Chapter 111: The Pressure Increases
Upon realizing that Waverly may have fabricated the lie to save her, Mindy was deeply moved. She played along and said, “Wavy, that’s what friends are for. Do you remember that we promised to be best friends forever?”
“Is that really true?” Harriet’s grateful gaze fell upon Mindy. “Mindy, I am grateful for the time you saved my daughter. Words cannot express my deep appreciation.”
“Mommy, she doesn’t need verbal gratitude,” Waverly pleaded. “I beg you, please ask Raylee to spare Mindy.”
“Ray-Ray, could you please, on my account, let Mindy off the hook this once?” Harriet pleaded, her eyes red.
“On your account?” Raylee sneered. “Why should I spare her out of respect for you? She saved Waverly, not me.”
During a pause in Raylee’s speech, Casimir quietly moved behind Waverly. While she wasn’t paying attention, he managed to snatch the utility knife from her hand.
“Ah! No, give me back my knife!” Waverly shrieked.
Casimir tossed the utility knife out the window, his dark eyes radiating displeasure. He then spoke with a stern tone. “Didn’t you just promise me that you wouldn’t act recklessly again? Why did you do something foolish the moment I was paying attention? If talk is cheap to you, don’t make promises you can’t keep. I despise people who don’t keep their word.”
Waverly watched as her beloved raged, the air around him sending a chill down her spine. She sniffled, wiping away her tears before saying in a choking voice, “Casimir, I’m truly at my wit’s end. Please, I beg you to help Mindy…”
In the midst of her tears, she threw herself into Casimir’s arms, tightly embracing his waist. Feeling the warmth of the latter’s arms, her tears fell even harder.
Observing his younger sister, who was on the verge of fainting from her tears, Samuel felt his heart ache terribly. His eyes widened in anger, and he sternly rebuked, “Raylee, how could you be so heartless! It was your own mother’s mistake to have swapped you and Wavy when you were children! Wavy endured so much hardship for you, even being bullied by vagrants. All these troubles were the ones you should have faced! She suffered in your place, yet you’re not even going to spare her best friend. Are you even human?”
Raylee, with a cold expression, gave him a fleeting glance and remained silent. Choking back tears, Harriet piled on the pressure. “Ray-Ray, please spare Mindy just this once. If you push Wavy to her death, it’s as if you’re pushing me to mine. Do you really not care about me anymore? I raised you for eighteen years. What wrong did I do to deserve such retribution…”
Harriet covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably. Casimir didn’t push Waverly away. Instead, he patted her back repeatedly to soothe her. Seemingly moved by her tears, he couldn’t help but say, “Show mercy when you can, Raylee. You’ve been clinging to the past, unwilling to let go of the burden that weighs on your heart. Isn’t it tiring? In life, it’s important to be magnanimous. One has to be forgiving, not to get bogged down by trivial matters, and not nitpick over every little thing. This is how the wise live their lives.”
Listening to her ex-boyfriend’s babbling on philosophically, Raylee wasn’t stirred at all. Instead, she even felt like laughing. In the room, some were crying, others were trying to guilt-trip her. Waverly had managed to get everyone on her side. Knowing that crying worked to her advantage, she was doing so with increasing intensity, not stopping for even a second. Watching this crybaby put so much effort into her act, Raylee couldn’t help but admire her. The ability for a woman to cry was a unique skill. Relying on her exceptional abilities, Waverly had elevated her status within the Goodridge family. When it came to playing politics within the family, Raylee was nowhere near her level. Just like now, even though Raylee was clearly the victim and the one in the right, she was labeled as cold-hearted, inhuman, and intolerant after being accused of such by Waverly.
Suddenly, the silent Alaric cleared his throat lightly and began to speak. “Mindy has committed perjury four years ago. She deserves to be punished. Every action has its consequence. She has to take responsibility for what she has done, so say no more. And Waverly, no more tears. I’ll let Raylee deal with Mindy.”
“Dad,” Waverly looked at Alaric with a pleading gaze. However, Alaric interrupted in a cold voice. “My decision is made. There will be no further discussion.”
“I’ve changed my mind too,” Kaylee said in a nonchalant manner. “Waverly bravely risked her life to protect her dear friend, which had moved me. Therefore, I’ve decided to spare Mindy.”
“Really? Raylee, are you truly willing to let Mindy go?”
Waverly’s hand was still wrapped around Casimir’s waist. She turned her head, her face lighting up with surprise as she looked at Raylee. Kaylee nodded.
“Of course, it’s a lie. It would be impossible for Waverly to protect Mindy with her life unless there was a hidden agenda.”