What Right Do You Have to Kick Me Out?

Chapter 544: Chapter 544: "What Right Do You Have to Kick Me Out?

The morning started with clear blue skies, but just after eleven, the sky abruptly darkened. Ominous clouds rolled in, and rain began to pour down in sheets.

Mrs. Bell watched the downpour outside, the turmoil in her heart worsening into anxious frustration.

Harvey was still watching Baby Bus.

Mrs. Bell glanced at the tightly shut door, a flicker of hesitation crossing her face.

Normally, she would have woken Susan up for breakfast by now. But today, unsure how to face her daughter, she’d been putting it off.

In truth, Susan was already awake, and she didn’t know how to face her mother, either.

Mandy had been waiting for Susan to get up. She had something very important to tell her. She waited on the sofa, by the coffee table, and at the door, but Susan never came out.

’Meow? What’s wrong? Is she sick?’

Mandy grew uneasy. She trotted to Susan’s door, kicked off with her hind legs, and leaped up. Landing with her little paws on the door, she scratched and scratched, meowing nonstop.

"Meow~ Sister, open up~"

"Meow meow? Sister, what’s wrong? You’re scaring me!"

Hearing Mandy’s cries, Susan opened the door. She crouched down in front of the little one and chuckled. "Mandy, were you knocking for me?"

Mandy dove headfirst into her arms, mewling, "As long as you’re okay, Sister!"

Susan scooped her up and stroked her fur.

"Susan, you’re up," Mrs. Bell said softly. "Do you want noodles or vermicelli?"

"No, thanks." Susan stood up, her tone flat. "I’ll just go out and grab something."

"It’s raining out. You should just eat here."

"I’ll just have some instant noodles, then."

With that, Susan walked over to a cabinet, pulled it open, and took out a cup of instant noodles.

Harvey caught the scent of the noodles and immediately ran over, clamoring, "That smells so good! I want some!"

Susan shot him a look and moved the noodle cup away.

"I want it!" Harvey grabbed at her clothes, whining petulantly. "Gimme! Gimme!"

Susan frowned, annoyed. "This is mine."

"I don’t care, I want it!" Harvey said tyrannically. "If you don’t give it to me, I’ll throw you out!"

"And why would you be the one throwing me out?" Susan sneered. "Let’s get something straight. This is *my* house."

Harvey puffed up his cheeks. "It’s not your house, it’s mine!"

Hearing that, Susan looked up at her mother. "Did you hear that?"

Mrs. Bell sighed, her tone softening placatingly. "Susan, why don’t you eat in your room? Kids are just like that. They want everything they see."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Susan laughed, incensed. "Do I not even have the freedom to eat instant noodles in my own home anymore?"

"That’s not what I meant..."

Susan couldn’t be bothered to hear her out. She tossed the noodle cup into the trash can and stared coldly at Harvey. "There. It’s yours. Go on, eat it."

Mrs. Bell’s expression changed instantly. "How could you..."

Susan got up, walked to the entryway, put on her shoes, grabbed her keys, and left without a backward glance.

Seeing this, Mandy quickly followed her out.

"That girl." Mrs. Bell stared at the closed door, her brow deeply furrowed. When she turned back, she found Harvey eating the noodles out of the trash can. She yelped in alarm, "Oh, Harvey, honey, you can’t eat out of the trash!"

"Mandy, you came out too?" Susan said as she stepped into the elevator. Turning around, she discovered her little follower.

"Meow~ Follow Sister~"

Susan couldn’t understand what Mandy was saying, of course, but the fact that she’d followed her out solidified her decision: no matter what, she was taking Mandy with her when she went back to school.

She bent down and scooped the little one into her arms to keep her paws from getting dirty.

Susan left her apartment complex. The rain had already subsided to a drizzle. She walked aimlessly down the street, holding Mandy, until her stomach’s loud grumbling reminded her she hadn’t eaten.

She went into a KFC and ordered a burger combo.

Susan set Mandy on her lap and scrolled through her phone while eating her burger.

After replying to a friend on WeChat, she opened Douyin. Her breath caught.

Renee Jennings had sent her a message!

[Hi Susan. I hope I’m not being too forward by messaging you. I was just wondering if things with your family have been sorted out?]

Susan quickly put down her burger and typed a reply with both hands: [Ms. Jennings, thank you for checking in. It’s not forward at all! Things at home aren’t resolved yet. I’m being a bit of a coward; I just don’t have enough courage.]

After sending the message, Susan put her phone down and stroked Mandy’s fluffy head, chuckling. "Mandy, Ms. Jennings is so nice. She’s still worried about me."

At the mention of Ms. Jennings, Mandy instantly perked up as if she’d had a shot of adrenaline. "Meow meow meow~ I have to find Ms. Jennings! I have something to tell Ms. Jennings!"

She let out a torrent of meows at the phone.

Susan was baffled. "Mandy, what is it?"

Noticing the strange looks from people nearby, she felt a pang of embarrassment and apologized. "Sorry about that."

Susan lowered her eyes and whispered to Mandy, "Shh, you can’t do that. We’re bothering people."

Mandy was an obedient little furball. She immediately fell silent and pressed a fluffy paw against Susan’s phone screen.

’Find Ms. Jennings!’

Susan frowned in thought for a moment before asking hesitantly, "Mandy, are you trying to find Ms. Jennings?"

Mandy’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she nodded her head emphatically. "Meow~ Yes, yes, yes!"

Seeing this, a flicker of something passed through Susan’s eyes. She bit her lip and said, "Alright, I’ll try asking Ms. Jennings, then. I just hope she has time for us."

She picked up her phone and sent a message to Renee Jennings: [Ms. Jennings, Mandy seems to want to find you. I was wondering if you might be free to do a video call with us?]

She sent it, but then felt the request was inappropriate. She quickly unsent the message and wrote a new one: [Ms. Jennings, Mandy seems to want to find you. I’m going to record her meowing. Would you mind translating it for me?]

"Okay, Mandy. Whatever you want to say to Ms. Jennings, go ahead and say it." Susan opened her phone’s video recorder, aiming the back camera at the little furball on her lap.

Mandy was very cooperative and began to meow: "Meow meow meow~ Ms. Jennings, I’m telling you, I heard Mom and Dad say they’re going to let Harvey stay! You have to help me tell my sister, quickly!"

"Done." Susan sent the video.

Renee Jennings didn’t see the video until half an hour later.

She had just finished lunch, and her phone had been charging in the study. When she heard what Mandy said, her expression immediately darkened.

"Renee, what’s with the long face all of a sudden?" Michelle Fuller asked, lounging lazily in a large armchair with one leg slung over the armrest.

Renee Jennings frowned slightly. "Susan sent me a video of Mandy."

"What’s wrong? Is Mandy sick?"

"No, Mandy heard Susan’s parents decide to let Harvey stay."

"What?" Michelle Fuller slapped the armrest. "Are her parents out of their minds? They have their own daughter, but they want to raise someone else’s son? They’ve really got their priorities backward."