My Four Miraculous Treasures

Willow turned to look upon her savior. He had refreshing good looks, with his

short hair dyed a chestnut brown. He was clad in a suit of silvery gray, and the energy of a vital young man radiated from him like a golden halo...

Xavier Hughes!

Having dispatched Samantha, he came to Willow's side, his eyes filled with kind concern as he asked, "Are you hurt?"

Willow shook her head in response.

Samantha's mother scrambled to her daughter's aid, then turned around to give her assailant a piece of her mind that was when she noticed that the young man was possessed of unusual charisma, as well as a certain air of... wealth?

Not daring to attack someone of his potential stature, she instead directed her wrath towards Willow, "Willow Nason, what a disgraceful sight you are! How could you do this to an injured woman?! So this is what happens when a child grows up without a father around!"

This was a vicious act of verbal abuse, thinly veiled behind a righteous outcry. Xavier frowned, and opened his mouth to speak...

But Willow spoke first, livid with fury, shrieking at Samantha's mother, "Didn't you see your daughter attacking me first?! Samantha is as barbaric as she is insufferable—and anyone can see that she learned it all from her mother!"noveldrama

"How dare you speak to your elders this way! I am your aunt, your mother's sister by blood! How dare you?!" Samantha's mother was a spirited, powerfully built woman. If not because she had to hold on to her daughter, for fear that she might have another fall, she would definitely be charging in right then to carry out Samantha's failed attack against Willow.

Willow fully understood their characters, now: It was fun to bully others... but only for as long as they didn't fight back!

Anger flared in her heart, hot as a raging bonfire. The last thing she wanted to do was waste her time standing around here, arguing senselessly with such unreasoning brutes.

Her chest heaving, Willow went on, "If you're my elder, then why do you talk like the rudest sort of child?!"

"Why, you...!" Samantha's mother readied herself to engage in a bitter fight to the death.

This time, it was her daughter who restrained her. One moment, Samantha had been snorting with violent rage; all of a sudden, she was now a paragon of peace and harmony.

"Please calm down, Mom. It was only a light fall. I'm not hurt."

Her eyes strayed to Xavier, standing by Willow's side. Now that she had mostly recovered and the swelling had gone down, Samantha's face had become a mess of stretche marks, with far more wrinkles than a woman her age should have. Cóntent

Not realizing this herself, Samantha behaved as though she was still such a pretty young thing, giving Xavier a special sort of smile as she murmured enchantingly, "Xavier, I know you only ran into me like that by accident. It's alright, I'm not upset."

Looking upon her false facade of friendliness made Xavier's stomach turn. Frowning, he replied sternly, "I saw you attacking Willow. You owe her an apology -right now!"

Incensed, Samantha's mother wouldn't have it. "You didn't hear the vile things that Willow girl was saying to my Samantha! She's not the one who should be apologizing!"

"I came to pick her up from the hospital-even hired a car to send the both of you home—all that just so I could have the opportunity to trade barbs with her?!" "Why, you...!"

Samantha caught hold of her mother. "Mom, that's enough." To Willow, she said, “I was out of line there. I sincerely apologize for that."

For years, she'd held onto her place

beside Damian Moore. It had not been completely without complications. She'd learned well that, for the sake of achieving Ker goals, it was essential to be flexible, according to the situation at hand.

It was only an apology, after all. It wasn't as though she was being asked to chop

off a finger, here.

Right now, it was absolutely imperative that she regain at least a little bit of Xavier's favor, and erase the bad impression she'd just given him.

She'd grovel if she had to.

Seeing Samantha demonstrate such humility and contrition... it left Willow fumbling off-balance in alien territory.

If she remained huffy with Samantha, even at this point, it would make her look immature and petty... and yet, remembering the mean words she'd said, the hand she'd raised in violence...

Willow just couldn't find it in her heart to forgive her cousin.