Chapter 3: Chapter Three: She Pretended to Be a Fool for Over a Decade

Orville Quiller's temple veins bulged, and he could no longer bear it, pushing her away from his embrace. "Shameless."

Evelyn Bert let out a startled cry and fell onto the large bed, sprawling on her back in an utterly undignified manner.

Witnessing her lack of decorum, Orville Quiller's eyebrows twitched. Just as he was about to scold her, Evelyn Bert, after a moment of stunned silence, burst into tears, wailing at the top of her lungs, "Waa... There's a bad person, Aunt Clare, there's a bad person!"

Tears streamed down her eyes like water from a broken faucet. She scrambled to her feet and dashed for the door, even a commoner would have noticed something was amiss.

Orville Quiller, ever perceptive, caught the hem of her dress with swift precision when he heard her cries, "Stop!"

His sudden pull caused Evelyn Bert, who had been charging forward, to stumble. A tearing sound was heard, and a piece of white lace from her gown was ripped off. Her petite frame was already struggling to fit into the wedding dress; this tug only made things worse. She suddenly found herself sitting in a warm embrace, facing a pair of eyes burning with fury.

"You..."

"Help! Murder!"

Evelyn Bert didn't give him a chance to speak, screaming and flailing as she struggled to escape his arms. Just as her hand reached the doorknob, she found Orville Quiller's assistant, Dennis Walkley, standing outside, holding a baseball bat.

"Madam, it's not appropriate to scream and shout at night," the assistant said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Evelyn Bert froze for a moment, then collapsed to the ground, crying like a bullied child. At that moment, she spotted a piece of wedding candy on the floor. She crawled over, picked it up, and bit through the wrapper.

After several attempts, she finally tore it open, licking the wrapper with a silly grin, drooling without seeming to notice.

Seeing her act in a way completely unbecoming of an adult, Dennis Walkley suddenly felt a sense of unease. "Boss, is this madam... not quite right?"

Before Dennis Walkley could finish, a chill ran down his spine. "Are you telling me that the Miss Fang, who you described as dignified and emotionally intelligent, is actually a fool?"

The fire in Orville Quiller's eyes burned even brighter. How could such a fool be married into the Huo family? It was clearly a trick by the Fangs, taking advantage of a simpleton.

Dennis Walkley immediately realized that this might not be Miss Melissa Bert but some random fool they had brought in as a substitute. "What's your name?"

He bent down, addressing Evelyn Bert, who was still engrossed in licking the candy. "I don't know... I don't know..."

Evelyn Bert retreated to the corner, mumbling incoherently, not even looking at him. "Hey, you..." Dennis Walkley almost lost his temper, but under Orville Quiller's murderous gaze, he shivered and awkwardly rubbed his nose. He ran downstairs to the living room, fetched a large plate of grapes, and waved a bunch in front of Evelyn Bert.

Her eyes followed the grapes, forgetting the candy in her mouth. Seizing the opportunity, she tried to grab them, only to have her hand slapped.

She yelped in pain, retracting her hand and blowing on it. Seeing her interest in food, Dennis Walkley seized the opportunity. "Do you want to eat?"

Evelyn Bert instantly forgot the slap, nodding honestly, "Yes, I want to eat."

"Then answer my questions truthfully, and these grapes are yours." Dennis Walkley put the bunch back on the plate and offered it to her. When she tried to grab again, he slapped her hand once more. "Did you hear me?"

He took the grapes back and repeated the question. This time, Evelyn Bert learned her lesson, fixating on the plate. "I heard you, I'll be good."

Dennis Walkley's lips twitched. "What's your name?"

"I'm Evelyn Bert," she said, playing with a piece of lace from her dress.

"Who is Melissa Bert to you?"

Upon hearing her surname, and seeing his boss's icy expression, Dennis Walkley grew nervous. The Fangs were truly audacious, not only sending a fool but also a bastard...

"She's my sister, hehehe, she always calls me a retard, but I like her, my little sister," Evelyn Bert grinned, her face contorted in a way that was hard to look at.

"Who's your mother?"

Dennis Walkley continued questioning her.

"My mom is Laurel Esther. She died, jumped into a well. Then my dad married Aunt Clare, saying she's my new mom."

Evelyn Bert tilted her head, seemingly trying to recall. Dennis Walkley was dumbfounded. Taking advantage of his distraction, Evelyn Bert snatched the grapes, stuffing them into her mouth like a starving ghost, afraid someone would take them away.

Dennis Walkley, realizing what happened, decided not to argue. Instead, he turned to his boss. "Boss, she seems to be the daughter of the original wife and Winfred Bert. Though she's a fool, she can't cause much trouble."

"What if she's faking it?"

Orville Quiller's sharp eyes remained fixed on Evelyn Bert. Following his gaze, Dennis Walkley saw her disheveled appearance, messy hair, and ungraceful eating, which spoiled her cute face. Yet, her clear, innocent eyes betrayed a certain naivety...

"Boss, if she's faking, why would she come here?" Dennis Walkley thought his boss was being paranoid. "What does she gain from this?"

Certainly not the boss's good looks, since he'd be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Good looks couldn't feed anyone.

"...Money," Orville Quiller said.

"That makes sense," Dennis Walkley conceded. "Take me back to my room."

"Yes, sir." Dennis Walkley glanced at the woman still eating, unable to watch, and wheeled his boss out, closing the door behind them.

Evelyn Bert listened to their retreating footsteps, happily finishing the grapes. She slowly got up, using the wall for support, and placed the remaining grapes on the table. Sinking into the sofa, she looked exhausted.

"Finally, they're gone. I'm so full."

She patted her round belly and burped. If they hadn't left, she might have eaten herself to death with those grapes. After resting, she carefully removed the expensive ring, wrapping it in a soft cloth. Looking around the spacious new room, she yawned, the image of Orville Quiller's all-seeing eyes flashing in her mind, making her feel uneasy.

She had pretended to be a fool for years to stay in the Fang family and gather evidence, but now, Rita Clare had married her off...