"Enough! Don't think I don't know what you're thinking! You're wearing Annabelle's dress, aren't you? Taking someone's things without their permission—you're a complete disgrace to me! No wonder Annabelle taught you a lesson. Now hurry up and take it off!" William Chapman refused to listen to any explanation.
"Dad…"
"Get going!"
Joy Chapman had no choice but to stomp upstairs in a rage.
William Chapman knew about Annabelle's relationship with Leona Grant. However, since Annabelle had married into the Grant family, laying a hand on her would be tantamount to slapping the Grants in the face. That was why he had tolerated her for all these years and never had a major falling-out.
Besides, he couldn't afford a falling-out, not at this critical juncture.
"Annabelle, I'm sorry. I overreacted just now. It's all my fault for spoiling Joy so much. She's your younger sister, so please try to bear with her."
"I wasn't planning on holding it against her, but I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Alright, Ryan, go upstairs and change." Annabelle had no real desire to speak with William Chapman, and her reply was cold and perfunctory.
Ryan Linton shot William Chapman a scornful look, then went upstairs.
Seeing Annabelle's composed demeanor, William Chapman was inwardly alarmed. 'How did the daughter who was always so meek suddenly become this sharp-tongued?'
Ryan Linton changed his clothes quickly. Once he came back downstairs, the two of them left the house.
Hearing the door close, Joy Chapman came downstairs. She looked at William Chapman with an aggrieved expression, tears welling in her eyes. "Dad…"
William Chapman sighed and asked with heartfelt concern, "Does it still hurt?"
Joy Chapman shook her head.
The way she fought to hold back her tears made William Chapman's heart ache even more.
Yvonne Miller waved a hand, motioning for all the servants to leave.
She walked over to William Chapman and couldn't help but complain, "I've doted on Joy her entire life. How could Annabelle bring herself to strike her? SLAP, SLAP, two slaps, just like that! Even I, her own mother, have never hit her like that. She even called her a bastard! Think of the trauma that will cause the poor child! And to top it all off, her own father scolded her in front of everyone! Sigh…"
William Chapman pressed his lips together, a helpless look on his face. "Then what would you have me do? Joy is my daughter too. It pained me to see her get hit!"
"On the surface, it may look like I'm in charge of the company, but you know I'm just a figurehead. That old fox from the Linton family was ruthless—he kept an ace up his sleeve and put all the inheritance rights under Ryan Linton's control. Ryan is still young and clueless. If I don't put on an act in front of Annabelle and she finds out about the inheritance agreement, then everything we've worked for all these years will have been for nothing!"
Yvonne Miller knew the great sacrifices William Chapman had made for their family over the years. She regretted her earlier outburst, and her voice softened. "Honey, I think you should hurry things along with the bankruptcy. It's better to be safe than sorry. I just have a feeling… that Annabelle has changed."
Recalling the various signs of Annabelle's drastic change in personality, William Chapman grew worried too. "It seems we really do need to speed things up…"
...
After Annabelle and Ryan left the house, they found a coffee shop.
"You're a doctor. An overdose on sleeping pills is something that would never happen to you! Annabelle, be honest with me. Why did you try to kill yourself by taking sleeping pills?!"
Annabelle had always felt that intelligent people were a terrifying breed.
They possessed brilliant minds, quick reflexes, and incredible memories. Living with them was truly exhausting.
Annabelle's eyes flickered; she had no intention of telling the truth. "I took the wrong medicine, alright?"
Ryan Linton slowly moved closer, grabbing her arm and scrutinizing her face. "I know perfectly well why you took those sleeping pills. If there's a next time, you're no sister of mine!"