Chapter 77: Berating Alice Cole
After putting away her books and test papers, Chloe York got ready to rest.
Before resting, Chloe York checked her phone first. It seemed she had developed a habit of doing so, always worried she’d wake up to find herself trending online again.
The only time she’d trended before was when she was interviewed by reporters for being the top scorer on the college entrance exams. Now, she’d been a trending topic several times in just a short period.
Seeing nothing of note online, Chloe York turned off her phone and went to sleep.
"Brooke, how could you do something like that? Your father is furious right now!"
The moment Brooke York returned, Alice Cole couldn’t help but voice her concern. She knew Brooke had been working incredibly hard since her return, just to win Miles York’s approval. But what she had just done not only failed to win his approval, it had earned his disgust.
"Mom, I wasn’t thinking straight!" Brooke York assumed Alice Cole was blaming her for how she treated Chloe York, so she sincerely admitted her mistake.
’Just as I thought. Her acting like she hated Chloe in front of me was all a pretense. In their hearts, they still prefer Chloe, even if there’s no blood relation.’
"Brooke, you’ve misunderstood me. I’m not blaming you for going after Chloe. I just think that if you’re going to do something, you should do it cleanly. How did you end up getting implicated yourself?"
Alice Cole could tell from Brooke York’s words and expression that she had misunderstood her.
Hearing Alice Cole’s words, Brooke York looked up at her in shock. ’She’s not blaming me?’
"Mom, you..."
Alice Cole sighed and took Brooke York’s hand. "Brooke, you’re my real daughter. Of course I’m on your side! That Chloe York is just an outsider. Even though I raised her for over a decade, there was never any real affection between us. I suppose that’s the power of blood ties."
"I just want you to understand that, in the future, you can only do this sort of thing if you’re certain you won’t be discovered. If you aren’t sure, then don’t do it. Do you understand?"
"I understand. Thank you, Mom!"
Alice Cole shook her head. "I’m your mother; you don’t need to thank me. Also, you don’t have to push yourself so hard. It doesn’t matter if your father doesn’t value you; I do. As long as you want it, the next CEO of the York Group will definitely be you," Alice Cole assured Brooke.
She couldn’t make promises about other things, but this she could guarantee. She might not be working at the company anymore, but she was still a shareholder.
The other directors would still listen to her suggestions, and the only reason she had left the company was to raise her child.
With Alice Cole’s assurance, Brooke York felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her heart.
She had always thought Miles York was the one who called the shots for the entire family, and even the company. But now it seemed her mother, who just stayed at home, was more capable than she’d realized.
"Mm-hmm!"
"Don’t worry about those videos online. I’ll have someone take them down." As soon as she had seen negative videos and comments about Brooke York appear online, she had people start deleting them, taking down any she found.
"Okay!" Brooke York felt relieved to hear that. Right now, it felt like the whole world was against her.
It was a good thing she’d been picked up by the family car. If she’d had to walk or take the bus, she had no idea how she would have made it home. She was terrified of showing her face in public.
Back in her room, Brooke York pulled out her phone. There were still negative videos about her online, but far fewer than there had been right after school let out.
She could see that someone was deleting them. A few people had noticed the deletions, but that wasn’t a problem, as long as it wasn’t on a massive scale and it wasn’t obvious she was behind it.
’Chloe York, just you wait. I will not lose to you,’ Brooke York thought, clenching her phone, her eyes filled with determination.
「The next day.」
The first thing Chloe York did after waking up was look in the mirror. She didn’t usually care much about her appearance, but since the system was providing upgrades, she figured she might as well pay a little attention.
Looking at her reflection, she realized she hadn’t looked closely yesterday, so she hadn’t noticed the difference over the past couple of days. But she could still tell her skin was exceptionally good—soft, supple, and fair with a rosy glow. At her age, many people had dark circles or acne, but her face was completely clear. She looked radiant.
Moreover, her eyelashes had become thicker and a little longer, making her eyes look large and expressive. A single phrase came to Chloe York’s mind: a feast for the eyes. It was true; looking at her own beautiful reflection really did improve her mood.
’Looks like it’s working!’
Physical System: [Of course it’s working, Host! It’s not even that obvious yet. By the time the mission is over, anyone who sees you will think you’re gorgeous.]
"Fine, then." After getting ready, Chloe York slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed to school.
"Miss, the missus wants to see you!" Just as she reached the school gate, a man blocked her path. She recognized him as Alice Cole’s driver.
She glanced toward the side of the road and, sure enough, saw a blue sedan parked there.
She had no desire to deal with Alice Cole, but after a moment’s thought, she walked over and got into the car. Inside, Alice Cole wore sunglasses, exuding an air of unapproachable nobility.
The driver started the car and pulled away.
"If you have something to say, just say it here. I have to get to school."
"It won’t take long. I don’t like to discuss matters in the car," Alice Cole replied, rejecting Chloe’s suggestion.
Chloe York said nothing more and just looked out the window. The two of them were so distant, they seemed less like a mother and daughter of more than ten years and more like complete strangers.
The car eventually stopped in front of a coffee shop, and the two of them got out and went inside.
Alice Cole ordered a coffee for herself. Chloe York didn’t hold back and ordered a milk tea.
They sat in silence, seemingly waiting for their drinks to arrive.
Since it was still early, their drinks were made quickly and brought to the table.
"What is it you wanted to see me about?" Chloe asked, her expression unpleasant.
’She definitely isn’t here for anything good,’ Chloe thought. ’She’s probably here because of Brooke.’
"Why shouldn’t I come see you? No matter what, I’m the mother who raised you for over ten years. You owe me. You owe our York Family a debt of gratitude for raising you."
Alice Cole was using the "debt of gratitude" to emotionally blackmail Chloe. Chloe had made her daughter so miserable that she hadn’t even come down for breakfast that morning. Alice felt she had to find some fault with Chloe, to make her suffer a little too.
Chloe York let out a cold laugh. As if she didn’t know what Alice Cole was up to. "And your daughter was raised by my family for over a decade, wasn’t she? Your daughter is even more impressive—she got my parents’ house and land. Oh, that’s right, she still hasn’t returned them. Find some time to give them back to me."
"Chloe York, how can you be so shameless? You took Brooke’s place and enjoyed the life of a rich young miss for so many years. That worthless plot of land and that rundown house of yours wouldn’t even cover your living expenses from all that time. If we’re really going to settle accounts, you should be the one paying us!"
"You were the one who switched the babies. We haven’t held you responsible for that, and that’s already generous. Alice Cole, I’m giving you an out, so you’d better take it."
"You... you..." No one had ever spoken to her like that, nor had anyone ever been so brazen in her presence. Alice Cole pointed at Chloe York, unable to utter a complete sentence.