Chapter 2 · Dear Cousin, Enjoy The Broke Boy

The live chat exploded.

[Damn, look at that face! No wonder Arthur is totally whipped.]

[First showdown. Isabelle, stay strong.]

[Isabelle has no idea how much suffering is waiting for her.]

I smiled, "Nice to meet you, Nora. We're family now."

Nora shot me a quick glance and then lowered her head. "You're so nice, Isabelle. I'm new here, so please look out for me." As she spoke, her eyes welled up again.

My mom said gently, "Oh, Nora, don't worry. Isabelle is kind. She'll take care of you."

Greta nodded too. "Isabelle, make sure to keep Nora company. Don't let her feel lonely."

I smiled and agreed.

Nora shot me another look so quick no one else would have noticed.

But I caught it. There wasn't a hint of sadness in her eyes. She was sizing me up, plotting something.

*****

For the next seven days, I stayed put and didn't make a move.

I went about my usual routine, such as checking the ledgers and keeping tabs on my assets.

The live comments were popping up every day, like a bunch of anxious onlookers.

[Why isn't Isabelle doing anything yet? I'm dying here.]

[Nora's already scheming. Isabelle, hurry up.]

[She's still buried in the ledgers. Doesn't she realize she's about to lose everything?]

I was reviewing Nora's expenses.

She was living at the Northwood residence, receiving 20 dollars a month, and all her food, clothes, and daily needs were paid for out of the family funds.

The money passed through my mom's hands and was all reconciled at the end of the year in my family's main accounts. Nora never spent a single cent of her own.

Now that was interesting.

*****

Eight days after Nora arrived, the drama finally kicked off.

I went to visit Greta, and as soon as I reached the door, I heard someone crying inside.

Nora's soft voice was shaky. "Grandma, I swear I didn't mean it. I didn't know that handkerchief belonged to Isabelle. I glanced at it a few times, and then the maid accused me of trying to steal it."

I raised an eyebrow and thought, 'A handkerchief?'

I peeked inside through the door. Nora was weeping, tears streaming down her face. My mom looked troubled, and Greta looked annoyed.

Nora's maid pleaded, "Mrs. Northwood, please judge fairly. Miss Lane thought the pattern on the handkerchief was really pretty and glanced at it a few times, but Celine said we were being sneaky."

"It's not a big deal," Greta sighed.

Nora was still crying. "Greta, please don't let me go to Isabelle's place anymore. I'm afraid I'll cause more misunderstandings and mess up my relationship with Isabelle."

My mom quickly said, "Don't talk nonsense. Isabelle isn't like that. It must be the maid making things up. I'll punish the maid for you."

Nora shook her head. "Aunt Chloe, please don't do that. I don't want to make things difficult for Isabelle."

I was standing outside, listening to the whole scene unfold, and Yasmin was so furious her cheeks were burning.

She said, "Miss Northwood, that handkerchief was a gift you gave to Celine. It's always been in her room. Miss Lane went snooping, got caught, and now she's acting like we're the bad guys."

I put a finger to my lips, telling her to hush.

After the crying was over, my mom helped Nora out, and they came face-to-face with me. Nora looked a bit embarrassed.

She immediately shrank back, hiding behind my mom.

"Isabelle, when did you get here?" my mom asked.

"Just now. I heard someone crying, so I waited outside," I replied with a smile.

Nora peeked out from behind my mom, her voice trembling. "Isabelle, I'm sorry about the handkerchief. I shouldn't have entered your room."

I looked into her big, teary eyes, and the live comments were scrolling like crazy.

[How disguesting! Isabelle got instantly owned.]

[She's still playing the victim. She was totally snooping.]

[Rip her to shreds. Expose her.]

I smiled, "Nora, what are you talking about? What handkerchief?"

Nora was caught off guard.

"My room's full of stuff, and I never get involved in the maids' drama. If you like any handkerchief, just take it. No need to make such a big deal out of it, right?"

Chapter 2

The live chat exploded.

[Damn, look at that face! No wonder Arthur is totally whipped.]

[First showdown. Isabelle, stay strong.]

[Isabelle has no idea how much suffering is waiting for her.]

I smiled, "Nice to meet you, Nora. We're family now."

Nora shot me a quick glance and then lowered her head. "You're so nice, Isabelle. I'm new here, so please look out for me." As she spoke, her eyes welled up again.

My mom said gently, "Oh, Nora, don't worry. Isabelle is kind. She'll take care of you."

Greta nodded too. "Isabelle, make sure to keep Nora company. Don't let her feel lonely."

I smiled and agreed.

Nora shot me another look so quick no one else would have noticed.

But I caught it. There wasn't a hint of sadness in her eyes. She was sizing me up, plotting something.

*****

For the next seven days, I stayed put and didn't make a move.

I went about my usual routine, such as checking the ledgers and keeping tabs on my assets.

The live comments were popping up every day, like a bunch of anxious onlookers.

[Why isn't Isabelle doing anything yet? I'm dying here.]

[Nora's already scheming. Isabelle, hurry up.]

[She's still buried in the ledgers. Doesn't she realize she's about to lose everything?]

I was reviewing Nora's expenses.

She was living at the Northwood residence, receiving 20 dollars a month, and all her food, clothes, and daily needs were paid for out of the family funds.

The money passed through my mom's hands and was all reconciled at the end of the year in my family's main accounts. Nora never spent a single cent of her own.

Now that was interesting.

*****

Eight days after Nora arrived, the drama finally kicked off.

I went to visit Greta, and as soon as I reached the door, I heard someone crying inside.

I raised an eyebrow and thought, 'A handkerchief?'

I peeked inside through the door. Nora was weeping, tears streaming down her face. My mom looked troubled, and Greta looked annoyed.

Nora's maid pleaded, "Mrs. Northwood, please judge fairly. Miss Lane thought the pattern on the handkerchief was really pretty and glanced at it a few times, but Celine said we were being sneaky."

"It's not a big deal," Greta sighed.

Nora was still crying. "Greta, please don't let me go to Isabelle's place anymore. I'm afraid I'll cause more misunderstandings and mess up my relationship with Isabelle."

My mom quickly said, "Don't talk nonsense. Isabelle isn't like that. It must be the maid making things up. I'll punish the maid for you."

Nora shook her head. "Aunt Chloe, please don't do that. I don't want to make things difficult for Isabelle."

I was standing outside, listening to the whole scene unfold, and Yasmin was so furious her cheeks were burning.

She said, "Miss Northwood, that handkerchief was a gift you gave to Celine. It's always been in her room. Miss Lane went snooping, got caught, and now she's acting like we're the bad guys."

I put a finger to my lips, telling her to hush.

After the crying was over, my mom helped Nora out, and they came face-to-face with me. Nora looked a bit embarrassed.

She immediately shrank back, hiding behind my mom.

"Isabelle, when did you get here?" my mom asked.

"Just now. I heard someone crying, so I waited outside," I replied with a smile.

Nora peeked out from behind my mom, her voice trembling. "Isabelle, I'm sorry about the handkerchief. I shouldn't have entered your room."

I looked into her big, teary eyes, and the live comments were scrolling like crazy.

[How disguesting! Isabelle got instantly owned.]

[She's still playing the victim. She was totally snooping.]

[Rip her to shreds. Expose her.]

I smiled, "Nora, what are you talking about? What handkerchief?"

Nora was caught off guard.

"My room's full of stuff, and I never get involved in the maids' drama. If you like any handkerchief, just take it. No need to make such a big deal out of it, right?"