Chapter 5 As Bad As Each Other

Fury surged from the depths of Samuel's heart. “Casimir, I noticed something off about you today. In front of Waverly, you were constantly defending Raylee. If anyone's not up to the mark, it's you, her supposed fiancé!” He then turned to look at Raylee with a disdainful gaze. “You're quite crafty, aren't you? On your very first day out of prison, you managed to catch Casimir's attention. I noticed you seem to have trouble walking. Were you playing up your hardships to gain his sympathy? You even got him to book a room for you? With just the two of you in a room, did anything unspeakable happen?” Annoyed, Raylee lashed out at him, “Mr. Goodridge, your mind is tainted, so don't project your filth onto everything else! Didn't you all ask me to tidy up myself before coming to see Grandma, and if I may ask, did anyone pay me for it? If it weren't for Casimir lending me the money, how could I have afforded a room? Yes, I do have trouble walking. Wasn't my leg disability mentioned in the medical report? I had just been released from prison today, and yet, you violently dragged me out of the car, causing me injuries. Have you forgotten the harm you've caused me, Mr. Goodridge? True, you've already found your biological sister, so why would you care about an outsider like me?” Raylee vented her pent-up resentment. She had already been released from prison. There was no reason for her to be subjected to torment again. “Raylee, I'll apologize on Samuel's behalf.” Waverly choked up as she bowed deeply. “Could you please not be mad at him? It wasn't his intention. Blame me if you must. I shouldn't have come back to this home.” Her gentle, obedient demeanor almost melted Samuel's heart. He immediately patted her back, gently comforting her. “Waverly, it's not about you. She's just trying to stir up trouble. Don't take her words to heart. I forgot to warn you, Raylee is quite the actress. She has a knack for exaggerating her words and adding fuel to the fire. As for her past experiences, take them with a grain of salt. I lived with her for eighteen years; I know her better than anyone else!” Harriet stopped crying and came over to comfort Waverly. “Listen to your brother. This matter doesn't concern you, so there's no need to blame yourself.” The implication was clear. She took Samuel's words as the truth and dismissed Raylee's as a mix of truth and falsehood. Raylee observed the heartwarming scene of their family and suddenly found herself laughing in disbelief. I'm quite the actress and have a knack for exaggerating my words? They are the so-called family members who have completely disregarded my struggles for four long years in the jaws of death. They won't let me defend myself and always assume the worst of me with the utmost malice. Every additional second she lingered, Raylee felt as if she was betraying the hard-won freedom she had regained. “Sorry, I'm heading back to the hotel to rest. Once Grandma wakes up, I'll come to see her again,” Raylee said calmly as she bowed and exited the ward. Determined to get out of bed, she slowly left the ward, her disabled legs slightly uneven. Her body swayed with each step, making every movement seem extraordinarily difficult. Harriet couldn't help but cover her mouth, breaking into sobs. When she was about to chase after Raylee, Samuel stopped her. “Mom, let me go.” Raylee had just returned to the hotel and lay down when there was a knock at the door. A familiar voice echoed through the door. “Ms. Goodridge, it's me, Casimir.” After a moment of hesitation, Raylee opened the door. Casimir was holding two large bags, intending to enter the room. Raylee stopped him, her tone indifferent as she said, “Mr. Sutherland, this might not be very convenient.” If the Goodridge family found out, they would undoubtedly harbor suspicions. They would wonder if the two of them, alone and unchaperoned, were up to no good in the room. She could easily ignore idle chatter, but she couldn't allow those who had hurt her in the past to find any leverage to keep inflicting endless pain on her. Casimir was taken aback for a moment. Looking at Raylee's petite face, devoid of any expression, he felt an inexplicable irritation stirring within him. She had been calling him “Mr. Sutherland” throughout the day. Once upon a time, there was someone who used to chatter non-stop around him, always expressing her fondness for him. The cheerful little girl who loved to call him “Caz” seemed to have vanished from this world. The Raylee of the present seemed so unfamiliar as if she had exchanged her soul, so unfamiliar that he couldn't recognize her. “All right then, I've bought some medicine and food for you.” Casimir was about to hand over the items in his hands to Raylee when a figure approached briskly. It was Samuel. He was surprised when he saw Casimir. “What are you doing here?” “I just came to drop off some things for your sister, then I'll leave.” “Since she's my sister, there's no need for you to worry.” Samuel's contemptuous gaze swept over Casimir's face, subtly implying that his interest was not genuine. He then turned his gaze toward Raylee and reprimanded, “Didn't I tell you before that Casimir is now Waverly's fiancé? How come you seem to have no sense of boundaries? Or could it be that after spending four years in prison, you harbored resentment and purposely cozied up to Casimir just to upset Waverly? You're a scheming b*tch!” Raylee's face flushed red with anger. She was caught off guard by the sudden scolding. She glared at Samuel, wishing she could bore a hole through his face with her stare, and snapped, “Mr. Goodridge, are you afraid others won't realize you're acting like a jerk?” Samuel was furious. “How dare you call me a jerk?” Casimir stepped in to defend Raylee. “Enough, Samuel! Ms. Goodridge didn't intentionally cozy up to me. Please, stop attacking her with such venomous words!” Raylee turned her anger toward Casimir. “Shut up, I don't need your hypocritical defense! You two are as bad as each other. Neither of you is worth a dime!” Samuel was dumbfounded. Not only did Raylee not play the victim to gain Casimir's sympathy, she even dared to confront him harshly. “Get out! All of you, get out!” In a fit of rage, Raylee slammed the door shut. Both men were left outside the room, stunned. Samuel knocked on the door repeatedly, but Raylee didn't open it, nearly causing him to explode with frustration. Slightly exasperated, Casimir said, “Let's go. If I were in your sister's shoes, I'd be angry too. If you can't say anything nice, just stay silent. No one will think you're mute.” Samuel glared at him and sarcastically remarked, “Casimir, how did you happen to run into Raylee at the hotel and even pay for her room? This so-called chance encounter was riddled with flaws! On my way back from the prison, I saw a familiar car. It must have been yours. You were already planning to pick her up from the prison, weren't you?” Casimir didn't deny it. Visibly agitated, Samuel demanded, “Do you have feelings for her?” Casimir remained silent. Enraged, Samuel grabbed him by the collar and shouted, “You're looking for the next best thing, aren't you? You're such a scoundrel! How could you do this to Waverly?” “Raylee is your sister too, but you're completely biased! If you don't care for Raylee, does that mean no one else is allowed to?” “What good does it do to care for her? Did she even spare you a glance? Did she accept the things you buy for her?” Samuel said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Four years ago, you mistreated her. Did you really think she would forgive you so easily? Don't be naive!” “She will never forgive me, let alone you. We all wronged her four years ago, but you were the worst!” Casimir growled in frustration. “She endured four years of hardship in prison, and not only did you ignore her, but you also declared that Raylee was no longer part of the Goodridge family! Most of the pain she endured was because of you!”