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Novel Catalog
Chapter 75: Wanda’s Embarrassment
Wanda shot to her feet, her face tight with concern. “Yve! What’s wrong with you? Why did you come out alone? Where is Madam Gibson?”
Yvette took her mother’s hand and leaned in close, her voice a whisper. “Mom, let’s talk about it later.”
Wanda’s sharp instincts kicked in, and she could tell something was wrong. She quickly turned to the ladies around them, feigning nonchalance. “Yve has anemia. I have to take her back quickly.”
The other women exchanged looks, their curiosity piqued but their lips sealed. Anemia? The kind of anemia that kept a person from even standing up properly? The sort that might follow an embarrassing failure?
Yvette, knowing exactly what they were thinking, pretended to feel faint, her breath shallow as she leaned heavily on her mother’s arm. “Mom, I’m a little out of breath. Don’t worry, I didn’t embarrass you. The consultation is over.”
She was quick to analyze the situation. With everything that had just transpired, there was no way the medical consultation would continue. And the last thing she wanted was to draw further attention to herself. She needed to get out of the public eye.
Within five minutes, the door to the inner hall swung open, and the renowned doctors began to file out. The ladies in the reception hall stood to offer polite nods but quickly lost interest in the Yates’ predicament as they turned their attention to the doctors.
Seizing the opportunity, Yvette and Wanda made a swift exit, moving quickly away from the gathering. Yvette’s mind raced, and the last thing she wanted was to remain in a place where her family’s embarrassments would be on full display.
Once they were far enough from the others, Wanda turned to her daughter, a mixture of disbelief and anger on her face. “What happened?”
Yvette’s voice was low and tense. “The Gibsons are doomed. Madam Gibson was arrested. Mom, we won’t be implicated, right?”
Wanda’s legs wobbled, and she almost stumbled. The news was too much to process. “What? The Gibsons? And Mr. Carter too?”
Yvette nodded gravely, her face tense. “Mr. Carter was also arrested. The Special Operations Team took him in. Think, Mom—if we stay clear of them, we won’t get dragged into it.”
Wanda shook her head, but disbelief lingered in her expression. “No way! The Gibsons and Mr. Carter… How could this happen?”
“Mr. Carter’s in custody, too,” Yvette said, her voice dropping. “You need to forget about them, and the one million. They’re finished. We’re not involved.”
Wanda’s eyes widened. She shook her head again, her fingers tightening into fists. “But your father—he gave her one million! He even stole Margaret’s Zenith herb for her! How could this be happening? How could she end up in trouble after all that?”
The realization hit Wanda like a slap in the face. She had put so much effort into helping Hilda, serving her like a maid, only for it to all be for nothing.
“Damn it!” Wanda swore under her breath. “If they weren’t so reputable and we didn’t need their help to get close to the Yarwoods, I would have never been so humble to them—never!”
But before Wanda could finish her tirade, Yvette quickly covered her mouth, her grip tight. “Mom, lower your voice! The families in Southdale are cutting ties with the Gibsons right now. Forget about that one million. You must never mention it again!”
Yvette’s eyes flashed with irritation, though she masked it well. She had more important things to think about than her mother’s emotional outbursts. If it weren’t for the Yates’ money and connections, Yvette wasn’t sure she’d still be bothering with them at all. Her ambitions were higher, and they were the means, not the end.
Wanda was too caught up in her own frustration to notice the look in her daughter’s eyes. She gritted her teeth. “One million. It’s a lot of money. But you’re right—we can’t have anything to do with the Gibsons anymore.”
The entire situation had blown up in their faces. They had tried to take advantage of the Gibsons, but now they were left to deal with the fallout. Wanda’s thoughts turned quickly to the Scotts. Though the Yates were too small to be involved with Gerard, the Scotts… that was another story.
Her family’s connections in Kingbourne were strong. With their influence, there had to be a way to avoid getting caught in this mess.
But Yvette wasn’t concerned with her mother’s next steps just yet. She had something else on her mind. “Mom, how are Grandma’s medical skills? I saw Wynter, and she’s… different.”
The shift in Yvette’s tone didn’t escape Wanda. She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. “Different? What do you mean?”
Yvette’s expression was unreadable, but there was a hint of something in her voice that suggested Wynter might be far more than she seemed.
