Chapter 30: Calvin Ward Cleared His Throat Loudly

Calvin Ward cleared his throat loudly, cutting off Agnes Ward before she could speak.

"Mom, let's talk this through calmly. No need to scare the child," Calvin said smoothly, earning approving nods from the villagers. He had always been well-liked in the community.

Turning to Elena, he put on a pained expression. "Elena, I know life hasn’t been fair to you. I didn’t protect you when Grandma hit you, and I wasn’t aware of the living expenses issue. But I’ve always treated you well, haven’t I? Your brother has a temper, but you can’t seriously mean to kill him!" He clutched his chest dramatically, playing the role of a heartbroken elder.

Daniel Ward trembled, gripping Calvin’s sleeve. "Dad! That little witch tried to kill me! She really did!"

Calvin nearly kicked his cowardly son in frustration. What kind of man cowered before a girl?

"Nonsense! She’s your sister!" he scolded, deliberately emphasizing the word "kill" to frame Elena for attempted murder.

Daniel stammered. He couldn’t very well admit he’d attacked her first and gotten beaten in return. Spotting Tessa Wilson in the crowd, he straightened up. "Her? Kill me? Don’t be ridiculous! I was just teasing her!"

Calvin nearly fainted from rage.

"What really happened?" he demanded sharply.

Daniel finally regained his senses. "This brat bullied Lisa, so I went to confront her. She had the nerve to say, 'Don’t mess with me.' After all Grandma and Dad have done for her, she claims she’s not even part of this family! I lost my temper and tried to teach her a lesson, but she grabbed a pole and beat me with it!" He rolled up his sleeves. "Look at these bruises! She even threatened to take me down with her! Mayor, send her to the police station before she kills someone!"

Calvin suppressed a smirk. Now he had justification—Elena had struck first.

"Elena, what happened between you and Lisa?" he asked with feigned concern.

Vanessa quickly chimed in, "Lisa tried to give Elena some advice today, but Elena insulted her and made her cry. My brother just stepped in to—"

Calvin sighed heavily. "Ah, I’ve failed as a guardian." His words were deliberately vague.

Mayor Martin Reed turned to Elena. "Young lady, tell us your side."

Calvin seethed inwardly. The mayor clearly didn’t trust his children!

Agnes jumped in. "Mayor! You can’t just take her word for it! She’s the one who attacked first! If she dares to hit her own family, what won’t she do? You must stand up for us!" She was practically salivating at the thought of crushing Elena.

"Enough!" Martin slammed the table. "We’ll hear both sides! Or does my authority mean nothing here?" His outburst silenced Agnes instantly.

"Anyone else have something to say? If not, no one interrupts when I ask questions!" Martin scanned the crowd, and the scene fell dead silent.

"Elena, speak."

Elena took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Uncle, I demand to confront Lisa. Daniel accused me of bullying his sweetheart. I want to know—how exactly did I bully her?"

Lisa, hiding in the crowd, paled. She’d deliberately let Daniel see her tear-stained eyes earlier but had said nothing. Now everything was ruined.

Forced into the spotlight, she stammered, "Elena, you’re lying. I never told Daniel anything." She cast a pitiful glance at Daniel.

Daniel immediately defended her. "Lisa didn’t say a word! Stop twisting things!"

Elena smirked. "Daniel, that’s not what you claimed earlier. If I bullied her, let her explain how."

Lisa twisted her fingers in her dress. "Elena didn’t... didn’t bully me. It was my own... fault..." Her words only made it sound like she was hiding something.

"All I said was, 'Don’t think everyone’s a fool,'" Elena declared clearly. "Your family used my siblings’ money to arrange marriages. Without my nineteen dollars every month, where would the dowries come from? Was I wrong?"

Lisa’s face drained of color. She cursed Daniel a thousand times in her head.

The villagers erupted in murmurs. Yesterday, they’d gossiped about the nineteen dollars—now they understood. The Wards had mistreated Elena because they didn’t want to lose their cash cow!