Chapter 12 Stupidity Is A Contagious Disease

• Eleanor let off a scoff and rolled her eyes in indifference. “I can’t believe a perfect boyfriend like Tyrell Rice will actually stand you up. I bet he’s wallowing in utter disgust after seeing his girlfriend on another man’s lap.”
• Suri jerked and stared at her with her eyes wide as saucers. She scanned the surrounding nervously before coming closer and interrogated Eleanor in a low voice.
• “How did you even find out about it? Did you tell Tyrell anything?”
• Eleanor shrugged nonchalantly and pursed her lips. “Don’t point a finger at me without any proof.”
• “You b*tch!” Suri could not hold it in any longer. She knew Eleanor must have done something behind her back.
• “Suri, you’d better watch your mouth. I haven’t shown Tyrell anything. You have no right to call me names. Besides, you should’ve known there will be consequences for people who do shameful things like you. It’s just a matter of time before the whole world knows about it.”
• “Don’t talk like you have any evidence of what I did. I can sue you for defamation!”
• But Eleanor was totally unfazed by her threats. She raised her brows defiantly and looked at Suri straight in the eyes with a proud smile of victory curved on her lips.
• “You know full well I’m not someone who throws baseless remarks at people without solid proof.”
• Suri bit her lips and glared back in annoyance. She wanted to retaliate so badly, but she knew there was nothing she could do to Eleanor. Before long, she finally gave up and softened her tone. “What do you want? Money? I’ll pay you in exchange for those photos,” she proposed.
• “Sure. I want three million,” Eleanor replied without the slightest hesitation.
• “Three million!” Suri gasped. “You might as well rob a bank!”
• “That’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m robbing you right here,” Eleanor replied.
• A transient shadow of sorrow passed over her face as she recalled what happened in the past.
• Her father would not have died if Scarlet and Suri had not taken off with the money. All she was doing was simply taking back what was rightfully hers.
• “Fine! I’ll pay! Come over to my company tomorrow morning. I’ll send you the money after I see the original copies of the photos,” Suri conceded.
• “Deal.”
• Eleanor threw her a final word and turned to leave without further ado. She could feel Suri’s spiteful glare digging into her body as she left—but it was not like she cared. To her, it was a waste of her time to even talk to someone like Suri. She had more important things to care about.
• Eleanor had been away for the whole night and she was worried about Mike.
• She left the hotel and dragged herself back to the apartment after a long and tiring day.
• The place was so old and shabby the paint on the walls was already worn off. Despite being poorly maintained, the apartment’s rent was cheap. In fact, it only cost a few hundred every month.
• Eleanor bumped into the couple staying opposite her just as she finally reached the top floor.
• She greeted them but the two ignored her completely.
• Eleanor could feel their disparaging stare as she walked past them.
• “I can’t believe we have a neighbor like her. I don’t even know if she cares for her child. The boy is already five or six, but she still doesn’t want to get married. I bet nobody wants to marry her,” the woman told her husband.
• “Do you think she’s someone’s mistress?” her husband asked.
• “Come on. She won’t be staying in a rugged place like this if she’s someone’s mistress. She’s obviously a woman with a questionable reputation. I bet the child is a bastard!” the wife replied.
• Bastard?
• Eleanor halted and turned around at the sound of that word. “Hey! I’m not deaf! You don’t have to act like a coward and whisper behind my back. Say that in my face if you dare.”
• The woman tilted her head and twisted her lips in a crooked smile. “Who do you think you are to lecture me? I’m simply stating the truth! Do you expect people to say nice things about you when you’re a cheap woman yourself?”
• Before Eleanor could even fight back, the rusty metal door flung opened behind her and slammed against the wall in a deafening bang. A beautiful little boy stood at the door with his hands on his waist as he glowered at the couple.
• From the baby fats on his rosy cheeks, one could easily tell the boy was only five or six. But young as he was, his features were chiseled and refined.
• His pretty little eyes glimmered in anger as he shouted at the disrespectful couple. “Do you know why Mommy is working so hard to earn money?”
• The couple looked at each other cluelessly and shook their heads.
• “Because we want to move away from this place. People say stupidity is a contagious disease!” the boy cried out at the top of his voice.
• Speaking, he reached for Eleanor’s hand and pulled her in into the apartment before slamming the door closed.