Chapter 4

There was the sound of people moving things outside the room. As soon as Janice opened the door, she saw someone moving Amelia's things to her bedroom. It was Janice's bedroom, and it would be her and Simon's bedroom after they got married. Although Simon didn't stay in the same house as her, he would come over sometimes to have dinner with her. "Janice, the lighting is better in this room. Being under the sun more will help with my condition. I've heard from Simon that you've always been considerate and thoughtful. I think you won't be mad at me because of this, right?" Amelia came over and held Janice's hand. One would've thought they were best friends. "I'll only stay here temporarily. Just take this as fulfilling the wish of a dying person, okay? I'm sorry for making you unhappy today." "Amy, Janice isn't that kind of person. You don't have to feel so guilty," Simon said. Janice withdrew her hand gently. She remained silent as she watched them enter her bedroom excitedly. "Simon Fitzgerald." It was the first time she called him by his full name. Simon, who had his back facing Janice, turned around. Janice looked up. She no longer hung her head low obediently like she used to. She asked sincerely, "Whose boyfriend are you?" Simon moved the cigarette further from her. "What do you mean?" "I gave away my wedding, wedding gown, and even my bedroom to her now. Are you going to do nothing?" Janice leaned against the door of the study. "Am I supposed to give you away next?" Simon held her frail shoulders. "What are you saying? We've been together for seven years. Do you think I'm that kind of person?" "It isn't about what I think." Janice took a step back, distancing herself from him. "It's about what I see." Simon sensed that she was resisting his touch and stared at his hand for a while. "Are you against this even when she only takes one room? Janice, don't forget about what you owe my family! You should be grateful," Simon said sarcastically. All the emotions welling up within Janice suddenly vanished because of Simon's words. It was a fact that she owed it to them. Janice knew she could no longer stay there, so she grabbed her bag and walked out. Simon sensed that she wasn't in a good state, so he asked, "Where are you going?" Janice didn't answer and left right away. Simon immediately ran after her. Before she got in the car, he held her by the arm. "Where are you going?" Janice looked slightly exhausted as she smiled. "I have to work to earn money now, Mr. Fitzgerald. Don't bother me, okay?" She had been putting up with everything because of the gratitude she had for them. She heard this kind of stuff from Simon and his mother all the time. Helena would be harsher to her on Hugh's death anniversary. He withdrew his hand and watched as her car left. Helena, who followed behind them, said, "This jinx should go as far as she can!" However, she held her tongue when Simon turned around. "Mom, how many times do I need to repeat myself? You should hate your husband for not taking care of himself. What does this have to do with Janice?" "That was your dad! How could you say this about him?" "I was merely stating the truth." Simon was selfish, but he was also extremely rational. Meanwhile, Sarah stood at the door with a scheming look. "Simon, did you also pay for this house?" Sarah averted her gaze when she saw Simon walking over. After a brief moment, Simon asked, "You got a problem?" "I…" "Just stay if you want. If not, just get lost." Amelia gritted her teeth forcefully when she heard Simon defending Janice. He actually defended Janice. Helena dared not follow as she watched Simon go upstairs. Sarah complained, "Mom, how could Simon side with the outsider? We can't even say anything about Janice. Didn't he also trigger her because of the nonsense he did?" Sarah quickly lowered her head when Helena glared at her. Helena said through gritted teeth, "Janice's cast a spell on your brother. He is such a fool. He actually paid half of the money to buy this villa! Does an unfortunate woman like her even deserve to stay in a house like this?" Helena became furious the more she thought about it. She couldn't bear to see Janice enjoying her life because of her son's hard work. As she thought of this, she suddenly recalled that the couple had yet to register their marriage. Besides, the name on the certificate of title of this villa was Simon's. In the study upstairs, Helena knocked on the door. "Simon, I need to talk to you about something after you're done with your work." Simon, who was inside, didn't reply. Janice's mind was blank when she left the house. She pulled over at the roadside when Harrison called. She answered the call. "Mr. Cullen." "Ms. Smith, could you hand in your work for the fall competition early next month? We're ready for the registration." Janice set aside all her personal affairs and forced herself to be in working mode. "Sure." She was almost done with some of her crochet work, and she kept them at home. She just had to pick the best to participate in the competition, and it would be enough for her to win a prize in the country. She had to return to the villa later to get the piece of work and complete it. Harrison replied, "Okay. Bye." Crochet art had been widely promoted in the country in the past few years. Even the authorities had provided some sponsorship. This helped with the development of Refined Threads Co. and some crochet factories. As a result, all kinds of competitions were held. There would be a crochet competition every quarter in the country. The winner would participate in the international competition the following year. The local and international competitions had great value. Aside from the prize, the reputation and exposure the champion gained were enough for a company like Refined Threads Co. to generate high profits for a year. Janice couldn't reveal her identity, so she would always bring some flawed products to win second or third place. She certainly wouldn't give up any competition for the sake of the benefits. At 9:00 pm, Janice had a simple meal somewhere before she drove home. She had nowhere to go, for this villa was her only home. The lights in the villa were still on. She entered the house with a frown. She could hear people talking upstairs. They were Helena and Sarah. She vaguely heard Amelia's voice too. Then, she headed upstairs. "It's fun to play around with these silk threads. I only need a slight pull to get everything out." "Mrs. Fitzgerald, these can't be used anymore, right?" When Janice arrived at the other bedroom she had moved into, she saw the three women playing around with her toolbox. Sarah was even pulling the silk thread of one of Janice's works. She hastily walked over and grabbed the work that had been partially damaged. Janice raised her head and enunciated every word as she asked, "Why did you touch my things?" Helena flew into a rage when she had been questioned like this. "Your things? Everything here was bought with my son's money! Besides, you placed all this in a box. "It seemed like you hadn't touched them for a long time. All these were just rubbish. So what if we pulled at them?" Those were what she had prepared for the local competition. She was extremely pleased with a few of them. The one Sarah had damaged was the work she had planned to hand to Prosper Stitch Group to participate in the fall competition. She had spent four and a half months working on it. However, it had been damaged like this.