Chapter 547


    In my state of panic, I stopped the servants and shouted, “Wait! I didn’t say anything about moving out,


    Mom!”


    “You don’t want to stay with me?” Isabelle’s expression turned gloomy with displeasure.


    She had me at a loss for words. While there was technically nothing wrong with me staying with her


    after her return, this house belonged to both Christopher and me, so it meant a lot to me.


    Although it was just a tiny apartment unit, it was the warmest and coziest ce for me. Christopher had


    prepared this ce as a safe haven for me when I was being bullied by Lyle. This was the ce he


    brought me to when Lyle and Crystal made me homeless.


    If he had not done that, I could very well have slept out on the streets.


    “But this is my house. It’d be a waste to just leave it empty.” I didn’t dare mention Christopher in front of


    her as I didn’t want to upset her even further.


    “So what? You could just tidy the ce up and rent it out for some passive ie! The mansion I


    bought is so spacious that you can even alternate between living upstairs and downstairs anytime you


    like!” Isabelle said with a smile. She was clearly satisfied with my reply earlier as she didn’t even say a


    word about the men’s toiletries in the house.


    “But… But…” I was about to protest further but kept quiet when I recalled Sabrina’s words. I then


    stopped the servants who were packing my stuff and said through clenched teeth, “Please leave


    everything the way it is. Since you’ve bought a new house, you could just rece all these items with


    new ones instead. We’ll have a fresh start!”


    N?velDrama.Org owns all ? content.


    In actual fact, I didn’t want Christopher to return to an empty house and get upset.


    “That works, too!” Isabelle then motioned at the servants and said, “All right, put everything back where


    you found them. I’ve got tons of money to afford things of much higher quality anyway! Come on, let’s


    go shopping! We need to rece those rags of yours with some decent clothes! Besides, it’s my fault


    you’ve barely been able to buy yourself anything nice throughout these years.”


    She brought me into her car and handed me a tinum-colored card. “Here’s some pocket money.


    Spend it however you like, and feel free to ask me for more if you run out. No need to be too frugal,


    okay?”


    I recognized that card – it was only a grade lower than the ck card Christopher gave me. After


    epting the card and stuffing it into my handbag, I went shopping with Isabelle and bought a bunch of


    stuff before moving into her new mansion. It was next to a hugeke and had a balcony with a great


    view of theke.


    “Mom, do you know about Dad being hospitalized?” I asked while leaning against the balcony.


    Mom was sitting on a recliner with a ss of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other. She looked


    like apletely different person from who she used to be, and I couldn’t help but find her a little


    unfamiliar. The mother that I once knew had changed so much with the passing of time that I barely


    recognized her anymore.


    “Nathan is in the hospital?” Isabelle looked up all of a sudden and blinked a couple of times before


    breaking into a disdainful smile. “I bet he’s been drinking too much coffee and staying upte too often,


    huh? Honestly, he should’ve copsed long ago from overwork! I take it that he went looking for you?”


    “Yeah!” I saw no trace of affection for Dad in Mom’s eyes at all. Perhaps whatever they had going


    between them was long gone…


    “Mom, what if… What if Dad were to beg you to spare the Tanner family? Would you be willing to do


    that?” I asked cautiously.


    “Your dad told you to say that, didn’t he? He sure is a smart one for seeking your help. He knows I


    don’t see anyone else but you.”


    Isabelle pursed her lips into a faint smile; I couldn’t tell what she was actually feeling. “I helped him


    build the family business from scratch using my own money, and guess what? He goes on to keep a


    mistress using that money and even has a daughter the same age as you! As if that wasn’t bad


    enough, he even wanted me to ce Scarlett before myself! Things probably wouldn’t have been any


    better for me even if I stayed.”


    She then turned to look at me as she continued, “How about… I give you everything the Tanner family


    owns as dowry? I mean, everything is technically mine to begin with anyway. It’s clearly stated on the


    shareholders’ agreement that I am the rightful owner of the Tanners’ assets, even though Nathan has


    probably destroyed that document by now.”