Chapter 8In Jacaster, a person like Matthew was someone she could never be acquainted with. Given the
Leedon family’s status in Jacaster, they could only look up to the Quigley family. Melanie sighed. “If
only I could marry him, I’d give anything!” Without realizing it, she quickly walked over. Just as she
was about to cross the street, she watched wide-eyed as Matthew got into the car, which then sped
off, leaving a trail of dust behind. Instantly, she made a silent vow in her heart. I will make Dad
create opportunities for me. I am so beautiful and have a great figure. Even Aurelia’s boyfriend is
completely smitten with me. Perhaps when Matthew sees me, he might fall for me, too. “By the way,
what’s going on with Curtis? He promised to take me shopping. Why hasn’t he come yet? Did he go
to find Aurelia?” Melanie’s expression subtly shifted to one of smug satisfaction when she thought
about Aurelia. “I’m curious to see how Aurelia will handle this! Hmph! She had the audacity to show
me attitude at the hospital yesterday. She’s really quite bold.” Bored from waiting, she took out her
phone and called Luna. “Mom, I just tried calling Aurelia again, but she still isn’t responding. Should
I go and find her? Maybe I should apologize to her?” “Don’t bother about her. Your father has
canceled her credit card. She’ll surely return on her own in a couple of days! It’s so frustrating. If
only she could be as responsible as you, your father and I would be so relieved.” Luna was
increasingly agitated. She didn’t know if it was due to her anger, but she had been unable to sleep
the previous night, feeling utterly vexed. After consoling Luna, Melanie ended the call and called
Aaron Leedon, her elder brother. She recounted the events and their consequences, and finally,
with tears streaming down her face, she said, “Aaron, shouldn’t you and Benjamin give her a call?
Mom and Dad didn’t sleep all night because she ran away from home. Also, she is your little sister,
after all.” Aaron was rather swamped, feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. His experiments had
been failing consistently. Hearing that his younger sister, who had just returned, was causing trouble
again, he was truly annoyed. “In our hearts, you are our sister, not her. If she wants to make a fuss,
let her.” Melanie laughed joyfully. “Aaron, I know you’re busy. You must make sure to rest well
regularly.” “I will. Don’t worry.” Aurelia had a key to the house. As soon as she opened the door and
stepped inside, waves of pleasant aroma greeted her. Phyllis had exceptional culinary skills. Even
the simplest ingredients in her hands could be transformed into delicious dishes, full of color, aroma,and flavor. For Aurelia, everything familiar before her eyes seemed as if from a bygone era. With
teary eyes, she watched as Phyllis and Xavier busied themselves in the kitchen. In the small
kitchen, their conversation could be heard. “Auri loves this, Mom. Make a bit more.” “If you can
remember what Auri likes to eat, I, of course, also can remember. I even made extra of Auri’s
favorites. When will your brothers be home?” “Just now, they called me. They’re stuck in traffic, but
they should be arriving soon.” “That’s good. Our family hasn’t had a meal together in a long time.”
Just as Aurelia was about to walk over, a WhatsApp message popped up on her phone, and she
tapped it. The message was sent by Matthew. He texted: I’ll be away on a business trip for a few
days. Aurelia responded with an acknowledgment, put away her phone, and walked into the
kitchen. “Mom, Xavier, I’m back!” In her previous life, she returned to the Leedon residence,
primarily seeking their assistance. She was aware that Xavier and her second brother, Charlie
Shaw, had encountered some issues over the past couple of years. Their family, residing in
Jacaster, lacked anyone who could provide them with guidance. However, she never had the
chance to speak up. Both Gideon and Luna harbored a deep-seated disdain and contempt for their
entire family. “Hey! You’re back, Auri! Quickly watch TV in the living room. The food will be ready
soon.” When Phyllis saw Aurelia, her eyes welled up with warmth. She truly missed her daughter.
Xavier was also urging, “The kitchen can only accommodate the both of us. You go watch TV.” “All
right.” Aurelia gave them a sweet smile. The feeling of being cherished by her family warmed her
heart. On the other side, while on his way to the airport, Matthew glanced at Aurelia’s response and
raised an eyebrow. This subtle movement was caught by Gordon. “Are you dissatisfied with this
proposal, Mr. Quigley? I’ll have them redo it.” Gordon was about to send a message in the group
chat on his phone. Matthew looked at Gordon. “What makes you think I’m not satisfied?” Gordon
couldn’t exactly say that his conclusion was drawn from relying on his experience and observing
subtle changes in micro-expressions. Therefore, he gave an awkward laugh. Suddenly, the
smoothly cruising car abruptly came to a screeching halt. The laptop on Gordon’s lap fell down with
a thud. I’ve only purchased this laptop recently! It’s a good laptop that cost me hundreds of
thousands! It snapped right in the middle! Gordon’s pupils contracted violently. Right then, they
heard the driver exclaiming with a deathly pale face, “A chain-reaction car accident!” That was anoveldramaclose call because their car was almost hit by a large truck. Matthew looked over and was shocked
to see that the car in front of them had been crushed by an overturned tanker, with only a four-ring
emblem visible, hinting at the make of the car. The car on the right and several others in front were
all affected. Suddenly, the overpass was jammed with cars descending into utter chaos. Meanwhile,
Phyllis and Xavier had prepared a table full of dishes. Charlie and his younger brother, Herbert, had
also returned. Upon seeing Aurelia, the two individuals immediately gathered around her. They
didn’t dare to ask too much. They simply wanted to know if Aurelia had been mistreated by the
Leedon family. “Aurelia, if they dare to bully you, just let us know, and we’ll have your back!” Herbert
did not like the people from the Leedon family, including his own biological sister, Melanie. The first
time they met, they held themselves high and mighty, as if their entire family were of royal descent.
In his eyes, Aurelia was his biological sister. “Herbert is right. Don’t be afraid when you encounter
problems.” Charlie always had a soft spot for Aurelia. It was evident that Aurelia’s time back at the
Leedon family hadn’t been good. She had lost a noticeable amount of weight. “Stop talking
nonsense. They are Auri’s family. They won’t possibly treat Auri badly.” Phyllis took out a few bottles
of drinks from the refrigerator. She knew her three sons didn’t like the people from the Leedon
family, but she also knew that the Leedon family was Aurelia’s biological family. Hence, she didn’t
want to put Aurelia in a difficult position. Aurelia laughed, saying, “I’ve moved out of the Leedon
residence and have found a place to live. I won’t be going back.” “You’ve moved out?” The entire
family turned their gaze toward Aurelia. There was worry evident in their eyes. Why did she leave
the Leedon residence out of the blue? Could it be that the Leedon family didn’t treat her well?
Otherwise, why would she have moved out? “It’s not safe for you to live alone out there. It’s better if
you come back home. It’s just me and Herbert here. Xavier and Charlie stay elsewhere. I can stay
in the living room,” Phyllis quickly said. The cost of rent in Jacaster was exorbitant, so she could
only afford a two-bedroom apartment. Xavier and Charlie were both working outside, with their
companies providing them with accommodation. On the rare occasions when they returned home
for a reunion, the three brothers would have to make do with the little space they had. “I’m a man.
I’ll stay in the living room. Aurelia, you can have my room!” Without a second thought, Herbert
offered up his own room. Right when Aurelia was about to say something, her phone rang. Sheinitially wanted to ignore the call, but upon seeing that it was Mabel, she immediately answered it.
“Hi, Grandma.” “Auri, something has happened to Matthew!”