Chapter 493: Jacqueline Spann Finds a Backer
Besides, Jacqueline Spann figured Clayton Xavier probably didn’t know. He never paid attention to idle gossip, and the old madam and Verna Golding wouldn’t let such matters affect his studies. There was a strong chance he was completely unaware.
This thought put Jacqueline Spann a little more at ease. She decided she would find some time to seek out Clayton Xavier and test his attitude.
As for Phoenix Golding’s job, Jacqueline Spann didn’t dwell on it for long. If it couldn’t be saved, so be it. Besides, she had already found an escape route: her aunt, Bernice.
She had received a reply from her grandmother yesterday. Her grandmother still cared about her father; she had not only sent some things but had also given her the address of her aunt in Tristone. Her aunt really had settled down in Tristone. Jacqueline Spann saw a glimmer of hope.
She wasn’t worried about whether her aunt would like her. ’She will definitely like me.’
’As long as I can win my aunt’s favor, she will definitely bring me to Tristone. Grandma said my aunt has never married. She’s been dating someone for several years, but they just won’t tie the knot. Grandma is worried sick about it and even asked me to write a letter to persuade her.’
Of course, Jacqueline Spann had no intention of persuading her. She hoped her aunt would never marry. An aunt without biological children would be much easier to win over; she wanted to be her aunt’s one and only.
’But if my aunt finds out I have a mother with a reputation for sleeping around, will she look down on me?’
’My aunt already looks down on my father. If she finds out my mother is that kind of woman, she’ll very likely think less of me, too.’ Jacqueline’s heart sank as panic washed over her. ’Bernice is my last resort now. I absolutely cannot miss this opportunity.’
’If only Dad and Mom would get a divorce,’ she thought. ’Then I could escape Phoenix Golding’s control and not be dragged down with her.’
But Jacqueline Spann knew very well that Phoenix Golding would never agree to divorce her father. She wouldn’t have before, and she certainly wouldn’t now.
Now that Phoenix Golding was out of a job, her father’s meager work points were the family’s only source of food. Her mother might even force her to go earn work points now, or worse, marry her off...
A violent shiver ran down Jacqueline Spann’s spine. A cold wind blew past, making her back feel damp and clammy as her forehead beaded with cold sweat. The thought expanded like a waterlogged sponge, swelling until it filled her entire mind. A crushing weight, like a great stone, settled over Jacqueline’s heart.
’I have to get away from Millstone Peak as soon as possible,’ she thought frantically. ’Dad can’t get a divorce, and even if he could, Phoenix Golding would never let me go. What am I going to do?’
A thought suddenly flashed through her mind. Jacqueline Spann started, her face draining of all color. She tried to suppress the terrifying idea, but she couldn’t. It was as if the thought had a magnetic pull.
Jacqueline Spann glanced back. The pathetic sight of Phoenix Golding filled her with even more disgust, and her gaze turned colder.
When they got home, Phoenix Golding was so exhausted she collapsed onto the floor, completely drained of strength.
"Help me up!"
After waiting a long time for Jacqueline Spann to come and help her, Phoenix Golding’s temper flared and she opened her mouth to curse. But her voice was so hoarse and weak that it carried no force.
Jacqueline Spann heard her but couldn’t be bothered to respond. ’Phoenix Golding is a beaten dog now,’ she thought. ’I just want to be rid of her. I’m done swallowing my pride and waiting on her hand and foot. It would be better if she just died from the pain.’
Phoenix Golding called out a few more times, but no one responded. The anger made the pain in her body flare, and her head felt fuzzy. Still, she couldn’t stand her own stench. She managed to drag herself up, rinse off with cold water, and change her clothes. Though her body felt cleaner, her forehead was burning up. Phoenix Golding couldn’t take it anymore, collapsed onto the bed, and passed out.