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Novel Catalog
Chapter 45
Vera was cut off by Bonnie’s fierce stare before she could finish her sentence. It was as if the air around them had thickened, and for a moment, Vera felt a chill crawl down her spine.
Bonnie’s anger flared, but just as quickly, it dissipated. She exhaled slowly, the fire in her eyes smoldering instead of raging. “You sure do have a way with words,” she said, her voice low and cold. “If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought you were my enemy, not my mother.”
Vera’s eyes flickered with unease. It was true; they didn’t like Bonnie, but she was still their flesh and blood. To be accused like that—without any solid evidence—it must have been humiliating for Bonnie.
But that didn’t mean Vera would apologize. With a forced sigh, she said, “There’s no need to get upset, Bonnie. I was just worried that you might have fallen for some kind of scam. Tell me the truth. Where did you get this money?”
Bonnie didn’t even look at her as she stood up, ready to leave. “I worked for it.” Her voice was sharp, cutting through the tension. “I’m leaving. My SATs are tomorrow.”
Vera sighed as Bonnie walked out of the room, her irritation bubbling under the surface. She turned to Gresham, voice tinged with worry. “Do you think she’ll be able to get into a third-rate college at least? What will I tell my family if she fails even that?”
Gresham sighed deeply, his frustration palpable. “I’m thinking the same thing. My brothers and their families will rub it in our faces if she can’t even get into college.”
Trina, ever the sycophant, hooked her arms around her parents’ in a show of false concern. “I don’t think you have to worry about her, Mom, Dad. I know Bonnie will get into one of the third-rate colleges. She won’t embarrass you.”
But even as she said this, Trina’s thoughts were a different story. She knew Bonnie would flunk the SATs. And when that happened, she would make sure that the whole town of Pyralis would hear about it. That way, Vera and Gresham would continue to favor her, Trina—the “better” daughter—while Bonnie would never find a place in the Shepard family.
Meanwhile, Bonnie had left the house and was en route to Knight Villa. Halle and Rowena were in the car, engaged in conversation.
“I heard something, Rowena. Master Quenton is at the villa. He’s a world-renowned tea master, and he doesn’t come around often. I know you love tea brewing, so you need to convince him to take you under his wing.”
Rowena nodded, her eyes shining with determination. “You’re right. I asked him to take me as his apprentice last time, but he rejected me. Since then, I’ve spent a whole year honing my skills. I’ll definitely earn his respect this time.”
When they arrived at the villa, a cab pulled up at the same time. Both women exchanged a glance. There was only one person they knew who would hail a cab like that—a penniless commoner.
Bonnie got out of the car and saw Halle and Rowena, but she ignored them completely, striding past them and heading straight into the villa.
“What’s wrong with her?” Halle fumed. “I can’t believe she went in without so much as a greeting. How uncivilized. I can’t take it. I need to teach her a lesson.” She began to march toward Bonnie, her steps quick and furious.
Rowena grabbed her arm, halting her. “She just came back, Halle. Do you think she’s here for Master Quenton too?”
Halle scoffed, rolling her eyes. “She’s a nobody. There’s no way Master Quenton would even bother to look at her.”
“But… What if Ivor put in a good word for her? Do you think Master Quenton might…” Rowena trailed off, uncertainty creeping into her voice.
Halle paused for a moment, then sneered, her eyes narrowing. “You have a point. I’m going to give that penniless bitch a warning so strong that she’ll keep her mouth shut.”
With that, Halle stormed forward, blocking Bonnie’s path. “Hold it right there, Bonnie!”
Bonnie looked at her coolly, unimpressed. “What?”
Halle glared at her, lips curling into a sneer. “Let me make something clear. Rowena is the one who’s Master Quenton’s apprentice. If you so much as ask Ivor to put in a good word for you and sway Master Quenton’s decision, I’ll make you regret it.”
Rowena joined her, her voice dripping with arrogance. “I’ve admired Master Quenton for a long time, Bonnie. I started learning tea brewing a year ago just so I could become his apprentice. This is a big deal for me. I’ll give you a million dollars if you just stand back.”
Bonnie raised an eyebrow, intrigued but not intimidated. Master Quenton? Then it clicked. She remembered Ivor’s text—the tea master wanted to discuss tea brewing with her.
Oh, the same Quenton who had begged her to teach him, the one with inferior skills?
Her lips curled into a small, knowing smile. How interesting. It seemed his tea skills were more popular in this town than she’d thought.
Bonnie tilted her head slightly as she looked at Halle and Rowena. “Don’t worry. I’ll stand back.”
Halle and Rowena exchanged a relieved look. “She’s being smart today,” Halle muttered, a sense of victory washing over her.
Rowena smirked. “Of course. It’s a million dollars we’re talking about. She has nothing. I bet she’s never seen money like this in her life.”
As the two women hurried into the villa, Bonnie lingered for a moment. She watched them go, a cool and unreadable expression on her face. It was amusing how they underestimated her.
Let’s see how they handle Master Quenton, though, she thought with a smirk. Maybe I’ll pay him a visit myself, after all.