Chapter 7 Meeting the Homewrecker Again

• Tamara repressed her anger. I didn't teach him that! It was all Emily, that woman's fault for always pulling my son's leg. Now he isn't gullible anymore because of that! In an attempt to drop the subject, she pursed her lips and brushed past the man. "Go freshen up. I made an appointment with the real estate agent yesterday to look at some houses today. You'll be going with me!" After all, he should know something about housing prices, having lived in Deacon Town for so many years, she thought.
• She couldn't keep staying at Emily's place. Since she had made the choice to come back and bring Tim with her, she couldn't let the boy suffer hardships with her. I'd better buy a house and then find time to buy a car, she thought to herself while doing some mental calculations on the amount of money she would have to spend. Oh, dear, how easy it is to burn a hole in my pocket! Once I buy a house and a car, I'll only have tens of millions of cash left. Oh, I'm broke!
• At the sales office, the saleswoman said with all smiles, "Miss Randall, Royale Garden is here, situated right next to Springvale Place. Both neighborhoods are similar in many aspects, but the houses at Royale Garden are far more favorably priced than those at Springvale Place. And besides, Royale Garden provides the same facilities as Springvale Place does, so buying a house here would be better value for money. For a quality house buyer like you, choosing us will be the best decision you can ever make." Inwardly, she was delighted, for the man and woman before her were both dressed in expensive clothing. The woman was pretty, whereas the man exuded a regal air with his commanding presence. However one looked at them, they looked like a rich man taking his pretty young wife on a spending spree. Talk about an easy mark!
• Tamara knew Springvale Place, having heard of the name back when she hadn't left the country. Once a well-established villa area in Deacon Town, the neighborhood was home to the town's upper crust. The houses there were in great demand, so it was no exaggeration to say that every square foot of land there was worth a pretty penny. Since Royale Garden is near Springvale Place, it mustn't be bad, thought Tamara.
• However, after inspecting the villa area and listening to the saleswoman's bragging, she found herself unhappy with both the houses and Royale Garden's poor property management. Indeed, Royale Garden was right next to Springvale Place, but the neighborhood lacked a commercial area, which was basically located within Springvale Place. Also, the neighborhood was in a bad location, for its back exit was directly connected to an overpass bridge. Timmy is still a kid. What if he has trouble sleeping and can't grow tall because of that?
• She and Frank were sitting in the sales office while studying Royale Garden's residential layout. She curled her lips, asking, "What do you think?"
• Frank pursed his thin lips coldly. "It isn't worth buying," he remarked succinctly. Usually, he would never have bothered to look at these trashy housing projects. After all, he had over a dozen villas and castles under his name, and any of these properties was a million times better than this place.
• When the saleswoman beside them heard what Frank had said, her face changed color at once. "Sir, the location here is convenient, and the houses are all furnished, so you can move in right away with just your belongings. To be honest, there's no way you can get such a reasonable price anywhere else, even on Black Friday."
• Frank turned and gave the saleswoman a scornful look that oozed a profound sense of menace. "Is that so?"
• Seeing the look Frank gave her, the saleswoman felt somewhat guilty. In reality, she had secretly marked up the original sales price a little after learning that Tamara had just returned from abroad. Now that Frank had asked her such a question, she immediately turned her head away, not daring to meet the man's gaze.
• As soon as she turned her head away, though, she noticed a group of people coming their way. Her eyes instantly lit up, as though she had seen her savior, and she called out at once, "Mrs. Hardy?"
• Upon hearing the saleswoman's voice, Lily, who was inspecting the workplace, instinctively turned to look in the speaker's direction. However, when she saw the person before her, she was completely stunned. After a brief moment of stupefaction, she came to her senses and immediately marched up to Tamara in a few steps. With a venomous look in her eyes, she uttered between clenched teeth, "I thought you're dead, Tamara!"