Chapter 151
Emmanuel nodded in response.
Ryder was about to leave when he sighed and said, “Manny, cherish your
wife. Ms. Quillen is an excellent woman.”
Emmanuel rubbed his nose and smiled. Definitely way better than Abellyn!
Mackenzie, who had reached the entrance, had actually heard Ryder’s
advice for Emmanuel.
A secretive smile played on her lips. Even his dimwitted cousin recognizes
what a great woman I am. I wonder if that imbecile is aware of it.
Soon, Emmanuel caught up with Mackenzie, and they returned home
together.
“Ms. Quillen, why did you walk into the residential area? Which car did you use
to come back?” Emmanuel asked with concern after closing the door and
walking in.
“Why? Why does it matter to you whose car I took?” Mackenzie snickered,
casting him a smug glance.
“Well“-Emmanuel nodded- “I’m worried for your safety since you’re a
beautiful woman.”
The words that flowed from the dork’s lips had a surprising effect on
Mackenzie, stirring something deep within her.
He always had an air of uniqueness about him, distinguishing him from other
men, even in the way he expressed himself.
Noticing her lack of response, Emmanuel pressed on, “Did you take a cab to
come back here? If so, the service must have been terrible for them to drop
you off outside the entrance.”
Amused by his incessant chatter, Mackenzie chuckled and said, “Emmanuel,
are all men with the surname Lowe so eager to please their wives? Aren’t you
-afraid of ending up like your cousin, being overshadowed by me?”
Emmanuel shook his head and replied earnestly, “Ms. Quillen, please don’t
compare yourself to Abellyn. It will only diminish your true value. I know for a
fact that you possess far better qualities than she does!”
“Well, you never know!” Mackenzie feigned displeasure although secretly she
was pleased to hear what he said.
She took pleasure in teasing him and making him dislike her. It served as her
defense mechanism, guarding against the possibility of him developing
strong feelings for her and refusing to agree to a divorce.
Yet, despite her indifferent attitude, Emmanuel still felt she was better than
Abellyn and was not mad at her.
When he was alone, he began to contemplate Mackenzie’s words earlier.
Have I been too accommodating toward her? Oh, well, I guess it doesn’t
really bother me.
The next day, Gautier knitted his brow as he noticed a specific expense in the
company records.
He promptly dialed Hubert’s number and reprimanded, “Hubert Verkade,
have you lost your mind? Why would you spend money on boosting such a
trivial matter to make it a trending story? Does it even work?”
The Verkade family was an extensive family with numerous branches.
Gautier could not even recognize some of his cousins and relatives, let alone
remember their faces.
However, he was well aware that the enemy lurked within the family. Many
individuals had their eyes fixed on his CEO position in Verkade Group. Any
misstep would surely reach his grandfather’s ears. That idiot took half a
million from the company and spent it on publicizing his romantic gesture of
confessing to Mackenzie at Terence Group. Has he lost his mind?
“Didn’t you personally tell me not long ago that you support my pursuit of
Mackenzie? I’ve been running low on funds lately, so what’s the big deal
about using five hundred thousand from the company? You always teach
me to be a man with vision, to look at the bigger picture, and not to dwell on
temporary gains or losses! If I can successfully win over Mackenzie, we’ll
secure the position of leading the Verkade family!”
Gautier was bereft of words.
Fierce competition and covert struggles were not uncommon among the
direct heirs in prominent families. However, that dynamic did not exist
between Gautier and Hubert.
Hubert had never been ambitious and always had a soft spot for beautiful
women. He had never considered competing with his brother for inheritance
rights. Gautier had never been on guard against him. He even wanted to use
Hubert to deal with Mackenzie.
Gautier had never expected his younger brother to be so naive as to go
through with such a plan.
He found himself at a loss on how to react to his brother’s words because
Hubert was using the same arguments that Gautier had previously used to
persuade him.
Chapter 152
Hubert did not want to argue with him anymore. After all, he knew Gautier
would handle the matter well. It’s just half a million, anyway.
He clicked on his phone again, eager to see if his trending topic had reached
the top of the charts.
Upon a quick glance, Hubert felt satisfied seeing his story reach the third
position. However, his contentment turned into explosive rage when he
looked at the top spot.
The top story was about Emmanuel.
Emmanuel, the person at the center of the incident, had already pushed
aside the memories of how he had ruined Hubert’s romantic confession two
nights ago. He could not care less about the potential consequences of his
actions.
Early in the morning, Claudette came to the hospital to consult him.
After a routine checkup, Emmanuel approached her with her report and
spoke in a serious tone. “Ms. Lenoir, your cold syndrome is now
well–managed. Continue to monitor your diet, and I believe it won’t recur in
the near future.”
“All right. Thank you, Dr. Lowe.” Claudette gazed at Emmanuel with
affectionate eyes. He looked the most handsome when he wore a white coat.
He exuded an elegant and refined demeanor.
“You’re welcome. I’ll walk you out!”
“Sure, thanks.” Claudette enjoyed spending time with Emmanuel. She even
made a deliberate attempt to lean closer to his shoulder.
“By the way, Dr. Lowe, my sister told me about the incident at Draco City
Hotel. I didn’t expect someone as gentle–looking as you to go all out to
protect a damsel in distress!” Claudette looked into his eyes with adoration.
She had always known he possessed exceptional medical skills and a good
character, but she had no idea he was also skilled in martial arts! There’s no
other man in the world like him anymore!
Emmanuel replied modestly, “Ms. Lenoir, you’re giving me too much credit. I
was just teaching a few thugs a lesson.”
He remained humble, not showing any trace of arrogance. He considered
himself fortunate to have a previous connection with the leader of the Wolf
Warrior Society. Otherwise, given his capabilities, he might not have been
able to escape from the situation that night.
“Those were no ordinary thugs. Only someone as formidable as you would
dare to stand up against the Wolf Warrior Society,” Claudette continued to
praise him with a smile, her curved eyelashes resembling two crescent
moons.
Unlike Mackenzie’s ethereal beauty, Claudette exuded a gentle and virtuous
aura, radiating a distinctly feminine charm.
Emmanuel kept mum, simply offering a courteous grin.
Just then, a male doctor wearing a white coat, accompanied by two nurses,
walked past them.
Upon seeing Emmanuel and Claudette engaged in conversation and
laughter, the male doctor felt a strong sense of jealousy. He adjusted his
glasses and called out, “Ms. Lenoir!”
“Um, yes?” Out of curiosity, Claudette turned around to look at the doctor and
the nurses around him.
She had no idea who they were, but Emmanuel recognized him right away.
The male doctor was none other than Darren, someone Emmanuel did not
see eye to eye with.
“Ms. Lenoir, I strongly advise against getting too close to this sc*mbag beside
you. It could potentially harm your reputation,” Darren said bluntly.
Before Emmanuel could get angry, Claudette furrowed her brows and
warned, “While I’m unaware of your relationship with Dr. Lowe, kindly refrain
from hurling insults without cause. Such behavior reflects poorly on your
character and manners!”
Claudette’s voice resonated with determination and power, leaving a deep
impact on Emmanuel and capturing the attention of numerous onlookers
within the hospital premises.
Yet, Darren was not willing to back down. He persisted in reminding
Claudette, “Ms. Lenoir, I’m not hurling insults casually. The man beside you
made it to the top of the trending news!”
Emmanuel and Claudette were struck dumb. What?
“He has no regard for his family, and he’s done all sorts of bad deeds. There
are people on social media and articles providing all the evidence, so I’m not
spouting baseless rumors here. There is concrete evidence! Ms. Lenoir, if you‘
don’t believe me, you can check the trending topics in Yeringham. The top
story is about this sc*mbag!”
Chapter 153
After saying that, Darren pushed his glasses higher smugly.
No one else in the hospital was happier than he to hear the news.
Emmanuel and Claudette inhaled sharply before whipping out their phones
to check them. It was then Emmanuel realized that he had over ten missed
calls from strangers while he was giving Claudette a checkup.
He never noticed them because he usually muted his phone while he
worked.
Heartless Nephew Steals All Family Money And Lets His Uncle Die Abroad.
The second Emmanuel saw the trending topic, his heart sank. At the same
time, he was feeling a tinge of anger.
Without needing to click on the article, he already knew that Hermann and
Jamison were behind this.
He was not surprised that his grandfather’s family was full of vile people, but
he was shocked that they actually managed to paint him and his sister as
the villains on the internet.
Who’s the one backing them?
In the meantime, worried about Emmanuel, Claudette tapped into the
trending topic, only to find out that the people were all cursing at Emmanuel.
Not only did they say that he conned his grandfather’s money, but they even
said that he fought with his uncle because of gambling issues. In the end, his
uncle was embroiled in a job scam overseas and held captive, but as
Emmanuel’s grandfather had been conned out of his money by Emmanuel
and Roselynn, Emmanuel’s grandfather could not pay the ransom for
Emmanuel’s uncle. Thus, Emmanuel’s uncle ended up dying abroad.
To provide evidence for the incident, there were even photos and videos
posted online.
After briefly reading the articles, Claudette turned to look at Emmanuel in
disbelief.
는
It was not that she did not have faith in Emmanuel’s character. She was
merely stunned that news as fake as this could actually trend on the internet.
“Ms. Lenoir, now you know that I’m not lying to you, right?” Darren gleefully
said. “Maybe it’s time for you to change your doctor. Otherwise, you might not
be able to keep your visits private in the future!”
It was defamation.
They were slandering Emmanuel’s character and professionalism.
However, the nurses and passersby knew nothing about the truth, so they
were all on Darren’s side, insulting and making rude comments about
Emmanuel.
“Rubbish!”
Right then, an angry voice echoed in the area, louder than the other voices.
As it turned out, Frederick had arrived with other coworkers from the
Department of Gynecology.
Agitated, Frederick snapped, “I know Emmanuel better than anyone else.
Fame and wealth mean nothing to him, so how can he be the person they
say he is on the internet? Clearly, someone paid to get this topic trending on
the internet. They’re telling tales to attack Emmanuel. He’s a victim!”
Emmanuel, who had been overwhelmed by anger, was abruptly soothed by
a wave of relief. He was glad to have a good friend like Frederick.
“That’s right. I, too, believe that Dr. Lowe isn’t someone like that.”
Claudette was wise, and she trusted her own judgment. She uttered, “He’s a
righteous man. He would reject me if I were to offer him hundreds of
thousands, so why would he try to con someone tens of thousands?
Someone is evidently trying to destroy his reputation with these rumors!”
Words from someone powerful like Claudette convinced the others better
than Frederick.
Furthermore, Claudette was not lying. Emmanuel had treated her
successfully, so she had told him several times that she wanted to reward
him in private. Yet, the man had always rejected her offers.
“Hear, hear! Emmanuel has been working at the Department of Gynecology
for over two years. How can we not know what kind of person he is? These
articles are talking nonsense and full of loopholes. Only the ignorant will
believe in them. We have faith in Emmanuel’s character!”
The nurses and doctors of the Department of Gynecology also voiced their
support for Emmanuel.
Not all trending topics were true. There were truths and lies on the internet,
and things tended to have a plot twist.
4
“Thank you. Thank you so much for trusting me.”
Emmanuel was moved, and tears nearly welled up in his eyes.
In times of adversity, true friends would appear.
Right then, Emmanuel’s phone rang again. When he realized that his sister
was calling him, he quickly picked up the call.
Chapter 154
“Manny, did you see what’s trending on Yeringham’s net? These disgusting
people are unbelievable!”
Roselynn was furious too.
A few days ago, their grandfather had come to them and asked for eighty
thousand, but they did not give it to him. Later on, they found out that their
uncle’s ransom was only thirty thousand, so Emmanuel gave their mother
twenty thousand and left the decision of whether or not she was going to use
it as part of the ransom money to her.
Initially, her mother had tried to convince her to give their grandfather
another ten thousand, but Roselynn refused.
Why would she?
Her uncle had yet to repay his debt to her, so why would she fork out another
ten thousand for him?
She would rather have a douchebag like him die overseas instead.
In the end, their mother gave the twenty thousand and her salary from that
month to their grandfather.
Regardless of everything, that was Alessandra’s father, and she was doing it
as a last act of her duty.
Who would have expected their grandfather and his family to still be
unsatisfied after receiving over twenty thousand? They ended up cursing
and leaving, saying that they were going to teach the Lowe family a lesson
eventually.
Roselynn had never seen people as shameless as them.
It was as if the Lowe family were their slaves and should be dedicating their
lives to them.
At the start, Roselynn thought that those were just words said out of anger.
She did not think that they would actually carry out their plan. What
ungrateful and heartless people!
“I saw it too, Roselynn. I knew Granddad and his family were ungrateful
people, but I wonder how they pulled this off,” Emmanuel replied.
Roselynn was curious too. Would they spend hundreds of thousands to get
this topic trending on the internet? Why? Is it just because they’re mad?
Moreover, if they’re that rich, why would they insist on getting eighty
thousand from the Lowe family? Something is fishy about this.
“Hmph! Regardless of how they did it, I’m going to clear things up on the
internet right now. I’m sure the people will know who’s right and who’s wrong!”
“Roselynn, don’t.”
“Why?” Roselynn curiously asked, wondering if her brother was planning to
take the blame.
However, Emmanuel explained, “Let things worsen a little more. I’m sick of
these shameless people. I’m going to settle all scores with them once and for
all. I’m the only man in our family, and there’s no way I’m going to let my
family be bullied by them!”
The revelation only heightened Claudette’s perception of Emmanuel’s
masculinity, leaving no doubt that whoever had the privilege of being with
him would undoubtedly feel a sense of safety and security.
Similarly, Roselynn had always seen her brother as a dependable individual.
When she heard that, she found herself looking forward to what he would do.
“So, Manny, what’s your plan?”
“Roselynn, you have the habit of posting on Twitter and Instagram, right? Do
you still have the screenshots of our uncle asking us for money to repay his
gambling debts?”
“I do!”
“Good. Those will serve as our evidence. That man revealed our contact
details on the internet so that the citizens of Yeringham would come after us
in a witch hunt. There’s no way we can let them have it easy. Once everyone
in the city learns about this, we’re going to make a plot twist on this matter.
Let’s see who’ll die an uglier death!”
As Emmanuel said that, flames of fury burned bright in his eyes.
He possessed a calm disposition, but that did not negate his capacity to feel
anger.
This time, Hermann and Jamison had genuinely infuriated him.
So you don’t want us to be a sweet family, huh? Instead, you want us to be
enemies. Don’t you know that I’ve never shown mercy to my enemies?
“Sure, Manny. I’ll heed your words. I’m going to get a new number now. Do you
want me to get you one too?”
Some suppliers, clients, and coworkers of Roselynn who did not know her well
enough were starting to attack her, so she had to change her number and
go into hiding for a while.
“Go ahead, Roselynn, but you don’t need to get a new number for me.”
Chapter 155
Emmanuel’s gaze grew determined, and he announced, “This matter is too
important; someone has to step up and resolve it. If we beat a retreat now,
those nasty netizens will be all over Mom! Anyway, I’m handling the issue, and
that’s final. I ain’t scared of any trouble!”
Roselynn voiced her concern, “How can we leave you to face all of that alone,
Manny?”
“Trust me, Roselynn! I’m the man of the house. I need to defend our
household in times of trouble!”
“F–Fine! I’ll get a new phone number and call you again!”
“All right,” Emmanuel said and ended the call.
His phone almost immediately rang with a phone call from Ryder afterward.
By then, only Frederick and Claudette remained by his side. Everyone else
had already left.
Emmanuel dismissed his best friend, “You should head back to work,
Frederick.”
“Okay. Just let me know how I can help, Emmanuel. I’ll do my best to help you.
That’s what best friends are for!”
Frederick still had work to attend to and did not have the luxury of time to
stay behind and listen to Emmanuel’s numerous phone calls.
“Ms. Lenoir, you should head home too. Thank you for your trust and concern!”
said Emmanuel to Claudette.
She waved off his words and uttered, “I’m not working today, Dr. Lowe. Let me
fight those cyberbullies with you. I bet it’ll be quite thrilling!”
She seemed so excited to support Emmanuel to the end as he fought off the
keyboard warriors that Emmanuel eventually allowed her to stay.
He picked up his cousin’s phone call, and Ryder’s anxious voice immediately
filled his ear.
“What’s going on, Manny? Why are the Cadigans coming after your family
again? Don’t worry, though! I’ll come forward and defend your innocence!”
Ryder trusted Emmanuel implicitly. He had watched the latter grow up and
knew his character like the back of his hand.
In fact, he also knew Emmanuel’s family matters better than most, which was
why he was furious over the Cadigan family’s actions.
“I appreciate your offer, Ryder, but I don’t need your help now. Perhaps you
should focus on resolving your and Abellyn’s situation first,” suggested
Emmanuel.
He knew Ryder had enough on his plate, and he was happy enough knowing
that Ryder had offered to help him.
Finally, Ryder conceded, “All right! I won’t step in first, but call me if you need
help. Anytime.”
Like Frederick, he was fiercely loyal to Emmanuel.
Meanwhile, Claudette stared at Emmanuel’s back with an admiring gaze.
The incident spoke volumes about Emmanuel’s character.
If he isn’t a decent man, his friends and family wouldn’t pledge such fierce
loyalty to him in times of trouble!
Ryder ended his call, and Abellyn mocked him scornfully, “Ryder, you’re an
utterly hopeless fool! That cousin of yours isn’t a good man at all! The whole
city must know about it now. Even so, you’re still blindly listening to his lies
and refusing to allow Robby to live in our house! Emmanuel only knows how
to cut ties with family. Are you trying to follow his example?”
She ended her long rant with an ultimatum. “Let me tell you. If you forbid
Robby from living with us or attending an elementary school in the city, then
we can call it quits with this marriage! You can live happily with your jerk of a
cousin!”
Ryder’s patience snapped, and he roared, “That’s enough, Abellyn! They’re
two different matters! Not accepting Robby into my family was my decision
alone! 1 may have vowed to support you when I married you, but that offer
doesn’t extend to every Tom, Dick, and Harry from the Sheppard family!!
don’t want and can’t afford to feed an extra mouth?
“Y–You!” Abellyn sputtered in anger before screeching, “I’m done! We’re
getting a divorce!”
Then, she stomped out of the house.
Tommy was still at school, so Ryder did not bother going after Abellyn.
Manny and Ms. Quillen were right. Abellyn just wants to force me into a
corner. If I give in and allow Robby into our house, Chloe and the Sheppards
will only come up with more outrageous requests!
The atrocious things that Hermann’s family had done to Emmanuel’s family
also alerted Ryder to the fact that some people were entirely devoid of
conscience.
You must be ruthless enough to face off against such a foe, or you will end
up as their puppet for the rest of your life!
Chapter 156
Mackenzie remained unaware of the drama befalling her husband.
She was occupied with a routine meeting at the offices of Terence Group.
As usual, Beatrix secretly scrolled through her phone during the meeting, and
her gaze suddenly landed on a shocking headline.
“What are you doing, Beatrix Quillen?”
She felt Mackenzie’s razor–sharp gaze on her a second later.
Beatrix shuddered involuntarily, aware that her cousin was a fair and
fearsome boss who would chew anyone out for getting distracted in a
meeting.
She hastily rushed to Mackenzie’s side and whispered, “I’m not slacking,
Mackenzie! Look at this headline! Manuel’s being cyberbullied!”
“What?”
Mackenzie released a near–imperceptible sigh and swiped the phone from
Beatrix’s outstretched hand. Once she read the headline, she stood up and
declared curtly, “Meeting’s over. Dismissed!”
She strode out of the conference room, leaving behind a roomful of
bewildered management staff.
Lexi caught up to Beatrix and asked, “What happened, Ms. Beatrix? Why does
Ms. Mackenzie seem so anxious?”
“Hehe, that’s a secret!”
Beatrix was determined to keep her lips zipped. Lexi will find out eventually.
As expected, Lexi was summoned to the CEO’s office a moment later, where
Mackenzie handed over her list of tasks to her personal assistant.
incident. Addison agreed with his decision.
When Mackenzie walked into the Department of Gynecology’s building, she
immediately spotted a group of colleagues surrounding and encouraging
“We know you well, Dr. Lowe. The news on the Internet must be fake! We’ll
“That’s right! The truth will prevail. You must stay strong till then!”
along so well with his colleagues? Perhaps he wasn’t acting the part of a
headed for the main entrance where Mackenzie awaited.
“Why are you here, Ms. Quillen?” Claudette greeted Mackenzie civilly. The
unspoken rules of high society dictated that she greet someone of higher
standing in their social circles.
Mackenzie replied, “What about you, Ms. Lenoir?”
She suddenly felt threatened.
acquainted, given both women ran in Yeringham’s upper society. However,
worker like Mackenzie.
“I’m Dr. Lowe’s patient. I specifically requested him to be my doctor!”
“Yes, I’m done.”
family? Is he such an excellent catch? But I thought Mackenzie suffered from
misandry!
Mackenzie’s words cut through Claudette’s thoughts. “Good. Then I’m taking
wife’s behavior.
Even Mackenzie was starting to question if she had been too agitated. What if
he mistakes my response for jealousy? No! I’m definitely not jealous! I just
Emmanuel hurriedly reversed his Maserati out of the lot and even alighted
from the car to open the passenger seat door for his wife. Only then did he
“I saw the trending headlines, so I thought I’d check on you.” Mackenzie put on
seeing as you still had the bandwidth to hit on some random hottie.”
“Huh?” Emmanuel’s befuddlement was short–lived. He soon smiled and
she’s only my patient. Are you actually jealous, Ms. Quillen?”
basic rights as a wife! How can I not be jealous when my husband is with
another woman? What kind of twisted logic is that?
Emmanuel had boarded the car by then and asked, “Shall we head home,
Ms. Quillen?”
Waving her hand dismissively, she replied, “Yes. You’re famous in Yeringham
reputation too.”
take the day off just to look for me? Will it affect your pay or your boss‘
I am the boss. I’m the only one docking anyone’s pay at the company. Who’s
crazy enough to suggest I take a pay cut for playing hooky?
Still, his rueful expression dispelled any remaining hint of jealousy in
She declared, “Don’t worry. I’m in upper management, so I have more
We need to stop the situation from spiraling further out of control, or the
public will eventually figure out our marriage!”
Her declaration moved Emmanuel, though his warm feelings were
Is she only anxious because she doesn’t want people to learn about her
for Chloe’s house.
poverty. I’m merely asking for a favor to support Robby’s education in the city,
but he simply won’t agree! I’m done with him! He can go live in h*ll with
Right after firing off their slandering posts, Abellyn’s phone rang with an
“Let me speak to him!”
have a change of heart, Ryder? You b*stard! Did you forget your vows when
demanded a divorce; she asked for one! She ran out of the house after that.
her?” Chloe threatened, “Listen up, Ryder! You must have accumulated three
lifetimes of good karma to marry my sister. If you divorce, there are plenty of
better men lining up to marry her. As for you, I wonder who’ll want to bind
themselves to an old hat!”
Ryder knew he did not have the best to offer as a spouse, and to scrounge up
enough betrothal gifts for a second wife was a Herculean task. With a son
from a previous marriage in tow, it was nearly impossible for him to find a
Abellyn’s flaws aside, she was Tommy’s biological mother, and she would
and coax your wife home! My sister is a woman. As her man, can’t you just
instead? I will never forgive you if you make her cry again!”
A confused Abellyn asked, “Chloe, why do you want me to go home with
him?”
“Do you have a new potential husband in mind? You’re better off securing
your future prospects before divorcing Ryder, or we’ll be in a tough spot. I still
want to get Robby enrolled in a school here. We can’t delay that any longer!”
She’s right. I can’t keep wasting my time with him. I must find a new prospect
his son. I wonder how devastated he’ll be!
that doing so would relegate him to a slave–like existence under his wife’s
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