Ch. 1161..1170
Chapter 1161 Not a Pushover After All
‘There’s nothing for me to say. Let’s just say I wasted all my years of admiration on a piece of trash.’ Still, the comments online were not the worst of it.
After the incident went viral, Leah received a call from her manager that dealt her the heaviest blow.
“As this has turned into a major scandal, many organizers have canceled the performances you were supposed to give and have asked to terminate their contracts with you. As for the acting roles I got for you, along with the commercial shoots and brand ambassadorship, the other parties have all decided against working with you because of this.”
Thus, Leah was ruined even without the Sawyer Group having to do anything. She couldn’t accept this at all.
“How could they do that? Didn’t we sign contracts with them? It’s a breach of contract!” Leah shrieked. Her manager showed no reaction.
It was clear that she was used to Leah’s temper.
She waited for Leah to regain her composure before continuing, “It’s not a breach of contract on their end. You’re the one who went against the terms of the contract first. I told you to rein in your temper when you’re out in public, but you refused to listen to me. Well, you tried to bulldoze over the wrong person this time.”
The companies weren’t run by fools. No one wanted to offend the Sawyer Group. Although the Sawyer Group didn’t do anything about the incident that night, everyone knew what would happen if they continued working with Leah.
Those in the industry were fully aware of this, and so were the media.
Therefore, over the next few days, no one expressed interest in working with Leah. The Internet was plastered with articles and comments that criticized and ridiculed her.
Leah was unwilling to let her career be destroyed just like that, so she got in touch with her manager.
Perhaps she was too used to behaving haughtily as the tone with which she addressed her manager was far from pleasant. “You’re my manager! Don’t you have any ideas of how you can salvage the situation? Don’t forget that your career hinges on mine too!”
“You only remember that I’m your manager when something bad has happened, huh?”
Leah’s manager sneered and retorted, “It’s true that I’m your manager, but it doesn’t mean I’m omnipotent. Also, I’ve already submitted a transfer request to the company. From now on, I’m no longer your manager.”
She turned around and walked off.
Leah was shaking with fury, but she was also filled with regret.
She regretted assuming that Tessa was a pushover.
After her numerous requests of getting help from her manager failed, she finally understood just how painful the consequences were for her actions that night.
However, she still refused to give up.
In the end, with no other options left, she decided to head to Sawyer Group and look for Nicholas.
She figured that since everyone was blacklisting her because they were wary of the Sawyer Group, then everything would blow over if Nicholas announced that he was letting her off the hook.
Thus, in the morning, Leah dolled herself up before putting on a pair of sunglasses and walking over to the reception desk at Sawyer Group.
The receptionist recognized Leah at once, and though she was filled with disdain, she was still able to remain professional and asked, “Hello. Whom do you wish to see?”
“I’m here to talk to your president.”
Leah took off her sunglasses and smiled faintly at the receptionist.
However, her wiles didn’t work on the receptionist, who returned a professional smile and asked, “Do you have an appointment?”
Leah paused for a moment before replying, “No.”
“I’m afraid President Sawyer won’t see anyone without an appointment.”
After saying that, the receptionist proceeded to ignore Leah.
Leah had no choice but to walk away.
Still, she didn’t leave. She went to wait in her car outside instead.
Since she wasn’t allowed to meet Nicholas, she was going to wait here until he came out.
Luck was on her side.
While she didn’t see Nicholas, she did see Kieran who was on his way out.
“Master Kieran!”
Leah jumped out of the car and ran after Kieran.
Kieran frowned at once when he saw Leah. “What are you doing here?”
“Master Kieran, all of my work has been canceled, including my performances and commercials too. I know I made a mistake. I already apologized to Miss Reinhart that day. Please help me talk to President Sawyer and ask him to stop holding it against me.”
Chapter 1162 Failed Attempt
Leah put on her most pitiful expression as she pleaded with Kieran. In fact, she even tried to take his hand. She was trying to use the same method she usually used on those sponsors and businessmen on Kieran in the hopes that he would show her some sympathy.
Kieran knew full well what she was trying to do, and he swiftly stepped away from her. At the same time, he was perplexed by her tearful beseeching. “What does your work getting canceled have to do with us?”
“I know it has nothing to do with you, but the sponsors and companies won’t do this to me if Sawyer Group speaks up about it.” Leah stared at Kieran with imploring eyes. However, Kieran was amused by what she said.
“Why should we help you? Even if we set aside the fact that you bullied Tessa, you’re not related to the Sawyers in any way. Why would we use our resources to help you?” Kieran eyed Leah mockingly.
Leah could tell that Kieran wasn’t interested in helping her, so she grew frantic. “But they only canceled my commercials and performances because they’re scared of Sawyer Group.”
Kieran snorted. He finally realized why she came to the company. “Didn’t you bring all of this on yourself? What are you up to now, huh? Trying to blame it on Sawyer Group instead?”
Kieran’s expression hardened into one of hostility. She’s even more shameless than the average person.
She’s the one who made a mistake, but instead of admitting it, she decides to ask us for help instead. The audacity of her to even think of doing so.
“I’m warning you. You’d better not try to latch onto Sawyer Group in any way, or else, you won’t be able to bear the consequences.”
Kieran walked off as soon as he finished saying that.
Soon, the paparazzi who were tailing Leah reported this online.
‘Leah Stone Attempts to Latch onto Sawyer Group but Gets Humiliated Instead.’
Somehow, the paparazzi were genius enough to procure a video of the whole thing.
Although the audio was a little muffled, the video was still clear enough to convey the gist of what happened.
When the netizens saw the way that Leah requested help from Kieran as if she had every right to do so, they began to mock her once more.
‘I’ve gained an all-new perspective on humanity thanks to Leah. How shameless can she be? How can she ask Sawyer Group to help her salvage her reputation?’
‘Master Kieran hit the nail on the head. Why should Sawyer Group help her when she’s not related to them in any way?’
‘That b*tch even tried to seduce Master Kieran! How disgusting.’
‘Leah Stone bullied Miss Reinhart and President Sawyer hasn’t even settled the score with her yet, but she came running over herself. Does she have a death wish?’
‘Hahaha! The comment above mine just reminded me of that.’
‘Leah’s so stupid. She ran over there just to remind them that they haven’t settled the score with her yet.’
The reports and comments online didn’t escape Leah’s attention. She was filled with belated dread and despair as well.
Even though Sawyer Group hadn’t done anything yet, her situation was already hopeless enough. Didn’t it mean that she was doomed for good if the Sawyers made their move too?
No! I can’t just sit around and let that happen!
Yet, before she could find a way to turn things around, her management company dealt her a crushing blow.
They figured that she was of no value to them anymore and decided to suspend her.
Leah couldn’t accept this. She immediately went to look for the head of the company.
However, the company had already decided to give up on her. Thus, the head of the company didn’t wish to waste any of his time on her. She didn’t even get to meet him.
That was not the end. Once the news got out that Leah’s company was giving up on her, all the other celebrities who once suffered at her hands began adding insult to injury as well.
In just half a day, Leah lost her manager and her private lounge, which had been taken by someone else.
That night, at Solitaire Club.
Leah sat in a booth by herself and drowned herself in alcohol.
“You! All of you who are trying to curry favor with the Sawyers! You’d better not forget this! Sooner or later, I’ll make you regret what you’ve done!”
“I won’t be beaten down so easily! I’ll get back on my feet once more.”
Though Leah fumed and ranted as such, deep down inside her, she knew that she had no chance of turning things around.
Chapter 1163 Wanda’s Scheming Again
The thought of this left Leah wallowing in sorrow as she slumped down on the table. To her surprise, she saw a sophisticated woman slowly approaching her.
It was none other than Wanda Muller who had been keeping a low profile for some time. She came prepared. Although she stayed out of sight, she kept herself informed of all of Tessa’s recent goings-on.
After seeing the headlines plastered across the Internet over the last two days, Wanda knew that Leah would surely be despising Tessa. Thus, she came to look for her. “You’ve finished your drink. Here’s another one on me.”
She held a glass out to Leah. Leah was startled. She moved her gaze away from the glass in front of her and stared at Wanda.
“You’re Wanda Muller, the Mullers’ daughter.” Leah recognized Wanda right away and knew that the woman in front of her was the main lead in the scandal a while back.
Wanda nodded. “That’s right. I’m Wanda Muller.”
“What do you want with me?”
Leah narrowed her eyes. In reality, she could hazard a guess as to why Wanda showed up here.
Wanda didn’t beat around the bush. She sat down and said, “I know you must hate Tessa a lot right now. Well, what a coincidence. I can’t stand the sight of her either.”
Once Leah heard this, she knew she guessed correctly.
This woman wants to team up with me.
She didn’t let this show in her expression as she piped up coolly, “And?”
“And are you going to just take this lying down? If you don’t want to, we can get our revenge together.”
Wanda gazed at Leah with a pair of compelling eyes.
Under the light, her beautiful face looked sinister as resentment colored her features. “I know you’ve been working hard all this while to gain popularity. You’ve sacrificed a lot in the process, but you’ve lost everything now, thanks to Tessa. You don’t even have the chance to recover from this. Are you willing to resign yourself to this?”
Wanda’s words ignited hatred in Leah’s heart, but in the end, Leah regained her cool.
“So what if I don’t want to resign myself to this? I don’t come from an influential background. I have nothing. How can I go up against Sawyer Group?”
Leah smirked self-deprecatingly.
Wanda’s eyes gleamed as she remarked, “What if I told you that I’m willing to back you up?”
“You?” Leah was taken aback. She studied Wanda before chuckling. “Miss Muller, have you forgotten about what happened a while back? Muller Group can’t stand against Sawyer Group. Aren’t you afraid that you’ll end up losing the company in the process?”
“If Muller Group goes down, then it goes down. I don’t care at all.”
Wanda meant what she said.
After all, the Mullers’ main seat of power was abroad.
These words were enough to sway Leah.
Although Wanda had lost in her previous fight with Tessa, she didn’t lose because of her family background. She only lost because her schemes had been exposed and someone found evidence to use against her.
Wanda’s family was not any less influential than the Sawyers. It was exactly what Leah needed the most right now.
Wanda noticed Leah’s piqued interest.
“You need my family background while I need you. This is a win-win situation. We have a common enemy, so we can discuss how to destroy her reputation and turn her into the target of society’s scorn,” Wanda persuaded.
Leah was even more convinced now, but she couldn’t agree to it quite just yet.
Noticing this, Wanda tempted her even further. “Don’t you want to rise up again and get back at all those who’ve mocked you and humiliated you today?”
“Do I still have the chance to rise up again?”
Leah eyed Wanda questioningly.
Wanda nodded proudly. “Of course. I told you. I’ll back you up, so as long as you work with me, you’ll have the chance to rise up again.”
Leah no longer hesitated. She immediately agreed to join forces with Wanda.
She wanted to turn things around and get back at those who humiliated her today!
Wanda stayed up drinking with Leah until late at night before leaving.
The two discussed a lot of things.
Most of the time, Leah did the talking while Wanda listened in silence.
The next day, they met up at a beauty salon and spa that belonged to the Muller Group.
Chapter 1164 Gregory’s Competition
Tessa didn’t know about any of these things. After the performance, she focused solely on her training and practice without taking on any work.
Still, Alice would record videos of Tessa playing the violin, which she would then have someone edit and post on Twitter. These videos attracted a lot of attention from the public and garnered unbelievable numbers of views and retweets.
Fans would keep urging for new updates multiple times a day. This was the same as ever today. Tessa was dressed in a simple white dress as she played the violin in the garden.
Alice sat on the side and recorded a video of her. When Tessa finished the piece, she set down her violin and came over to drink some water.
Alice checked the video she took and commented, “Tessa, considering your looks, it’s such a shame that you didn’t join the entertainment industry.”
“I don’t think it’s a shame at all. The entertainment industry doesn’t suit me.” Tessa shook her head. She wasn’t interested in the entertainment industry at all.
Alice noticed her reaction and didn’t carry on with this topic. She transferred the video to her laptop and began editing it.
A little while later, she showed the edited version to Tessa. “What do you think?”
“It looks pretty good. I think the videos have improved a lot lately. If you carry on like this, I think you can consider becoming a video editor later on if you don’t want to be an assistant any longer.”
Tessa joked around with Alice after seeing the product of Alice’s edits. Alice grinned. “Is that so? Looks as if I can ask Miss Sofia for two salaries then.”
“That’s a good idea. You have my support.” Amid their light-hearted conversation, Alice posted the video on social media.
Tessa’s fans had been fervently waiting for this. As soon as they saw the new video, they began leaving frenzied comments.
‘It’s true that people are all different after all. Tessa still looks as beautiful as a fairy even when pregnant, but look at me! I can’t even look at myself in the mirror.”
‘I wish I could change places with the violin on her shoulder. I want to lie there too.’
‘Hey, you up there. Forget about it. She can’t bear your weight.’
The fans chattered on rather harmoniously.
Now and then, Tessa would also scroll through the comments during her break and respond to some of them.
Many days passed.
Calligraphie Cup, the calligraphy competition that Gregory was joining, was about to start.
The day before the competition, Quinton stayed back after the lesson to explain the competition in detail to Tessa.
“It’s being held at Primero International High School. Participants will be required to write in two calligraphy styles—copperplate calligraphy and Gothic calligraphy.”
Tessa took everything in earnestly before asking, “What’s your opinion on Gregory’s command of these two calligraphy styles, Mr. Hall?”
“Gregory has mastered both styles. It is rare to see someone as good as he is at his age,” Quinton declared with a sense of pride.
The younger the child, the harder it was for the child to sit still. It was already commendable for a child to be focused enough to practice just one calligraphy style.
Gregory patted his chest confidently and declared, “Don’t worry, Mommy! I’ll definitely win tomorrow.”
Tessa found her son undeniably adorable.
She pinched his cheeks gently and smiled. “Alright. I look forward to seeing you bring the cup home with you.”
After breakfast the next morning, Nicholas and Tessa brought Gregory to the school themselves.
Upon arriving, they saw that the place was crowded.
“There are so many people here.”
Tessa swept her gaze across the place and estimated that there were at least a thousand contestants.
Nicholas’ brows furrowed slightly as he glanced at the dense crowd. Worried, he pulled Tessa into his arms.
Tessa didn’t protest.
She knew he was worried that someone might bump into her.
She too held Gregory’s hand tighter and instructed, “Stay close to me. Don’t get lost in the crowd.”
“Yes, Mommy.”
Chapter 1165 Mocking
Gregory nodded obediently and stuck right by Tessa’s side. The school didn’t allow parents to enter with the children, so Tessa and Nicholas could only walk him up to the school entrance.
Tessa crouched down and cheered Gregory on. “Good luck! We’ll be waiting for you outside.” “Okay. I’ll definitely get first place.” Gregory nodded confidently before walking into the school.
As Tessa watched Gregory’s silhouette getting smaller and smaller, she started worrying. On the other hand, Nicholas was perfectly calm.
He had a lot of faith in his son. Noticing that Tessa was worried, Nicholas advised her gently, “Since Gregory says he’ll get first place, you should have faith in him.”
Tessa felt he had a point. She should have faith in Gregory Meanwhile, after entering the school, the sweet smile on Gregory’s face quickly vanished.
If Tessa saw this, she would realize that Gregory looked like a mini version of Nicholas now—cool and aloof.
Even so, a fair number of teachers and girls taking part in the competition were charmed by Gregory.
When they spotted him standing in front of the map of the school, they quickly came forward to offer their help.
“Do you need help reading the map? I can help you find the right classroom to go to.”
“Thanks, but I’ve already found it.”
Gregory thanked them politely before adjusting his backpack and walking off.
Though the girls were a little disappointed, their young hearts were overflowing with endearment.
The child was too cool and adorable.
Gregory had no idea what was going on in their heads.
He followed the path on the map and walked around for a bit before he found the classroom.
Quite a number of other students had already taken their seats inside.
Gregory was the youngest among them.
The other contestants were surprised to see Gregory as well.
Those who were acquainted with each other began to discuss among themselves.
“Why is there such a young contestant? Can he even write well?”
“He’s so little. Do you think he’ll cry during the competition?”
“Oh, shoot. I’m going to get affected if he does cry.”
Though the contestants spoke quietly, a lot of them were making similar comments, and thus, Gregory heard some of what they were saying.
He pressed his lips together slightly and pretended to not have heard them. After looking around the classroom, he selected a seat by the window and walked over.
A few of the older children saw him coming over, and after exchanging glances, they began poking fun at Gregory.
“Hey, little tyke. Do you even know how to hold a pen properly at your age?”
“Exactly. Don’t start crying for milk later.”
“Me wants milksies,” one of the contestants cried out mockingly in a baby voice, and the other older kids began chortling.
Some of them wagged their fingers at Gregory and taunted him. “Go home and drink your milk, little brat. This isn’t your playground.”
Gregory wasn’t interested in responding to their taunts. He found them utterly childish.
Soon, it was time for the contestants to get ready before the competition started.
The invigilator stepped into the classroom and handed out the paper for calligraphy before announcing, “When I say you can start, you can begin writing on the paper. Everyone will only have one chance, so be careful as you write.”
Once every child received a paper, the competition began.
Gregory gripped his pen tightly and wrote every stroke seriously.
The older children who had been mocking him earlier kept throwing curious glances in his direction.
They were dying to know whether a little child could write calligraphy.
Perhaps they snuck glances one too many times as they soon attracted the invigilator’s attention and warning. “Some of you need to be focusing on your writing instead of looking around!”
The older kids immediately settled down after that.
Outside the school, most of the parents were still hanging around.
Some waited right by the school entrance while others waited in the car, including Tessa and Nicholas.
Chapter 1166 Fight
At last, when the competition ended, children began walking out of the school. Tessa and Nicholas got out of the car at once and stood at the school entrance with the other parents.
However, even after waiting for quite some time, they still saw no sign of Gregory. Most of the other children had already left by then. Tessa began to worry. Nicholas was frowning in concern as well.
They were just about to inquire with someone when something they overheard made them stop in their tracks.
“Daddy, when I was coming out just now, I saw a young boy beating up somebody else! He looked even younger than me. I think he’s five, but he was so scary! The older kids couldn’t fight back.”
Gregory had intended to leave as soon as the competition ended, but the few older kids from earlier stood in his way.
“You’re an arrogant little brat, aren’t you? You ignored us when we were talking to you earlier.”
The chubbiest of the bunch stood in front of Gregory with an unpleasant expression.
He shoved Gregory in the chest.
Gregory stumbled backward, and he frowned.
However, the chubby boy seemed amused by Gregory’s seemingly pushover personality and immediately declared, “We won’t hold it against you if you agree to serve us and let us toy with you for a bit.”
Gregory eyed the childish, chubby boy in front of him scornfully.
“What a waste of my time. Get out of my way,” Gregory snapped at the chubby boy with a grim expression.
Although he was shorter than the chubby boy, he carried himself with an air of sophistication that others couldn’t overlook.
Even the chubby boy and his companions cowered a little.
However, the chubby boy soon overcame his fear and became furious instead.
A puny kid younger than him had scared him off! How could he possibly throw his weight around the other kids if he let that happen?
“You punk! You’re asking for it.”
He raised his fist to threaten Gregory.
The other kids noticed and began to holler in support. “Show that little brat what you got!”
“That’s right! I’ve never seen such a bratty kid.”
“Beat him up! Make him cry and beg for mercy!”
The chubby boy stuck his nose into the air.
He flexed his fist in front of Gregory and threatened, “I won’t hit you if you kneel in front of me and call me master, but if you don’t, I’ll hit you until you do.”
However, as soon as those words came out of his mouth, Gregory grabbed his arm and threw him over the shoulder, which sent him crashing to the ground.
The chubby boy was in complete agony after the fall. He was enraged.
“Why are all of you just standing around? Can’t you see that the punk hit me? Beat him up!” he screamed at the other older kids.
They jumped into action and balled their fists as they charged at Gregory.
Gregory wasn’t afraid at all.
Ever since he could remember, Nicholas had hired professional mentors to teach him self-defense.
These mentors weren’t ordinary coaches. They were internationally acclaimed experts.
Unsurprisingly, the kids were no match for Gregory. Soon, all of them were slumped over on the ground.
A few of them even started wailing.
As for Gregory, he was perfectly fine, save for a few wrinkles in his suit.
The other kids were furious, especially the chubby boy. He had a nasty expression on his face.
“Find a teacher and say that someone started a fight. I’ll stay here to keep an eye on this punk,” the chubby boy instructed the others.
The other boys quickly scampered off to find a teacher.
Soon, a teacher came over.
She eyed the short, tiny Gregory and frowned. “Who started the fight?”
“He did! He hit us!”
Chapter 1168 All an Act
“Mommy, they’re the ones who bullied me first. I was trying to leave after the competition, but the older boys wouldn’t let me leave. They even insisted that I serve them.”
Gregory’s tears spilled out and his voice trembled as he spoke. All in all, he looked aggrieved and pitiful.
Many of those who were present already had their doubts about the whole situation, and after hearing what Gregory had to say, they were more inclined to believe him.
After all, the chubby boy and his friends were all a lot older than Gregory, who was alone and such a young kid too. He didn’t look like someone who could beat up anyone else.
The female teacher was one of those who felt this way.
Meanwhile, the chubby boy and his friends were shocked by the sudden turn of events.
“You’re lying! You’re the one who hit us!” the chubby boy refuted as soon as he could wrap his head around it.
The other kids piped up as well.
“That’s right! That little brat hit us.”
“Don’t be fooled by how he looks. He knows how to fight.”
Gregory didn’t offer a rebuttal. He simply stood there and wiped his tears away silently, which only served to make the onlookers’ hearts ache even more for him.
Quinton was protective as well. He immediately declared, “You still refuse to own up to your mistakes and you’re trying to frame another child! Due to your poor behavior, I hereby announce that all of you have been disqualified from the competition!”
He ignored the bunch of parents who had unpleasant looks on their faces and turned to say to Tessa, “Why don’t you take Gregory back first, Madam Tessa?”
Tessa nodded and left with the still-crying Gregory in her arms.
Along the way, her heart was breaking at the sound of his sniffles and sobs.
Even when they got in the car, Gregory was still crying.
Tessa was beside herself. She peppered him with kisses as she consoled him. “Don’t cry, Gregory. The naughty kids will all be punished.”
Nicholas couldn’t stand seeing his wife being tricked by their son.
He eyed Gregory sternly. “There’s no one else around. You can stop now.”
Gregory, who had been sniffling away, immediately put a stop to the waterworks.
Tessa was shocked by his sudden change.
“W-What’s going on?”
“I’ll let Gregory explain himself to you.”
Nicholas took Tessa’s hand and gave Gregory a look.
Tessa gazed at Gregory doubtfully.
Gregory stuck his tongue out mischievously before explaining, “I’m sorry, Mommy. I lied to you just now. I did teach those older boys a lesson, but it’s only because their comments crossed the line. Plus, I didn’t actually hurt them.”
Tessa finally realized what happened.
Gregory was pretending to be pitiful earlier. He had misled them.
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Even so, she didn’t forget to clarify the situation. “What did they say that made you want to fight them?”
“Before the competition started, they mocked me for being young, but I ignored them. Then, when the competition ended, they blocked my way and refused to let me leave. They wanted me to kneel in front of them and serve them like a master, and if I didn’t, they would hit me.”
Gregory wrinkled his nose and regaled the whole sequence of events.
After hearing what he had to say, Tessa didn’t blame him for his reaction.
After all, it was the older boys who bullied him first.
That being said, she was still worried and advised him patiently, “Although you only acted in self-defense, if you ever encounter this sort of situation again, I’d prefer if you told a teacher at once instead.”
These kids didn’t learn self-defense, but if Gregory ran into those who did, then he would be the one who suffered on the account of his age.
Gregory nodded obediently before clinging to Tessa’s arm with a sweet smile. “You’re awesome, Mommy. You didn’t scold me.”
“Why would I scold you? You’re not the one in the wrong.”
Tessa chuckled and kissed Gregory’s forehead affectionately.
However, Nicholas disagreed. “While you did a pretty good job with your acting just now, during these circumstances, you shouldn’t lie to your family, and you shouldn’t have kept up with the facade afterward to trick your mommy.”
Chapter 1167 Playing the Victim
Now that someone with authority was here, the chubby boy began playing the victim. The other kids also joined in.
The female teacher was startled by what she heard. After all, these kids were both older and larger than Gregory. She asked Gregory doubtfully, “Did you hit them?”
Gregory pursed his lips and didn’t answer. However, the chubby boy cried out once more, “He’s the one who hit us! Hurry up and teach him a lesson!”
The female teacher continued to look at Gregory, who remained silent. She thought that he was frightened, so she decided to call the children’s parents over first before getting to the bottom of it.
Soon, the parents of the chubby boy and his friends arrived. “Who hit my child?” the parents questioned the teacher angrily.
Before the female teacher could respond, the chubby boy and the other kids ran over to their parents and began to wail to their parents.
“That brat over there hit me, Mom.” “He even threw me to the ground! My back still hurts.”
“He hit me in the stomach!” The older kids became award-winning actors as they all began to clutch their bodies and cry out in pain.
The parents were so upset that they immediately began to reprimand and criticize Gregory. “What a wild child you are! How can you be so cruel at such a young age? Who knows what you’d become when you grow up?”
“Apologize to my son at once!” “How can such an ill-bred child join the competition? You must disqualify him right now!”
“That’s right! Disqualify him for the competition or we’ll file a formal complaint with the head of the organizing committee.”
The parents began listing their demands at the top of their voices. All of the teacher’s attempts to calm them down failed. Gregory became the target of public criticism.
Fortunately, Quinton came over.
The competition organizers had invited him over as a special guest. He wanted to check in with Gregory after the competition ended and was taken aback to see what was going on.
“What happened? Why is it so noisy here?”
His stern gaze swept across the hollering parents. The female teacher knew who Quinton was and immediately gave him a summary of what happened.
“These children are saying that this child over here hit them, and their parents are demanding that we disqualify him.”
The female teacher pointed at Gregory.
Quinton found the situation unbelievable. “I know this child. He has always been nothing but polite. Gregory, tell us what happened.”
Just as Quinton posed his question to Gregory, Tessa and Nicholas arrived as well.
They noticed that Quinton was present and quickly asked, “What’s going on, Mr. Hall?”
“These students are saying that Gregory hit them, and their parents want Gregory disqualified from the competition.”
Quinton told them everything.
As soon as Tessa heard that, she glanced at the older kids standing nearby and was infuriated.
“My Gregory is still so young and small! Look at these children. They’re all larger than him, so how could he have possibly hit them?”
The parents were displeased to hear her comment.
They started firing back at her at once.
“What on earth? How could you say that? Are you saying that our children are lying?”
“So what if he’s small? He still went around hitting other children!”
“Your son’s the one who hit them, so how can you stand here and act defensive?”
However, as soon as these parents started running their mouths, they felt chills down their spines.
They instinctively looked up and spotted Nicholas who had gone unnoticed earlier. He was now staring at them with cold, dark eyes that made them quiver in response.
Tessa sensed Nicholas’ displeasure as well.
Nicholas didn’t want to cause a scene that would affect the competition, so he asked Gregory, “What happened just now?”
Tessa also crouched down to meet Gregory at eye level.
“Don’t be scared, Gregory. Mommy’s here. You can tell me what happened. Did they bully you?”
Gregory glanced at Tessa before glancing at the chubby boy and his friends who were standing there with smug looks on their faces. A cunning glint flashed in his eyes.
Chapter 1169 Celebrate in Advance
Gregory’s expression became serious as well after noticing the stern look on his father’s face. “I won’t do it again.”
He nodded with the look of someone who was properly chided. Although Tessa couldn’t bear to see him this way, she didn’t say anything.
Nicholas was strict with Gregory, but it was for his sake. Gregory was destined for a future that was unlike other children.
Ever since he was a child, he was raised to be the future successor of the Sawyers’ family business. Thus, he couldn’t behave in an unprincipled manner. Just as Tessa’s mind filled up with thoughts, Nicholas’ voice rang out again.
“In addition to that, although I arranged for you to learn self-defense, you must remember not to use what you’ve learned to harm others on purpose. Understood?” “Yes, I understand.”
Gregory nodded again. Nicholas’ expression relaxed as he praised, “You did well today, but if I were you, I wouldn’t have given them the chance to call the teacher over.”
Tessa hadn’t fully registered what Nicholas meant yet. It was Gregory whose eyes sparkled as he looked at Nicholas. “What would you have done, Daddy?”
“First of all, I wouldn’t have struck them in public. You lose the ability to steer things in a favorable direction that way. Secondly, I would have told them that only cowards and weaklings tattled to the teacher.”
Nicholas taught Gregory the art of being cunning. Tessa finally figured out what Nicholas meant. She didn’t know how to react, so she smacked him lightly. “Don’t teach Gregory the wrong things.”
She turned to Gregory and asked caringly, “How did the competition go?”
Needless to say, Gregory wasn’t concerned about the competition at all. However, noticing his mother’s concern, he patiently advised her, “Relax, Mommy. Don’t fret so much. Just wait. You’ll be hearing good news soon enough.”
Tessa chuckled, but she did agree that she was fretting quite a bit.
Since Gregory was confident, she didn’t say much else about it. “In that case, let’s not talk about the competition anymore. Tell me what you feel like eating for lunch. You’ve been practicing hard lately, so I’ll reward you with a good meal today.”
“Yay! You’re the best, Mommy.” Gregory happily kissed Tessa on the cheek. Tessa loved being the recipient of his affection. She smiled and asked, “What do you want to eat? I’ll take you there right away.”
“I want French cuisine!” Gregory looked up at Tessa with a grin. Tessa waved her hand decisively and declared, “Alright. Let’s eat at a French restaurant today. Your daddy can foot the bill.”
Nicholas cocked his eyebrow and eyed her with affection. “Since it’s your treat, shouldn’t you be paying?”
“But I didn’t bring any money with me,” Tessa replied innocently. The smile in Nicholas’ eyes became even more noticeable. He found Tessa incredibly adorable right now.
Just then, Gregory piped up in support of Tessa. “Daddy, don’t you always say that you belong to Mommy? That means your money is also Mommy’s money, which means it’s true that Mommy is treating us to the meal.”
Nicholas couldn’t offer a rebuttal, so in the end, he lost to the two of them. Tessa and Gregory high-fived and grinned. Nicholas watched them with a gentle look in his eyes.
Thus, amid the laughter, the family of three headed to a French fine-dining restaurant. During the meal, Tessa picked up her drink and declared happily, “Let’s celebrate in advance and congratulate Gregory for placing first in the competition.”
She gave Nicholas a look.
Nicholas went along with it. He raised his wine glass and said with a smile, “Congratulations in advance.”
Gregory was elated. He picked up his glass of milk and tapped it against Tessa’s drink.
After drinking his milk, he recalled that Nicholas had promised to give him a present, so he asked worriedly, “Daddy, you said I can have anything I want as a present if I win first prize, right?”
“That’s right. You can have anything you want.”
Nicholas nodded and repeated his promise.
Gregory was so thrilled he began to squirm in his seat.
Tessa knew that something was up, so she asked with a smile, “Gregory, have you already decided what you want to ask from Daddy?”
Chapter 1170 Impatience
“Yes.” Gregory nodded cutely. Tessa asked, “So what kind of present would you like?” “Oh, it’s—no, I’m not saying.” Gregory quickly covered his mouth. It was adorable.
Tessa thought he looked cute. Gregory shot her a look. “You’re so bad, Mommy. Trying to make me talk, weren’t you?”
“What? No. I was just asking.” Gregory hit the bullseye, but Tessa wouldn’t tell him that. They had a happy lunch and were about to leave, but the servant at the hospital called Tessa.
“You need to come here, Madam Tessa. Mrs. Reinhart is causing a scene.” “What happened?” Tessa frowned.
The servant answered, “She woke up and saw a lot of her hair falling out of her head. That shocked her, and now she’s refusing to work with the doctors. She thought they were hurting her and even swatted her meds away.”
The call ended with Tessa looking upset. The look on her face didn’t escape Nicholas, and he approached her. “What happened?”
“That old lady is causing a scene again. I have to go to the hospital,” Tessa answered honestly. She won’t stop causing trouble for everyone around her. Nicholas didn’t want her to go alone. “I’ll go with you.” He called Edward immediately after and told him to take Gregory away.
They arrived at the hospital a while later. Even before they entered the ward, they saw Amber on the bed, screaming at everyone. The ground around her was a mess. “I’m not going to work with you anymore! She paid you to kill me, didn’t she? I know that Tessa girl did.”
“Calm down, madam. Hair loss is normal in chemotherapies.” The nurse was trying her best to calm her down, and she was slowly approaching her.
But Amber was on high alert. The moment the nurse tried to approach her, she grabbed something near her and hurled it at the poor girl. “Get out! Out, I say!”
The nurse quickly backed off to the ward’s entrance. Tessa saw the whole thing, and she frowned.
She wanted to go inside and stop her, but Nicholas got in her way. “Don’t. She’s unstable and aggressive right now.” Nicholas was worried the old lady might hurt Tessa if she went inside. Tessa paused for a moment. “But if I don’t go in, nobody can stop her.”
“I’ll call my bodyguards.” Nicholas whipped his phone out. A while later, four burly bodyguards appeared within the ward, shocking Amber. “Who are you people? What do you want?”
Her questions were ignored. The bodyguards had their order, and they quickly pinned Amber down. Furious and terrified, Amber kept struggling and trying to break free. “Who are you people? My granddaughter is the wife of Sawyer Group’s boss! Let me go, or you’re done for!”
Tessa heard that, and she laughed mirthlessly. Well, she didn’t even hesitate. Guess she’s been using my name to scare a lot of people. She turned to the nurse. “Care to administer a sedative?”
“Yes, miss.” The nurse nodded and made the necessary preparations. Amber was injected with a sedative, and it calmed her down. The bodyguards left, and the servants cleaned the room up. The nurse picked up all the medical equipment scattered on the ground.
Sheepishly, Tessa apologized, “Sorry for the trouble.” “It’s alright, but she’s been emotionally unstable. It’s slowing her treatment a lot. You should deal with this as soon as possible, Miss Reinhart.” Then, the nurse left.
Tessa stood around, impatience welling up within her. The performance is drawing near, and I have a lot of work to do. I don’t have time for her oversized tantrums.