Not One, But Two!

Chapter 173

Abigail held onto Hugh's slumped body and gave a sad shake of her head.

At the end of the day, she still felt apologetic toward Hugh. She never imagined that things would come down to this, even though she had made preparations on her way here; she never thought she would resort to giving Hugh a sedative.

She had brought the needle along just in case, but she hadn't planned on actually using it. Alas, she had underestimated the extremity of the situation.

Hugh's emotions were a wreck. She knew of his sentiments for her, but being with him for five years had allowed her to understand him entirely as a person.

He would never have wanted her so desperately, would not have pushed things too far even if he found out about her and Greg, or even at his most hopeless. And yet, her expectations of him clearly fell flat in the face of reality.

Abigail carried Hugh over to the couch and laid him down, then carefully draped a blanket over him. Then, she went into the kitchen to retrieve a broom and dustpan so that she could clean up the mess he had made.

Inside the bedroom, Alissa had not stopped worrying since the fight started. When things had seemingly quieted down outside, she opened the door and peeked out, only to see Abigail sweeping up the mess. She lightly padded out of the room and said, "Mommy, let me help you."

Never one to be over-indulgent of her children, Abigail let her children do house chores whenever possible. Presently, upon hearing her daughter's offer to help, she said, "Okay."

Alissa obediently swept the floor clean. As she did so, she glanced over at Hugh's sleeping form on the couch, and she looked like she was about to say something but stopped.

When Abigail saw her hesitation, she smiled and beckoned her over to the other side of the couch.

Alissa immediately ran over. "Mommy?"

"Come sit by me," Abigail said gently as she picked the little girl up and put her in her lap. She carefully smoothed the flyaway strands of Alissa's hair, but she said nothing.

Alissa was a sensitive child, and after a long pause, she finally asked, "Mommy, did you and Papa have a fight? Were you mad because Papa brought us out without telling you?"

"Not exactly," Abigail began patiently. "But I am a little angry that you didn't tell me you went out of the house, even if it was Papa who brought you out. Also, you shouldn't have tied Mrs. Nova up and stole the cash at home, Allie. What you did was wrong, and I'm a little disappointed that you behaved that way."

This made Alissa uneasy. She scratched the back of her head and mumbled, "I was wrong to tie Mrs. Nova up, but I only took the cash because... because…"

"I'd like you to tell the truth, Allie," Abigail prompted. She wasn't speaking loudly, but she sounded authoritative nonetheless.

Alissa was as bold as she was hotheaded, but that didn't mean she wasn't afraid of moments like this when Abigail was stern with her. She bit down on her lip, and after a moment of thought, she explained, "I beat up Royce, but I didn't think he was so delicate that he couldn't take a kick; I sent him flying to the wall, and he hit his head and bled. There were no adults at his place, so I called an ambulance to bring him to the hospital, but I needed money to pay for it, which was why I went back and asked Mrs. Nova for money. But she refused to give me the money, and I..."

Abigail wasn't sure what to feel after she heard the explanation. She was already worn out from having to deal with fights that Alissa either started or finished, and this had been ongoing since the girl figured out how to throw a punch.

"You beat up Royce? Can you tell me who he is?"

"He's just a kid from the neighborhood. He's older than me by a couple of years, and his house is right next to ours," Alissa answered obediently. She couldn't risk lying to her mother right now, not when the woman was obviously angry at her. Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Rubbing her temple tiredly, Abigail asked, "And where is he now?"

"I went out of the house after I took the money, but Aria got worried and came out after me, too. That was when we bumped into Papa. He drove us over to the hospital and paid Royce's medical bill, and he called his parents, too. Papa apologized to his parents when they got there, and he paid them a lot of money, so this whole thing's settled. But I was afraid that Mrs. Nova would tell you about what happened and you'd get mad at me, so I pestered Papa to let me hide out at his place for a couple of days, and I brought Aria along. I'm sorry, Mommy. Please don't be mad at me, and please don't fight with Papa. It's all my fault, not his."

Alisso looked so guilty thot teors were welling up in her eyes. Whot should I do? Mommy ond Popo hod never fought with eoch other before until I got into trouble!

Hoving heord the full story, Abigoil reolized thot Hugh hod been picking up ofter her doughter. She sighed weorily ond osked, "Why didn't you coll Doddy insteod? You should know thot he loves you."

"I... I forgot," Alisso muttered. Regret woshed over her os soon os the words left her mouth. I con't believe I forgot obout Doddy! If Doddy hod helped me, then would Mommy ond Popo not hove fought? Poor little Alisso hod no ideo thot the fight hod nothing to do with her ot oll.

Abigoil, on the other hond, wos stunned by Alisso's onswer. She forgot? In oll foirness, however, Hugh hod been picking up ofter her mess since she could wolk, ond Greg hod only just recently become o fother figure to her, so it seemed only normol thot she would leon toword the former out of hobit.

Thot soid, Abigoil couldn't help feeling sorry for Greg. If he found out thot his doughter hod forgotten oll obout him during o time of crisis, he might very well breok down.

She shook her heod to cleor her thoughts ond soid tersely, "I wont you to write on essoy of no less thon five hundred words on your reflection on this motter."

"Huh? Five hundred words? Mommy, con't you cut me some slock?" Alisso frowned deeply. She hoted writing essoys, ond to moke motters worse, she hod to write five hundred words on how she wos sorry for whot she hod done. Mommy's evil!

However, Abigoil merely looked ot her wordlessly, ond her eyes were os shorp os on icy scolpel thot threotened to dissect its victim.

"Okoy, I'll write it," Alisso muttered reluctontly.

"Good girl. Now, go ond woke Ario up. I'm toking both of you home. Your fother ond grondmother ore scored out of their wits."

Upon heoring this, Alisso goped ot her ond osked, "Woit, Grondmo knows obout this? Oh, mon. This is humilioting! Grondmo would think I've been up to no good, ond she'd stop loving me!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Abigoil soid with o good-notured lough os she flicked the girl's foreheod.

Alisso dored not point out thot it hurt ond insteod leoped down from Abigoil's lop to moke her woy into the bedroom. She hod borely token o few steps when she looked ot Hugh in confusion ond osked oloud, "Mommy, ore you ond Popo going to stop fighting now?"

"We were never fighting in the first ploce. Your Popo hos just been in o bod mood recently. Anywoy, I'm here, so nothing bod is going to hoppen."

"Oh, okoy, then," Alisso soid, brightening up once more os she skipped into the bedroom.

Abigoil woited until Alisso hod gone into the room before she cost Hugh o look. The exosperotion wos cleor in her eyes os she took out her phone ond dioled o number, then soid in hushed tones, "I'm obout to send you o locotion, ond I wont you to come over to bring the guy to o specific destinotion so thot he con get some rest. While he's there, he is not ollowed to leove without my permission. Also, I wont to know whot Hugh hos been up to recently."

"Yes, Boss," the voice on the other line replied dutifully before honging up.

Keeping her phone, she glonced over ot Hugh ond soid quietly, "I hope you'd understond thot I'm doing this for your own good. You're my fomily, ond I don't wont you to become o stronger, or worse, on enemy. So lie low for o while ond get the rest you need while you figure things out."

Alissa looked so guilty that tears were welling up in her eyes. What should I do? Mommy and Papa had never fought with each other before until I got into trouble!

Having heard the full story, Abigail realized that Hugh had been picking up after her daughter. She sighed wearily and asked, "Why didn't you call Daddy instead? You should know that he loves you."

"I... I forgot," Alissa muttered. Regret washed over her as soon as the words left her mouth. I can't believe I forgot about Daddy! If Daddy had helped me, then would Mommy and Papa not have fought? Poor little Alissa had no idea that the fight had nothing to do with her at all.

Abigail, on the other hand, was stunned by Alissa's answer. She forgot? In all fairness, however, Hugh had been picking up after her mess since she could walk, and Greg had only just recently become a father figure to her, so it seemed only normal that she would lean toward the former out of habit.

That said, Abigail couldn't help feeling sorry for Greg. If he found out that his daughter had forgotten all about him during a time of crisis, he might very well break down.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and said tersely, "I want you to write an essay of no less than five hundred words on your reflection on this matter."

"Huh? Five hundred words? Mommy, can't you cut me some slack?" Alissa frowned deeply. She hated writing essays, and to make matters worse, she had to write five hundred words on how she was sorry for what she had done. Mommy's evil!

However, Abigail merely looked at her wordlessly, and her eyes were as sharp as an icy scalpel that threatened to dissect its victim.

"Okay, I'll write it," Alissa muttered reluctantly.

"Good girl. Now, go and wake Aria up. I'm taking both of you home. Your father and grandmother are scared out of their wits."

Upon hearing this, Alissa gaped at her and asked, "Wait, Grandma knows about this? Oh, man. This is humiliating! Grandma would think I've been up to no good, and she'd stop loving me!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Abigail said with a good-natured laugh as she flicked the girl's forehead.

Alissa dared not point out that it hurt and instead leaped down from Abigail's lap to make her way into the bedroom. She had barely taken a few steps when she looked at Hugh in confusion and asked aloud, "Mommy, are you and Papa going to stop fighting now?"

"We were never fighting in the first place. Your Papa has just been in a bad mood recently. Anyway, I'm here, so nothing bad is going to happen."

"Oh, okay, then," Alissa said, brightening up once more as she skipped into the bedroom.

Abigail waited until Alissa had gone into the room before she cast Hugh a look. The exasperation was clear in her eyes as she took out her phone and dialed a number, then said in hushed tones, "I'm about to send you a location, and I want you to come over to bring the guy to a specific destination so that he can get some rest. While he's there, he is not allowed to leave without my permission. Also, I want to know what Hugh has been up to recently."

"Yes, Boss," the voice on the other line replied dutifully before hanging up.

Keeping her phone, she glanced over at Hugh and said quietly, "I hope you'd understand that I'm doing this for your own good. You're my family, and I don't want you to become a stranger, or worse, an enemy. So lie low for a while and get the rest you need while you figure things out."

Having said all this, she straightened up.

At that moment, Alissa and Arianna came out of the room. The latter looked a little sickly, and when she saw Abigail, she called out to her mother with barely any strength in her voice, then staggered like her legs couldn't hold her up much longer. Frightened by her state, Abigail immediately rushed up to catch her.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Arianna's delicate state was making Abigail panic.

Next to her, Alissa muttered guiltily, "She didn't have on a jacket when she came out with us last night, and she caught a chill. But Daddy's already bought her medicine from the hospital, and her fever has gone down overnight. She's just a little weak right now."

Abigail eyed Alissa for a long while, seemingly at a loss for words.

Arianna, on the other hand, tugged on Abigail's sleeve as she said, "Mommy, don't blame Allie. It was my fault for sneaking out with them. I wanted to call you, but I didn't bring my phone or my computer with me, then I came down with a fever, and things got hazy. I'm sorry for making you worried, Mommy."

"It's alright. Mommy will take both of you home right now," Abigail said solemnly. Where Arianna was so considerate of others that it was heartbreaking at times, Alissa behaved as though she had grown up in the wild; the two girls were polar opposites, and right now, Abigail furtively wished that they could just give each other a bit of their personality to balance things out.

Without wasting any more time, she carried Arianna in her arms and led Alissa out of Hugh's house.

Meanwhile, Greg had made his way over to Fraser Residence after Abigail left.

When Jonathan and Victoria heard Greg's car pull up outside their house, they instantly knew that he was here to confront them over Abigail's incident.

Jonathan began to fret as he asked, "Mom, he's not going to tear down our house, is he?"

"No. Quick, give your grandmother a call," Victoria urged as she hastily walked out the door.

Jonathan did as he was told and called Valerie's number, but the call wouldn't go through. Panic rose in him as he said, "Mom, Grandma's phone has been turned off."

Victoria stopped in her tracks when she heard this, and an odd look flashed in her eyes as she bit out through gritted teeth, "I see. Whatever happens later, just don't rile him up and let him do as he pleases. He just needs to take his anger out on something."

"But why? Mom, we didn't do anything wrong! It was Abigail who came over and tried to pick a bone with us. We were acting in self-defense!" Jonathan argued incredulously.

However, Victoria clutched his arm and hissed, "What do you know? Even if we weren't in the wrong, we can't afford to go head-to-head with him. We're no match for him, and that aside, your grandmother has turned off her phone. Don't you know what that means? She's not going to intervene, and she's washed her hands off us. The only reason why the Frasers made it till today is all because your grandmother had our back, but if she doesn't stand up for us today, then we can only lower ourselves and let Greg do what he wants."

"The harder he strikes, the more your grandmother will take pity on us, and her guilt is our gain. I'm getting old, Jonathan, and I won't have much time with you. For as long as your grandmother is around to come to my aid, then I'll do all I can to help you and the rest of the Frasers."

"You have to grow up at some point, Jonathan, and you need to have power of your own to survive in this circle. You can unleash upon Greg sevenfold what he will do to us today when you are just as powerful as he is."

When Jonathan heard this, he froze, but he couldn't bring himself to understand his mother's reasoning.

Just then, a loud crash sounded from the outside, followed by a tremor that seemed to snake under the ground. Jonathan and Victoria jumped at this, and all the color drained from their faces.