Chapter 37

Just as the psychic medium left, the village chief walked in. Thanks to the village chief’s help, Angelia’s grandmother’s funeral went smoothly, from going to the crematorium to calling the cook, asking for help, and selecting a burial site.

 “Thank you,” Angelia said hoarsely. “It’s nothing. Your grandmother was highly respected in the village, and many people voluntarily helped. Since you don’t have any relatives here, I applied for 1,000 Dollar from the village committee and we ended up giving 1,200 Dollar. The specific list is written in this notebook, take a look,” the village chief said.

Angelia took the notebook and saw that the villagers had sent money, which made her quite touched.The village head explained in detail, “The big boss is on the chef’s side and is for private dining. It costs 500 Dollar per table. There are 17 tables for lunch and 23 tables for dinner. Alcohol, cigarettes, and beverages are purchased separately. In addition, each person who carries the coffin needs a red envelope of 100 Dollar. The crematorium charged 1,860 Dollar, and we still need to prepare some red envelopes tomorrow. We will prepare 20 tables for lunch and none for dinner. It is estimated that we need 32,000 Dollar, with refunds for any excess or shortfall.”

“Okay,” Angelia transferred the money through her contact information, inputting 32,000 Dollar, but received a notification that her balance was insufficient.

She remembered that the message had informed her earlier that she only had 21,620 Dollar. After hesitating, she remembered that Kate still owed her 30,000 Dollar. “Wait a minute.”

She walked into the inner room and messaged Kate, “Hey, are you there?”

“I’m here. I just got back. Why did you resign? Wettiner left, you left, Darcey left, Anne left, and Diana, the Vice President, left. I’m really not used to it,” Kate replied.

“Well, my grandmother passed away, and I’m tight on money. I have to pay now. Can you lend me the money?” Angelia asked, feeling embarrassed to ask for money even though she was the one owed.

Kate paused for three minutes on the other end.

Angelia wondered if she should call, but then Kate replied, “Angelia, I’m sorry. I just came back from a business trip, and I only have my salary. I’ll send you 2,000 Dollar now, and I’ll pay you back when I receive my year-end bonus.”

“2,000 Dollar is not enough. I need at least 11,000 Dollar,” Angelia replied.

“I really don’t have that much, and I heard that the young master was arrested, and the boss is in a bad mood. I’m busy now, so I won’t talk to you anymore,” Kate said.

Angelia thought for a moment and asked, “Can you lend me 5,000 Dollar for now?”

The system reminded her that the message could not be sent because she had been blocked.

Angelia felt like she was about to explode on the spot. Kate not only refused to lend her money but also blocked her?!! Angelia’s mind was racing.

She needed the money urgently, and the village head had already helped her a lot.

She couldn’t let him pay for her.

But Kate had blocked her!She quickly called immediately and the phone rang with a beep. She was also blacklisted.

Anger overwhelmed her, but she couldn’t vent it out.

She hurriedly messaged Darcey, “Are you still at the hotel? Have you seen Kate?”

“Yes, she’s been promoted to vice manager. She’s really something. People look down on others with their noses in the air,” Darcey complained.

“She owes me 30,000 Dollar. I asked her for the money, and she blocked me.”

“Damn it. Wait for me. I’ll get it for you.”

Angelia took a deep breath. The village chief was waiting outside, and she was too embarrassed to go out. But if she didn’t go out, it would seem like she had no sincerity, and she didn’t want to keep people waiting for so long.

She reluctantly went out and saw that the village chief was gone, and she looked at Jerome.

Jerome looked at her and said, “You don’t even have 32,000 Dollar, do you?”

Angelia felt embarrassed, flipped her hair, and messaged Jerome, “A colleague owes me 30,000 Dollar.”

“Then what? Did he pay you back?” Jerome asked, looking at her.

Angelia shook her head, feeling helpless.

“What about Sammie?” Jerome asked again, looking at Angelia. “Doesn’t his family have money? Grandeur Gardens earns hundreds of millions a year.”

Angelia lowered her head, silent, and didn’t message Jerome.

“Your grandmother passed away, where is he? Why didn’t he come?” Jerome continued to ask.

Angelia remained silent.

“He can not give you money, he can go on business trips, he can even act outside, but he should have the basic respect for you. He can’t even do that now. What do you expect from him?” Jerome raised his voice, angry.

Angelia understood that Sammie had never respected her from the beginning, playing with men, and now he was despicable enough to kidnap Alyssa.

She really wanted to tell him all of this.

But…she had just lost her grandmother and couldn’t afford to lose Alyssa too. Sammie was an unscrupulous person who could do anything.

She needed the right time, and didn’t want to anger Jerome. She took out a chocolate from her pocket and gave it to Jerome.Jerome was angry and shook her hand off, saying, “You need to think about the child even if you don’t think about yourself.

Do you really want Alyssa to follow a father like Sammie for the rest of her life?

He can’t even do the basic duty of filial piety.

This time it’s not just your grandmother being sick, she passed away, and he didn’t even come!”

Angelia knew he meant well.

She peeled the chocolate and put it in her mouth.

Jerome looked at her without saying a word, calmly and gracefully, without even explaining or showing any emotion.

He was really frustrated, his chest heaving.

“Don’t you have anything to say?” Jerome still frowned and asked.

Angelia chewed the chocolate in her mouth, swallowed it, and looked at Jerome, saying firmly, “My grandmother wouldn’t want to see him.”

Jerome was even more puzzled, looking at Angelia.

But before he could figure it out, the village chief came in and said with a smile to Angelia, “The stage is set up.

Your voice isn’t good, so we’ve prepared people to cry.

You’ll have to kneel later.”

“Do we still need to kneel?

What about the people crying?

You didn’t tell me earlier,” Jerome interjected.

“Uh…kneeling is optional.

Sometimes the granddaughter has to kowtow a few times.

I just asked, and they said your money can cover one day of the play.

We won’t do anything else tonight except for the crying.

The play will be tomorrow.

Actually, you don’t have to invite anyone tomorrow night.

Usually, only one representative from each family is invited,” the village chief said to Jerome.

“Invite everyone.

Angelia has received everyone’s care.

Make sure to serve good food tomorrow night,” Jerome instructed.

“Okay, I’ll go tell the cooks to add more dishes.”

“If there’s not enough money, just tell me.

Angelia can’t speak because of her throat,” Jerome said.

“It’s enough.

It’s enough.

The amount you just gave me is enough.

If there’s too much, I’ll return it.

I’ll go and be busy now,” the village chief said.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

The village chief left.

Angelia realized that Jerome had paid for her, solving her urgent problem.She sent a message to Jerome, “How much did we use in total? I’ll pay you back later.”

“Deduct it from your salary,” Jerome looked at her pitifully, unable to say anything.

He didn’t want to make things difficult for her.

“I’m going to sleep for a while. Call me over when it’s time to kowtow,” he said again.

“West room,” Angelia said hoarsely, pointing in the direction of the west room.

Jerome passed by her and went to the west room.

The west room was small, with not many things inside – a bed, a table, and a wooden cabinet.

There were two vases on the table, with gardenia flowers that emitted a sweet fragrance.

Under the glass table top were some photos.

Most of them were of Angelia when she was a child, with two little braids, a red dot in the middle of her forehead, chubby cheeks, and a cute and playful look.

Looking closely, Alyssa now looked exactly like Angelia did when she was a child.

The same baby fat, the same small face, the same big eyes, the same mischievousness.

He lay down on her bed.

The bed was probably only 1.8 meters long, and his feet couldn’t stretch out, but it had Angelia’s scent – a clean and elegant fragrance.

Thinking about how she deliberately avoided the topic of Sammie earlier made him feel uncomfortable. He sent Angelia a message with his contact information, “Where’s Alyssa? I haven’t seen her at all.”

Angelia looked at Jerome’s message, remained silent for a while, and replied, “Someone is taking care of her. Jerome, go rest early.”

“Mhm,” Jerome replied with a single word.

She burned paper money for her grandmother and looked at her grandmother’s photo.

If her grandmother had a spirit in heaven, she would bless her and make sure to find Alyssa.

After dinner, when it was time to cry and mourn, Angelia didn’t call Jerome. Rural women helped her keep vigil instead.

She went outside with straw and knelt beside the mourners.

The mourners cried about her grandmother’s life, starting from when she was a child, and Angelia couldn’t help but cry as well.In the end, she cried to her granddaughter Angelia and her grandson-in-law Jerome.

Every time they called out, Angelia’s heart trembled.

It seemed that Jerome was really like a grandson-in-law.

Jerome came out of the western room and looked at Angelia kneeling on the ground.

Someone touched his arm and he turned around.

A young man handed Jerome a Red Double Happiness cigarette and said with a smile, “Your wife is so beautiful.”

Jerome couldn’t be happy about other men praising Angelia’s beauty.

He always felt that she was being looked at by someone else.

He didn’t bother to talk to the man.

“Grandma Diana’s death is suspicious,” the man said again.

Jerome frowned, “What do you mean?”

“That day, I saw several men suddenly come to Grandma Diana’s house.

In a short while, they carried Grandma Diana out.

She was already unconscious.”

Jerome was suspicious.

“Do you know what they said?”

The man shook his head.

“But I think if those people weren’t yours, then Grandma Diana’s death must be related to those men.

I wrote down the license plate number.”

“What’s the license plate number?” Jerome asked.

The man handed his phone to Jerome.

Jerome saw the owner’s information… Sammie.

In an instant, he understood, just as he had judged before, Sammie came and made Abigail Diana sick, arranged for the hospital and doctors.

Abigail Diana’s death was related to Sammie, so Angelia said that her grandmother didn’t want to see Sammie.

Jerome looked at Angelia kneeling in front of him, his eyes becoming even darker.

How much longer did she want to maintain this marriage?

The mourners cried for over an hour, and after the village chief announced the arrangements for the play tomorrow, the crowd dispersed, leaving only a few people to help.

Angelia walked towards the living room, but Jerome stopped her.

Angelia was slightly stunned and asked hoarsely, “Are you awake?”

“Your throat is not good, try to speak less.

I just need you to nod or shake your head,” Jerome said in a deep voice, looking at her intently.Her eyes were swollen, she had just finished crying, and they were still red, like a pitiful little rabbit.

He didn’t want to scare her with his attitude.

“Grandma got sick this time because Sammie came to see her,” Jerome said in a statement.

Angelia nodded.

“I inquired, Huamei Hospital is a private hospital, with very good modern equipment and services, but it is too private. Unless the person handling the hospitalization procedures agrees, ordinary people are unlikely to see it.”

Angelia nodded again.

Jerome’s eyes deepened a lot, “Your grandmother’s death is a big deal, and neither Sammie nor anyone from Sammie’s family has come. Your grandmother’s death is related to them?”

Angelia felt that Jerome was really smart. Based on the clues, he almost guessed everything.

“My grandmother was killed by Amanda Charles,” Angelia said.

A sharp light flashed in Jerome’s eyes, bursting out with a sharp edge. “I will help you avenge this grudge. Cowardice and timidity only help to fuel the arrogance of the tyrants. They will not feel guilty or self-blame for your grandmother’s death. They will only feel that you are easy to bully and enjoy the pleasure of crushing you under their feet. They must be punished by the law.”

Angelia also wanted to wait for her grandmother’s funeral to be over and seek revenge on Amanda Charles. However, she hadn’t planned how to take revenge yet. After all, she couldn’t commit a crime like Amanda Charles and end up in jail. This was not what her grandmother wanted to see. She also wanted Amanda Charles to receive the appropriate punishment.

However, her grandmother’s death… Because her grandmother was in poor health and had several experiences of being hospitalized for rescue, it was difficult to determine whether she died of anger or illness. She had to find other charges to send her to jail.

Jerome’s words suddenly touched her inner desire, like a person walking in the desert who got a bottle of pure water, which could cleanse her heart and soul.She took Jerome’s hand and wanted to speak, but her throat was sore and itchy. She led him to the living room.

“You’re back.” The rural woman stood up and said.

“Thank you.” Angelia said to the village head’s wife.

“It’s nothing. I’ll go out and take a look.” The rural woman said wisely.

Angelia took out her phone from her bag and sent a text message to Jerome, “There’s something I need to tell you.”

Jerome looked at her and asked suspiciously, “About Alyssa?”

Angelia really felt that Jerome was smart. His sensitivity and judgment were unmatched among the people she knew.

She lowered her head and continued to message him, “Sammie took my grandmother and Alyssa away. Alyssa is now in his hands. He told me not to tell you, otherwise he will send Alyssa to a place where I can’t see her. He also said that the Chief of Police is his friend, and if I tell you, he will definitely know first.”

“So you’re not going to tell me?” Jerome’s voice raised a few decibels.

“I want to tell you, but I’m also worried about Alyssa’s safety. Sammie is capable of anything.” Angelia messaged him, looking at him anxiously.

No wonder she didn’t want him to accompany her back from Wilmington, no wonder she intentionally avoided him, and no wonder she hesitated several times.

“I will find Alyssa, but not through the Chief of Police. Did Sammie threaten you with Alyssa, asking you not to work with me? Or did he ask you to have a son with him?” Jerome guessed.

Angelia really felt that Jerome was amazing, and he guessed everything correctly.

She nodded.

“You…” Jerome really wanted to ask her why she didn’t divorce!!

But at this moment, he didn’t dare to ask, afraid that her answer would not be what he wanted.

“Try to avoid him as much as possible recently. I’ll find Alyssa first. He needs to threaten you with Alyssa, so he will temporarily ensure Alyssa’s safety. Don’t worry too much.” Jerome said.

Angelia nodded again.

“Let your grandmother rest in peace first. This is the urgent matter. I’ll go out and make a few calls.” Jerome said sharply.Angelia knew he was going to help her with something, and watched him leave.

She hoped he could find Alyssa.

This time, she wouldn’t compromise and would definitely divorce Sammie.

After a while, Jerome came back and saw Angelia kneeling in front of the memorial tablet, burning paper money.

He knelt down next to her and said, “I’ve already sent someone to take care of things. I just took a nap and I’m not sleepy now. You go to sleep first, and I’ll take over when you wake up.”

“Okay,” Angelia replied.

She didn’t try to be strong anymore.

If she didn’t sleep now, she would be too tired when she was needed.

She lay on the sofa, curled up, and closed her eyes.

Jerome picked up a blanket and covered her.

Angelia held his wrist.

She had a lot to say to him, but her throat was uncomfortable and she couldn’t speak.

“Go to sleep,” Jerome said softly.

In the night, his voice was even more charming.

Angelia let go of him, but she didn’t sleep soundly, afraid that she would oversleep and make Jerome stay up all night.

She had only slept for a while when she opened her eyes.

Jerome had brought a computer and was typing away on it.

“In my name, raise one trillion dollars within seven days. I need it urgently,” he said.

“Can you give a reason? Those big shots will probably ask,” Whitfield asked worriedly.

“No reason, ten percent monthly interest,” Jerome replied.

Whitfield was shocked.

The interest rate at North Carolina banks was high, about five percent annually.

Monthly interest of ten percent meant that borrowing one billion dollars would require paying ten million dollars per month, even higher than the interest rates of loan sharks.

“Jerome, think it over. The amount and interest rate are higher than any previous investment projects. The headquarters will definitely ask about this,” Whitfield said.

“I’m not borrowing money in the name of the company, but in my name. I’m doing something private and it’s necessary. Just follow my instructions. If those big shots have any questions, they can contact me directly. That’s it. I have other things to do,” Jerome said.

Whitfield frowned tightly.Jerome has never been so impulsive before. He feels that this matter may be related to Angelia, and wonders what has happened that requires such a large amount of funding.