Chapter 136: By What Right? Heh

The next day, Amanda Vance’s brow furrowed when she saw Shirley Vance’s name on the appointment list. Impatience flashed in her eyes as her fingers tapped an erratic rhythm on her desk. She was annoyed.

’She’s like a ghost that just won’t leave.’

She quickly hacked into the hospital’s website and canceled Shirley Vance’s appointment. Only then did her mood improve slightly. She returned to the system and began calling in patients.

Time ticked by, second by second.

In the waiting area, Shirley Vance watched as people around her were called in and then left, but her turn never came. She glanced at the time. It was almost noon. If she had to wait much longer, it would be well into the afternoon. The doctor had a lunch break, and she didn’t have that much time to keep waiting.

’I should have just gone straight to Amanda. Why did I even bother making an appointment? It’s a waste of money and time.’

’If I didn’t need something from her, I wouldn’t be spending a single cent on Amanda.’

Suddenly, Shirley Vance saw that people who had registered after her were already going inside. She frowned, glanced at the large call screen, then back at the ticket in her hand. By all rights, her number should have been called long ago.

It was obvious what was happening now.

’Damn you, Amanda Vance!’

Cursing inwardly, Shirley Vance crumpled the appointment slip into a ball and stomped inside on her high heels. Her face was contorted with rage, and she looked so menacing that bystanders couldn’t help but shrink away from her.

At the sight, Shirley Vance snorted and shot them an arrogant glare. ’A bunch of clueless fools. To think they’d actually come to Amanda for treatment, and even protect her. How brainless.’

She shoved aside the person who was about to enter and strode in. The door SLAMMED shut behind her, and she locked it. She threw the appointment slip onto the desk, planted her hands on it, and loomed over Amanda. "Amanda Vance, what is the meaning of this? What, are you too scared to see me?"

The acrid scent of perfume wafted over, and Amanda Vance leaned back. She raised her eyes to sweep a glance over Shirley, a single look that instantly crushed her arrogant bravado. Although Amanda was sitting and Shirley was standing, Shirley somehow felt a head shorter in sheer presence.

Casually twirling a pen, she spoke in a light tone, "I haven’t done anything to feel guilty about. Why would I need to hide from you?"

With that, she let out a derisive laugh.

Shirley Vance’s pupils constricted. She gritted her teeth and whispered, "So you really do know."

"Know what?" Amanda folded her arms and leaned back in her chair, sweeping a light, utterly dismissive glance over Shirley. "Know that you’re with Bob Rhodes? Or that you’re the other woman? By the way, does Penny Palmer know you stole her man?"

’She really knows everything!’

Shirley Vance’s breath hitched. ’She knows everything!’

’She even knew that man was Bob Rhodes. I only ever called him Rhodes.’

"How could you possibly know?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Is that important?" Amanda watched her, her tone derisive. "Shirley Vance, aren’t you supposed to be so proud? Stealing someone’s boyfriend seems to be something you do with practiced ease, without a hint of pressure."

The smile playing on Amanda’s lips stung Shirley to the core.

"This is all because of you!"

’If it weren’t for her scheming behind my back, causing the company’s profits to tank and my allowance to disappear, why would I have ever needed to go to Bob Rhodes?’

’Before, a man like him would have been completely beneath my consideration.’

’It’s all Amanda’s fault!’

Looking at Shirley’s resentful glare, Amanda was so infuriated she almost laughed. ’She stole her own best friend’s boyfriend, and now she’s trying to pin the blame on me?’

’All these years have passed, and she’s still just as unreasonable, always pushing the blame for her mistakes onto other people.’

At this thought, Amanda’s gaze grew even colder, her eyes devoid of any warmth. "Did I make you become a homewrecker? Did I tie you to Bob Rhodes’s bed? Shirley Vance, is it really that difficult to admit that you’re shameless?"

"Or perhaps..." She rose slowly, clasping her hands behind her back as a chilling pressure instantly bore down on Shirley. "Perhaps you’re just like your mother—so accustomed to stealing and snatching things that you’ve come to see it as your right?"

’Wasn’t Sarah Sullivan the exact same way? She was the one who couldn’t be seen in the light of day, yet she acted with more audacity than my mother, the legal wife.’

’Barging into the family home, usurping the rightful owner’s place... this mother and daughter pair truly haven’t escaped their genetics.’

"You!" Shirley instinctively took a step back. Realizing what she’d done, she snapped to her senses, looked back at Amanda, and bit her lip. "What do you know! If it weren’t for you, my mother and I wouldn’t have had to live in secret for so many years! I couldn’t even call him ’Dad’ openly! By what right!"

"By the right that you are an illegitimate daughter!" Amanda’s eyes turned glacial as she advanced on Shirley step by step. Even though Amanda was in flats, she somehow made Shirley feel a head shorter. Shirley gritted her teeth, straining to keep her chin up as she glared defiantly at her.

"When you interfered in someone else’s marriage, did either of you ever think about ’fairness’? The man in Sarah Sullivan’s eyes, the ’Dad’ in yours, was my mother’s and my rightful, legally protected husband and father. And you still have the audacity to ask me by what right? Where do you get the nerve to say such a thing?"

Amanda stopped a few feet away from her, as if getting any closer would contaminate her. The look she gave Shirley was like she was staring at a disgusting pile of garbage.

In fact, she wasn’t wrong to feel that way.

Heat rushed to Shirley’s face. It flushed red, then went pale, then red again. Finally, she spat through gritted teeth, "My mother and father met first! It was your mother who stole him away!"

"Hah," Amanda scoffed. "Has it been so long that you’ve both forgotten? Forgotten how Sarah Sullivan dumped Holly Vance? How Holly Vance got on his knees and begged my mother to marry him? And for that matter, why Sarah Sullivan decided to come back and reconcile with Holly Vance later on? If you’ve forgotten, I can certainly help you remember."

At that, Shirley was utterly stunned.

’Of course, she knew about all that. Even if Sarah Sullivan hadn’t told her, she’d heard the rumors. She remembered that when she was little, every time her dad left, her mom would bring other "uncles" home. Only after deciding to get back together with Dad for good did she finally cut off contact with those men.’

’She even knows about all of that!’

At that moment, Shirley finally began to panic.

’No, this can’t happen. The company hasn’t gone under yet. We can’t afford to lose Dad completely.’

Seeing right through her thoughts, Amanda found the situation both laughable and pathetic.

’What kind of man had her mother gotten involved with, and what kind of woman had been allowed to bully her?’

’Giving her life for them... was it worth it?’

The image of that pool of blood in the Vance family’s garden flashed through her mind again, and a crimson shade slowly crept into her eyes.

By the time Shirley reacted, Amanda was already right in front of her.

Seeing the look on Amanda’s face, Shirley instinctively backed away. A single thought dominated her mind: ’Run.’

’This woman has gone mad.’

However, she had locked the door when she’d stormed in. In the brief moment she hesitated, a hand was already clamped around her neck. Her mind went blank as terror shot through her entire body.

She regretted it. She should never have provoked this woman.

She slapped frantically at Amanda’s hand while her other hand fumbled for the lock. Her fingers found the handle, and she was on the verge of opening it, but she lacked the strength to push it down.

’Help—’

As if in answer to her silent plea for help, the door suddenly opened. Someone walked in, grabbed the wrist of the person across from her, and said in a low voice, "Amanda."