Food package

Livy had just finished her orientation period and was on her lunch break when Brenda texted that she was coming to the house. Surprised, she called her cousin.

"Hello, Brenda? What does your text mean? You're at my house, what's up?"

The reply from the other side sounded irritated, "Look at you. So arrogant. You started showing off by calling your husband's house your home, how proud you are now."

Livy frowned. "Brenda, I don't want to talk about this, ok. Tell me why you came so suddenly?"

"Am I not allowed to come? Who do you think you are forbidding me to come?"

"..."

"Listen, you wouldn't marry Arthur without my mom's help. Why are you so arrogant? I wanted to come then I came, what's the big deal?"

Brenda's intentions were so clear Livy knew she didn't have to ask, "But I'm not home right now."

"Oh, where are you going? Your rotten workplace?" Brenda scoffed.

"If you just want to insult me, I don't have the time right now."

Livy was about to hang up, but Brenda quickly stopped her.

"Look, it's fine if you're not home, but could you let me in? I've been outside the whole day, it's hot in here."

Hearing those words, Livy was stunned, then after a few seconds she almost laughed in satisfaction.

The security system at Arthur's house is tight, that's not surprising. Hadn't Brenda known since the last time she came? Why did she still dare to come now?

"Livy, look, I'm your cousin. Let these maids know that they are being rude to me. Why don't you just fire them?!" Brenda grumbled.

Fire them?

The life value of those maids is even more important than yours, ok?

Livy replied in a serious tone, "Sorry, Brenda, that's not in my hands. All the maids are managed by my husband."

Livy deliberately pressed the word 'my husband' on her lips.

"Then what use are you?"

"..."

"I mean, you're his wife and he doesn't let you manage the maids? Doesn't that mean he doesn't trust you? Pfft. That's funny. You consider him your husband and he considers you nothing. I pity you."

Then Brenda laughed out loud.

Livy listened to the laughter without offense. Who knew how Arthur was herself, there was no need for her to prove anything.

"You know that now, so don't come again," Livy pretended to be glum.

Brenda's voice still sounded pleased as she said again, "Well, how about me helping you get close to him. You tell him I'm coming. Tell him I'll come myself. He's seen me at the party, he'll let me."

'What's that got to do with it? He's only seen you once and he'll agree? Why?'

Livy felt that her cousin had not changed. She must be very confident that she is beautiful. When men saw her they would easily fall in love with her, just like she said every day.

"Livy, you remember, before he was with you, he wanted to be matched with me, but I turned him down. You know what that means, right? It means Arthur has chosen me first, he must like me and wants to see me." Brenda tried to make her understand.

Livy's eyes narrowed.

She remembered.

Previously she had heard that Brenda would be betrothed to a wealthy family, but she simply refused. Livy didn't know exactly what the story was, she didn't expect that the man was really Arthur until she heard it now.

At that time her aunt, Camile, persuaded Brenda by saying that the man's parents liked Brenda because of her beauty. At that point, Brenda was completely unaffected and still adamantly refused.

"If he likes you, then what?" Livy's voice trailed off.

"Take a guess."

Livy rolled her eyes. She already guessed, but she pretended, "Brenda, please, you rejected him, but now you want to tease him?"

"Hey, keep your mouth shut, ok? Why would I want to take your junk? Just do what I say, and problem solved."

"Did your mom order you?"

"You ask too many questions! I just want to be on good terms with you. Don't be prejudiced!"

It was clear from her tone that she was not sincere.

Livy had already guessed the family's machinations. They wanted to approach her and persuade her to seize Arthur's wealth.

"Why are you still quiet? I've been here too long. Ask them to let me into the courtyard at least!" Brenda was angry.

Livy was surprised. She imagined Brenda being turned away by the gatekeepers of Arthur's house and left out in the hot sun. She wanted so much to laugh at her.

"Damn maid!" Brenda was still grumbling.

Livy couldn't help but laugh. She forgot that she herself was standing in the middle of the field, then immediately ran to the bleachers and sat down. "You wait a moment. I'll ask Arthur."

Of course, 'asking Arthur' was just an excuse she made up. The truth was that she will not contact Arthur at all and will firmly reject Brenda.

Livy pretended to type on her phone, as if she was sending a message.

"Can't you really manage the maids in this house?" she asked.

"I can't. I'm not their master."

Brenda burst out laughing. "It seems that he really does not consider you."

Laugh until you're satisfied, ok?

"I don't actually live there anymore. I'm in the dorm now." Livy was honest, deliberately wanting to hear Brenda's reaction.

There was a pause, maybe Brenda didn't hear her?

"Hello?"

"Huh? The dorm? What are you doing in the dorm?" Brenda's voice sounded confused.

Livy couldn't wait to answer this, "Well, I forgot to tell you that I'm a student now."

***

"She became a student?" Camile was stunned to hear this, feeling a bit strange. "Why does she still need that?"

Brenda clicked her tongue. "Mom, it doesn't matter if she needs it or not. But think about it, she went to a good university, the admission fee there must be expensive. Who pays for that?"

"..."

"And also she is married, but she prefers to live in the dorm. Isn't this tarnishing Arthur's family name? She could be seen as playing up marriage."

"What do you mean?" Camile was confused.

Brenda sighed impatiently. "Mom, this tarnishes Arthur's family name. Good name. It doesn't matter if Arthur just comes from an ordinary family, but he is a CEO and the son of the owner of a large company. He is married but lives separately from his wife, wouldn't this become hot gossip outside? "

"Then what? Do you want to expose Livy?"

Only with a sly smile on Brenda's lips.

"But this will jeopardize Livy's position in the family. What if they ask Arthur to divorce her?"

Brenda sneered. She didn't care at all.

That was not a difficult question. When Arthur's family ditches Livy, she will have the opportunity to step in to become a surrogate daughter-in-law. But, that wasn't her intention at the moment, she actually had another goal.

Camile continued, "Look, we haven't got anything and it can't just end. No. Better not expose it. I'll talk to Livy."

Brenda's hand prevented Camile from opening the phone.

"Mom, you still don't understand."

"So?"

Brenda's face became serious. "I want Livy to continue to be a stupid girl. She can't continue her education. Think about it, if she goes to college, then succeeds, she will look down on us! I don't want her to have any fun! Once we have accomplished our goal, I want to throw her away. Let her suffer!"

This flow began to be understood by the mother.

"So you're saying we should make her stop?"

"Precisely."

Camile thought that made sense and got excited. She was proud of Brenda and pinched her cheeks. "You're smart. But how do we get her out of the university? Do you have any ideas?"

"We're going to tell Arthur's parents about this, aren't we?"

***

For some reason, Livy had a bad feeling.

After telling Brenda about her lecture, something tugged at her heart. Even as she said that Arthur refused to let her in, Brenda didn't protest anymore, she hung up the phone quietly.

The news about her going to college, must have reached her aunt by now.

Livy really hated her aunt's family. If it wasn't for her being forced to work, she should have already entered the fourth semester of the year, but right now, she was still a freshman. Luckily, she thought it was still better late than never. So she was still able to calm her heart after remembering the hatred that made her anger rise.

"Ah, too bad. Why don't they sell beer all of a sudden?"

"It was still there last night. I vividly remember that in the morning the restaurant had stacks of pallets full of liquor."

"Do you know the reason?"

"My friend heard that it was a direct order from the campus, if you don't follow it, they are prohibited from selling anymore. There are also those who say, someone in authority from the campus doesn't like students getting drunk, he was the one who asked for beer to be abolished in that restaurant. It seems he is an investor with the biggest donor of funds on campus."

Someone in authority? Investor?

Livy stopped at the bottom of her dorm stairs after hearing this conversation. For some reason she could immediately guess which restaurant was meant.

Near the campus, there is only one restaurant that has beer on their menu. It was the restaurant she had gone to with Dave last night.

Because she was curious, she eavesdropped again,

"Isn't that impossible? That restaurant existed even before this campus existed. They've been selling beer for years. Why not a long time ago, but only now has the campus protested?"

"But this is a big investor. This investor is new. He has authority. How can the campus not listen to him? Do they want to lose donors of aid funds just like that?"

"Who is this person?"

"I don't know. From the gossip that was circulating too, the restaurant was actually going to be bought by him at a high price, but he suddenly discouraged it."

"Whoa. Why is he so powerful?"

"No need to think about that. Now how about we hang out. We'll probably find another place."

“Ah, that's right, how about …………”

Livy didn't hear anymore and she was stunned.

The two male students passed her, heading for another corridor, and she was still standing still at the bottom of the stairs. All that was on her mind was about that investor. She had been hearing the word 'new investor' a lot lately and her guesses had fallen on Arthur.

Impossible.

Was that what he did too?

Arthur could do anything, she believed in that. Plus she just got drunk in the place last night, and Arthur didn't like it and kept the place from selling beer.

If it really was Arthur, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Now she thought back to what she actually said when she was drunk, so Arthur was furious. Did she insult him? Was she mocking Arthur's disability? It seemed that even though she was drunk, she couldn't possibly say such evil words, she never had any thoughts of ridiculing anyone.

Especially Arthur; the handsome man, cool and kind.

When she finally arrived at the dormitory, her phone rang and it was a message from Evander.

[Miss, you are not allowed to go out at night. The food package will come in five minutes.]

What does it mean? Why is she set up like this?

Exactly five minutes, there was a knock on the door and the dorm guard was in front of her. The fat woman's expression was ugly and full of dissatisfaction.

"Someone is delivering food for all the residents of this dorm. Hurry and get it."

Darla stepped back and showed me a trolley with a pile of food boxes. She took one for Livy.

Is this what Evander said?

Livy saw several food packages wrapped in plastic. One package contains three boxes, but she only gets one box inside.

"Why? What did you see? Don't like this food?" Darla stared at her sarcastically. "As expected. Look, you were so arrogant when you came here, you must feel that you can buy food without having to be served like this. There's 'someone' behind you, so you think you can ask him, right? Give it back if you don't want it."

Livy prevented Darla's hand from taking her food. "I want it. But why do I only get one box?"

"It deserves you. You are a new resident."

Darla left her with a smug smug smile, headed to another dormitory door and handed them a food parcel. The fat woman still saw Livy outside and deliberately gave food packages and even drinks to other residents.

Even though she didn't give Livy the drink.

'Oh my God, this old lady really wants to find trouble with me,' Livy muttered sadly.

Livy could only go into her room and open the contents of the package. Inside the box were french fries. Really just french fries. From the other large plastic boxes seen earlier, maybe the two boxes contain heavy food, and the small box does contain snacks.

Suddenly her phone rang and a message came in from Evander asking if she got his food or not. It was supposed to contain four boxes as well as drinks.

See, not three boxes, even four!

That meant that the woman took the other residents' food rations as well.

Livy immediately answered Evander's message,

[I have it. Thank you.]

After answering with a lie, she ate her french fries, and she felt sad.

***

Evander stared at Arthur. "She didn't say it."

Arthur's gaze became cold, he really did not expect that the dormitory guard was still looking for trouble with Livy. "Send her another meal."

"Okay."

After Evander made a phone call, he said, "What are we going to do with this dorm guard?"

"Give her one more chance. If she still does it, fire her."

The food packages he sent were not specifically told who sent them. He only asked Evander to arrange that the package should reach Livy. Because he didn't want Livy to be disturbed, he also sent for other residents. But what is this he sees?

The dorm residents arbitrarily cut off Livy's rations and took them alone.

Arthur has a spy there. He could even hear conversations from the bug on Livy's watch. He knows everything because he is alert.

And he already felt clear now.

The decision to send her to a special room was not a good choice. Even though he had expected it from the start, this was still too bad. He didn't know that Livy would be treated like this, and she didn't say this to him at all.

... to be continued ...