The effects of Ritah’s lies lasted long after lunch. Wilder was still simmering, her curses sharp enough to make Paddy flatten his ears as he trotted alongside them. They were walking up the mountain side to visit Rochelle.
"The nerve of that horse faced little shit to claim that we favor boys over girls!" Wilder gritted her teeth, waving her walking cane around, hitting the air angrily.
Claire just smiled. "Grandma, don’t worry about it. What we should do is remain levelheaded. No need to trade words back and forth. No need to scream our innocence. I have already contacted a lawyer and explained everything. All we have to do is compile our evidence and sue her. By the way, if there is someone more anxious about this than us, it’s Alden. Everything Ritah said up there is a lie. He knows that one investigation will result in the whole thing falling apart. Right now, their company cannot afford another scandal, especially when they are trying to franchise."
She thought her grandfather would respond with another curse or say she hoped Ritah fell down a sewer. Instead, her grandmother nodded at a woman arranging mangoes in her courtyard.
"That’s Melanie," Wilder hissed, "she once spread rumors that I was stealing from the church donation box. Lies! Whenever she falls sick, I throw a party, cross my fingers and hope it’s the day the Lord has chosen to answer some of my prayers. But alas, bad people never die."
Before Claire could respond, her grandmother tugged on her hand and made her wave at an old man who was pulling a stubborn cow. "That’s Ajay, he tried to cheat me on flour prices in 2009. Still owes me two pounds! Even if there is a drought and you are starving, don’t buy groceries from him. I would rather welcome your starved ghost in heaven than watch you go to hell for betraying your grandmother by making Ajay rich."
Claire laughed softly. She was truly trying to keep her face neutral but her grandmother was too amusing. Paddy even barked once, as if agreeing with Wilder’s vendetta list.
They walked on, passing a tailor shop with very bright dresses on display. Suddenly, an old woman rushed out of the shop, calling Wilder’s name loudly.
"Helloooo," the woman called out, waving a scarf. "Wilder Prescott, why are you rushing away? Won’t you introduce me to your granddaughter? The rich heiress--oh wait, she is the fake one."
Wilder turned around, gave the woman a cold glance, and said nothing.
The woman covered her mouth with the scarf, giggling like a shrew. "Why aren’t you saying anything? I have just watched the real heiress’s press conference. Tsk, tsk, you always ride around on your little motorcycle with your manner less gang of friends, giving grief to everyone. And now, you are on the receiving end of grief yourself. Well, it’s a good thing the two girls went back to their real families. Our fishing town may not be as flourishing as the big city, but at least no one will shame your granddaughter here."
This woman was Brigitta Nieson, someone who took joy in other people’s suffering. If she borrowed something from a neighbor today, tomorrow she would claim that it as hers. She was nosy and a gossip.
Wilder and Brigitta had a long-standing feud going back thirty-nine years.
Brigitta laughed sharply again, her face filled with undisguised mockery.
Claire yawned. "Grandma, I am bored."
The woman’s laughter faltered. This was not the reaction she was expecting.
Wilder took Claire’s hand, patting it slowly. "What’s that Brigitta? Did you say something about my granddaughter’s beauty? Why yes, she is very beautiful. Look at her, she could compete with a goddess. And speaking of beauty, I heard your daughter’s nose job was botched." She shook her head. "Some young women today are so vain. What’s wrong with having your mother’s nose?"
Brigitta’s face fell; she could not even hide the anger she was feeling. Two women who were passing by laughed, deliberately looking at Brigitta’s nose.
And Wilder was not finished. "What’s that, did you say something about Claire’s boyfriend? Why yes, she is dating Apollo Ashford. They are even living together and expecting a baby. I heard your eldest daughter found her husband having sex with their babysitter in the parking lot of Graves supermarket. Tsk, tsk, such a shame. Young women need to pick the right man when getting married or else they will regret it for the rest of their lives. A mother’s advice and sharp eye matter a lot before a marriage certificate is signed." Wilder squinted. "Then again, you were diagnosed with eye problems two decades ago. You and your daughter need glasses."
Claire covered her mouth, wheezing softly.
Brigitta was trembling now, like a small dog caught out in the rain.
"Oh, did you say something about Claire’s waist?" Wilder continued, "Why yes, it is like that of a wasp. I---"
"Shut up!" Brigitta screamed in rage.
Wilder smirked. "Remember this Claire, when you meet a shameless person, put away your morals. If they punch, punch harder. Be it verbally or physically, just go for it. Apollo has money and connections anyway."
She turned around, as did Claire, and they continued their walk. Wilder was in such a happy mood that she didn’t even complain about Ritah anymore. She started talking about Lemon instead.
Lemon had dropped by for around five minutes. As soon as Wilder mentioned that Claire had ordered for a fishing ship costing millions, the young woman had lost her smile.
"All I asked was if her boyfriend, the unemployed billionaire was willing to work as a deckhand on your ship and Lemon reacted like I had kicked her in the balls."
Claire’s laughter erupted like a sudden storm--wild and unstoppable. It wasn’t the polite chuckle she had been trained to fake as a child or a restrained giggle; it was a spurting burst. Her shoulders jerked, her hands clutched at her sides, and her eyes squeezed shut as tears threatened to spill.