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Chapter 25
Chapter 25
At six in the morning, Laura woke up right on schedule.
She had barely slept for more than two hours, but it didn’t matter–she had to get up and prepare breakfast for the entire family. If she didn’t, not only would Sofia be displeased, but Matteo would surely lash out at her as well.
There was a time when the Webbs had a housekeeper to handle these tasks. But that luxury disappeared when Sofia decided Laura had failed her “duty” by not giving birth to a second child.
The housekeeper was dismissed, and Sofia smugly handed over the responsibility to Laura, justifying it by saying, “You’re young and idle–might as well put yourself to good use.”
By 7:30 a.m., Matteo had eaten and left for work.
As Laura cleared away the breakfast dishes, Sofia stood in the kitchen doorway, arms crossed, her expression radiating dissatisfaction.
“Laura,” Sofia began, her tone sharp and critical, “did you upset Matteo again last night? He works so hard all day. Can you stop adding to his stress?”
Laura, utterly drained from the morning’s labor and lack of sleep, forced herself to respond calmly, “Sofia, I didn’t.” All she wanted to do right now was to lie down and have some rest.
Sofia, unconvinced, narrowed her eyes. To her, Laura’s weariness came off as defiance. Sofia scolded, “You’ve failed to give us a second grandchild, and all you’ve managed is just one child. What good is that?
“But have I made your life hard because of it? No. I’ve been patient. So don’t think for a second you can act ungrateful.
“If you upset my son again, I’ll personally see to it that you’re sent packing back to your parents‘ house. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand.” Laura’s voice was devoid of emotion. She couldn’t muster the strength to argue. “I’ll take Ari to school now.”
With Arianna in tow, Laura walked the short ten–minute distance to Evergreen Preschool.
“Mommy, Grandma scolded you again today, didn’t she?” Arianna’s large, innocent eyes shimmered with sadness as she looked up at her mother.
“No, sweetheart.” Laura forced a smile, her voice soft and soothing as she patted Arianna’s head. “Grandma was just speaking a bit loudly. She didn’t mean anything by it.”
“But it’s all because of me.” Arianna’s little face scrunched up with guilt. “I’ll be even better from now on, so Grandma won’t scold you anymore.”
Laura’s heart ached at those words. She knelt down and pulled her daughter into her arms, holding her tightly. “Ari, don’t think that way. It’s not true, do you hear me?
“You are Mommy’s treasure. I love you so much. Aunt Doris loves you. Grandma Peyton loves you too. We all love you.”
After calming Arianna’s little heart, Laura waved goodbye as she watched her daughter disappear through the gates of the preschool. Only then did her facade crumble.
Her eyes stung, and tears spilled down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with her hand, muffling her sobs.
But before she could collect herself, her phone rang, jolting her out of her moment of weakness.
“Laura, how’s that $100,000 coming along?” Jimmy’s voice was cold and impatient. “I expect the money tomorrow.”
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Chapter 25
“Dad, didn’t we agree on three days?” Laura’s voice trembled with surprise.
“What difference does a day make? Two days, three days–it’s all the same. Just get it done, Jimmy’s tone grew sharper as he issued his final warning. “And don’t make me come to your house to get it from Matteo myself”
Laura gritted her teeth, her grip tightening around the phone. “I understand”
Doris arrived at the Hampstone Hotel and quickly immersed herself in her work. It was just past ten when her phone rang, and Lola’s voice came through, laced with urgency. “Doris, come to the front desk right now”
“I’m swamped,” Doris replied, completely occupied by work.
Lola’s voice was urgent, tinged with panic. “This is really important”
With a sigh, Doris had no choice but to agree. She rushed to the front desk and was immediately greeted by a chaotic scene –an entire horde of the Robinsons.
“Doris, thank goodness you’re here.” Molly, Claudia’s grandaunt, latched onto Doris like a drowning person clutching at a lifeboat. “You have to talk to them. Tell them to let us go.”
“What’s going on?” Doris asked, completely baffled.
Ava stepped forward, wearing an expression that screamed entitlement. “Doris, Rupert said you work here, so you’ll be covering the bill for us.”
“What?” Doris froze in disbelief, feeling like someone had just dumped a bucket of ice water over her head.
“Yes, exactly,” Molly chimed in, her anxiety growing. “Ava’s right. They’re making us pay, and they won’t let us leave until we do. We don’t even have that much money.
“And we need to catch a train. What are we going to do if we miss it? The ticket costs a few dozen dollars.”
Another voice said, “Yeah, Doris, you have to solve this for us. Otherwise, if the tickets get wasted, you’re going to have to pay us back.”
“Exactly,” someone else added. “And if you don’t compensate us, we’re not going anywhere. We’ll stay at your parents‘ house or even Rupert and Claudia’s new house.”
It seemed like everyone was trying to find a way to make Doris feel responsible. The room was filled with complaints and demands, and each person seemed more determined to get their way than the last.
Lola caught her eye and subtly gestured for her to step aside. Doris forced a smile at the unruly group, trying to comfort them, “Please, everyone, calm down. Let me figure out what’s going on first.”
Lola dragged her to a quieter corner. Once out of earshot, Doris turned to Lola and asked, “How much has my family spent here?”
Lola pulled up the records with a grim expression. “It’s already $30,000. Last night, some of them hit the bar on the basement floor. They ordered three bottles of premium liquor–each worth thousands of dollars–and then splurged on late–night snacks.
“Doris, your brother is out of his mind. Why should you be paying for his girlfriend’s entire extended family?”
She didn’t stop there. “Listen to me, Doris. You can’t cave this time. Don’t let them guilt you into footing the bill. You’ve worked too hard for every penny you’ve saved, and they’ll drain you dry.
“You’ve barely saved $30,000 yourself, and if you pay this, you’ll have nothing left. Do you really want to let them bleed you
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Chapter 25
dry? I’m not gonna let you do that.”
Lola didn’t want Doris to make such a big mistake. Lola’s frustration was palpable–she hated seeing her best friend get exploited by Rupert like this.
Lola glanced back at the noisy Robinsons and thought, “They’re like a pack of vampires. As long as it’s not their own money, they’ll spend recklessly without a second thought. How can people be so selfish?‘
She placed a firm hand on Doris’s shoulder. “I know you’re in a tough spot, but let me handle this. You don’t owe them anything. And if your parents try to blame you for this, I’ll make sure they understand it wasn’t your fault.”
“Lola, I know you’re looking out for me, and trust me, I’m no pushover. I’m not about to let them walk all over me. I’m not paying a single cent of this bill,” Doris said firmly, her voice steady with resolve.
At that moment, Lola was Doris’s anchor, the unwavering support she desperately needed.
Lola felt a wave of relief wash over her, seeing that Doris hadn’t let familial ties blind her into sacrificing herself for her brother’s selfishness.
“I’ll call Rupert right now,” Doris announced to the rowdy relatives of Claudia’s.
Pulling out her phone, Doris dialed Rupert’s number. The line barely rang before he picked up.
“Rupert,” Doris began, her tone sharp and direct, “Claudia’s relatives have racked up a $30,000 bill at the hotel. You need to come settle this immediately. Otherwise, they’re not leaving, and if they miss their train, it’s on you.”
Just as she expected, Rupert’s response was defensive and full of audacity. “Doris, why are you being so stingy? It’s just $30,000. Why don’t you just pay it and be done with it?”
Doris felt her patience snap. “I have no obligation to cover this for you or for them. If $30,000 is such a trivial amount to
don’t
and settle it?” you, why you come
Rupert scoffed, clearly annoyed, “I don’t have time to argue with you. I’ll let Dad deal with this.” And with that, he hung up. Before Doris could take a breath, the Robinsons started up again, their voices growing louder and more obnoxious.
“Doris, we’re your guests. As hosts, isn’t it your family’s responsibility to cover our expenses? What kind of hospitality is this, holding us hostage like this over some bill?” one of them said, the tone dripping with feigned innocence.
Another chimed in, adding fuel to the fire, “Exactly. Your family are such frauds. You city folks think you can take advantage of honest, hardworking people like us?”
“And you’re working here at the hotel, Doris,” someone else yelled, his tone dripping with entitlement. “Shouldn’t you just handle the payment?”
The commotion grew louder, and the hotel lobby quickly descended into chaos, with the dozens of relatives creating a scene that was impossible to ignore. The din began disrupting the staff and guests alike.
Lola, her black stiletto heels clicking against the polished marble floor, strode into the middle of the mess with her usual calm yet commanding presence.
“Everyone, please,” she said, her voice slicing through the noise like a blade, “settle down. I’ll call the Reed family right now so they can come and resolve this together. But I’ll need you to give us a little time to sort things out.”
Ava, never one to miss an opportunity to stir the pot, crossed her arms and sneered, “We’ll give you time, Ms. Bates, but the train won’t wait for us. If we miss it, will you personally cover our travel costs to get home?”
Her words struck a nerve with the already anxious crowd.
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Chapter 25
“She’s right. The train won’t wait,” one of them shouted, her tone laced with panic.
“Yeah, you’re just stalling. You’re trying to make us miss it on purpose,” another said.
Lola didn’t flinch. “If you’re truly in a hurry and don’t want to waste any more time, then I suggest you cooperate with us instead of making things harder,” she said firmly, her gaze sweeping over the group.
“Doris is part of the Reed family,” someone muttered angrily. “Rupert told us we could order whatever we wanted and just charge it to her name.
“If she pays the bill, this whole thing would be over. Why is she dragging this out and making us suffer?”
Doris exchanged a glance with Lola, her lips pressing into a thin line. ‘So it was Rupert’s idea all along, Doris thought bitterly, her anger simmering beneath the surface. ‘How shameless can he get?‘
AD
