Not Again Mr Whitney novel Chapter 9

After a few minutes of silence, the living room started to be noisy again.

Everyone felt freer since Mrs. Houston wasn’t here.

All the men in the Houston family had gone to attend her, leaving the women and children in the living room.

“That doesn’t seem right. It was such a mess and I nearly forgot. What did that loser Calvin say? Deadly amulet?”

“Yeah, I heard that too. What did he mean? Is there really something wrong with the jade amulet Vincent gave her?”

Betty argued, “Auntie, stop spreading rumors. Vincent spent three hundred thousand on that amulet and you saw it. What could possibly go wrong? If you believe that loser, you are a loser like him.”

“Why are you talking to me like that? I didn’t mean to say that. Then you tell me, why did that chair shattered? Take a look for yourself.”

Betty glanced at the chair and also felt something was off. How could a chair made out of rosewood crumble like a house of cards?

Anyone would think this was odd?

Just as they were talking, Vincent rushed towards them and asked, “Which one of you have the number of the burns department in City Hospital? Call them to send people here.”

Betty grabbed Vincent and asked, “Vincent, what happened? Who got burned?”

Vincent pushed her aside and said, “Who else could it be? It’s Mrs. Houston. This is so weird. We were disinfecting her wounds with iodine and it caught on fire. Mrs. Houston is...”

“What? The alcohol caught on fire...Did any one of you smoke?”

Vincent scratched his head, “No, we don’t even have a lighter on us. How would we smoke? That’s why I think this is weird.

Betty got scared and whispered, “Honey, is it really the jade amulet...”

“Shut up. Don’t be such a paranoid like Calvin. By the way, where’s that loser? Let him get the doctors. Why can he get to hang around and do nothing? We’re exhausted...”

Rita now found out that Calvin was not in the living room. No one knew where he was.

Everybody else was looking for him. All of a sudden, the TV broadcast a news.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the annual autumn auction kicked off in Chelston. Unlike previous auctions, this year's main draw was precious medicines, like the Basilisk Venom, which was sold for $1 million and is said to have the power to extend life and maintain beauty for women...”

Every woman wanted to look young and pretty forever. Betty was a bit jealous and said, “Honey, let’s go to the auction next time. If we ever come across good stuff like that, we will definitely buy it.”

All of a sudden, someone yelled, “Guys, look at the Basilisk Venom. Is this the same one as the walnut that Calvin had?”

“No way. It’s worth a million dollars. How could that loser afford it?”

“Take a good look. It’s dark and looks like a walnut.”

“Oh, my God! It is...Extend life and maintain beauty...”

Then they heard someone’s high heels click-clack down the way and it was Carrie. She was running out of the door.

“Follow her. Can’t let her take all of it!”

“Count me in! Wait for me!”

Carrie rushed out of the mansion and looked round. She finally found Calvin.

At that time, Calvin was swallowing the venom with its shell.

“No!”

Calvin turned to her and swallowed the whole thing.

“Mother...”

Carrie came at him and wanted to reach her hand in his mouth. Calvin got scared and flinched.

“Mother, what are you doing?”

Seeing that Calvin had swallowed it, she got crazy, “You jerk! Is worth a million dollars and you swallowed all of it?”

“What’s million dollars? Mother? What are you talking about?”