Chapter 058 Betrayal of My Family After dinner, Eve led Ava to the study. Scott’s favorite style had been retained. The room was antique, with a wall of books. On the other wall, there was a calligraphy work that wrote “Keep your word and show the results.” There were paintings, antiques, jade… Eve and Ava had seen such things from their fathers’ possessions before, but they had never been allowed to touch them or taught how to appreciate them. They were both laymen.
Hailey sat down, flipped through a miscellany, and listened nonchalantly as Eve
recited the family rules. There was a total of 100 items, and Eve hadn’t tried to memorize them yesterday. Today, she had been cramming for the test, but the
knowledge didn’t quite register. She stammered throughout the process. “Finished?” As she stopped reciting, Hailey slightly raised her head. Eve nodded meekly. “Sorry, I didn’t memorize them all. You have my word. I’ll
study harder and abide by the rules.” “You’d better be. Do a calculation and see how many items you missed.” As Hailey picked up the ruler, Eve was appalled. She had thought that Hailey just wanted a promise from her. Unexpectedly, the woman was really going to
punish her.
“H-Hailey…” Eve subconsciously put her hands behind her back and sweated nervously, “You’re not really going to hit me, are you?” Hailey raised her eyes indifferently. “Or what? Do you think I was kidding?” Eve tensed up and panicked. Ava’s heart was gripped by fear as she had seen
everything from behind Eve. Hailey had changed a lot. She used to be a sunny and warm girl. Now she was cold and unapproachable.
“The family rules are made up of 100 items. You recited 70 of them, missed 30, and made mistakes with 14. According to our agreement, you will be hit 44 times.” Like an unforgiving judge, Hailey ruthlessly sentenced Eve, “Show me your hands.” Eve complied albeit reluctantly and got hit 44 times. Her white palms visibly
swelled, turning black and blue. The pain aggrieved her so much that she burst into tears. Even her swollen hands and arms were shaking. The pain was killing
her. “Go back and apply some medicine.” Hailey handed the ruler back to Eve with no hard feelings. “Come back and
recite it again tomorrow tonight. Same rule. If you’re not afraid of pain, fudge as you like.” Her eyes then fell on Ava’s face. “Ava, it’s the same case with you. When you live here, you abide by my rules. Come and recite the family rules with Eve tomorrow night.”
“Okay,” Ava blurted out and numbly raised her hand, “Actually, I… have memorized them.”
Hailey and Eve both looked over. Eve’s smudged face was filled with
astonishment. “What? You’ve memorized them?” She desperately winked at Ava, warning her cousin against acting rashly. Hailey was no longer the same loving girl. She was now a viper. Ava failed to take the hint and just looked at Hailey innocently with her round eyes. “I kept Eve company when she was memorizing the family rules.” Hailey nodded, sent Eve away, and called Ava to come closer. “Try reciting it for me.” She took the book and resumed her reading. Ava collected herself before reciting the 100 family rules smoothly and fluently like a pupil. She didn’t make a single mistake. If the stumbling Eve was an
underperformer, then she was a straight-A student. “Not bad.” Hailey praised Ava and looked at her cousin with interest, “As far as I remember, you’ve been doing well with your study. You were granted a top
scholarship when they were admitted to Stoughsby University, and your major is jewelry design, right?” Ava nodded repeatedly. Her round eyes were glittering. “Yeah, you remember everything!” “I was away for three years but not amnesiac. Of course, I remember,” Hailey
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