Everyone was overjoyed at the news. Thank heavens! They were finally free from this woman who plagued them! Hooray! For the first time, they all felt that Evelyn had truly come through for them.
Soon, Ingrid was the only person left in the mansion. Dumbfounded, she stared at the empty living room.
Meanwhile, at the Johnson estate, Tina had just walked through the door when she saw Evelyn on the couch, getting a shoulder massage from a masseur.
โMom? Youโre back?โ
โYes.โ
โWerenโt you staying at the mansion to serveโฆ I mean, take care of Ingrid?โ
It had been more than half a month. Why had her mother suddenly returned home without any warning? Something was off!
Evelyn snorted coldly, โDonโt mention her. Just hearing her name annoys me!โ
โWhatโs wrong?โ Tina sat down beside her. โWhat happened?โ
Evelyn began to vent her frustrations. She recounted to Tina every single grievance she had suffered while staying at the mansion. By the end of it, she even asked the masseur to stop massaging. Evelyn stood up with her arms crossed, cursing Ingrid furiously, โIโve never met a woman more vile than her! If I had known, I wouldโve let Hansel be with Miranda instead!โ
At least Miranda was better than Ingrid in terms of integrity, manners, and class! The more Evelyn thought about it, the more she regretted everything.
Tina felt tears welling up in her eyes when she saw how upset her mother was. She was furious on her motherโs behalf. It seemed that one slap last time wasnโt enough. She shouldโve hit Ingrid a few more times!
Evelyn felt utterly wronged when she brought up Hansel. โWhatโs more, your brother actually believed that bitchโs words. He thought I was the one who tampered with his documents and refused to admit it! Heโd rather trust that bitch over me! How could he not believe me, his own mother?โ
Tina exclaimed indignantly, โHans has gone too far! Iโm calling him right nowโฆโ
She wasted no time and immediately pulled out her phone. Evelyn didnโt stop her, either. Why should she take the blame for something she didnโt do?
The phone rang for half a minute before it was answered.
Tina said, โHans! Did you know that Mom came home?โ
Hansel was in a private room with Calvin. They were talking about a potential partnership. The market and demand for miniseries had recently exploded. Calvin invested in several media companies at just the right moment and made a huge profit. However, money was never enough. He wanted to bring Hansel in as a partner so they could expand the pie and grab a larger share. They had nearly finalized the deal and arranged for their subordinates to meet the next day to sign the contract.
That was when Tinaโs call interrupted them.
โHome? Which home do you mean?โ Hansel asked.
โThe Johnson estate, of course! She was so upset by you and Ingrid that her vertigo nearly flared up again. And you two? One of you is enjoying life in the mansion while the other is living it up in a bar!โ
Tina could hear the noise in the background. There was loud music and drums, so Hansel was clearly at some entertainment venue.
Evelyn played along and supported her head in her hands, moaning softly.
Hansel frowned. โIs Mom okay? Did you take her to the hospital?โ
Tina scoffed, โNow youโre worried? Why werenโt you more concerned earlier? You and Ingrid are cut from the same cloth! Mom took care of her out of the kindness of her heart, and yet Ingrid deliberately made her life difficult."
"And you actually believed Ingrid over our own mother, Hans. Iโm so disappointed in you!โ
With that, Tina hung up immediately.
Hansel held the phone to his ear with a dazed expression on his face.
Disappointed?
Possiblyโฆ
He curled his lips in a mocking smile.
Although Calvin hadnโt heard the whole conversation, he had gathered enough from Hanselโs words that it was likely a family matter. Given Hanselโs current situation, he had no idea how to comfort him.