Chapter 40
"Alright, I got it," Ashlyn replied. She took Susan's hand and said, "Grandma, see me off, alright?"
Horace did not dare to refuse since she needed a favor from her. All he could do was complain, "Alright, we all know you love your grandma the most."
Susan took Ashlyn's hand and the two of them left the villa together.
Ashlyn came in a rush, so she had not brought much cash with her. She did not want to inconvenience her grandmother by bringing her to the ATM. Susan did not have any money saved up for retirement and hence did not have a lot to spend. Every time Ashlyn came, she would give Susan some money to spend.
She sent Anderson a text: You have ten minutes. Bring twenty thousand in cash to the Berry Residence.
Anderson replied in confusion: Huh? What for, boss?
Ashlyn responded: Just do it. I need it urgently.
When Anderson saw the reply, he hurriedly went to withdraw money.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
Ashlyn placed her phone back in her pocket and brought Susan to take a seat on a chair. She inquired, "Grandma, has Mary been making life difficult for you?"
An uneasy look flashed across Susan's eyes. She smiled. "She is my daughter-in-law after all. She won't give me trouble!"
As though she was hiding something, she changed the subject, "Ashlyn, how are you doing now? You haven't been back in a long time. I'm worried for you. I know it isn't easy for a girl to strike it out on her own."
Her eyes turned red and she started sobbing, "It's all my fault. If I were a little more capable, you wouldn't have had to move out of home at such a tender age."
Susan was the only one who would still treat Ashlyn like a child.
She lived in a rural area, so she was uneducated. Her husband had died early and she had raised Horace alone. Horace did not disappoint and managed to get into a university.
After that, he got together with Ashlyn's mother.
In Ashlyn's memory, her mother and Susan had had a good relationship with each other. Back then, even though Ashlyn was young, she had the impression that they had gotten along well. However, it was a different story when it came to Mary.
Argh!
Ashlyn took Susan's hand and replied, "Grandma, I'm living pretty well, so don't worry about me. Just give me a call if anything crops up. You can call me if you miss me as well. I was a little busy of late, so I didn't come back. Don't worry about it, I won't let myself get bullied by others."
In the meantime, Anderson had rushed over with a black plastic bag.
He passed the bag to Ashlyn while struggling to catch his breath. "Here."
Ashlyn took the bag and passed it to Susan, "Here, grandma, here's some money for you to spend. When you've finished spending that, I'll give you some more."
"Ashlyn, I haven't finished spending the money you gave me last time!" Susan protested. I can't take this child's hard-earned money!
"It's fine, I'm rich. Just keep the twenty thousand. It's not a lot. Keep it well and make sure they don't see it," Ashlyn nagged as she placed the bag inside Susan's pockets.
Susan reluctantly accepted it. She knew that Ashlyn was nice to her and if she did not accept it, it would only make her worry.
Susan smiled at Anderson and commented, "This kid looks like a good person."
"You flatter me, grandma," Anderson replied.
"Alright, I'll be taking my leave, grandma. I still have matters to settle in the afternoon." Ashlyn hugged her and left with Anderson. Susan stood by the door and watched them leave. She spent some time there before turning back.
Then, she trudged back inside with her back hunched.
She dragged this on for over ten minutes before returning home.
"Mom, what did I tell you before! After telling you time and again, how could you go back on your word?" Horace bellowed.
Susan stood there with her head bowed low as though she was a child being rebuked.
"Do you want to see your son dead?" Horace roared. "Do you know how much I'll have to pay if this matter isn't settled? When I become bankrupt and lose the house, you'll have to sleep on the streets! If I haven't been providing for you, you'd still be planting vegetables in the countryside!"