Chapter 7

It was already breakfast time the next day, but Abigail was nowhere to be seen. Adrian kept checking the time, anxious to follow up on his latest experiment results. He glanced toward the staircase repeatedly. "I told you guys that she was just putting on an act for a day or two, but you didn't believe me. "She's been living the good life with the Newmans. It's only been two days with us, and her true colors are already showing." The front gate opened at that moment. Abigail appeared with her hair in a full bun, wearing a linen long-sleeved shirt and still carrying that worn backpack. She was slightly out of breath, with crystal-clear drops of sweat trailing down her pale neck as she stood at the gate. "You're all up!" "Whoa, this is so heavy! What is all this? It must weigh around 60 pounds." Jayden dropped his pancake and rushed over in a few quick steps to take the backpack from Abigail. His hand even dropped from the weight. Abigail had rosy lips and white teeth. She looked aloof when she wasn't smiling, but the moment she spoke, her eyes would light up with warmth that drew people in. "The mountain next to us is such a treasure trove! It's full of all kinds of medicinal herbs. I got up early to pick some. Samuel mentioned working with his boss, so I found some substitutes. I figured I'd make some healthy food today so that he could take it with him." Samuel frowned and stood up from the dining table with a troubled expression, feeling like he had caused Abigail to suffer again. "We told you that you need to rest with that injury. Why are you doing physical labor?" Adrian was the type who complained but cared deeply about others. He was already getting out his medical kit, seeing that Abigail's previously bandaged wound was bleeding through again. Abigail sat on a stool and replied, "It's nothing. It doesn't even hurt." "What time did you leave this morning?" Samuel looked at the backpack full of herbs, his brows still furrowed. "Around 4:00 am? I was hoping to make you all some stew too, but I got a bit delayed." Abigail flashed a bright smile and effortlessly lifted the backpack onto the table with one hand. Jayden stared in shock, wondering where this delicate-looking young lady got such strength. Abigail shrugged it off and rummaged through her backpack. "Dad, could you grind up this herb and have Mom apply it thickly over her eyes for 15 minutes? Do it twice a day for a week." Owen's eyes welled up with tears as he took the herb like it was a precious treasure. He felt deeply moved and heartbroken. "Abby, you're doing so much for this family. But sweetie, listen to me. You just need to be our happy little princess." Abigail grew silent. It wasn't like she didn't want to. It was just that with the Parker family members being old, weak, sick, or disabled, she didn't have the luxury of being a little princess. She'd rather choose to be an independent, strong woman, shouldering the responsibility of her family's happiness. "Stage something on the main road out of the village in an hour. My sister will help someone out and get rewarded a million dollars." Samuel turned away and texted Paul. … "Samuel, isn't it inappropriate for us to meet your boss empty-handed? Maybe I should go back and bring something." Abigail was being dragged along by Samuel, who insisted they meet his boss to discuss future business cooperation. There was a sudden brake, and Abigail lurched forward. "Someone has collapsed up ahead!" she said while quickly unbuckling her seatbelt and rushing out to check the situation. Jayden was supposed to take a private helicopter to an event out of town, but he really wanted to spend more time with his adorable and cuddly sister, so he shamelessly squeezed into this beat-up car. He had no idea about this staged situation and was startled. He got out of the car too, only to find Abigail already performing CPR on the collapsed elderly woman. After Abigail's quick actions, the elderly woman gradually regained her breathing and heartbeat. Her previously pale cheeks slowly regained color, and she half-opened her eyes, pointing at Abigail with a trembling hand. "You... You saved me." When the ambulance arrived, the elderly woman's family came with it. They grabbed Abigail's arm emotionally, even dropping to their knees to thank her. "Thank you… Thank you for saving our mother! This is a million-dollar check to express our thanks!" A family member shoved the check directly into Abigail's hands and disappeared from her sight, following the ambulance as it sped away. Samuel rubbed his forehead slightly. Was this Paul's handiwork? Could it get any more ridiculous? Jayden pressed his lips together to suppress his laughter and leaned over to Samuel, speaking in a voice only they could hear. "You know, I could recommend more professional actors to you." "Get lost." "You got it." Jayden instantly transformed into an award-winning actor, grabbing Abigail's hands in shock while using the opportunity to increase physical contact and build intimacy. "Oh my God! A million dollars! Is this really a million dollars? You can just write a million dollars on a piece of paper like this?" At that moment, Jayden looked like he had completely lost his mind, acting so crazy that his siblings stared at him like he was an idiot. Samuel suddenly felt that the earlier actors' performance was actually pretty reasonable in comparison. As for Abigail, she just felt sorry for Jayden after seeing him get so ecstatic over a million-dollar check. But thinking about it, with the Parker family having been dirt poor for so many years, a million dollars truly was an astronomical sum. "Yeah, it's totally possible. Go ahead and feel it, but we'll have to return it later." Abigail handed the check to Jayden. Samuel stepped forward. "From their clothes and bearing, that elderly woman and her family are clearly wealthy. You saved the old lady just now. They probably don't care about this amount at all and won't want it back. It's just their way of showing gratitude. We'll probably never see them again after this." Abigail pointed to the payee information on the check. "Look over here. We can trace this at the bank. I help people because it's the right thing to do, not for money. I helped her because I saw someone in need and couldn't just stand by and watch. I just did what little I could. When we get to Jewls, we'll go to a bank and return this." She had made up her mind. Right now, the Parker family had so many mouths to feed and really needed money, but that didn't mean they could accept just any money. Jayden felt a surge of pride. She was definitely a Parker, with real backbone and principles. If this had been Gianna, she'd already be shouting about rushing to the bank to cash it. "Don't cry, Jayden. We'll find a way to make more money." When Abigail took back the check, she noticed that Jayden's eyes were brimming with tears. She thought he was heartbroken about losing the money. He wiped his eyes, feeling touched by Abigail's words. A million dollars was nothing to him. It was as fleeting as the clouds in the sky. Samuel's usually cold, handsome face softened with warmth as he gently patted Abigail's shoulder. "You're a good kid, Abby. We'll work hard together and build a better life."