Chapter 90
Everyone at the table was caught off guard when Bryan stormed off. After a stunned silence, Alice snapped, “That damn troublemaker Aubree! She’s even led Bryan astray!”
Daxton’s face darkened. ‘I never thought Bryan would treat Carmen like this, and now even Emery has changed. Has Aubree put some kind of spell on them both?’ he thought, frustration and suspicion clouding his mind.
Carmen couldn’t believe Bryan would storm out right in front of their parents. She lowered her eyes, her hand clenched tightly under the table. She thought, ‘I’ve worked so hard for over a decade, and Aubree’s only been back for what, three years? In just three years, she’s managed to steal my place. If I give her any more time, is she going to completely replace me?’
Carmen shuddered as she pictured the Wilson family scorning and loathing her. Her face, lowered to hide her expression, twisted with fear and anger. She thought fiercely, ‘I’ll never let this happen to me!’
“Mom, Dad,” Carmen asked softly, her voice trembling with uncertainty, “does Bryan… does he hate me now? And Emery… is he still mad at me because I made his esports team lose?” Since Bryan and Emery had stopped supporting her, she thought to herself, ‘Time to try a different approach.’
The instant her words left her lips, everyone at the table exchanged glances, their expressions shifting all at once.
They thought, ‘We were so caught up blaming Bryan that we nearly let Emery off the hook!’
Trevor added fuel to the fire with a smirk. “If it weren’t for Emery, this wouldn’t be getting resolved so soon.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the already heavy atmosphere grew even heavier. Ronald, whose word carried the most weight in the family, frowned so deeply it could have crushed a fly.
“What a damn waste of all the kindness Carmen showed him,” Daxton sneered. He’d personally witnessed how hard Carmen worked to help Emery win that championship.
Daxton thought angrily, ‘Carmen was even blamed by those guys from Emery’s esports team; doesn’t anyone realize how wronged she must feel? If Emery really sides with Aubree over some damn championship, I’ll make sure he regrets it!’
Daxton gently squeezed Carmen’s hand in reassurance and said softly, “Come on, Emery wouldn’t get mad at you over something so trivial.”
“I think Emery can’t even tell right from wrong anymore,” Ronald snapped.
He thought, ‘Even if we let it slide that you’re siding with Aubree, what’s truly outrageous is that ever since Carmen was set up by that wretch, you haven’t even bothered to show up or say a single word to help her! Is this really how you treat your own sister?’
Alice’s heart ached seeing Carmen being viciously cyberbullied online. This time, even though Emery was her own son, she felt he had truly crossed the line.
She knew Emery was the only one in the family who ever took Aubree’s side, but she felt that he couldn’t just brush Carmen aside like that.
‘How could a brother act like this?’ Alice thought, her heart aching with disappointment.
“Wait till Emery gets back, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind!” With just that one sentence, Carmen immediately turned the entire Wilson family against Emery.
At that moment, Emery didn’t even wonder why Bryan had left. All he could think about was Aubree.
He walked down the street, unable to stop smiling. He thought, “This time I really helped Aubree. She’s got to see I’m actually changing for the better! Aubree’s starting an esports club; she must be inexperienced in so many areas. This is my chance to prove myself! If I show Aubree my determination, she’ll definitely come back to me. Last time… last time, she just didn’t believe in me yet.”
Carmen checked the time and, seeing it was about right, let her eyes redden slightly, her gaze brimming with grievance, yet forced a magnanimous smile. “It’s nothing, really. I’m just… a little upset. I’m sure Emery had his reasons for acting that way. Mom, Dad, please don’t let this ruin the family harmony because of me.”
Her performance drew even more pity from the family.
Carmen was truly too considerate. Even after the way her brothers treated her, she still stood up for them.