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“Huh?” Natalie narrowed her eyes. “What does that mean?”
“Ten years ago, the Grahams declared bankruptcy, and both Mr. and Mrs. Graham passed on soon after. This was
not from the blow dealt by their insolvency, but of Jacqueline's doing.” said the horrified Marjorie.
Natalie's eyes widened, and she felt her own skin crawl. “Do you mean to suggest that Jacqueline killed her own
parents?”
“I can't say for sure that she did, but knowing what Jacqueline did to your parents, I suddenly felt the compulsion to
have someone look into the death of the Grahams. Jacqueline's presence seemed to be persistent every step of the
way, so I'm guessing that she must definitely have something to do with the unusual circumstances surrounding her
parents' deaths. I can't be as certain as for whether she was the one who did them in herself though,” Majorie said,
shaking her head.
Shane stood to his feet. “Regardless, the fact that this could be traced back to her means that she won't be able to
get away scot-free.”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt“I agree,” Natalie concurred.
Shane then looked to Marjorie. “You said that you did not dare to share what you heard with anyone else before.
Why?”
Marjorie smiled bitterly. “It was because I was discovered. Jacqueline walked away smugly after Mrs. Graham gave
up on getting her to turn herself in. I felt sorry for the woman who was sobbing away while bent over on the ground
on her own. I could not help but sigh, and that's when Mrs. Graham heard me.”
“Did she threaten you?” Natalie asked.
The woman nodded, then shook her head. “You could put it that way. The Grahams and us Larsons were business
partners, but we were on a less solid footing than they were. Mrs. Graham made me promise not to say this to
anyone at the threat of repercussions against our family, and that was why I've never mentioned this to anyone
before.”
“Looks like the charitable spirit Mr. Wangton spoke glowingly of had its limits,” sneered Natalie.
If the Grahams were as kindly as they made themselves out to be, they probably wouldn't have issued such threats
against anyone's loved ones. Perhaps they did do enough good in their time to justify the plaudits they received but
apparently, they weren't saints either.
“Since you've agreed not to divulge this, why did you choose to share it with Mrs. Brown and the others afterward?”
Shane's eyes were riveted on Marjorie as he asked.
“I was really close to them so my intentions were to warn them to steer clear of the Grahams, especially that
monster Jacqueline. That was why I told them that she caused someone's death without specifying whose.”
With that, she straightened herself up and bowed toward Shane. “I'm so sorry, Mr. Shane. I really did not mean to
withhold this. All I wanted to do was to protect my family. I've told you everything you wanted to know just like you
asked, so I hope that you won't hold it against us.”
Shane silently regarded her before he turned to walk out, which led Marjorie to look toward Natalie in uncertainty.
“Don't worry, Mrs. Larson. My husband doesn't blame you since you were being threatened back then. But I do
hope that you'd be willing to come forward and testify against Jacqueline should this case ever go to trial,” said
Natalie with a smile.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm“As I should,” replied Marjorie in the affirmative.
Natalie smiled once more. “Thank you, Mrs. Larson, and goodbye.”
With that, she turned and took off after Shane who she found waiting by the car for her.
When she approached, he pulled her into his arms by the hand and held onto her fast. “I had always thought that
the second culprit would be one of my parents' business rivals. Never have I expected that it'd turn out to be
Jacqueline.”
Under the impression before that the second perpetrator must have been a collective, it never occurred to him that
she could have been a single individual, much less a ten-year-old Jacqueline Graham.
“Yes. Nobody could have seen that coming. No one could have fathomed how scheming and vicious Jacqueline
could be at her tender age,” said Natalie who went on to comfort him as she spoke.
She then felt his arms wound even tighter around her. “Now I really hate myself.”
“Huh?” Natalie looked up at him. “Why?”
“I've always had an exclusive education from young. If I wasn't with Grandpa, I'd be overseas. Rarely was I ever
around my own parents, and that was why my mother had taken on Jacqueline as her goddaughter. All because it
was she who visited often and enabled my mother to experience the joy of parenting. Jacqueline also came by my
house after my parent's passing. That was also when she and I became close.”
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