By Zephyria It was surprising news, but it wasn’t easy to understand why her mother was so shocked. Georgina tilted her head and opened her mouth.
“Didn’t you already expect this when Winston got married? That was the condition of the will, and if he didn’t intend to have a child in the first place, he wouldn’t have gotten married.”
“W-well, that’s true, but.”
Lady Catherine stuttered, which was rare. She had vaguely anticipated this situation, but it seemed she hadn’t prepared herself for it. When she first learned about the marriage, Mrs. Campbell also informed her children of this fact and made them aware that it was unavoidable, but when it actually happened, the shock was quite great.
Mother must have received this invitation too, right?
Lady Catherine, who had slumped back into her chair as if collapsing, scanned the invitation with a serious expression. She wondered if she would have the same reaction as her, or if she would maintain her usual cold attitude. Perhaps she was even happy that the will was being fulfilled. After all, Mrs. Campbell had declared that she would abandon the child. If she could achieve her goal, she could boldly turn a blind eye to the minor unpleasantness of the process. That was the kind of woman Mrs. Campbell was in Lady Catherine’s mind.
That’s why she hated her father so much, but lived with him her whole life.
After confirming the unchanging letters with her eyes and being lost in thought for a while, she couldn’t stand it any longer and got up from her seat.
“Mother, where are you going?”
At Georgina’s question, Lady Catherine disappeared without answering. She was momentarily flustered, but Georgina wasn’t one to give up there. She quickly followed her mother out of the breakfast room. Lady Catherine was already far away, and all Georgina saw was a shadow disappearing up the stairs, but she didn’t hesitate to move. The place Lady Catherine was heading was all too predictable. Georgina, who had gently opened the door to the bedroom, thought, “I knew it,” at the sound of her mother’s voice and listened carefully. Lady Catherine, who was engrossed in her phone call, was completely unaware of her daughter’s presence and continued to talk in a high voice.
“Does that make any sense, Gordon? Even so, for that thing to have the Campbell family’s child.”
“Calm down.” Thankfully, Lady Catherine was on speakerphone. Perhaps she thought it didn’t matter since she was alone. Thanks to that, Georgina could hear their conversation without missing a word. Gordon continued to speak.
“You knew this was coming. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
At her brother’s words, Lady Catherine groaned as if in pain and pressed a hand to her forehead.
“What did Mother say?”
To her listless question, Gordon replied.
“She didn’t react much. She just said we should focus on the inheritance.”
When Lady Catherine didn’t say anything, Gordon added.
“Our goal is clear, don’t worry too much. Nothing will happen.”
“Do you really think so?”
Only then did Lady Catherine ask, her voice reluctant.
“I want to believe that Winston won’t be swayed by her, but I don’t know. Did you hear about the Halloween party? He even threw a birthday party for her daughter. If it’s just because of the will, he wouldn’t need to go that far, would he?”
Her voice, which had been trying to maintain composure, gradually rose and even wavered with emotion. Georgina sincerely wondered if she should rush in if her mother fainted or pretend she didn’t hear anything, but thankfully, that didn’t happen.
“Of course not. It bothers me too.”
Gordon admitted in a slow tone.
“But what can we do? We just have to hope it works out. Anyway, she’s pregnant, so Mother will take care of the rest.”
“How?”
Lady Catherine asked impatiently, and Gordon chuckled.
“Catherine, think about it. Once trust is broken, it’s hard to restore. Winston has already lost all faith in Yu-jin. Even if he’s wavering now, a little nudge will turn him around. I guarantee it, I’d bet a million dollars.”
“Stop gambling, Gordon.”
Lady Catherine advised in a displeased tone, but she seemed reassured, and the tension in her shoulders eased. Georgina, seeing her shoulders relax, strained her ears as she continued.
“You’re right, Mother wouldn’t stand for that.”
“Exactly.”
Gordon continued, as if comforting his sister.
“We’ve already succeeded once. The first time is always the hardest, but it gets easier after that.”
“You’re right.”
Lady Catherine’s voice was filled with laughter. The thought of Mrs. Campbell doing something was incredibly reassuring. She seemed relieved, but there was still something left.
“What about Jason? Is he okay?”
“Not yet.” Lady Catherine added with a sigh.
“That’s a relief, but I’m most worried about him. I’m afraid he’ll make a mistake while he’s high.”
“Don’t worry, that won’t happen.”
Gordon replied firmly.
“I’ve blocked all his sources for drugs. I threatened to put him in a hospital if necessary, and he’s terrified. Mother wants him to quit drugs this time, but that’s not my problem. I just need him to stay put until everything is over.”
“Well, yeah, I guess.”
Lady Catherine said briefly, but in fact, she completely agreed with Gordon, and both Gordon and Georgina knew it.
“It’s good that he’s staying put.”
“Actually, he’s not exactly staying put. What do you expect from a drug addict who’s trying to quit? We’re using a little physical persuasion, but it’s unavoidable.”
Gordon chuckled incessantly. His voice showed no sign of affection for his sister. Of course, Lady Catherine was the same. Their only concern was whether they could receive the inheritance without any problems.
After that, there was nothing special. They seemed to move on to trivial topics, and soon Lady Catherine ended the call and straightened her back with a sigh. Georgina held her breath, and she leaned back on the couch with her usual slow and elegant movements and closed her eyes. Certain that there was nothing more to see, Georgina moved away from the door.
What on earth had happened?
She crossed the hallway with a pounding heart. She had long known that there was something between the adults from their conversations, but she couldn’t figure out what it was. After meeting Yu-jin, she had asked questions and searched drawers, but her efforts had yielded little. It seemed like she had finally found something today, but it was still vague.
In any case, it was certain that something huge had happened.
Georgina went into her room and pondered deeply. At this rate, she would never know what the incident was. The adults would never open their mouths.
Except for one person.
She didn’t want to use that method, but she couldn’t resist her curiosity. What difference would it make if one more person knew the truth? They would never know that Georgina knew anyway.
Besides, no one genuinely cares about Jason. If she could help him, that wouldn’t be bad either. After all, he’s her uncle and blood relative.
Having thought that far, Georgina made up her mind and picked up her phone. She skipped past a few names in her address book and found one, but she had to take a deep breath before making the call.
“Hoo.”
She took a deep breath, her chest heaving, and then pressed the button. She heard a monotonous ringing tone, and then her classmate’s voice.
“Jeannie! Hiiii! What’s up with you calling me?”
Georgina, mimicking her classmate’s drawn-out greeting, exchanged simple greetings and then continued.
“I have a question. You told me before that there’s a kid at school who sells drugs.”
This was her first time doing something like this. The immense thrill made her breathless. Georgina barely suppressed her excitement and asked.
“Do you happen to know his contact information?”