CHAPTER 76: FIGHTING BACK FOR SELF RESPECT

Elara sat frozen in her spot, bleeding, looking down at the blood droplets falling on the ground pitifully.

George rushed to her side.

"Elara, what happened? Come on, stand up. Let me take you to the hospital," he urged.

Andrew, who hadn’t expected his actions to turn into something like this, left Trevor’s collar and crouched before Elara.

"Elara, I am sorry. I didn’t mean to. It was never my intention to hurt you. I was angry, and you came in between, and I just couldn’t... I didn’t know the push would be so hard and——" Andrew pinched the bridge of his nose, half annoyed, half concerned.

George glared at the man before him and was about to speak when Elara placed her hand on his.

The solemn expression on her face stopped George from saying anything, and the fact that he wasn’t allowed to take his sister’s side despite seeing her suffering right before him made him so mad that he wanted to punch something.

He couldn’t believe his sister anymore. She was seriously worried about her identity being revealed at a time like this. He knew it was all because she feared that man who haunted her would come back, but seriously?

He clenched his fists before standing helplessly.

He schooled his expression, more like controlled his annoyance over his dumb sister, who was growing more and more pathetic for God knows what.

Elara knew her brother was angry. She was, too. However, she wanted to handle things her way, just for once.

Elara suppressed her cry of pain and stood up with George’s support.

She looked straight into Andrew’s eyes before looking at William’s.

The old man stood there, all helpless and unsure of what to do, and a scoff left her mouth. He said she should be paying life for life, and just because she fell in love with Andrew and her parents wanted her to disappear for a good reason, she accepted it all, but they really made a joke of her dignity.

"Elara—" Andrew tried to grab her hand, but the girl snapped it away.

"Keep your filthy hands away from me," she glared at the man before taking a deep breath.

She had initially planned to wait until the cops arrived, but not anymore.

With a loud huff, she looked at the maid dead in the eyes.

"How much did I pay you to do this job?" She asked.

Carla looked at the girl in mockery.

"So you are finally agreeing to your sin? What a joke—" Carla started, but one look from Elara was enough to stop her from completing her statement.

"I have multiple ways to wipe that smile off your face, Carla. Don’t test me," Elara said, her voice calm, the kind of calm that only warned about the storm that was approaching.

"Didn’t you hear me? How much did I pay you?" Elara raised her voice, grabbing the maid’s elbow.

The maid shook in her place, her fork trembling.

"T-two—"

"Two what?! Since you are so righteous now and want to set a good example before your kids, why don’t you come clean?" Elara asked.

"T-two million," the maid said, and Elara scoffed.

"And when did that happen?"

"Today," the maid said.

Elara nodded before grabbing her pouch and pulling out the phone.

"Show me the transaction history. No. Wait. Transfer that money back to me." Elara said.

The maid froze in her place.

Transfer that money? She didn’t even have 20 thousand, let alone 2 million.

Her gaze drifted to Carla for help, who cleared her throat.

Who the hell asked this bitch to say 2 million? Who pays so much for this tiny job? Carla gritted her teeth.

"I... I..." The maid stuttered, and Elara scoffed.

Just at the right time, the cops who had come to their residence on Elara’s demand entered the mansion.

The guests started to whisper amongst themselves.

"What’s going on?" Sophia asked.

Who the hell called the police here? Who dared to?! No cop has ever entered their mansion before.

"Miss Elara?" The officer asked one of the servants, who pointed toward the crowd.

"I called them," Elara said, looking straight into the maid’s eyes.

"Since Emma lost her necklace worth millions, it was the right thing to do, no?" Elara asked, her gaze flickering to all the people who plotted against her.

The officer looked at Elara and was about to approach her when Elara nodded and asked them to wait for five minutes, saying she would handle it.

"The officers are here. There are no cameras here. I can charge you for defamation since you have no proof and no money, and then I’ll blame you for hurting me. I am a blooming star. What do you think will happen to you and your kids?" Elara whispered into the maid’s ears before stepping back.

"The choice is yours. If you tell us the truth, I’ll actually ask this man to pay you double what you got. He cares about me. You have seen it," Elara said.

George finally understood what Elara was trying to do, and he nodded at the maid.

The maid gulped before looking at Carla.

"They promised me a good amount of money and education for my children if I framed you. The task was simple. Put the necklace in Miss Beatrice’s clutch. She knew about this, too." The maid rattled the entire truth, and Elara nodded, briefly looking at Beatrice, whose smile disappeared in a second.

"She is framing me. How would I know about it? If yes, why would I allow them to humiliate me? Andrew, you have to believe me. I don’t know anything. I was with you the entire time. When will I plot?" Beatrice asked.

Elara smiled.

"Didn’t you say you had a restroom break?" Elara asked before she looked at Andrew.

"Since you are so incapable of punishing others but only me, let me help you," Elara said before she walked to Beatrice in long strides.

Everyone thought Elara would slap her, but she did something worse.

Elara grabbed Beatrice’s hair in a tight fist, making everyone around her gasp.

Beatrice shrieked in pain while Andrew rushed to the girl’s help, but Elara was quick with her actions.

She dragged Beatrice by her hair all the way to where William was standing.

"In this family, this old man is the only one I care about for real, and you chose his birthday for your filthy schemes. Apologize to him." Elara kicked the back of Beatrice’s knees, making her kneel before William.

"Apologize," Elara said and let go of her hair.

Beatrice’s eyes turned red from rage and pure humiliation, and she screamed in anger.

"Elara!" Beatrice screamed.

Elara shrugged her shoulders.

"Is it too humiliating? Why are you fussing about it? You are at fault. And you should respect your elders. There’s nothing wrong with kneeling, no? Just ask for forgiveness and get it over with," Elara said, remembering how they had forced her to do the same in the past.

George’s eyes gleamed proudly as he looked at his sister, finally fighting back for her respect. This was the right thing to do. This was how they raised her.