"What? 410,000?" Chris immediately jumped up. "Why doesn't this jerk go rob a bank?"
"Exactly!" Dawn chimed in, "How dare he ask for so much? Is he insane for money?"
Claire explained, "When Eugene's and my income is combined, it's a total of 1.8 million. Subtracting our 500,000 in expenses, that leaves 1.3 million. Splitting that in half is 650,000. Adding 150,000 for emotional distress brings it to 800,000."
Chris fell silent for a moment then said, "Why are you telling us this? You figure out a way to pay him back with your joint property!"
Claire got angry, saying, "Dad, my salary, along with Eugene's, was taken by you guys. I barely have 30,000 in my hands. Where am I supposed to get 410,000?"
Chris shook his head, "I don't care about that. Your brother is getting married soon, he needs money! Besides, what will happen if you don't pay Eugene? Do you think he will come knocking on your door? Humph, if he dares to come, watch me chase him out with a broom!"
Claire was both angry and frustrated.
Is Dash the only thing on your mind? Am I just here to serve Dash? "She has been like this since she was a child. Everything is centered on Dash. Do you think I am just a tool to be used?"
"Oh, you still have that adulterer, don't you?" Dawn said, not giving her daughter any face. "Get money from him! We raised his son for so many years, doesn't he owe us compensation?"
Dash got excited, "Yes, yes, make him pay us a few hundred thousand, that's enough for me to get married!"
Chris added, "Doctor's fees must be quite high, plus you can get red envelopes."
"At least ask for 500,000 from him, otherwise, forget about having this son!" Dash jumped up, all energetic when it came to money.
Chris came up with another bad idea, instructing his daughter, "You go find that adulterer now, take your son with you, and tell him, if he doesn't give us 500,000, we'll leave your son with him. Why should I raise someone else's son?"
"Dad, are you kicking me out again?" Claire couldn't believe it.
This was the first time!
"If you can't get back 500,000, then don't consider yourself my daughter. I will sever ties with you!" Chris pushed his daughter out of the house again, making Dawn put her grandson outside the door.
"Dad! Mom!" Claire pounded on the door, but it seemed like no one inside was listening.
The neighbors heard the commotion and came out to see. Claire couldn't lose face, so she picked up her son and left.
As she walked out of the building, Claire sat down, feeling powerless. Basil was still nagging at her, making her unable to resist yelling at her son.
Exhausted, she called Bruce. He was her only ray of sunshine and support now.
Trembling, she told him about being kicked out of the house and needing to pay 410,000. She asked if Bruce could lend her some money temporarily.
"Darling, you know, my salary card is managed by my wife, so I can't help you. Plus, the money was taken by your parents, shouldn't you ask them to give it back?" Bruce said, "And, I've already promised my wife that I won't contact you anymore. Please don't call or message me again."
Beep beep beep, the phone turned into a busy tone.
Claire looked incredulous.
She sat there motionless for a full half-hour, her eyes flashing with a fierce light.
"If you treat me like this, don't blame me for being heartless!"
"I'll do whatever it takes, even if it means burning all bridges."
A day passed.
Eugene was in the gym, sweating profusely. After nearly ten days of training, he had made some progress. His abdomen was gradually "moving away," but it would still take some time to turn it into an eight-pack.
Nora supervised beside him, feeling a bit anxious.
It had been ten days, why hadn't Eugene taken the bait yet?
She was almost ready to strip naked and seduce him, but Eugene seemed oblivious to her charms, leaving her feeling frustrated.
The phone rang.
Eugene paused his workout, picked up his phone, and glanced at it. Oh, it was Dorothy calling.
He answered the call.
"Hello, Dorothy."
Dorothy's magnetic voice came through the phone, "Something big has happened."
"Tell me." Eugene responded.
"Your ex-wife's family knows that Claire is sure to lose the lawsuit. She kicked her and Basil out of the house, telling her to figure out how to come up with the money herself. Claire had no way out, so this morning she took her son to the hospital and handed him directly to Bruce." Dorothy began explaining.
"As a result, when Bruce's wife heard the news, she rushed to the hospital. Probably because she couldn't conceive, she became extremely emotional when she saw Basil. This naughty child even pointed at Bruce's wife and scolded her, which made Bruce's wife lose control and accidentally pushed Basil down the stairs. The child died on the spot."
"After the incident, in order to seek forgiveness from the victim's family, Bruce's family generously offered 1 million as compensation. Claire has already accepted it."
"Heh, but Bruce is in trouble. He quickly divorced his wife, and now he's been fired from the hospital. It seems he's earned the hatred of his father-in-law. He won't have an easy time ahead."
Eugene was surprised. So, the Walker family, no, Claire managed to get the money in this way!
He chuckled inwardly. Alright, then, I'll take my time to deal with you all!
"Alright, I got it." He hung up the phone.
He didn't care much about this matter, continuing his workout.
After finishing, he left, leaving Nora disappointed.
The Walker family.
Seeing Claire walk out of the room with takeout, Dash immediately greeted her eagerly, "Sis, just tell me what you want to eat, I'll get it for you right away. Ordering takeout isn't hygienic, and the delivery takes too long."
"Yeah, let Dash go get it," Chris chimed in, also playing along.
Now that their daughter had received a million in compensation, even after deducting the part for Eugene, they still had nearly 600,000 left!
Dash was counting on this 600,000 for his marriage.
Claire didn't even glance at her father and son, going straight into the bedroom with the takeout.
"What the heck!" Dash couldn't help but curse under his breath. He had been groveling for the past two days, but Claire hadn't given him the slightest bit of a good face.
"What the heck are you cursing for? That's your sister!" Chris gave his son a light smack on the head, not using much force. "You should think about it. We kicked your sister out of the house before, cutting off ties with her, and now we've brought her back just for the money. Who else would be happy about this?"
"You, be more patient. Treat your sister well, and if she doesn't say anything, you figure out how to get the money for your wedding yourself."
Dash drooped his head, nodding in agreement.
Once in the room, Claire silently ate her takeout, her thoughts racing, her eyes cold.
Everyone thought Basil's death was due to Bruce's wife's impulsiveness, but was the truth really that simple?
No, it wasn't.
Because it was her who called Bruce's wife, using the most vicious words to insult her, attacking her inability to conceive. That was what drove Bruce's wife to lose her mind and rush to the hospital.
Not only that, she even showed her son a photo of Bruce's wife, instructing him to call her a childless stone woman when he saw her. It was these actions that completely triggered Bruce's wife, leading to the tragic outcome.
"Bruce, it's you who started this with me!" She gritted her teeth, a few crocodile tears falling.
After all, Basil was her own son.
But she immediately smiled again.
"Now that Basil is gone, and there's no barrier between Eugene and me, as long as I actively pursue him, promise to have his child, he will definitely reconcile with me."
"Four hundred million!"
She absolutely would not give up on such a huge sum of money.
Never!