novelxo Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Robert’s face went pale when he saw Laura point at the durian. He couldn’t believe how ruthless she was being. “Lau, are you serious?” he hoped she’d say it was just a joke.
But Laura wasn’t joking. She turned to the waiter and said, “Cut that durian in half. It’s not easy to kneel on the whole thing.”
Robert’s face turned a deep shade of purple, and he was too angry to speak.
The waiter returned with the cut durian, holding it out to Laura. “Here you go, Ms. Godfrey.”
“Leave it right there, please. Robert, it’s time for you to kneel.”
Elara rushed over, concerned. “Kneel for what? Laura, how could you let Robert kneel before so many people? Are you going to be honored if Robert kneels?”
Laura smiled, “Mrs. Brown, Robert is neither my son nor my boyfriend. Why would I care?”
“You!”
“Besides, everyone here witnessed the bet. If Robert doesn’t want to kneel, that’s fine, but someone has to take responsibility. Mr. Quinn, I’m afraid it’s your turn to kneel.”
Robert felt desperate. Letting Evan kneel would be a disaster for him. Steeling himself, he gritted his teeth and said, “Fine! I’ll kneel!”
Elara grabbed his arm. “No! You can’t kneel before her! Laura, do you really want Robert to do this?”
“Mrs. Brown, it sounds like you think I’m forcing him.
were there, and you know the rules. This bet needs someone to enforce it.”
Elara scoffed. “An enforcer? Then I’ll take that role! I’ll kneel, and let’s see how you handle that!”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
“Is she serious?”
“Mrs. Brown is actually going to kneel for Laura?”
Emma jumped in, trying to calm things down. “Laura, come on, know when to back off. She’s older than you.”
Elara raised an eyebrow, clearly excited at the prospect of standing her ground. If she had to kneel, she’d consider if it was worth it.
That’s when Laura remembered the time Olivia locked her in a room where the flames were closing in. Laura had banged on the window, crying for help. When she saw Elara pass by, she pleaded, “Please, Mrs. Brown, help me! I don’t want to die!”
Elara had looked at her, cold as ice. “You, obsessed hag, you’d be better off dead. That way, I wouldn’t have to see your ugly face again.”
“Help me! I don’t want to die! It’s so hot!” Laura kept pounding on the glass as Elara walked away, her high heels clicking, leaving Laura in tears. With that memory fresh in her mind, Laura smiled and said, “If Mrs. Brown wants to kneel for your son, who am I to stop you?”
Elara’s expression froze, clearly shocked that Laura wouldn’t show any sympathy.
“The durian is right here. So, who’s going to kneel? You two can figure it out.”
“Laura!”
“Mrs. Brown, I can hear you just fine. No need to yell.”
Elara picked up a glass of red wine, preparing to throw it at Laura. “Who do you think you are to make either of us kneel?” In the past, Laura had always been meek in front of Elara, and she couldn’t handle this sudden change.
But before the wine could reach Laura, Cedric stepped in, catching her hand. “Mrs. Brown, have some dignity.”
Elara felt a jolt as he gripped her wrist tightly. He was strong, and she hadn’t even seen him coming.
“Let go of my mom!” Robert shouted, furious.
Cedric regarded Robert with a cool, unreadable expression. “If you lose a bet, you have to face the consequences. Since you’ve chosen to take the blame for your buddy, I’ll ask you once–will you kneel or not?”
Robert didn’t know much about Cedric, but he knew Cedric was sent by Easton. Anger boiled inside him—kneeling would be a complete loss of dignity. “This is our business! What does it have to do with you? Let go of my inom, or I swear l-”
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Chapter 30
Before he could finish, Cedric, clearly fed up, kicked Elara’s calf. She collapsed to her knees, still caught in his grip.
“Mom!!!”
“Who are you? Let go of my wife!” Christopher yelled as he ran over, ready to throw a punch. But before he could reach Cedric, a few men in black suits surged from the crowd, blocking his path.
Cedric continued without a hint of hesitation. “If you won’t kneel, then let your mother kneel for you. She can take the punishment, too.” Harsh tactics often worked on shameless people.
Despite his flaws, Robert had a conscience. “No, I’ll kneel! I’ll kneel!” At that point, he couldn’t care less about his pride. He dropped to his knees on the durian in front of him.
“What about the slaps?”
With a heavy heart, Robert slapped himself across the face, but the sound was barely audible. “I’m a scumbag…”
“Louder! I can’t hear you.”
“I’m a scumbag!”
His voice filled the hall. A few women in the crowd felt a sense of justice. “Scumbag! He got what he deserved.”
“If my husband ever cheated on me with my sister, he’d be begging for mercy.”
“Cheating is one thing, but doing it while proposing to Laura? This guy is beyond scum.”
Laura watched Robert’s cringeworthy humiliation. He had put her in similar situations in her previous life. Now everything had flipped. ‘How does it feel now, Robert?‘ she asked in her mind.
As Robert’s gaze locked onto Laura, he expected deep feelings of heartbreak and guilt to rise within him. But the indifference in her eyes shocked him.
‘Does she really not care at all?‘ That realization hurt Robert more than kneeling ever could. He remembered what had happened before. “Robby, I made you a cake. Try it.”
“Robby, I’m going to apply to your university.”
“Robby, I love you.”
“Robby…”
‘No, it can’t be. How could someone who loved me so much act like this? She’s just upset because of Olivia,’ he told himself in his mind. After the slaps, Cedric finally released Elara. She hurried to help Robert up. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Elara shot a glare at Laura. “Are you happy now?”
Laura smiled softly. “Mrs. Brown, what Robert owes me goes far beyond this. Honestly, I’m not satisfied.”
She thought, ‘Six years of lies and suffering, and that kidney–if a few slaps could cover it, it would be ridiculous!
“You’re heartless!” Elara said, venom in her eyes as if Robert was the real victim.
“Compared to your son and Olivia, I don’t even measure up,” Laura said, emphasizing each word.