Chapter 95
Matthew thought. Using a vase to hit someone was bad enough, but she even held a kettle later. She did successfully force those men to hack away, but if the kettle was filled with boiling water, she would inevitably get hurt too. If I had been there, at least she wouldn’t have been in danger alone”
Valerie was so intimidated by his oppressive presence that she could not even speak coherently. After faltering in speech for a moment, she said. I’m sorry, Mr. Grant. I forgot at that moment.
Actually, it was not that she had forgotten. It was just that she had grown accustomed to handling everything on her own since childhood
One particularly memorable incident was when Valerie was in elementary school. A classmate lost her pocket money, and she falsely accused Valerie of stealing it. Valerie went home and told her mother, hoping that her mother would stand up for her. In the end, her mother asked her to reflect on whether she had behaved poorly and offended someone.
Back then, her mother said, “With so many classmates in the class, why would she falsely accurse only you? Nothing happens without a reason. It must be because you behave poorly!”
She still remembered there was a child trafficking case in her town that caused quite a stir when she was in sixth grade. Subsequently, every time school ended, the school gate would be crowded with parents picking up their children…
She was
also afraid and wanted her father to pick her up.
She waited till it was dark and all her classmates, including the teachers, had left, yet her father did not come to pick her up. She had no choice but to walk home in the rain under the cover of night. When she arrived home, she found her parents gathered around the fireplace watching TV. They even mocked her for looking like a drowned rat
However, despite her parents‘ lack of affection, Valerie did not feel sorry for herself. After all, her elder brother was very kind to her.
But her elder brother, live years her senior, had gone to study in another city at an early age, making it difficult for them to meet. She also knew that even if her brother were by her side, she couldn’t rely on him for everything.
So, she had long understood that the only person she could truly rely on was herself.
when her mother forced her in drop out of school and work, it reinforced this realization for her. She forced herself to be tough, to work part–time and study, and to study diligently. Once she entered the workforce, she worked hard to earn money. Even when faced with workplace harassment, she never considered seeking help from anyone. This was because she knew she had no fallback or backer. She had to be her own
hacker.
Gradually, she got used to relying on herself for everything
So, when she saw Katherine being pinned down on the floor and bullied, there was only one thought in her mind at that moment. She had to quickly take Katherine away. She did not have time to think about anything else.
Matthew put two sterile patches on her and sighed imperceptibly.
“If someone got aggressive under the influence of alcohol and wanted to take revenge on you, that person could snatch the kettle away or even grab the cleaning tools from the corner to deal with you,” he said. “Didn’t you think about how you would handle things if this were to happen?”
Valerie answered honestly, saying, “I didn’t think of that.”
Matthew finally realized that although this woman appeared intelligent and composed, once faced with someone or something that she worried about, she would become impulsive in her actions
He was rarely papient.
“Even if you don’t think for your own sake, you have to think for Katherine’s sake.” he said. “If something happens to you in your impulsivenes, she will feel very guilty. Also, your brother and your nephew will be heartbroken. And… your hamster. Let me make this clear, I can allow you to keep the hamster, but I absolutely won’t help you feed it. If something happens to you and you can’t take care of the hamster, I’ll throw it out right away.” He then added with a sinister expression, “Don’t blame me for not reminding you. There seem to be a few stray cats living in the bushes downstairs.
Valerie could not help but laugh. She said, “Mr. Grant, are you threatening me?
She thought, “He’s actually using Peanut as a hostage. How come 1 didn’t notice before? Turns out he can joke around with people too!
Matthew did not deny it. He leaned against the sofa, casually loosening his tie with his index finger, and said coldly. “Valerie, if something like this happens again, be sure to notify me right away. I will help you.”
The last four words were resolute and firm.
Valerie felt a sense of warmth. Eventually, she nodded and said, “Sure.”