Chapter 97

I turned to Savannah and asked, "Did you get it all on video?"

Savannah nodded, "Yep, got everything."

Before we came here, I had already asked Savannah to record everything on her phone. I wanted to make sure we had evidence in case the property management tried to dodge responsibility.

Seeing us recording, the property manager freaked out and pointed at Savannah, "Delete that video! Delete it now!"

He moved towards Savannah, thinking he could easily intimidate her.

Savannah didn't even flinch. She just slipped her phone into her pocket.

The property manager then tried to snatch the phone from Savannah's pocket.

Savannah blocked him with her hand, and when he tried to get physical, she didn't hesitate. She flipped him over her shoulder, and he landed on the ground with a thud.

Afterwards, she looked at everyone and said, "Sorry, but he made the first move. I was just defending myself."

The property manager lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

I crouched down beside him, smirking, "Do you know why I live in this neighborhood?"

"It's because the developer is a friend of mine."

"I recorded everything you all said earlier. I'll be sending it to your company's headquarters. Is this how you treat residents?"

My words sent everyone into a panic.

A few people even came up to apologize, saying they didn't mean it.

Of course, I ignored them. I found a chair and sat down, waiting for the police to arrive.

The police showed up in less than half an hour. I pointed at Emma, "She was the one spreading rumors about me. I have video evidence."

Emma sat there, too scared to move. She never imagined that her casual remark would become evidence against her.

"I didn't mean it! I didn't mean it!" she repeated, then knelt in front of me, begging, "I'm sorry, Ms. Sharp. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me!"

I looked at her, "What were you thinking when you spread those rumors about me?"

I handed the video evidence to the police, and they took Emma away.

At the same time, I sent the video to the property management company.

As expected, the company took the matter seriously. They were known for their excellent service, and they couldn't believe something like this had happened.

They quickly sent someone to mediate, apologize, and promised to fire everyone involved.

I had a reason for targeting the property management company.

The large-scale journalist incident a few days ago was no coincidence.

I didn't believe that the property management would let a group of journalists in without someone pulling the strings.

Given that the residents here were all prominent figures, even offending one of them would be a big deal. So, I was sure someone was behind this.

Since that was the case, I might as well replace everyone to prevent future incidents.

I went home and received a call from Brandon.

He excitedly said, "Honey, I'm planning a celebration party at the company tomorrow night to celebrate securing the overseas project."

"Can you come? Let's celebrate together. After all, you played a big part in this."

I didn't respond right away. My gut told me Brandon had an ulterior motive. Otherwise, he wouldn't risk being seen as someone who relied on his wife to get ahead. I didn't believe he would want me to attend a public event.

Sure enough, Brandon continued, "Can you call Joanna and the others and invite them too?"

I smirked. So that was his real motive-he wanted some people to show up and make the event look good.

"Sure, I'll call her. After all, this is the first big project my husband has secured. I'm so happy for you. We'll all come to celebrate."

Brandon didn't catch the sarcasm in my voice. He was overjoyed and showered me with sweet words.

I knew he was just putting on an act.

I made a face of disgust and glanced at Savannah.

Savannah smiled but said nothing.

For now, things had settled down. Although Elora and Jason's issues weren't resolved, I felt more at ease with Simon's help.

That evening, I called Kelly.

She was in the kids' room, playing with the three children. Holly was there too. Watching the kids play filled my heart with warmth.

No matter what happened, seeing my three children always made me feel at peace and happy.

"Mom, things are almost resolved here. Once everything's settled, I'll come back to be with you."

Kelly smiled, clearly pleased, "Alright!"

I added, "By the way, I'll be bringing another child with me. It's Brandon's sister's kid, Briar. She's a sweet girl, and I feel bad for her being alone during the holidays. I thought she could come and play with Brett and the others."

Kelly didn't mind at all and nodded, "The more, the merrier. One more kid won't make a difference."

I laughed at her expression, "Mom, watch your words. You used to be a teacher, remember?"

Kelly laughed too, "Isn't it true, though?"

After chatting with Kelly, I felt much better.

Since the room was temporarily uninhabitable due to the broken window, I didn't want to move back to the master bedroom. So, I asked Savannah to set up a guest room for me.

After a night in the guest room, I woke up the next morning and asked Savannah to go shopping with me for a dress.

I used to have many dresses, but after my illness, they all fit loosely.

We went to the shopping district and passed by a gym. I pointed at it, "That's where I met Brandon."

Memories flooded my mind. Back then, Brandon was just an ordinary fitness trainer, and I was drawn to his kindness.

Looking back now, maybe he had ulterior motives all along. After all, kindness wasn't in his nature-only malice.

Savannah and I went to a nearby boutique and picked out a dress. Savannah noticed I chose a white gown and asked if it was too plain.

I shook my head. Brandon wasn't worth dressing up for.

I put on the dress and went to a nearby salon to get my makeup done, preparing to attend Brandon's celebration party.

As for inviting Joanna, I had called her the night before, and she gladly agreed.

Since our meeting with Isadora, Joanna and I had become good friends.

That evening, I arrived at the venue on time, with Savannah following behind me. She was still in her black outfit, looking out of place.

But she didn't seem to notice or care, enjoying the food and drinks without a second thought about the other guests' stares.