Chapter 356
That night, Eric tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The banquet was to be held tomorrow, publicizing the news that the Kelley family had an additional daughter. Eric worried about the gossip this would generate regarding Tiffany; he didn't want to see his sister sad or suffer. However, with invitations sent and news leaked, he was powerless to stop the banquet. He pondered what to do, tossing and turning before finally having a flash of inspiration and dialing a number. No one answered. He then sent a long text message. Afterward, he felt calmer.
The next day dawned bright and sunny after a period of rain. Charlie woke up, saying, “If it doesn’t rain tonight, our banquet can still be held on the deck.” Thalia smiled, agreeing, “Yeah. It’s a nice day. The weather is perfect. It’s a blessing.” As they left their room, they saw Melody cleaning the villa's hall. Thalia was stunned and quickly approached her, asking, “Melody, what are you doing? Let the servants do this. You’re the daughter of the Kelley family; you don’t have to do this.”
Melody smiled shyly. “Good morning, Dad and Mom. I saw the floor was dirty, so I cleaned it. It’s not tiring. This is okay.” Her movements were skillful and natural, indicating familiarity with such tasks. The Kelley couple recalled Karl's unwarranted abuse of Melody while she lived with the Princeton family, realizing her cleaning habit stemmed from long-term trauma. Distressed by this revelation, Thalia took the broom from Melody's hand, throwing it away. “That’s all in the past now,” she said. “Melody, remember, from today onward, you are the dignified young lady of the Kelley family. No one can bully you, and no one can chase you away. Therefore, you don’t have to do these things to please anyone, understand?” Melody nodded, relieved, offering a grateful smile.
Chapter 356 (Continued)
Charlie and Thalia were relieved. Melody then produced two exquisite sachets from her pocket, saying, “By the way, Dad, Mom, I made these myself. These are for you.” A rich sweet olive fragrance wafted over. Thalia was surprised. “Are these made of the sweet olives from yesterday?” “That’s right,” Melody replied, a little embarrassed. “I hope you’ll like them, Dad, Mom.” Thalia said, “Of course, we’ll like them. You’re our daughter, and you made them. That’s a very kind gesture.” Charlie nodded repeatedly. “Not bad. We’re very glad that you have this intention.”
Twenty minutes later, Tiffany and Eric came downstairs. Seeing the harmonious family scene, Tiffany hesitated to interrupt. She walked quietly, but Charlie spotted her, teasing, “Hey, lazybones, you aren’t sleeping in today? You’re just in time for breakfast.” Eric immediately exposed Tiffany, “She did sleep in! I woke her up by knocking on the door!” Tiffany playfully pinched Eric’s face. “On account of your adorable face, I won’t beat you up today.”
The siblings joined the others in the dining room. The atmosphere was pleasant; yesterday's unhappiness had vanished. Midway through the meal, Thalia said, “We can’t be sloppy at tonight’s banquet. After breakfast, I’ll take you to try on gowns.” Tiffany initially hesitated but agreed.
After breakfast, the family drove to Lovell City's largest and most high-end mall, filled with luxury brands and jaw-droppingly expensive clothes. While the Kelleys could easily afford the clothes, Melody felt uncomfortable, repeatedly whispering to Thalia, “Mom, aren’t these… too expensive? Why don’t we go shopping somewhere else?” Thalia laughed. “Silly girl, just pick whatever you like. Buying clothes here is a piece of cake for our Kelley family.” Melody, relieved, added, “I just… I just don’t feel like spending so much. I’m afraid I’ll burden you and Dad, Mom.” This was while Tiffany was instructing staff to wrap up half the clothes in the shop. Melody thought, ‘As the real daughter of this rich family, I feel restricted buying clothes, but Tiffany just bought half the shop’s clothes… She’s so extravagant! What a squanderer!’ Thalia was stunned but didn't see anything wrong with Tiffany's actions; both daughters were equally loved.
Chapter 356 (Continued)
Compared to the Kelley family's assets, the expense was insignificant. However, Thalia, remembering Melody's comment, gave Melody a card containing $100,000, saying, “This is your pocket money. Tell me and your dad when you’re done spending it, understand?” Melody accepted the card but felt the amount was insufficient, considering her future inheritance. She assumed Tiffany received far more. Unknown to Melody, Tiffany hadn't accepted pocket money from her family for a long time; she even gave Eric allowance every month. Her net worth placed her among Lovell City's top five richest people, exceeding even Charlie's wealth. Even if the Kelleys had nine times their current assets, they wouldn't equal Tiffany’s wealth from Miracle Healer and her three successful companies (including Caleb's advertising company, StarRise Entertainment, and the Moody family’s company). Buying half a shop's clothing was inconsequential to her; she could afford the entire mall. Tiffany bought lavishly for herself and Eric, purchasing almost everything in every store she passed. The mall manager eagerly catered to her, offering coffee and attentive service.