Chapter 545: "Renee, Something Terrible Has Happened!

Chapter 545: Chapter 545: "Renee, Something Terrible Has Happened!

"Yes, I don’t understand it either." A resigned sigh escaped Renee Jennings. "And her parents are highly educated intellectuals."

Michelle Fuller complained with a scowl, "Addie Sutton was abandoned because she wasn’t their biological daughter, which I can sort of understand. But Susan is their biological daughter! They’d rather raise their nephew’s son than their own child? I swear, I want to crack open his skull and see what part of his brain is missing."

"His brain probably isn’t missing anything. His mindset just hasn’t kept up with the times; he’s still stuck in the old ways of traditional clan culture," Renee Jennings said, pausing for a moment. "I’ll contact Susan now and tell her what Mandy said."

"Okay. Make sure you explain it to her clearly," Michelle Fuller said with a serious expression.

Renee Jennings immediately started a video call with Susan.

Susan was sitting in a corner at a KFC. Her eyes lit up when she saw the video call invitation. Lowering her voice, she said excitedly, "Perfect, it’s Ms. Jennings!"

As she answered, she silently regretted not bringing her headphones. She had left in such a hurry.

"Susan," Renee Jennings’s voice was gentle. "I heard what Mandy said."

"Hi, Ms. Jennings," Susan greeted her politely, then asked with curiosity, "What did Mandy say just now? I told her you’d messaged me, and she got so excited and wouldn’t stop chattering."

Renee Jennings replied, "Mandy is worried about you."

"Worried about me?" Susan blinked, then a happy smile spread across her face. "That’s so nice. In this house, Mandy is the only one who’s genuinely kind to me."

Renee Jennings’s expression shifted, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. She spoke slowly, "You haven’t talked with your parents yet, have you?"

"I managed to work up the courage to bring it up last night, but then my mom had to take that kid for a walk." Susan pressed her lips together, a bitter smile on her face. "She came to talk to me later, but by then, I just felt like it was pointless. I didn’t want to talk anymore."

"I completely understand," Renee Jennings nodded. "This kind of situation is incredibly emotionally draining."

"Ms. Jennings, did Mandy find something out?" Susan suddenly realized. "Is that why she was in such a hurry to get to you?"

"Yes." Renee Jennings’s gaze toward Susan softened, revealing a hint of pity. "Mandy overheard your father telling your mother that he’s made up his mind... he’s letting Harvey stay."

Upon hearing this, Susan’s eyelashes fluttered. A sharp pain clenched her heart, and she felt a chill as if she’d been drenched in cold water, making her instinctively recoil. "To be honest, I had a feeling this was the most likely outcome."

Her parents’ favoritism was so obvious that even a blind person could feel it. ’The love they once gave me without reservation has now been completely transferred to Harvey.’

She recounted the events that had led to her running out of the house. Before Renee Jennings could say a word, Michelle Fuller leaned in close, saying in an exasperated tone, "Oh, Susan, what did you run away for? That’s your house!"

Susan stared, stunned, at the girl who had suddenly appeared on screen.

Renee Jennings quickly explained, "Sorry, this is my friend, Michelle."

Hearing this, Susan immediately replied, "Autumnal Bloom."

"That’s right! So you know who I am," Michelle Fuller said, pleased.

Susan grinned. "Of course. You’re Ms. Jennings’s best friend."

"You shouldn’t have thrown the instant noodles in the trash and run out," Michelle Fuller said, returning to the previous topic.

"Huh?" Susan blinked in confusion. "Why not?"

"It’s your house! If you run away, then they win, don’t they?" Michelle Fuller said. "You should have eaten the noodles right in front of that little brat. Let him watch you enjoy it when he can’t have any. That would’ve really gotten to him."

Susan agreed that made sense. "Why didn’t I think of that?" she said, annoyed with herself.

Michelle Fuller advised, "Next time, don’t run away."

Susan nodded obediently. "Okay, Ms. Michelle. I understand."

’Ms. Michelle?’

’I’m a teacher now, too?’

Michelle Fuller couldn’t stop the corners of her mouth from turning up.

"Okay, Susan, take some time to think about how you want to approach this negotiation," Renee Jennings said gently. "We’ll let you go for now."

"You’re not disturbing me at all!" Susan quickly shook her head. "I’m the one bothering you both. Thank you so, so much for caring!"

"We don’t feel bothered at all," Renee Jennings said with a slight smile. "Just message me if you need anything. Goodbye, Susan."

"Okay, okay! Goodbye, Ms. Jennings! Goodbye, Ms. Michelle!" Susan waved.

After the video call ended, Michelle Fuller collapsed onto the sofa and sighed. "Susan has it so rough. But Addie’s situation was still the worst."

"I know. Addie has had it incredibly tough," Renee Jennings said. "The lawyer Summer arranged has already gone to Lyris to meet with her. Hopefully, now that she’s free from the Sutton family, things will only get better for her."

Michelle Fuller raised an eyebrow, a smug look on her face. "Don’t you worry. Now that she’s met us, it’d be hard for things *not* to get better."

Renee Jennings looked at her with amusement. "That’s what I love most about you—your confidence."

"Really?" Michelle Fuller chuckled. "And did you hear? Susan just called me ’Ms. Michelle’!"

Renee Jennings’s lips curved into a smile. "I heard, Ms. Michelle."

The words had barely left her mouth when her phone suddenly rang.

Renee Jennings glanced at the caller ID before answering. "Hello?"

Her eyebrows rose slightly as she listened to the person on the other end. "He confessed that quickly? Okay, I’ve got it. Thank you."

"Did Lockwood’s cousin confess?" Michelle Fuller asked.

Renee Jennings nodded. "Yes. He said he was only asking to borrow two million from Lockwood, not Twenty million. He was angry that Lockwood, who’s so wealthy, wouldn’t lend it to him, so he kept looking for ways to get back at him."

"Tsk." Michelle Fuller scoffed, her face a mask of disgust. "The nerve of that guy. Why on earth would anyone lend him money? He’s definitely the type who never pays people back."

As the two of them were talking, a soft knock came from the other side of the study door.

Renee Jennings got up to open it, revealing Zane and Jasmine.

"Auntie."

A gentle smile touched her features as she asked softly, "Why are you two upstairs? Is the cartoon over already?"

"No," Jasmine shook her head.

Zane said, "We have a visitor. Grandma told us to come upstairs."

"A visitor?" Renee Jennings raised an eyebrow slightly. "What kind of visitor?"

Jasmine furrowed her little brow in thought. "An old spinster."

"An old spinster?" Renee Jennings blinked, confused. "Which old spinster?"

"Grandma didn’t say. She just told Jasmine and me to call her ’Old Spinster’," Zane answered.

"That’s alright. We can just play upstairs for a while," Renee Jennings said with a smile. "What do you want to play? Ludo?"

Zane’s eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly, like a chick pecking at grains. "Yes!"

’Ludo is my favorite game!’

Just as they finished a round, the study door was pushed open from the outside.

Renee Jennings looked up. It wasn’t a person who entered this time, but Blueberry and the others.

The little critters had already learned how to work together to open doors.

Blueberry had climbed onto Drake’s back, using his forepaws to press down on the door handle and open it.

Just as Renee Jennings was about to say something, she heard Blueberry meowing in a panic, "Renee, something terrible is happening!"