Chapter 688 Atonement


    Emma left the girls after a while and joined James and the other businessmen. That evening, Miles


    arrived home with a big smile, which grew even bigger when he saw Debra.


    When he was about to praise her, however, she cut him off coldly, "Dad, you used me, didn''t you?


    Me going out with Michelle for a meal today was part of your scheme, wasn''t it? You''ve investigated


    Michelle. You know that her cousin is James'' wife. You want to get in touch with the Shi family, so


    you told me yesterday to invite her to that restaurant for the meal, didn''t you?"


    Miles had known from the beginning that he couldn''t hide the matter from his daughter. With how


    smart she was, she''d definitely understood everything as long as she used her brain. However, he''d


    never expected that she''d react so aggressively like this.


    It was fine that she was just naughty and disobedient, but now she even dared to question him


    aloud.


    The smile on his face disappeared at once. "I indeed investigated Michelle, but so what? It''s not like


    I singled her out and investigated her alone. I investigated all of your friends. You''re our precious


    daughter. How can we let you befriend and stay with people whom we know nothing about?"


    Debra couldn''t help butugh. It was as if she couldn''t believe what she heard. "Dad, you''ve gone


    too far. How could you arbitrarily investigate my friends?"


    "I did it all for you!" Miles leaned his head against the soda and massaged his temple. He drank


    quite a lot today, so he was a little dizzy now. Being interrogated and med by his daughter was


    enough to make him feel exasperated in normal condition, let alone when he was in a dizzy state


    like now.


    "Okay, I won''t mention this matter about you investigating the people around me for the time being.


    Let''s talk about today. Did you or did you not use me today?" Debra was furious. As it turned out,


    she''d always been monitored by her parents. It was bad enough that she had no privacy, but she


    was even being used.


    "I didn''t even know that Michelle hade back from the club, but you did! You''ve really nned


    everything well. You told me that the chef in that restaurant is good, suggested that I took Michelle


    there. You booked a table and even set up the time for me.


    You used my friendship with Michelle to get close to James! How could you do that? What should I


    do if Michelle knows about it? How should I face her in the future?" The more she spoke, the angrier


    she became. By now, she''d practically be hysterical. "Michelle is my friend, and you stooped


    as low as taking advantage of my friend!"


    Miles'' patience was finally exhausted. He red at her and snapped, "Can you say something else


    except about me using you? If you don''t tell Michelle, how will she know? James didn''t doubt


    anything, and thanks to your wisdom, neither did Emma."


    Now that they got to this topic, his expression softened a lot. "There is no fool in the Shi family.


    James might''ve felt that something was amiss at the beginning, so he asked Emma to talk to


    Michelle. He probably wanted Emma to test you out. Debra, everything went well because of you.


    You did a good job today."


    "I didn''t do anything! Michelle has never mentioned it to me, so I knew nothing!" Debra shouted.


    "I know." Miles stood up, looking exhausted. "You didn''t expose my n, so you did a good job."


    Debra couldn''t say anything to refute.


    Indeed, she knew the meal was nned when she saw his father with James, and she also knew


    that Emma was there to test her, but she still chose to secretly help her dad.


    "I did this for our family. Please understand me." Seeing that his daughter was silent, Miles decided


    to use their family as an excuse.


    Debra''s eyes turned red. Tears of resentment and shame started to well in them.


    Pissed at both her dad and herself, she turned around and strode away.


    "Where are you going in the middle of the night like this? Come back!" Miles shouted at her back.


    However, his shout fell into deaf ears. Debra continued to walk away and didn''t even look back.


    Miles sighed and waved to the bodyguards, hinting at them to follow Debra. "Protect Debra. Don''t


    let anything happen to her."


    The bodyguards rushed out of the house, just in time to see a ck sports car speed away in front


    of them like an arrow. They all scrambled to their cars, trying to chase after Debra.


    Debra didn''t want to see or talk to her father. She was overwhelmed with guilt towards Michelle


    who, up until now, still had no idea that she''d been used, and wanted to apologize. However, she


    really didn''t know how to face her. That girl was so naive that she could easily lead her by the nose


    when they were at the restaurant today. The fact that she''d dispelled Emma''s doubts by


    manipting such a naive friend really made Debra loath herself to death.


    Having to choose between her dad and her friend really made her feel depressed. She ended up


    venting her frustration by driving at a speed that frightened the hell out of the bodyguards driving


    behind her.


    Those bodyguards didn''t dare to keep up with her speed for fear that they''d stimte her further.


    They could neither keep up with her nor stop her. However, they also couldn''t let her continue


    driving so dangerously like this. At their wits'' end, they finally decided to call Debra''s brother and tell


    him about the situation.


    The moment Debra saw her brother''s name on her phone screen, she thought of the super


    expensive lotus-petal-shaped orchid at home. After listening to the man''s gentle coaxing for some


    time, she cut him off and asked bluntly, "Can you give me your lotus-petal-shaped orchid? If that


    won''t do, how about I buy it from you?


    I''ll give you every cent of my pocket money, okay?" The man on the other end of the line hung up


    without a word. It was nothing strange, though. After all, his sister had just asked for the flower he''d


    gone through blood, sweat, and tears to get.


    Debra was stunned.


    She almost regained her calm under her brother''s appeasement, but his sudden move really baffled


    her.


    When she was about to call back, her phone rang. It was from her brother again.


    "I can''t give you that orchid, and I don''t need your measly pocket money. I can buy you another


    orchid when I have some spare money, though."


    "I want a lotus-petal-shaped orchid." After a moment of thought, she added, "You don''t need to buy


    it for me. Tell me where to buy it. I''ll buy it myself. Michelle likes it. I''ll buy it for her to atone for my


    wrongdoing."


    "Don''t be so grave. You''ve done nothing wrong, and you don''t need to atone for anything. Well,


    back to the topic. She likes lotus-petal-shaped orchids, right? My friend''s younger brother has a few


    nice such orchids in his hands. He''s selling them, but the interested buyers are too many. I''ll give


    him a call first. If he hasn''t sold them yet, I''ll buy one for you. "


    "Really?" Debra''s eyes widened in delight, and she instinctively slowed down her car. "I don''t want


    you to buy it. I''ll buy it myself. Alright, call him and ask about it then. I''m going to my dorm now."


    "Are you in such a hurry?"


    "Yes! Apologizing must be done in time. I don''t want to let this matter drag on. You didn''t apologize


    to your girlfriend in time, and ended up breaking up with her, didn''t you? You deserve it!" Debra


    gloated.


    "Fine! I''ll call him right away."


    "Thank you. Anyway, I''m driving. It''s not convenient for me to talk on the phone for too long, so


    bye." Debra hung up in satisfaction.


    An hourter, Debra appeared in the dorm room. Michelle was so surprised to see her that she


    dropped the ice cream bucket.


    Lydia was equally surprised.


    "Debra?" the two said in unison.


    Lydia asked, "Why did youe back all of a sudden?"


    "I''m back for something." Debra walked towards Michelle without forgetting to close the door behind


    her. Her gaze was fixed on the ice cream on the floor. "Why are you eating again? Ice cream is cold


    and sweet. You can eat it in the daytime, but you shouldn''t eat it at night. Aren''t you afraid of


    diarrhea?"


    "I can''t resist the temptation." Michelle stared at Debra with her innocent eyes and pointed at the


    mess on the floor. "It seduced me when I passed by the shop. You should me it."


    "Yeah, the ice cream seduced you and you can''t resist. Whatever makes you happy." Debra rolled


    her eyes, pulled Rainy''s chair over, and took a seat. "I have something to tell you. In fact, lotus-


    petal-shaped orchids aren''t that expensive. My brother''s is very rare, and it''s usually targeted by


    orchid collectors, hence its unreasonable high price.


    Ordinary ones are only a few grand—ten grand at most. My brother''s friend still has two orchids he


    wants to sell. If you want, I''ll take you to him tomorrow. What do you think? If you want two of them,


    I''ll buy both of them for you."


    Michelle''s eyes widened in delight, and she hurriedly nodded. "Okay, but you don''t have to pay. I''ll


    pay."


    Excellent! She could buy the flower Leon liked!


    "Thank you, Debra. You''re the best! I love you!" Michelle rushed over with her arms wide open and


    hugged Debra tightly.


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    Debra felt ufortable and couldn''t move, but she didn''t push Michelle away. An unnoticeable


    bitter smile emerged on her face.


    If Michelle knew that she had colluded with her dad to take advantage of her rtionship with the


    Shi family, would she still say these words?


    She patted Michelle''s back gently, repeatedly apologizing in her heart.


    "Michelle, let me pay. It''s your birthday next month, isn''t it? I''ll buy the two of them for you. Consider


    them your birthday gift."


    ''One is my apology to you, and the other is a birthday gift for you.''