Chapter 1998


    "People just love to nitpick these days." Keh set his smartphone down and turned tofort his


    wife.


    Meanwhile, at the other end of town.


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    "Son of a gun!" Beverly, seeing the trending news on her feed, was so furious she chucked her cell


    phone at her daughter.


    Had Alma not quickly reached out to catch it, the phone would have likely smacked her right in the


    face.


    "Mom." Alma was a little frightened.


    "Don''t you ''Mom'' me!" Beverly couldn''t believe how naive her own daughter was, "In broad daylight,


    with cameras everywhere, what do you think?"


    "It''s just I didn''t expect that little tramp Serena to actually release the security footage. How dare she?"


    Alma fumed, shocked at how the once-simple girl had suddenly wisened up.


    "Why wouldn''t she dare?" Beverly red at her daughter, "Last time, Martin got into it to defend her,


    and mistakenly hit you. This time, even if you did beat her up like that, the worst Martin would do is give


    a verbal warning. He can''t really do anything to you. Serena must''ve guessed this, so she let the


    surveince footage leak, to sway public opinion her way! She''s grown a brain, knows to call an


    ambnce first to keep evidence for herself. Look at you, getting dumber by the minute! Even this little


    slip-up got caught!"


    "Mom." Alma felt a bit wronged, "It was such a rare chance, finally running into her after I got beat up


    so badlyst time, I was just so angry when I saw her."


    Beverly''s face remained stoic, silent.


    "Mom, I have an idea. What if Ie out and say Serena used to always pick on Arabe, and that day


    at the mall, she started throwing insults at Arabe, and I couldn''t stand it so my friends and I stepped


    in."


    Alma didn''t get to finish before Beverly doused her with cold reality, "Haven''t you seen Arabe''s


    reputation right now?"


    Both she and Arabe were getting dragged through the mud!


    Still, anger aside, Beverly finally said, "Arabe''s being ndered, but the Collins family will surely


    handle it. Once Arabe''s name is cleared, that''s when youe forward. Public opinion will naturally


    shift in your favor then."


    A gleam of delight appeared in Alma''s eyes – old ginger is spicier indeed! Her mother was still the


    shrewdest of them all. This way, she could not only gain some notoriety for herself but also ride on


    Arabe''s coattails to a redemption arc and grow her own fanbase!


    She thought, "That damn Serena, daring to pull such a stunt behind my back. Did she think she can


    manipte the public narrative with some surveince footage?" Read at


    Elsewhere.