Chapter 34 Study Abroad
The next morning, Hazel came as usual to bring Camila her breakfast. However, this time, Belinda wasn’t with her, Instead, Lucy had come along with Hazel
At twenty, Lucy, a university student, had bright, clear eyes and a refreshing, unguarded personality. She radiated youthful energy. Looking at Lucy, Camila couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow
Though only three years apart, she felt like a withered flower in comZodmoreon, having lost her innocence long ago and bearing the weight of life’s hardships
As soon as Lucy saw Camila, her eyes welled up with tears.
Gently, Lucy took Camila’s injured left hand into her own. It wasn’t just the finger that was hurt.
Her hand and arm were covered in dark bruises and welts from where Arthur had whipped her with a belt. The blood had turned a dark purple, a shocking and painful sight.
Lucy’s voice trembled with compassion. “The Jackson family is really cruel. How could they do this to you? Camila, you need to leave them. Don’t stay with those demons any longer.”
Lucy’s concern was genuine, and Camila could feel it deeply.
During her five years in prison, no one from the Jackson family came to see her. The only ones who visited her were Hazel and Lucy. They made time to come and support her, reminding her that there was still goodness in the world.
They were good people, and Camila had made a promise to herself: she would do whatever it took to protect them.
Camila smiled at Lucy. “I’ll listen to you, Lucy.”
“Really?” Lucy’s eyes brightened with surprise.
“Yes, really.” Camila nodded.
But before she left the Jackson family, Camila knew she needed to make sure Hazel and Lucy had a way out. She couldn’t allow Harry to continue using them as leverage against her.
With that thought in mind, she tumed the conversation toward Lucy’s studies. “Lucy, how are things going at school?”
“It’s going well. I get a scholarship every semester.”
Seeing her confidence, Camila felt reassured. “Lucy, have you ever thought about studying abroad?”
Lucy paused for a moment, a flicker of longing passing in her eyes. But she quickly suppressed it. Her family simply didn’t have the money.
Hazel had been over forty when she had Lucy. Then, when Lucy was in elementary school, her father passed away. It had been Hazel who raised her, working tirelessly to support her.
It had been hard enough for Hazel to send her to college. She wondered, ‘How could I ever dream of studying abroad?‘
“I don’t want to,” Lucy said firmly, but Camila noticed the shift in her expression.
“If–just if–you had the opportunity to study abroad, and money wasn’t a concern, would you go?” Camila asked again.
Lucy gave a bitter smile. “Of course I would! Who wouldn’t want such an opportunity? It’s just a dream I keep to myself.”
Hearing this, Camila finally felt a sense of calm settle in her heart.
If Lucy wanted to go abroad, that would be easy. Once she had the 3 million dollars, she would send both Hazel and Lucy overseas immediately. Lucy could complete her studies, and Hazel could be there to take care of her.
Once they were safe abroad, Harry would no longer be able to use them to control her.
She would leave the Jackson family, and no one could stop her. Even if they tried to hold her back, she was prepared to go down with them, leaving everything behind for Hazel and Lucy.
This was why she had demanded 3 million dollars from Belinda. Her life had already been difficult enough; she couldn’t allow the people who cared about her to suffer too.
The next two days passed quietly for Camila.
That morning, Agnes went downstairs after finishing her routine, only to realize that neither Arthur, Belinda, nor Har at the breakfast table.
Looking at the breakfast already set out, Agne Successfully unlocked! ad and Harry up yet?”
The maid replied, “They left early this morning, rusy to the company without even having breakfast. Belinda only ate a few bites and then left too.”
Agnes knew that Arthur and Harry had been swamped with the Eastville project lately, leaving early and coming home late. But it was unusual for Belinda to be up this early.
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Agnes folowed the sides woodete to the handbag section.
knes she entered her eyes immediately landed on several high–end bags. Her gaze widened in diobelet These bags.
The sales avoids won the had stopped and followed her gaze. “Those are second–hand bags. A wealthy lady just bout them in to sel Viss Jukon, as any of them to your liking”
bes wasn’t juntered–serined the bags. Most of them were Hermes, care limited–edition models. The cheapest one, when purchased new, would cost almost 300 thousand dollars.
She knew them well because they were all Belinda’s, in that moment, it clicked. The maid had said Beinda took several begs with her this morning.
Agnes thought, ‘She must be selling them. But why? As the wife of the chairman of the Jackson Group, she shouldn’t be short on money. If money isn’t the issue, why sell the bags?
And why are these the bags Belinda has always been so reluctant to part with? There has to be something behind this. A sense of unease crept over Agnes, and her mind started racing with thoughts.
There had been no mention of any financial crisis at home. The Eastville project, though competitive, shouldn’t be putting the Jackson family in financial trouble. With their wealth, they didn’t need to sell bags to raise funds.
If it isn’t for the family or the company, then the only other possibility is… Agnes suddenly had a thought and quickly pulled out her phone. She dialed Belinda’s number, her heart pounding.
The phone picked up, and Belinda’s warm voice came through. “Sweetheart, are you up?”
I’m up, Mom, Where are you?”
I’m on my way to the hospital to visit Camila. Is something wrong?”
Agnes’s grip tightened on the phone. Belinda had just sold those bags, and now she was going to see Camila. She immediately suspected Belinda might be secretly giving the money to Camila.
She couldn’t let that happen. Everything in the Jackson family was hers. Camila didn’t deserve any of
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