Chapter 568: Engaged
The stepmother’s smile faltered. She hastily explained, "It was a greeting gift from Zane Coleman. I told him not to, but the young man was so insistent. He just threw the money on the table and left. I was planning to return it to him, but I’m not familiar with the distillery and haven’t been able to find him."
"My second son works at the same distillery as Zane Coleman. Give the money to me, and I’ll have him return it," Phoebe Huxley offered helpfully.
The stepmother cursed inwardly. ’That meddling old bandit. That fifty yuan is already in my pocket; there’s no way I’m giving it up.’
"There’s no need to trouble you, Aurelia. I’ll go to the distillery tomorrow and give it to him myself."
The stepmother planned to go and conspire with Zane Coleman. Of course, she had no intention of returning the money. She would tell Zane to hurry up and get his hands on Kelley Xavier. Then, she would arrange to catch them in the act. Even if nothing happened, she could still fabricate a scandal. As long as the Thorne family had any sense of decency, they would never accept a girl whose reputation had been so thoroughly tainted.
Phoebe Huxley sneered, "But didn’t you just say you couldn’t find him? If you keep dragging your feet and don’t pay him back, a scoundrel like Zane Coleman will run his mouth all over town, spewing filth about how the Xavier girls are desperate for money. The engagement isn’t even finalized, yet she’s already taken so much money from the man. How are any of the other girls in Xavier Village supposed to find a husband after that?"
The village chief’s wife immediately chimed in. "That’s right! I’ve heard that Zane Coleman has no filter. He can spin a whole, detailed story out of thin air. If you don’t return that fifty yuan, there’s no telling what sort of vile rumors he’ll spread."
The expressions of several Xavier family elders soured. They didn’t particularly care about Kelley Xavier’s reputation, but they had unmarried daughters of their own. It wouldn’t do to have Zane Coleman spreading malicious rumors and dragging their own families’ girls down with her.
"Get the money out now! Shane Xavier, are you dead?!" another Xavier elder barked.
The others were all glaring at him menacingly. Shane Xavier’s scalp prickled, and he shot a glare at his wife. "Hand over the money!" His tone was full of resentment; she had taken the money without telling him, and now he was getting chewed out by his uncles because of it.
Under duress, the stepmother had no choice but to obediently take out the money. The great-uncle snatched it from her and said coldly, "I’ll personally go to the distillery tomorrow to return this. From now on, if that Coleman fellow comes around again, don’t let him in the door. How could you even find such a low-life scoundrel? You’re dragging the Xavier family’s good name through the mud!"
All Shane Xavier could do was nod repeatedly, his resentment for his wife deepening. She was the one who had found Zane Coleman, touting that the young man had a stable "iron rice bowl" job and came from a good family. She had claimed that if Kelley Xavier married him, she would live a comfortable life and could even help support her own family. That was the only reason he had been tempted. He never would have imagined the man was a complete scoundrel.
The stepmother’s face was grim, her expression dark. She seethed with hatred for Grandpa Huxley. ’Phoebe Huxley couldn’t have pulled this off on her own,’ she thought. ’It must have been that old bastard who convinced those other fossils to interfere. Why else would they meddle in this? And that business with Mark Xavier last time—that meddling old geezer had his hand in that, too.’
’Hmph. He kills so many pigs, yet Heaven hasn’t seen fit to strike that old bastard dead with lightning!’
The stepmother cursed, gritting her teeth.
A few days later, Phoebe Huxley had Shane Thorne select an auspicious date. Then she prepared packets of white sugar and dried longan, wrapping them in paper and sealing each with a red strip. These were the traditional engagement gifts in Vessaria. She filled two large baskets and sent them to the Xavier residence for Shane Xavier to distribute among his relatives. With that, the engagement was considered official.
Phoebe Huxley also made several beautiful dresses in very fashionable styles—the latest from Capria. As it happened, Adrian Hawthorne had brought back a few samples so that Phoebe and the others could learn to make adult clothing. The profit margin on selling fabric truly wasn’t as high as it was for finished clothes, and garments sold better anyway.