Chapter 2: Shen Jingluo's Eight Characters

"He is what?" Selena Patrick's sharp gaze shot towards Judy Patrick like a cold arrow. "I warn you, don't use my mother's death and my father's illness as an excuse. Otherwise, no one will have a good ending."

The girl quickly went upstairs.

Downstairs, Darren Patrick clutched his aching chest, struggling to catch his breath. Judy Patrick, while helping him to calm down, said, "You know her temper; she won't back down. Why did you bring up that woman's death? You know she can't bear to hear anyone mention her mother."

"I raised her from six to twenty years old. Look at how she repays us—she doesn't understand anything at all."

Sharon Patrick, oblivious to the situation, grabbed Darren Patrick's arm. "Dad, I'm already pregnant with Steven Austin's child. I must marry Steven Austin."

Darren Patrick angrily shook off her hand. "How dare you say that? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be in such a passive position. Who else would you mess with but Steven Austin?"

Sharon Patrick covered her face and cried.

Although Judy Patrick felt sorry for her, she didn't dare to speak too much on her behalf. Instead, she changed the subject. "Everyone knows about the marriage between Patrick family and Austin family, and we've already accepted the engagement gifts and the one million dollar dowry. Why don't we let Sharon replace Selena in the marriage and hold a press conference to clarify everything?"

"Do you think everyone is a fool? The Austin family values Selena's birth chart," Darren Patrick said irritably, waving his hand. "Let's talk about this later."

In the hotel.

The man picked up the red bills left by the woman, counting them with interest. His hair was slightly disheveled, and his playful smile was captivating. His straight nose and deep-set eyes, combined with his clean yet aloof demeanor, made him intriguing.

Is the esteemed young master of the Maugham family only worth two hundred dollars?

After counting the money, the man threw the bills onto the bed in frustration and picked up his phone again, dialing a number.

"Gale Jonathan, within 24 hours, make all the gossip about Selena Patrick online disappear."

"Understood, Mr. Maugham."

A few days later, the rumors of Selena Patrick's night out with a male escort mysteriously vanished from the internet.

She went to school as usual.

Today, Selena Patrick wasn't paying attention in class. Even the gossip about the rich and famous, which she usually loved, failed to pique her interest.

Sylvia Ingersoll noticed something was off and gently touched her arm. "What's wrong? Did you not sleep well last night? Did Sharon Patrick cause you trouble again?"

"No." She listlessly laid her head on the desk, feeling limp.

"Then what's the matter? Oh..." Sylvia Ingersoll covered her mouth and lowered her voice. "Did you catch something from that male escort? Did you go to the hospital? I heard those people aren't clean."

"No." She pursed her lips and drooped her eyelids.

Sylvia Ingersoll admired Selena Patrick's courage. Not everyone had the guts to take such a drastic step.

"You just gave yourself to a gigolo; I feel it's a loss for you."

Selena Patrick didn't want it to be this way. To say she had no regrets would be lying to herself, but this revenge would make Steven Austin lose face in J city, which was satisfying.

"If I hadn't had a bit of alcohol, I probably wouldn't have had the nerve."

"Has Steven Austin contacted you?"

"What face does he have to contact me?" If he dared to come and bother her, she would make sure he regretted it even more.

Selena Patrick packed her books. "Skipping class."

With that, she slipped out of the classroom in a low, almost invisible manner.

Sylvia Ingersoll followed her, also skipping class.

"Why are you so out of it today? What's going on?"

Selena Patrick sighed, looking up at the sky. "My dad's condition is getting worse. I asked the doctor, and it turns out that Darren Patrick has only been keeping my dad alive, not treating him properly."

"That Darren Patrick is despicable. How could he do this to his own younger brother?"

Younger brother?

When did he ever see him as a brother?

He only wanted his brother's wealth.

If it weren't for her being of some use and holding a piece of land in S City, Darren Patrick would wish for Edgar Patrick to die immediately.

Seeing Selena Patrick's silence, Sylvia Ingersoll asked worriedly, "Do you have any plans? Do you need money? I have some, you can use it."

"Forget it, keep it for yourself."

"But you have to find a solution. You can't just watch your dad's condition worsen, right?"

Sylvia Ingersoll was the only friend who knew about Selena Patrick's struggles over the years. Her motivation to endure all these years was the belief that Darren Patrick was still treating Edgar Patrick. But now, it seemed that wasn't the case.

"I want to talk to my sister about it," Selena Patrick said, lowering her eyes.

Edgar Patrick had two daughters: Freda Patrick and Selena Patrick. Freda Patrick was fifteen years older than Selena Patrick. When the Patrick family fell, she had just gotten married. After the Patrick family's decline, her husband's family got into legal trouble, and she became a scapegoat. Her marriage ended after five years of struggle.

After the divorce, Freda Patrick worked hard to support herself and her daughter, barely making ends meet.

"Does your sister know about your dad's condition?"

Selena Patrick shook her head, gazing into the distance. "My sister has a hard life. I never told her, I didn't want her to worry."

"True, even if she knew, she couldn't help much and would just worry."

But Freda Patrick had the right to know about their father's condition, and Selena Patrick had no one else to turn to. Eventually, she would have to tell her.

"I'll visit her in a few days and talk to her then."

"Okay."

On a quiet summer evening, Selena Patrick rode her bicycle through the willow-lined path on campus, heading to the burger shop near the university for her part-time job. The chirping of cicadas and the swaying of the willows seemed to dissipate her worries.

She checked her watch and realized she was running late. She sped up, just making it through the intersection on the last second of the green light.

But before she could catch her breath, an elderly woman stumbled and fell in front of her bicycle.

This isn't a scam, is it?

No.

Though the elderly woman was advanced in age, she was dressed elegantly, with well-groomed, curly white hair, and a valuable jade bracelet on her wrist...

Is she having a medical emergency?

After a moment's thought, Selena Patrick quickly got off her bike and approached the elderly woman. "Grandma, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

As she reached out to help, a kind passerby warned her, "Be careful, little girl. If she accuses you, you might lose everything."

"Yeah, be cautious. People can be deceitful, and you might get into trouble."

"Just call the ambulance. Don't just help her without thinking."

Everyone chimed in, and Selena Patrick knew they were trying to protect her. But the elderly woman looked very unwell, unable to speak and pointing at her pocket.

Selena Patrick understood. "Grandma, do you have medicine in your pocket?"

The elderly woman nodded with great effort.

Indeed, she was having a medical emergency.