Chapter 135

Judy brought over the chicken noodle soup and set it down in front of Bianca.

Stephen sat across from her, leaning back in his chair as he looked around the tiny shop. After a moment, he asked Judy, who was washing dishes in the kitchen area, “Did Abigail used to come here a lot?”

“Oh yes, she’d stop by after school and sit for a while, then take a bowl of chicken noodle soup to go. Where did she go?” Judy asked with a warm smile. “Are you family? She hasn’t been here in three years.”

Stephen didn’t answer. A wave of discomfort washed over him. ‘Three years,’ he thought bitterly. ‘She’s been gone for three years, sitting in prison for that lying little brat Daniella!’

Bianca took a sip, and her eyes immediately welled up with tears. What Daniella had bought before was completely wrong–only what Abigail brought tasted like this.

Stephen watched Bianca’s head bow over her chicken noodle soup, looking miserable. He couldn’t help muttering under his breath, “Now you see why I won’t let you defend Daniella anymore. She’s a compulsive liar. If she’ll lie about something this small, imagine what else she’s hiding.”

Bianca didn’t answer him.

Bianca and Stephen returned home together. The moment they walked through the door, Stephen heard Christian complaining, “Where have you two been?”

“Where we go is none of your business. What, you can’t sleep unless we’re home?” Stephen shot back sarcastically.

“What’s gotten into you lately? You’ve been picking fights with everyone,” Christian said, clearly annoyed.

“I just can’t stand idiots.” Stephen looked over at Daniella, who was sitting on the couch and didn’t dare speak. “Mom and I went to The Hearth Table. Turns out the owner has a great memory. She still remembers when Abigail came in three years ago.”

“Stevie, just drop it,” Bianca said, reaching out to stop him.

“You let it slide this time, and she’ll have a whole new set of lies ready for you next time!” Stephen snapped.

Daniella’s face went pale, and she couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes, clearly embarrassed and feeling like she couldn’t breathe in this house anymore. Her eyes quickly filled with tears as she curled up on the couch without saying a word.

Just then, Abigail came downstairs to get some water. Stephen was back to stirring up trouble, but she didn’t pay much attention to it.

Stephen saw his chance and kept going. “Remember when you supposedly bought Mom that chicken noodle soup from the Hearth Table? The owner’s wife has never even seen you!”

“Stevie, will you just stop already?” Christian saw that Daniella was about to cry and stepped forward to push Stephen back.

“I’m going to expose every single lie this little liar has told, got a problem with that? This involves Mom, and you’re taking her side. What, you’d rather protect her than your own mother?” Stephen shouted.

Bianca couldn’t help but look at Christian. ‘He’s right,’ she thought. ‘If Christian heard that Daniella had been lying to me, shouldn't he be on my side? Why is he protecting someone who’s been lying?

The Gibsons had cars. Getting chicken soup from The Hearth Table would have been simple. But Daniella would rather brush her off with lies than actually go there. ‘All these years I’ve been defending her, and for what?’ Bianca realized.

Stephen’s words left Christian completely speechless.

Stephen glanced over at Abigail, who was getting water from the fridge, and tried to keep his temper in check. His voice softened slightly. “The Gibson family has treated you well, haven’t we?” he said coldly. “Mom and Dad have been good to you too. It was just a bowl of chicken noodle soup, and you still lied to her about it. What about everything else?”

“I… I did buy it from Hearth Table.” Daniella’s eyes were red as she kept up her stubborn act. “Maybe it was from a branch location that cooks differently…”

There was only one Hearth Table in Cobridge. During the three years Abigail had been in prison, Judy wouldn’t have had the authority to open any franchises. There were locations in other cities, but only one or two.

“A branch location, huh? Then take me there right now and show me which one.” Stephen wasn’t letting this go.

“I forgot the address.”

Stephen couldn’t hold it anymore. “You’re fucking lying through your teeth! One lie after another–do you have any shame left? Don’t you know how the Gibson family has treated you?

“You knew Mom can only fall asleep after having Hearth Table’s chicken noodle soup, and you couldn’t even handle that simple task. Instead, you chose to lie to her!”

Stephen’s voice was shaking with rage. The more he dug into Daniella’s behavior, the more he realized she truly had no conscience.

“Stevie…” Daniella called out with red-rimmed eyes, her voice full of hurt, but he quickly cut her off.

Stephen sneered, “Don’t give me that look. I’m not your brother. The Gibson family has spoiled you rotten, and you wouldn’t even buy Mom a simple bowl of chicken soup.

“I won’t even get into how selfish you are, but if this family raised a dog and spent millions on it every year, at least that dog would show some gratitude to its owners. You’re worse than a dog.”