Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 81: Chapter 81

Women can sometimes be easy to deceive—sometimes, all it takes is the smallest bit of care and attention in everyday life, and it's enough to completely win over the heart of a naive, innocent little rabbit.
Sometimes, I think my luck isn't actually that bad.
At least Austin didn't deceive me into coming to Newton City just to sell me off, and his identity wasn't completely fabricated.
The only thing he tricked me out of was six years of my youth.
Six years—long enough to leave a mark, but not so long that it can't be wiped away.
I transformed from a naïve, foolish girl into someone who always wears a mask when she leaves the house.
I spent all those years trying to become the person Austin wanted me to be.
But I forgot the most important thing: the person he originally liked was the real me.
So, losing him, or enduring the hurt I've gone through, is something I deserved.
Because I forgot one simple truth—if you don't love yourself, how can anyone else love you?
The free-spirited me had ended up living a life of suppression and self-doubt. But even then, I still wanted to have a home that belonged entirely to us.
They say that when you're in the thick of things, it's hard to see clearly. And it wasn't until I completely broke up with Austin that I finally realized—sometimes, expectations become an obsession, and that obsession becomes chains that bind you.
"Laurel, are you mad?" Angela asked, her voice laced with concern.
"No," I shook my head and replied, "Alex already gave me 300 thousand dollars—how could I be mad?"
"How did you manage to stay so calm after Abigail's outburst?" Angela asked, her curiosity evident.
I raised an eyebrow, smiling wryly. "Because I never considered her as a person."
Angela couldn't help but laugh at that.
"But the person behind this dog... now that's someone to worry about."
Angela's expression darkened. She furrowed her brows and said, "Mr. Herrera admitted in front of everyone that you're the woman he likes, so why would he help Samantha? It's not like there weren't other people who could have helped her. If he's worried that if something happens to her it'll drag you down, I could understand. But now he's even hosting a welcome party for her? What's going on?"
A chill ran through me, and I grabbed a blanket, wrapping it tightly around myself. I spoke softly, "I think Isaac is jealous."
"Impossible," Angela said, then gave me a knowing smile.
I tilted my head and looked at her, offering a small smile in return.
Deep down, I knew that Angela had always insisted that Alex felt something special for me. But I'm not a fool. What kind of man is he? How could he genuinely love me? Everything he did was simply to get me to agree to his terms.
After all, I was the perfect person to play the role of his long-time crush.
"Do you think we should have a story prepared in case we get caught?" I asked.
"Get Isaac to pretend he's secretly in love with you?" Angela gave me a look, taking me in from head to toe. "Well, it's not impossible. But why can't we just say we fell in love and got married? You know, real love? After a heartbreaking breakup with a jerk, meeting Mr. Herrera, and then everything falling into place?"
"You think a flash marriage or Isaac secretly pining for you is more believable as true love?" I raised an eyebrow.
Angela pouted. "Well, a flash marriage could still be true love."
I drifted into a haze, eventually falling asleep. But soon, I woke up in a panic, startled by a nightmare.
"Laurel, you're sick. Should we just go back?" Angela asked, her voice filled with concern.
I shook my head. "I'm taking Alex's money to do his bidding. Besides, if we run now, he won't let us off the hook."
Angela reached up, placing her hand on my forehead. "Laurel, you still have a fever."
"I'm fine. I have some medicine to bring it down," I said, forcing a smile, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I couldn't help but think about the wounds on Alex's back. It had been gruesome—deep, torn flesh that required at least twenty stitches. Despite that, he insisted on coming back to host a welcome party for Samantha. Was it something he wanted to do, or was he being pressured into it?
My heart raced, but the memory of my nightmare eluded me.
Angela accompanied me to the restaurant, and, true to form, she took the opportunity to choose a lot of dishes she liked. She even picked out the most expensive wine.
"How dare she still stay here?"
As we entered the restaurant, I saw Sophia Burke, Kailyn's little follower, looking at me with blatant disdain. Her eyes were narrow with disgust as she sneered, "Kailyn, has Mr. Herrera gone out to buy Samantha a gift or something?"
Kailyn's expression immediately darkened at Sophia's words.
As Angela had predicted, Sophia really was a little dumb. How could she not know who Kailyn liked after following her around all this time?
Kailyn looked at me with a stern face and said, "Laurel, don't tell me you're still dreaming of being Alex's wife?"
"Don't worry," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "If I lose, I'm sure someone will happily pick up the tab. But you, Kailyn, 5 million dollars isn't exactly pocket change, is it?"
From what I knew, Kailyn had used her allowance from her parents to hire a stockbroker, hoping to invest and make some money. But she lost everything in the stock market, and Isaac had to step in and clean up the mess.
She got some pocket money each month, but it wasn't nearly enough for her to live lavishly.
Kailyn sneered. "Laurel, you don't think I'm like you, do you? A small-town girl just trying to make it? 5 million dollars is probably more than you'll ever make in your lifetime."
"Kailyn, do you think you're something special? The kind of person who depends entirely on their family to survive? In our world, there's a term for that—gold-digger."
"You..." Kailyn was left speechless, her face flushing red with embarrassment. She turned on her heel and stormed off in a huff.
The once-bustling restaurant now fell silent.
Who would want to pick a fight with Angela? After all, everyone had heard about her infamous feats. She'd physically fought Juliet, and now she was humiliating the Parks family's precious daughter.
Angela had earned her reputation.
"That was Isaac's sister?"
"I know," Angela replied flatly.
"So you've decided to give up?" I was surprised. Though Angela's love life was full of cycles, this was the first time something had ended before it even started.
"They are different. They're not the same. I wanted to be with Isaac, but I won't rush into things. I can't afford to make impulsive decisions, especially since you don't like him."
Her response was calm and measured, and I could see that she was more certain than ever about her decision.
I nodded in agreement, and after finishing our meal, we got up to head back to our room.
But just a few steps from the door, something felt off.
The familiar but foreign heat spread through my body, leaving me weak and dizzy.
It was that glass of water. Someone had drugged it.