Beverley nodded like a bobblehead doll, "Aurelia, you're right on the money. Joyce's restless spirit must be haunting Fredric and Sheryl, that's why Fredric's getting more and more fed up with Sheryl. We need to get Sheryl to hold a proper memorial and lay Joyce's grievances to rest." After hashing it out, they made their way to Sheryl's place.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAt that moment, Sheryl was in her room, tearing a strip off Mira.
"Why'd | have to get stuck with a blockhead like you? You're no help at all. If you were a boy, my life wouldn't be so pitiful. You're here to collect a debt from a past life, aren't you?" Mira, the picture of misery, started to sob uncontrollably.
Aurelia bustled in, scooping Mira into her arms and saying, "Sheryl, you're upset, but you can't take it out on Mira." Beverley chimed in, "Con, Mira's just six, and what does she know? She's already a good girl, and what more do you want?" Sheryl flopped onto the bed, shouting, "What's the use of having a daughter? If | had a son, | wouldn't be this powerless." Beverley pouted, "Men change their hearts, and no amount of sons will keep them. Remember Jessica? She had Leopold, but that didn't stop Chad from walking out on her. He ended up divorcing her all the same. Besides, Fredric isn't the patriarch, so having a son doesn't mean much. Even if you had a son, he couldn't vote for you in the Stirling family council meetings. Only heirs of age get to vote in our family." Sheryl's face turned pale, "If | had a son, at least | could inherit his estate." Beverley said, "Fredric's riches are his own, not like an heir who controls the whole Stirling estate. Don't forget that Chad handed over all his wealth to Arnold. Sure, it's not the Stirling way, but he set a precedent. Fredric might just follow suit." Sheryl panicked, "So you're telling me, after all this, | might end up with nothing?" Beverley sent Nina and Mira to play in another room, then lowered her voice, "Ever thought that maybe a vengeful spirit is behind you and Fredric hitting the skids?" Sheryl's heart skipped a beat, "What vengeful spirit?" "Joyce's, that's who." Beverley said, "Don't forget that, and she must beca malevolent ghost. Sure, she didn't die at that time, but her soul had already left her body. It's likely been clinging to you, making Fredric despise you more and more." Sheryl turned a shade whiter, but she still insisted, "I don't buy that hocus-pocus." "It's better to err on the side of caution with these things," Aurelia jumped in, "There's a spiritualist church around here, supposed to be powerful. How about we pay a visit and see if there's really a spirit on your back? If there is, we'd better clear the air fast, or you'll be jinxed for life." "Absolutely," Beverley bobbed her head, "Spirits can be terrifying. They'll bring bad luck, mess with your mind, drive you mad, and even to suicide. You gotta resolve this." The guilty always fear their shadows, and Sheryl, wrapped in guilt, had every reason to be scared.
"Let's go check it out then." Aurelia and Beverley took Sheryl to the spiritualist church nestled in the eastern valley.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmAfter they offered prayers, an old seer with a white beard approached, his gaze settling on Sheryl.
"Lady, | see something bad. Trouble may be coming your way." Sheryl shivered, her fears validated by his words.
No wonder her life was a mess, sidelined by Fredric for so long. It all made sense, and Joyce's spiteful spirit was to blame.
"What can | do to fix this?" she asked, desperate for a solution.