Chapter 4 I Just Had No Manners

Aurelia was done with Norman and Maria. She could see the neighbors sneaking peeks, curious about the drama. This was the Bloom Villa, and she didn't want to cause a scene, so she opened the door.

Without even looking at them, Aurelia walked straight to the couch and plopped down, not bothering with any pleasantries.

Betty, who also couldn't stand Norman and Maria, didn't offer them any water. She stayed close to Aurelia, ready to protect her if needed.

Norman and Maria didn't care about Betty's cold shoulder. They made themselves comfortable on the couch, their eyes darting around, mentally calculating the value of everything in the room.

The Heilbronn family, with its deep roots, was a world apart from the upstart Thompson family. Even their simplest decorations were worth a fortune.

"Can you get to the point?" Aurelia asked, clearly annoyed.

Norman and Maria stayed quiet, just giving Betty a look that said she should leave and not listen in.

In this house, Betty only took orders from Nathaniel and Aurelia. If Norman and Maria had been decent parents, Betty might have shown them some respect. But they weren't, so she wasn't about to leave Aurelia alone with them.

Aurelia didn't say anything, so Betty stayed put, pretending not to notice their signals. Aurelia smirked to herself, thinking, 'I never felt protected by Norman, but I do with Betty.'

"Betty, it's okay. I can handle this," Aurelia said with a gentle smile, warm and comforting. Even Betty was momentarily stunned, wondering why such a good daughter wasn't cherished by Norman and Maria.

After Betty left, the three of them dropped their fake smiles and put on cold expressions. "Give me the bracelet," Aurelia demanded.

"Aurelia, don't be so hasty. I'll give it to you, but not right now. Just wait a bit," Maria replied.

Aurelia knew they weren't that kind-hearted. "Just tell me what you want."

"Actually, it's for your own good..." Maria started, but Aurelia cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Spare me the speech. Just say it."

"Is this how you talk? She's your stepmother. Not calling her 'Mom' is one thing, but speaking to her like that—do you have any manners?" Norman yelled.

Aurelia raised an eyebrow. "Manners? I didn't have a father to teach me any."

Norman was taken aback by her bluntness, momentarily at a loss for words. Seeing that Aurelia wasn't backing down, Maria dropped the pretense and got straight to the point. "If you divorce Nathaniel and give the title of Mrs. Heilbronn back to Chelsea, I'll give you the bracelet."

Hearing this, Aurelia couldn't help but snap back, "That bracelet was my mom's. Giving it back to me is just putting it where it belongs. Who do you think you are to speak so self-righteously?"

Norman and Maria thought waving the bracelet around would get them what they wanted, but they didn't expect Aurelia to be so tough now. In Norman's mind, Aurelia was still that quiet, humiliated middle schooler.

"Alright, I'm sorry. Aurelia, I misspoke," Maria repeated, "As long as you give the title of Mrs. Heilbronn back to Chelsea, I'll return the bracelet to you, okay?"

Aurelia smirked. "Interesting. What do you mean by giving the title of Mrs. Heilbronn back to Chelsea? Was it hers before? I never heard Chelsea was married before. So, this is her second marriage?"

"Stop spreading lies. She hasn't even dated anyone, let alone a second marriage," Maria said, getting anxious. She still wanted Chelsea to marry into the Heilbronn family and couldn't let Aurelia ruin Chelsea's reputation.

Aurelia quickly put on an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. Not a second marriage, but being a mistress."

Maria hated being called a mistress because she really was one. "Maria, I was talking about Chelsea, not you. Why are you so worked up?" Aurelia asked.

"Talking about my daughter is also not allowed!" Maria snapped.

"Why not? Is it because you feel guilty?" Aurelia asked.

"Aurelia, enough with this nonsense. I have just one question for you: will you divorce Nathaniel?"

"Sure," Aurelia agreed casually, leaving Norman and Maria stunned. They didn't expect her to agree so easily.

Aurelia didn't mind. After all, Nathaniel had already asked for a divorce. Since it was inevitable, she might as well get something out of Norman and Maria. "I agree to the divorce. So, what compensation will you give me?"

Norman immediately put on a smiling face. "Didn't we promise you the bracelet?"

"Just a bracelet for the title of Mrs. Heilbronn? When did this title become so cheap?" Aurelia said.

"So, what do you want?" Norman asked, knowing no one would agree to divorce just for a bracelet.

"I want the Lake Villa," Aurelia said seriously.

"What? No way! That villa already belongs to Chelsea. It's impossible to give it to you! It's Chelsea's property!" Maria said.

"Chelsea's property? Are you sure? That was my mom's property. Why should it be hers?" Aurelia asked.

The Lake Villa had been in their possession for so long that even Maria had forgotten it was originally Helen's property. So, when Aurelia brought it up, Maria got agitated. But that villa was very valuable, and neither Norman nor Maria would agree to return it to Aurelia.

"If you don't agree, I won't divorce Nathaniel. As long as I'm still Mrs. Heilbronn, I can buy as many villas like the Lake Villa as I want," Aurelia said.