Chapter 7 Elaine, You're Already Filthy to the Bone

Elaine stepped forward to snatch the bank card. As soon as she touched Thea's hand, Thea's earlier arrogance gave way to panic and helplessness. Thea staggered backward, nearly losing her balance as if she were about to fall. Skylar rushed over and quickly caught Thea, asking, "Are you alright?" Thea's eyes instantly reddened. "Sky, I'm fine. It's my fault. I shouldn't have upset Ms. Shelton. I just saw that she seemed short on cash and wanted to help her, but I think she misunderstood." Skylar's expression went cold as he looked at Elaine. "Explain." Just a moment ago, he'd been full of concern as he looked at Thea. But when he turned to Elaine, all that was left in his eyes was just anger and reproach. Elaine no longer felt any desire to explain. She had done it so many times before, yet the only things she had gotten in return were Skylar beating her, forcing her to kneel in the rain, and having their baby aborted. She gave a faint smile. "If I said she tried to take the card from me and fell on purpose, would you believe me?" Skylar roared, "Elaine, you slandered Thea back then. And now, you have the audacity to throw dirt on her again. Do you really think I'd still believe you?" Thea spoke with a trembling voice. "Sky, don't be like this. Ms. Shelton was just acting on impulse. I wanted to give her money, but she said my money was filthy and refused to take it. She wasn't wrong. After all those years I spent overseas, even I find myself filthy sometimes. But how could she say that about you too…" She began to sob softly, as if too embarrassed to speak further. Skylar stepped forward and seized Elaine by the throat. "All those years of suffering Thea went through were all because of you. You still have the nerve to talk about her like that? Thea, I'm here. Don't be afraid of her. What else did she say to you?" Thea stammered, "M-Ms. Shelton said that being with me makes you filthy too. Even your things are filthy, so she wanted to throw away the bank card. I tried to stop her, but Ms. Shelton lost control and accidentally pushed me." As she spoke, she came forward and tugged on Skylar's sleeve. "Sky, don't be like this. Ms. Shelton must be upset because her brother is sick. She didn't mean to push me or say those things." Skylar's fingers tightened around Elaine's throat. He watched indifferently as her face turned red from suffocation. "Elaine, I'm warning you. If you ever dare to slander Thea again, I'll send you to Crimson Bar and let you learn what real filth is!" He then scoffed again. "But someone like you, always scheming and seducing men, doesn't even need to go to Crimson Bar to know filth. It's already in your bones. Even if Thea's been hurt before, she's still a hundred times cleaner than you'll ever be. How dare you call me and her filthy? Who do you think you are?" Skylar's fingers clamped around Elaine's throat, leaving her struggling for air. She wanted to speak but couldn't utter a single word. He turned to Colin Vale, his assistant, who had followed behind. "Colin, contact the bank and suspend all the cards I've given Elaine. She's acting all high and mighty, calling my money filthy. Let's see how she earns money on her own!" Colin replied, "Yes, Mr. Frey." Skylar sneered, unwilling to spare Elaine another glance. He wrapped an arm around Thea and was about to leave. Elaine clenched her fists. Despite the public humiliation, she called after him, "I won't spend your money, but those funds also include dividends from the 20% shares of Frey Holdings that Mrs. Frey Senior left me." Her voice lowered a little. It was the truth, yet she still spoke as if she lacked confidence. "That money belongs to me. You should return it." Skylar stopped in his tracks and turned to glare at her. "Elaine, you've finally shown your true colors. When my grandma gave you the money and shares back then, didn't you claim you wanted nothing and weren't after money? But in fact, you let her adopt you just for the money. Isn't that why you tried so hard to please her since the day you joined the Frey family at 12 years old?" Elaine avoided his gaze. "No matter what, Mrs. Frey Senior gave those shares to me. They should be mine." She needed money for Eric's treatment and to find Agatha. As for finding a job, Skylar had her ID and passport. How was she supposed to work without them? Skylar closed in with a sneer. "Elaine, do you need me to help you remember? Two months ago, after my grandma passed away, you signed over all those shares to me. What right do you have to say they're yours?" Elaine looked at him for a long moment. She suddenly let out a soft laugh. "You're right. How could I forget? I gave you everything I had without holding back." She had handed over all her money and love to the man before her, whom she had once thought she could trust and rely on completely. But now, he was telling her, "Elaine, don't you remember? The things you gave me aren't yours anymore." Skylar frowned, finding her smile somewhat jarring. He immediately turned and left with Thea. Elaine leaned against the wall beside her, hearing a buzzing sound in her head. Her heart ached so badly that she couldn't tell if it was because of her illness. She didn't have time to feel sorrow or despair. Eric was still in the emergency room, waiting for her to pay the medical fees. She hurried into the elevator and went back upstairs to look for Marcus. She had no one else to turn to. Marcus was merely Eric's doctor. He had no obligation to help either of them, but she truly was at her wits' end. As she walked down the long corridor toward the emergency room, she didn't even realize when her tears started to fall. Elaine walked too quickly and almost bumped into Marcus. Seeing him staring at her eyes with a strange look, she lifted her hands and finally felt the dampness. Embarrassed, she wiped her face and said hoarsely, "Dr. Middleton, could you lend me some money? I can't pay Eric's medical bills right now." Seeing her state, Marcus thought something serious had happened. He sighed in relief when he heard her words. "I thought something else happened. I've already paid for you. Don't worry. Just wait calmly outside the emergency room for Eric to come out." Elaine cleared her throat, feeling deeply indebted. "Thank you, Dr. Middleton. Don't worry, I'll pay you back as soon as I can." Marcus sat with her outside the emergency room for a while. He said, "That sum of money isn't much. Don't worry about it. What happened? Why were you crying?" Elaine shook her head. "It's nothing. Maybe I ran too fast and dust got into my eyes." Marcus remembered the man he saw downstairs at the hospital earlier. He seemed to be her husband, but his attitude toward her hadn't been kind. He didn't pry further. Instead, he lightly patted her arm over her sleeve. "Don't worry. Everything will work out. I'm trying to help find a matching heart for both you and Eric." Elaine gave him a grateful look. "Dr. Middleton, I'll have to trouble you with Eric's heart transplant. As for mine, there's no need." He said seriously, "Don't talk like that. Left ventricular failure is serious, but a transplant can save you. Living is what matters. You can't have such negative thoughts." A nurse came to call Marcus away to his office. Elaine said nothing more except a soft, "Thank you." Eric finally came out of the emergency room. After his condition stabilized, Elaine hurried back to Birchwood Estate, arriving before 6:00 pm. Agatha was still in Skylar's hands. She didn't dare to defy him outright. When she reached home, Thea was sitting on the living room couch and leisurely sipping tea. Elaine didn't want to start another conflict with her. She told the new housekeeper, Lucy Zimmer, that she'd already eaten and went straight upstairs. However, Thea stood up and blocked her path, smiling. "Don't be in such a hurry to go up. Wait for Sky to come back. There's a good show waiting for you. Guess what interesting photos I showed him?" Elaine said coldly, "Get out of my way." Just as she finished speaking, footsteps sounded at the entrance. Thea blocked Elaine again. She grabbed a cup of hot tea from the table and poured it over herself. Skylar walked in just as Thea finished pouring the tea on herself, the cup still clutched in her hand.