Chapter 51
That was a song Shirley composed when she was nineteen, with family love as its theme. After its release, the response was tepid. No one knew where Joshua had found it, but he had shared it with his friends.
Shirley kept reading the messages.
‘Shirley loves mousse cake.‘
‘Shirley enjoys collecting postcards.
‘Shirley has a fondness for beautiful dresses.‘
‘Shirley also adores cake.‘
‘Today, I mopped the floor, and it was too slippery. I almost made Shirley fall. I truly deserve to die…‘
Several crying emojis followed.
Shirley paused for a moment, recalling the incident.
At that time, Joshua had been helping the maid with housework. He volunteered to mop the floor and made his way into the living room. As Shirley came downstairs, she slipped, nearly falling and looking visibly shaken.
When she realized that Joshua was the one responsible, she was furious. She immediately called him over, scolded him, and sarcastically told him that if he enjoyed mopping so much, he should clean the entire villa. If he didn’t do it properly, he wouldn’t be allowed to rest.
Shirley had only said this in a fit of anger, but it seemed Joshua had taken her words to heart.
Afterward, she quickly left for school. About five or six days later, a video from Judy was shared in the group, showing that Joshua had actually cleaned the entire house.
Judy and Indy mocked Joshua for his enthusiasm, suggesting he was trying to win favor with Maggie and David, which made the sisters look down on him.
It was said that after mopping, Joshua’s face had turned ashen, his forehead dripping with sweat, and he had been forced to lie in bed to rest, skipping meals and falling straight to sleep.
At that time, Shirley hadn’t given it much thought, dismissing it as something he deserved. She didn’t bother explaining to Judy and Indy that it had been her request.
Shirley took a deep breath, her face pale as she continued reading.
‘Shirley’s car is gorgeous! I think it’s a Porsche!‘
A few photos of the Porsche were attached.
However, the angles of the photos were odd, mostly taken from upstairs and at a distance, as if Joshua was reluctant to get too close to the car.
‘Shirley drove it to class! Shirley drove home! Shirley’s car got muddy… Shirley told Wendy that her car was hard to drive and wanted to get a new one. Shirley scratched someone else’s car while driving…‘
There were many more messages like these.
Shirley nearly choked on her breath. She knew Joshua had always admired this car.
In the past, whenever Joshua saw her car, he had secretly approached it, wanting to touch it. But when Shirley saw him, she erupted in anger and immediately scolded him, forbidding him from laying a finger on it.
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Chapter 51
She remembered saying, “If you dare touch my car, I’ll make you regret it!”
“Don’t touch my car! You’re disgusting, you’re filthy all over!”
“If you ever touch my car again, I’ll cut off your hand!”
She recalled a time when Joshua saw her car parked in the yard, covered in mud and leaves. After a quick glance, Joshua brought over a bucket of water and began washing her car.
By the time he was done, Shirley returned and was instantly enraged.
Without saying a word, she marched over and slapped him across the face.
The threat to sever his hand had been made right then.
After the slap, Joshua appeared petrified, his face drained of color. The bucket dropped from his hands as he covered his cheek, stammering, “I–I’m sorry, Shirley. I–I didn’t mean to! I was just…”
“My car being dirty is none of your business! If you touch it again, I’ll cut off your hand and toss it to the dogs! Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand!” Joshua was panicked, his eyes filled with dread, clearly unsure of how to react.
At that moment, Shirley felt a sense of satisfaction! But when she read the next message, she nearly choked. It felt as though something was squeezing at her chest.
‘It’s Shirley’s birthday! It’s her birthday!‘
A message popped up.
‘Tom, I overheard Mrs. Locker say that today is Shirley’s birthday! Shirley loves postcards and mousse cake, so let’s find the best ones for her!
‘Shirley is throwing a party for her friends at the house! She invited so many people for her birthday, and they are all in the living room, having fun!
‘But Shirley won’t let me come home. She told me to wait outside until they’re done, and then I can go back!‘
