Chapter 76


    Chapter 76


    Grace took the check and left the store with Lina.


    There was cursing and muttering and she could only imagine how the store personnel would gossip-


    and she didn’t care.


    She’d meant to get under their skin. It was petty and


    unnecessary and she’d only wanted Sean to feel shameful for


    a few brief seconds.


    But he’d called her bluff and carried through with it.


    And Sean wasn’t a wealthy man by ident. He was very stingy-when he wasn’t trying to outdo


    himself for


    appearances.


    “Grace, don’t you think it’s a little weird?” As soon as they walked out of the store, Lina said, “Sean


    wrote you a huge check and gave it to you without hesitation. Lily was present too! Isn’t he afraid his


    ‘fiancee’ will lose her shit?”


    “It is quite strange,” Grace said neutrally.


    “Uh, does Sean still like you?” Lina ventured.


    Grace shrugged. “No, I don’t think that’s it.”


    “Grace, he just spent an obscene amount of money on you.”


    “True. But I don’t think it’s affection that prompted it. I don’t even think it’s ego. Sean’s too cheap for


    that. I think it’s fear.


    It seems that he is afraid that I will get mad at Zoe and then


    do harm to the Stevens Family,” Grace voiced her intuitive


    spections.


    Hearing this, Lina thought it was a bit ridiculous. “Isn’t he thinking too much into it?”


    “Who knows?” Grace shrugged and raised her hand to look at the check she was holding.


    “What are you going to do with that anyway? Are you going to tear it up?” she asked. “Don’t get me


    wrong, I’d love to see you spend it on yourself. It’s the least that piece of shit can do, after how he and


    that trash Lily treated you. But something


    tells me you won’t be taking that to the bank.”


    “No. I won’t.”


    Lina shook her head. “You’re just going to tear it up?” She was


    incredulous.


    “No. Why tear it up? I’ll just donate it to someone who needs it,” Grace answered and carefully put the


    check into her bag.


    Lina beamed. “That’s more like it!” Then she sighed. “That prick will probably use it as a tax write-off.”


    Both womenughed, and just like that, the painfulness of that encounter was forgotten.


    They had a meal after walking around for a while, and shared several small dishes in the mall food


    court. It was so much like old times! Grace could almost imagine that thest few years hadn’t


    happened, and it was just the two of them catching up after a long week of corporate work.


    But there was no undoing the past.


    Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    And seeing how she wouldn’t be who she was now, stronger and more self-aware, she didn’t resent it.


    If not for everything in the past, she wouldn’t havee to know Jay. Today.


    “Let’s head back,” Grace said.


    She had saved half her food and the full bava dessert for Jay. She was eager to take it home to


    him.


    When they were about to enter the esctor to the underground parking lot, they saw Sean, Zoe, and


    Lily again.


    Ugh, these people were like a bad rash that just wouldn’t go away!


    The trio looked miserable-various expressions of anger, disbelief and good old-fashioned hatred. They


    all stopped talking when they saw Grace and Lina approaching the esctor.


    Grace had a moment’s pause where she almost held Lina back and suggested that they walk around


    the long way, but she didn’t want to appear weak.


    She followed Lina’s lead, lifting her head and keeping her eyes straight ahead.


    Zoe red and shook her head.


    “Don’t even think about it, sister,” Sean warned. “If you so much as say another word to her again, I’ll


    have you sent abroad.”


    Zoe couldn’t believe it. “You’d punish me!? For this murderous bitch!?”


    As Grace walked quicker toward the esctor and was about to pass by them, Zoe suddenly stretched


    out her foot right in Grace’s path.


    Grace was caught off guard and tripped. She pitched forward, and the moving steps caused her to


    tumble and fall.


    Lina screamed in shock and quickly ran to the side of the


    esctor to press the emergency stop button.


    Even so, it was already toote. Grace had rolled down a lot of


    steps.


    Lina raced down the stairs. “Are you okay? Can you move?


    Tell me what hurts?” Before Grace could reply, Lina was screaming up to the top floor at Zoe. “Do you


    know that you


    could’ve killed her?”


    Zoe put a hand to her chest as if she couldn’t believe that someone would say such a thing. “She


    walked without looking where she was going and insisted on hitting my foot. It’s all


    her fault that she fell!”


    “Don’t bullshit me,” Lina screamed. “We’ll find out the moment


    we take a look at the security camera recording!” Lina said angrily. “And I swear to God if she’s hurt,


    I’m pressing


    charges!”


    She then looked nervously at Grace and said, “Grace, are you


    okay?”


    “It hurts…” Grace gasped from the pain. She was in shock and her heart was pounding. Every bone


    seemed to ache and she worried that she might have broken something.


    “I’ll take you to the hospital right now,” Lina said hurriedly.


    “You just fell down some steps and you are going to go to the hospital!? You’re really making a big deal


    out of nothing. Are you going to ask me for medical reimbursement next?” Zoe said sarcastically.


    But no one had expected that in the next moment Zoe’s face would be pped so viciously that she


    would almost fall from the esctor step herself.


    “Brother!” Zoe held her face with her hands and looked at


    Sean in disbelief.


    Sean’s face was merciless. “Apologize! Apologize to Grace right now!”