CHAPTER 72: CHAPTER 72: ZINNIA LAWRENCE GOES BERSERK, FRIGHTENING EVERYONE

Seeing Zinnia Lawrence, Gloria Grant immediately stood up.

"Zinnia, you’re finally here! Look at how your mother-in-law treats family! I came here as a guest, and she locked me in here with guards. Am I a thief or a criminal?"

"Zinnia, you’re the rightful young mistress of this house. You have to stand up for your mother! You have to get me some payback for this, or else who in this family will ever respect you? Hey, Zinnia, wait for your mom!"

Before Gloria could finish, Zinnia turned and quickly walked away. Gloria hurried after her, grabbing her arm.

"I’m talking to you! Are you mute?"

Zinnia violently shook her hand off. Gloria staggered back a few steps before falling onto the lawn with a wail.

"What do you think you’re doing? How dare you lay a hand on your own mother! OW! My leg... I must have sinned in a past life to have raised such an unfilial daughter like you!"

The gritty sensation in Zinnia’s eyes lingered. They stung, and her vision was blurry.

Gloria was completely oblivious to her daughter’s miserable state. All she cared about was causing a scene, and all she saw was money. She thought that by making a fuss, the Forrest Family would eventually pay her off to save face.

Zinnia stepped forward, grabbing Gloria by the collar and sneering.

"Heh, an unfilial daughter? Did you ever consider yourself my mother? By causing a scene like this, what position do you put me in? Have you ever once considered my situation or my feelings? So just shut up!"

Her eyes were bloodshot, but her expression was glacial. Pulled up by the collar, Gloria was genuinely frightened.

"You... you..."

"A mother’s kindness earns a daughter’s devotion. You are not kind, so why should I be devoted? Showing filial piety to a scoundrel like you is just helping a villain! You want to scream and cause a scene? Fine!"

Zinnia let go, and Gloria crumpled back to the ground. Before she could get up, a sudden jet of cold water drenched her from head to toe, leaving her shivering. Zinnia had picked up a high-pressure water hose from the flowerbed, turned on the valve, and aimed it directly at Gloria.

Gloria screamed, unable to open her eyes.

"AAAAH! HELP! LUNATIC... AH, ZINNIA, YOU LITTLE BRAT... UGH!"

Gloria scrambled to get away, instantly becoming covered in mud and ruining a large patch of the flowers Katherine Rhodes had so carefully cultivated.

"Stop! Zinnia, have you gone mad?"

The commotion was too loud. Katherine Rhodes came out of the villa with several staff members, her face ashen as she scolded Zinnia.

Zinnia simply turned the hose on Katherine.

Katherine stopped in her tracks and was awkwardly pulled back by the servants.

"How dare you!"

She gaped at Zinnia in disbelief, having narrowly avoided being soaked.

Zinnia tossed the hose aside, the corners of her lips curling into a slight smile.

"Didn’t you call me over to handle this? If I don’t teach her a lesson, she’ll just come back. This is my way of handling things."

Katherine was so furious she nearly blacked out, but Zinnia simply turned to leave. After just two steps, she turned back and said with a smile, "By the way, that double-eared vase with pastel floral designs in the living room is quite nice. It looks like it’s from the Ming Dynasty. Next time she comes, just smash that and pin it on her. That should be enough to land her in a cell for a few years."

"Then you won’t have to worry about her disturbing your peace or tainting this place with her vulgarity ever again. I’ve given you a permanent solution. Next time she causes trouble, just do that, and please, don’t call me anymore."

Zinnia nodded and walked away without a backward glance, soon leaving Aria Villa behind.

Katherine swayed and had to be supported by two servants.

Just then, Julia Forrest ran out of the villa. The little boy had taken his medicine earlier and was supposed to be napping.

"Where’s Seventh Sister? Why did she leave?"

"Don’t you dare mention her! Do you want to anger your mother to death, too? She’s gone completely mad, utterly unruly!" Katherine shouted angrily.

Julia’s gaze fell upon the wrecked flowerbed, the waterlogged ground, and Gloria Grant crawling out of the mud. His jaw dropped.

"Mom, you know what my brother is like, and Seventh Sister was raised by him. After being influenced by him all these years, if she can’t be a great demon, she’s at least a little devil. She was just pretending to be so well-behaved before. She probably had you fooled too, didn’t she?"

Even her cherished youngest son was talking back to her. Katherine stepped forward to chase after him.

Seeing he was in trouble, Julia turned and bolted.

"Mom, calm down! I’ll go get my brother to drag Seventh Sister back here to apologize to you!"

He darted off. Left with no other choice, Katherine ordered the servants to throw Gloria Grant out and clean up the mess in the yard.

Jenson’s room was in another wing of the courtyard, and the house was well soundproofed. Although he heard some noise outside, he didn’t know what had happened. He was about to go out when Crystal Sutton clung to him, complaining about an upset stomach and saying she was scared.

Crystal’s pregnancy had been difficult. She had already had one close call with a miscarriage at the hospital. Since the doctor hadn’t arrived yet, Jenson forced himself to stay with her, suppressing his impatience.

Just then, Julia ran in from outside, his face etched with panic.

"Brother, bad news! Seventh Sister and her mom got into a huge fight in the yard! That crazy hag is vicious! She used the ’I’m your mother’ excuse to beat Seventh Sister until she ran away crying! Hey, Brother, where are you going? Wait for me!"

Before Julia could finish, Jenson’s tall figure had already swept past like a gust of wind, disappearing out the door.

"Jenson!" Crystal sat up, calling after him anxiously. But he moved too quickly; she couldn’t grab him or call him back.

She seethed with resentment, biting her lip as she glared at Julia.

Julia turned back. Crystal didn’t have time to hide her expression, and he caught her glare.

He made a face at her. "You’re so ugly! You look like a snake demon. Just give it up. My brother isn’t interested in you."

Crystal was so furious her chest heaved. She clutched a pillow, barely resisting the urge to hurl it at the little brat.

She didn’t throw it, but Julia suddenly cried, "OW!" and flopped onto the floor.

Before Crystal could even react, Katherine Rhodes walked in with the servants. Julia was already on the floor, rubbing his red-rimmed eyes and sniffling.

"Mom, my brother left, and Sister Sutton took it out on me! She pushed me over!"

Katherine doted on her youngest son, especially since he was sick. She rushed to check on Julia before glaring furiously at Crystal.

Crystal nearly choked with indignation, waving her hands frantically.

"Auntie, I really didn’t push the young master! I never moved from the bed. I know the young master likes Seventh Sister and dislikes me. I’m sorry, I’ll leave now..."

Worried about the baby in Crystal’s womb, Katherine realized it was probably her little Eighth’s mischief and shot Julia a warning glance.

"Go back to your room and rest! Crystal, you rest well too. The doctor will be here soon."

"Of course, Auntie. I’ll do as you say."

Crystal’s docile act left Katherine feeling increasingly satisfied.

Zinnia Lawrence fled from Aria Villa, her pace quickening with every step. Her vision was a blur. She didn’t see what tripped her, and she fell heavily to the ground.

She instinctively wrapped her arms around her stomach. With no hands to break her fall, her knees slammed into the pavement, and she curled up in pain.

She’d been splashed while spraying Gloria Grant with the hose, and her clothes were soaked. A gust of wind made her shiver.

But the chill in her heart was far worse. It felt as if a gaping hole had been torn open inside her, hollowed out for the cold wind to whistle through.

She wondered if she really was that unworthy, so undeserving of love.

As a child, the Suttons had loved her dearly, but upon learning she was not their real daughter, they promptly abandoned her. Her biological parents had shown her no affection at all. Her elder brother had been kind to her, but he was now in a vegetative state. Grandma Forrest doted on her, but at the end of the day, she was Jenson’s grandmother—the matriarch of the Forrest family. There was always a barrier between them.

In the past, Zinnia never pitied herself, because she still had him. With Jenson Forrest in her life, Zinnia felt she had faith, that she possessed the whole world.

But over these four years, her world had gradually crumbled.

Now, even Jenson Forrest had left her. He didn’t want her anymore, just like everyone else.

Just as her world was about to collapse and bury her completely, a voice suddenly sounded from above.

"Get up!"