Betty''s relentless mocking made Lauren pale considerably. Her delicate frame shuddered even more. Lauren shut her eyes tightly, wringing her teddy bear until it was twisted out of shape. Only by doing this could she force herself not to think about those haunting memories.


    "You couldn''t be Mrs. Harper, but soon you will be Mrs. Hodgson, the mayor''s daughter-in-w. It seems like congrattions are in order.”


    Betty flipped her hair, acting disgustingly pretentious like Sophia. "However, I''m not getting any wedding gifts for you."


    "If you don''t shut your mouth right now, I''m going to make your right earpletely deaf.” Jasper''s rage was evident from his scowl.


    "But it''s the truth, isn''t it? She''s going to marry into the Hodgson family. There''s no point yelling at me like this."


    Jasper stalked toward her menacingly like a prowling lion.


    "Ah! Help! Dad, save me! Jasper is going to kill me!" Betty threw away all decorum and screamed at the top of her lungs.


    "That''s enough! What''s all this fuss about?"Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Javier was halfway down the stairs, ring at the two of them. His expression was thunderous. "Dad! Jasper was going to hit me... He keeps hitting women!"


    Betty wailed, "I should just let him kill me!"


    "Alright, alright!" Javier''s brows were furrowed tightly. Her screams were hurting his ears. "Rory, send her to the airport right now!"


    "Yes, Mr. Javier." Rory nced at Betty coldly and said, "Let''s go.”


    Betty gnashed her teeth and dragged her heavy luggage toward the door.


    Javier''s heart softened a little, and he ordered Rory gruffly, "Help Betty carry the luggage.”


    "Yes." Rory could only follow orders, so he took over Betty''s luggage and went out.


    "Thanks Dad... Goodbye Dad..." Betty put on a pitiful face and bade farewell to Javier, but she felt a hint of glee and satisfaction.


    Her father would always have a soft spot for her.


    She would have her revenge someday!


    After Betty left, Jasper held back his anger and walked calmly toward Javier.


    "Just now, Betty said that the Hodgson already asked for Lauren''s hand on marriage. Is that true?” Javier looked down at him arrogantly and said, "Of course.”


    Jaspers eyebrows furrowed even deeper. "The mayor''s son wants to marry Lauren? Did you agree to this?"


    "We are families of equal standing, which makes this a perfect match. What''s more, the Hodgsons are influential in politics. I''ve also met Freddy. He''s a handsomed with a good personality. Hah! He''s a much better choice than Landon."


    Javier smirked as if he was taunting Jasper. "At the very least, Freddy is not a yboy who changes partners like he changes clothes. The Hodgsons also don''t mind Lauren''s illness and are willing to ept her as their daughter-inw.


    "Pray tell, why would I reject such good future inws?"


    Lauren hid behind Jasper, her pale face sweating as her eyes reddened with tears


    When she was in school, it was true that Freddy didn''t hit her or scold her as Zoe did. But the emotional trauma he gave her was far more traumatizing than her physical suffering.


    She still remembered when Zoe and her gang bullied her. Freddy was always on standby as a lookout, smiling unsettlingly at her.


    That summer when she was 14, she''d just received new summer uniforms from the school.


    Zoe was jealous that Lauren looked prettier than her in the school uniform, so she dragged Lauren into the sports equipment store. She poured a pail of dirty water all over her.


    After ruining Lauren''s brand-new uniform, Zoe happily strutted away.