Chapter 73

It was the same taxi. Latisha helped Mrs. Dashiell pack her few belongings into the trunk. Most of it-moldy blankets and ragged clothes-had to be thrown away. But Mrs. Dashiell couldn't bear to part with them. Years of being destitute had made her terrified of having nothing. She was afraid that if she were kicked out again, she wouldn't even have clothes to cover herself.

Latisha understood. She packed everything up and stored it in the utility room at the villa.

Perhaps because she was still weak from her fever, after putting the bags away, the world suddenly tilted. Her body went limp, and she collapsed.

Mrs. Dashiell, who had just changed her clothes, threw down her cane and rushed over. "Latisha!"

When she was helped up, Latisha's head throbbed from the fall. It took a long moment for her to open her eyes.

"What happened?" Mrs. Dashiell breathed a sigh of relief. "Why did you faint like that?"

Latisha signed, *I think it's just anemia.*

Losing a child and then getting sick-anemia was to be expected.

Mrs. Dashiell helped her to the sofa. "Oh, you poor thing. Stop bustling around. Go rest. I will make you a restorative broth."

Looking at the kind face of the woman caring for her, a genuine smile finally bloomed on Latisha's face. Mrs. Dashiell had washed up, and her gentle, loving expression brought Latisha an immense sense of peace and warmth.

While Mrs. Dashiell was in the kitchen, Latisha checked her phone. Still no word from Nikita.

She looked at the shopping bag beside her, which contained a new phone, identical to her old one.

She took it out and placed her old phone in the box, tucking it into the drawer of the table. Using her new phone, she sent a message to Nikita and then called her.

Nikita had been drinking heavily for days. She answered the phone in a haze, not even knowing who was calling.

"What? Will you people ever leave me alone!"

The harsh words made Latisha flinch. She clutched the phone in silence.

Nikita seemed to realize something. She blinked her eyes open, glanced at the screen, and her tone softened slightly.

"Oh, it's you. Sorry. I've been getting calls from everyone-keyboard warriors telling me to turn myself in

people cursing me out, pëõple just calling to gloat."

She let out a bitter laugh. "It's only when you're down that you see the true monsters around you, haha.”

Listening to her voice, Latisha felt a sharp pang in her heart, but she couldn't say a word. She couldn't even offer the simplest comfort.

Nikita rambled on. "How did they all

hide it so well? Just hearing their

voices makes me sick no

Compared to them, Clifford

seems decent. Isn't that hilarious?"

Compared to their two-faced hypocrisy, at least Clifford was direct about his displeasure.

Nikita thought that she had lived too charmed a life, believing she could judge people at a glance.

"Now I know. Besides good people

and bad people, there are also demons. All kinds of demons. You

5. All

know what? The other night, I was

walking down the street, and a

out

group of people app rowing

nowhere. They started throwing rocks at me, taking pictures. They used 'justice' as an excuse to do the

most unjust things. And right before that..."