Chapter 91: Caught Stealing Food
Chapter 91: Caught Stealing Food
Alice never would have expected Jack to lose his temper so suddenly.
With wide eyes and a pale face, she turned to Caroline and said, "Mom, how could Dad…"
Caroline sprung to her feet and pulled Alice closer to her.She said gently to her daughter, "Rachel humiliated him.He was already in a bad mood when he got home and you continuously asking questions only made him worse.I don't blame him for losing his temper."
"But… But I don't want to kowtow to that bitch Elisa's tomb.I don't see why I should."
For a moment, Caroline's eyes darkened dangerously.
But she quickly took a deep breath, calmed herself down and said in a level voice, "Alice, listen to me carefully.We have to do it."
"Mom?" Alice said in confusion.
"Why are you still afraid of a woman who's been dead for 24 years already?" Caroline said.
"We're going to sweep the tomb anyway, but no one has to know whether we kowtowed or not.We can just go through the motions to keep the peace.Right now, the most important thing is getting you back to the Sullivan Group as soon as possible.Otherwise when Rachel has already hooked up with Victor, it might already be too late to put our plan into action."
Alice listened carefully to Caroline.When she'd finished explaining her reasoning, Alice pursed her lips, hesitated, then nodded.
The following day, Jack, Caroline and Alice all set out to the cemetery in the suburbs where Elisa was buried.Once the fancy BMW had eased to a stop in the parking lot, Alice opened her door and got out.
She was followed closely by Caroline, with whom she linked arms.She looked around the cemetery with a faint hint of disgust on her face.
This was the first time she'd been here since Elisa had died.
Coming here wasn't her idea of how she wanted to spend her day, but if she wanted to get back in with the Sullivan Group, she was just going to have to swallow her pride and deal with it.
She glanced at Caroline out of the corner of her eye and then said in surprise, "Mom, why are you so pale?"
Caroline reached up with her free hand and touched her face.She forced a smile.
"Am I really?"
Caroline had been feeling uncomfortable from the moment they'd entered the cemetery.
It was like someone had run their icy fingers down her spine, causing her to break out in a cold sweat and filling her with a feeling of dread.
Every time she'd blinked, she'd seen Elisa's face behind her eyelids.
Elisa had been dead for the past 24 years, but Caroline was still haunted by her.
Alice narrowed her eyes and looked at Caroline suspiciously.
Caroline looked away, refusing to meet her gaze, "Alright, let's go find Elisa's tomb."
"Okay," Alice answered.
It took the three of them a long while to find Elisa's tomb.
Jack wasn't much help in searching for it either; he hadn't been to visit the cemetery for quite some time.
When they did eventually find it, it was exactly how they remembered it to be.
At the head of the tomb was rectangular, marble headstone with the words, "Here Lies Elisa Bennet" engraved on it.
The black and white photo of Elisa in the upper right corner of the headstone showed her smiling charmingly down at them, her gentle eyes almost seeming to be alive.
Elisa had always been elegant and delicate.
The photo had captured that aspect of her very well.
When she'd been alive, she'd had the most even temper and civil manners.
It wasn't hard to see that she was the daughter of one of the most famous female socialites.
"That's strange.I wonder who else comes here aside from us,"
Alice muttered when she noticed the bouquet of lilies in front of the tombstone."
Caroline was just as surprised as her daughter.She had thought they'd arrive here to find Elisa's tombstone covered in weeds and dirt.
But it was clean, well kept, and the lilies had obviously been left here not too long ago.She turned her puzzled gaze to Jack, only to see he looked just as confused as she did.
"Mr.and Mrs.Jenkins, you're here."
Andy suddenly appeared near them.
He was dressed in a decent black suit, looking neat and presentable.He'd just so happened to have heard Alice's question.
"The flowers are from me.Lilies were Mrs.Bennet's favorite."
His eyes glossed over them, down to their empty hands.
They'd brought nothing.
Alice frowned.
"What are you doing here?" she said irritably.
"Miss Bennet has entrusted me with ensuring that the three of you keep your promise," Andy said with a smile.
"I've been waiting here for you lot for quite a while now.Miss Bennet asked me to take a video of the three of you kowtowing and apologizing.She said she would very much like to see it."
Alice's eyes widened.
They were never going to kowtow to Elisa's tomb.
They had planned to come to the cemetery, sweep the tomb, and then leave.
They never would have expected Rachel to find someone to watch them.
Obviously, their plan wasn't going to work.
A little while later, Rachel's phone alerted her to a new message.
She cleaned the dirt off her hands–she'd been busy weeding, and unlocked her phone to see Andy had sent her the video.
Lukas had specifically come to find Rachel before he left the Sue Garden.
He'd spoken to her seriously, offering her many advices and suggestions.
But in the end, he'd warned her not to disobey Victor.
Her disobedience could become dangerous and detrimental to the baby's well-being.
And right now, the safety of the baby was the most important thing.
"Rachel, why are you slacking off?" a sharp female voice said from behind her.
Rachel slipped her phone into her pocket and stood up.
She turned to see who was speaking to her, but with the bright sun shining directly into her eyes, it took her a moment to properly focus.
When she'd managed to blink away most of the stinging sensation from the blinding light, it was to see the new housekeeper of the Sue Garden, Olivia.
She also just so happened to be the other maid who'd been gossiping about Rachel.
She was the more timid of the two, and had kept silent during the dispute between Rachel and the arrogant maid.
Olivia planted her hands on her hips and glanced down at the lawn where Rachel had been working.
"What exactly have you been doing?" she shouted.
"All I asked you to do was weed.Why has it taken you so long to pull out a few weeds?"
Rachel just lowered her eyes and said nothing.She was too tired to fight with Olivia right now.
Olivia had woken her up early that morning and sent her to weed without breakfast.
It was nearly noon now, and she'd still had nothing to eat.It was also very hot outside.
The sun was merciless and had sapped any remaining strength she'd had.
Rachel's silence and apparent noncommittal attitude made Olivia furious.
"What's wrong with you?"
Olivia demanded.
Rachel slowly raised her head to look up at Olivia.She could see arrogance and pride written all over her face.
Rachel's quiet, almost dull stare made Olivia vaguely uncomfortable.She also felt a little timid in her gaze.
She quickly puffed her chest up and squared her shoulders, trying to look tougher than she felt.
"Don't forget your place, Rachel.You're now nothing but a servant in the Sue Garden.Don't think you're better than the rest of us just because you're pregnant.You're nothing more than a servant who has to weed.Do you understand? Don't look at me like that.I suggest you…"
Olivia trailed off to swallow the nervous well of saliva in her mouth.
Why was she feeling so timid? She finished speaking after a short pause, "I suggest you hurry up and work! Don't just stand there looking at me."
"Alright," Rachel said indifferently and knelt down again.
She didn't feel like fighting with Olivia, it was just easier for her to carry on weeding.
Rachel's lack of response almost disappointed Olivia.She'd been hoping for a little more fight, or a little more sass.
This indifferent attitude was boring.
It also occurred to her that she had probably been looking for trouble where there was none.
Instead of leaving the situation as it was, Olivia got angry.
She gritted her teeth and wrinkled her nose in annoyance as she said, "There will be no dinner for you tonight unless you pull out all those weeds.Do you understand?"
Rachel raised her head obediently and put on a fake smile.
"Yes," she said, then went back to her work.
Olivia snorted indignantly and left.
Rachel only finished weeding late that afternoon.
By the time she trudged back to her bedroom, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep the moment her head touched her pillow.
It wasn't until midnight that she woke up because she was starving.
She had to find something to eat.She snuck out of her bedroom and up towards the main hall of the building.
There wasn't much security.
Only a handful of sleepy guards that didn't notice when she slipped inside.
She didn't care what she ate right now, as long as it was something.She hadn't eaten since yesterday.
Rachel hurried downstairs to the kitchen.
After a quick search, she found some bread and milk in the fridge.
She took them, and hurried back out into the dining hall.She was going to take the food to her room to eat, but the sound of an engine being turned off caught her attention.She froze, blinking in thought.
It was too late at night for there to be visitors, so it must be Victor returning home.
Rachel knew she couldn't let him catch her secretly eating.
If he saw her, he was probably going to punish her further.
Rachel hurried to the living room and crouched down behind the sofa.She was planning to hide there until Victor went up to his room, then she was going to run back to hers.
"Mr.Sullivan, you're back," said a servant.
Rachel heard the steady tap of Victor's footsteps as he walked into the room, very near to where she was hiding. NôvelDrama.Org copyrighted © content.
Rachel pressed closer to the sofa, making sure she was as out of sight as possible.
It was late, she was tired, and she couldn't help that she yawned.She listened as the sound of his footsteps came closer and closer, then stopped.
Rachel waited tensely for him to move again, he didn't.Then she looked up, directly into his cold stare.He'd found her.