The living room grew even quieter. No one had expected those words to come from the mouth of a seventeen-year-old girl. The expressions on Aria Cheney and Eleanor Young's faces, both of whom wanted to avoid trouble, were as colorful as a painter's palette—a spectacular sight.
"Seraphina Sterling! Is this how you were raised? Your aunts are your elders—how can you speak to them like that? No wonder the Sterling Family threw you out! With your blatant disrespect for your elders, it's not just a prestigious family like the Sterlings that would be ashamed of you—even a family like ours can't stand it! Asking your elders for money... you have fewer manners than our Zoe!"
Aria Cheney put on her dean-of-students air and began her tirade.
Seraphina Sterling had long known Aria Cheney's true nature and didn't take it to heart. 'She just doesn't want to pay back the money, that's all!'
However, while Seraphina Sterling was unfazed, Kimberly Jennings couldn't let it slide. The usually gentle woman suddenly grew assertive. "Aria, our Seraphina is wonderful. In my eyes, she's the best! No one can compare to her! She is not your student, so she doesn't need your evaluation, nor does she need you to 'educate' her!"
"Kimberly Jennings, what's that supposed to mean? Even if I'm not Seraphina Sterling's teacher, I'm still her elder. Isn't it perfectly natural for me, as an elder, to criticize her and teach her a thing or two?" Aria Cheney's occupational hazard was kicking in; she couldn't help but pull her dean-of-students rank on everyone.
"Besides, a student like Seraphina Sterling? I wouldn't take her if she were handed to me on a silver platter! Her grades are terrible, and her character is rotten. What can a student like that do except bring shame on others! Now that she no longer has the Sterling Family as her safety net, it'll be a struggle for her to even survive in society!"
Aria Cheney was immensely arrogant. In this generation of the Jennings Family, only her daughter, Zoe Jennings, was a top student; the rest simply weren't academic material.
Kimberly Jennings trembled with rage. These people were her own kin. She didn't care what they said about her, but how could they think of Seraphina like this! What's more, not a single person stood up for Seraphina. Kimberly Jennings truly lost all hope for these so-called family members.
Seraphina Sterling, however, was filled with gratitude. 'Only Mom loves me. I've always known that. In this life, I will protect her at all costs!' Seraphina stepped forward, took Kimberly Jennings's hand, and gave her a warm smile that seemed to say, 'Don't be sad. You still have me.'
Kimberly Jennings felt a current of warmth flow into her heart, dispelling the chill within, and her trembling subsided. "Since you, Aria, feel it was improper for Seraphina to ask for the money back, then surely there's no problem with me asking! Paying back a debt is common decency. My daughter and I are now penniless. Our food and lodging are a problem, and Seraphina still needs to continue her studies—we need money for everything. Just give us back the money you owe, and we'll find our own place immediately."
The conversation had come full circle, and once again, the two families had nothing to say.
"We don't have any money," Zeke Jennings chimed in first. "My little shop doesn't make much profit, and with two kids to raise, we're barely making ends meet. Where would we get extra money for you! My oldest brother and Aria both have stable jobs with good salaries, let them pay you back first!"
"Zeke, our family may have some cash, but Zoe is going to college next year. We need this money for her tuition! Besides, we're also supporting Mom and Dad, so we have no extra money at all!" Aria Cheney shot a vicious glare at Zeke Jennings.
Seeing that the two were resorting to shameless tactics and had no intention of paying her back, Kimberly Jennings was momentarily at a loss. It was hardly surprising; she had never had to worry about money in her life, much less deal with people so utterly shameless.
Seraphina Sterling knew this was her mother's limit. 'She could never bring herself to do something as shameless as Aria Cheney and Zeke Jennings! But it's good enough that Mom can now see their true colors. I'll take care of the rest!'