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Chapter_19
As soon as Patrick arrived at the Chambers residence, Lora, Nellie’s ever-watchful lookout, wasted no time and sent a quick message to Nellie. Halfway through her coffee break, Nellie made an excuse to head back to the house. At the door, she ran into Winona, who had just returned from her piano class.
Although they missed Patrick, Lora’s update filled them in on his angry departure. “He looked furious and was cursing as he walked out,” Lora had said.
Nellie couldn’t suppress the surge of satisfaction that washed over her. It seemed like Yvette must have done something to really get under Patrick’s skin. Maybe her admission to Argrol University was causing trouble after all. Either way, it was good news for Nellie.
Winona, listening intently, couldn’t help but enjoy hearing about Patrick’s discomfort. “Let him stew,” she thought with a sly smile. “It’ll make things easier for us.”
Inside the house, Nellie and Winona were clearly pleased, despite their best efforts to hide it. When Zachary noticed their unusually happy expressions, his confusion grew.
“What’s got you two so happy?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Nellie, always quick to cover, leaned in and linked her arm with Zachary’s, her smile wide and charming. “Oh, honey, it’s nothing serious. I just got my hands on a limited-edition handbag I’ve been waiting forever for.”
Zachary blinked, clearly bewildered by her excitement over a bag.
Winona, sensing the opportunity to jump in, added with a sweet tone, “Dad, you just don’t get us women. A good bag can make everything right.”
Zachary shrugged, chuckling to himself. “Alright, if it makes you two happy, that’s what counts.” But before he could continue, he glanced at Yvette, still absorbed in her phone. “By the way, Eve’s got some even better news to share.”
Nellie’s curiosity piqued. “What is it, honey?” she asked, leaning in eagerly.
Winona, always dramatic, shook Zachary’s arm and urged, “Come on, Dad! Spill it. Don’t leave us in suspense!” She shot a teasing look at Yvette, eager to see her reaction.
Yvette, however, didn’t flinch. She remained completely unfazed, absorbed in her phone as if the conversation wasn’t even happening around her.
Just as the moment hung in the air, Lucas reappeared. He had just sent Patrick on his way, and his face betrayed his frustration at the encounter. “Mr. Chambers, I’ve sent Patrick off,” he reported, still feeling the heat of the awkward situation.
Zachary nodded, the weight of the moment sinking in. Even though the Chambers family was no longer the undisputed top family in Seacrity, Zachary would not let someone like Patrick, a mere school dean, walk all over him.
As Lucas finished speaking, Winona gave him a sharp, dismissive eye roll, leaving him puzzled. Had he said something wrong? he wondered. When had he ever offended Ms. Chambers?
Nellie, ever the drama queen, seized the moment to add fuel to the fire. “Patrick? You mean the dean of Argrol University? Oh! Didn’t we just send him a gift recently to help Yvette get into the school? Why was he here?”
Winona gasped theatrically, covering her mouth as if a sudden realization had struck her. “Oh no, Dad, it can’t be about Yvette not being allowed to enroll at Argrol, right?”
She quickly added, as if embarrassed, “Oops, never mind! I’m just talking nonsense. Yvette, don’t take me seriously.”
Yvette, her eyes never leaving her phone, gave no sign of being affected by Winona’s words.
Meanwhile, Nellie, seeing Yvette’s silence, felt a surge of satisfaction. It seems like Winona might have actually been right about something. She glanced at Yvette, whose expression remained unreadable, and continued, “Honey, since Mr. Williams already said Yvette can’t go to Argrol, how about trying Baity University instead? It might not be as prestigious, but it could be easier for Yvette.”
Nellie’s voice dripped with a mix of concern and condescension as she looked directly at Yvette. “Yvette, if you want to go to Baity University, I…”
Before she could finish, Zachary interrupted her with a firm, unyielding voice. “That’s not it. Patrick’s not here to talk about Yvette.”
As he spoke, Zachary’s gaze shifted to a piece of paper on the table that had been partially hidden. The words “Admission Recommendation Letter” were clearly visible. Without a doubt, this was the letter that Patrick had brought from Simon Sunderland.
Lucas, who had been standing nearby, caught sight of it too. He froze for a moment, a realization hitting him like a cold wave. Yvette wasn’t just any ordinary girl. How many country girls had ever shown such complete indifference to the luxury of the Chambers estate? How many would turn down a prestigious opportunity like Argrol University without a second thought?
Just two days ago, Lucas had been uncertain about Yvette’s true worth, but now, he was sure. She wasn’t someone to underestimate. He would have to treat her much better from now on, a decision that would prove to be more consequential than he could ever imagine.
Nellie, now visibly unsettled, was the first to speak up. “Wait, this is about Yvette getting into school?” Her voice was laced with uncertainty. “What else could it be? How does Patrick even know Yvette?”
Winona’s mood dropped, her earlier excitement quickly vanishing as she processed Zachary’s words. “Wait… what? Mr. Sunderland sent that for Yvette?” Her disbelief was evident.
Zachary, his voice filled with pride, nodded. “Yes. The principal of Argrol University, Simon Sunderland, personally asked Patrick to deliver the Admission Recommendation Letter to Yvette.”
Winona was so shocked, she blurted out, “That’s impossible!”
Nellie, equally stunned, echoed her disbelief. “This doesn’t make sense.”
Zachary remained calm as he clarified. “I saw the recommendation letter myself. It’s right there on the table. There’s no way it’s fake.”
Winona dashed forward to grab the letter from the table, her hands trembling as she examined it closely. The official seal from the Principal’s office left no room for doubt. Her disbelief quickly turned into disappointment as she realized the truth. Yvette wasn’t just some random girl—she had connections that were far more powerful than anyone had imagined.
Nellie, sensing the shift in the room, looked at Winona’s face and knew immediately what had just happened. Her daughter’s expression said it all—the truth had sunk in, and it was far more than they had bargained for.
Winona, forcing a smile, turned to Yvette. “You’re really awesome, Yvette. You know Mr. Sunderland? If your dad knew that, he wouldn’t have been so worried.” But as she spoke, a flicker of doubt passed through her mind. How could a girl who hadn’t even finished elementary school have such connections? Something definitely didn’t add up. She made a mental note to dig deeper into Yvette’s story.
Yvette stood up suddenly, her eyes cold and impatient. Without a word, she walked out of the room, leaving the others in stunned silence.
Zachary, feeling a rare sense of pride for his daughter, called after her, “Make sure to get home early.”
Winona, watching her father’s uncharacteristic kindness toward Yvette, felt a sharp stab of jealousy. Why was Yvette getting all this attention? When I was the only girl in the family, Dad always favored me. She clenched her fists, a dark thought creeping into her mind. I have to find a way to kick Yvette out. If things get desperate, I might even have to kill her.
Zachary, oblivious to Winona’s dark thoughts, turned his attention to her. “Winona, watch your mouth around Yvette from now on. What do you mean ‘impossible’? That’s completely out of line. It doesn’t look good for a young lady from a good family. You’re starting your apprenticeship next month. Mind your manners.”
Winona, still fuming, lowered her head in submission. “I understand, Dad. I’m sorry.”
Nellie, ever the manipulator, leaned against Zachary, sending a cold glare toward Winona. “Honey, Winona was just too surprised. Please don’t be angry.”
But beneath her calm exterior, Nellie’s mind was racing. Yvette was going to be trouble. And trouble needed to be dealt with.
