When Anna walked in, she stopped dead in her tracks.
The store looked like a circus had come to town.
One of the shoppers, the wife of a Tang family business partner, spotted her and scurried over like a mouse on a mission.
“Mrs.
Tang, hurry!
Something’s happened to your daughter-in-law!”
“Daughter-in…
law?”
Anna’s brain felt like it had just short-circuited.
Since when was one of her five sons married?
And why was she the last to know?
“Yes!
Your daughter’s wife is being accused of stealing!
I have to say, I’m impressed by your family’s open-mindedness when it comes to same-sex marriage.
But let’s be real, regardless of gender, the important thing is the person’s character!”
…?
Hold on…
what did she just say?
Daughter’s wife?
Same-sex marriage?
She had only left her two daughters alone to shop for less than an hour, and now this crazy rumor was spreading like wildfire?
What was next?
Would she have a grandchild if she stayed away for two more hours?
Sylvia saw Anna enter the shop and pounced on her like a cat on a mouse, hugging her tightly and putting on a show of being heartbroken and worried.
“Mom…
Everly…
she…
she stole a necklace from this store…”
While Sylvia was busy slandering Everly, Everly was completely engrossed in the transparent screen floating above Sophie’s head.
Once again, she had to read the opening text that looked like two people gossiping.
[Tsk, tsk.
Even though this Sophie Xie is just an ordinary person, what she’s hiding is more interesting than entertainment gossip]
[Oh?
Spill the beans!
Spill the beans!]
The suspenseful music started playing in Everly’s ears again, and then the text on the screen changed.
But as soon as she read the text that popped up, it was like a sonic boom went off.
Everyone within a two-meter radius of Everly suddenly clutched their ears as if they’d been hit by a wave of crazy.
And then, as clear as a bell, Everly’s thoughts echoed in their minds:
OH MY GOODNESS!!!
This staff member with the crappy attitude is a criminal!!!
The people who could hear were dumbfounded.
Everly’s face was a picture of horror as she stared at the staffer gripping her arm, but her mouth was firmly shut.
So how on earth were they hearing her voice?
Each shopper and staff member near Everly reached up to touch their heads, half expecting to find some sort of alien device attached.
They were starting to wonder if they were coming down with a fever or losing their minds.
Sophie’s face turned as white as a ghost, and then she fixed Everly with a venomous glare when she heard the accusation.
“What did you just say…?”
But then she realized that Everly hadn’t actually spoken a word.
Confusion washed over her like a tidal wave.
She wasn’t sure if she had imagined it or if she was going crazy.
Meanwhile, since Anna and Sylvia were at the door and out of the range of the Gossip System’s side effects, they were completely oblivious with Everly’s mental outburst.
Anna looked at Everly with a deep frown.
“Everly, Sylvia said you stole a necklace from this shop.
Is that true?”
When Everly heard Anna’s voice, she suddenly realized that Anna had finished sorting out the design for her birthday dress and had finally caught up with them at the store.
However before she could get a word in edgewise, Sophie piped up, her voice shrill with excitement.
“Mrs.
Tang, we found a necklace from our store in this thief’s jacket pocket!
And this shameless orphan even had the nerve to ask Miss Tang to pay for her clothes!”
“Orphan…
thief…”
Anna’s brow furrowed so deeply, it could have housed a small village.
Something about this whole situation felt as off as a left shoe on the right foot.
Everly was mentally rolling her eyes at Sophie, who was clearly on a mission to paint her as the villain of the century.
But then an idea struck her like a bolt of lightning – this was the perfect chance to ruffle Sylvia’s feathers, and she wasn’t about to let it slip through her fingers.
In a split second, she channeled her inner Bollywood heroine and sprang into action.
With a dramatic flourish, she slipped out of Sophie’s grasp and sprinted towards Anna, her arms outstretched.
It was as if she was in the final scene of a tearjerker movie, reunited with her long-lost love.
If only there had been some catchy Indian background music playing in the background, it would have been the cherry on top of this crazy sundae.
“Moooommm, you’re finally here…”
As she reached Anna, she gave Sylvia, who was still clinging to Anna like a barn acle, a forceful shove.
Sylvia went flying through the air, looking like a ragdoll in a windstorm.
She was inches away from crashing into a clothes rack, but luckily, one of the staff members managed to catch her just in the nick of time.
Under normal circumstances, Anna would have given Everly a tongue-lashing for pushing Sylvia like that.
But today was not a normal day.
The confusion was swirling around in her head like a tornado, and the shock of Everly’s unexpected hug had short-circuited her brain.
All of a sudden, a warm, protective feeling welled up in her heart.
She looked down at Everly, who was now nestled in her arms, and it hit her like a ton of bricks – this was her baby, the one she had carried in her womb and given birth to.
Little did Everly know that the hug, which was meant to be a strategic move to upset Sylvia and cause a stir in the store, had actually managed to flick a switch in Anna’s heart.
The maternal instincts that had been dormant for the past two days suddenly came roaring back to life.
Anna’s eyes narrowed into slits, shooting daggers at Sophie.
Her voice was so cold, it could have frozen the entire store.
“What on earth do you mean by calling the Tang family’s daughter an orphan?
Are you trying to tell me that my husband and I are six feet under?”
Sylvia, who had been seething with rage after being unceremoniously shoved by Everly, suddenly turned as white as a ghost.
Sophie, on the other hand, looked like she had been hit by a truck.
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as she struggled to form a coherent sentence.
“Da…
daughter?
You mean she’s just your adopted daughter, right, Mrs.
Tang?”
“Of course she’s my real daughter!”
The collective gasp that echoed through the store was so loud, it could have shattered the windows.
In a matter of minutes, Everly’s identity had gone through more twists and turns than a rollercoaster ride.
First, she was the adopted child of the Tang family, then she was Sylvia’s wife, and now it turned out that she was the Tang family’s real flesh and blood.
At this point, if someone were to claim that Everly was the Tang family’s long-lost ancestor, they would probably be met with nods of agreement.
Sophie stumbled backwards, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
She kept stealing glances at Sylvia, but Sylvia was too busy staring at Anna with an expression that was impossible to decipher.
Everly, too, was completely taken aback.
She had never expected Anna to come out and admit the truth so easily.
Initially, she had thought that with the theft accusations hanging over her head, Anna would be as cold as an iceberg and try to prevent the fact that Everly was actually related to the Tang family by blood.
However, Everly didn’t have time to dwell on Anna’s sudden change of heart.
“Mom!!!
This staff member is trying to frame me for stealing the necklace!!!
And she’s doing it because she’s jealous of me!
She thinks I’m some kind of vixen who’s trying to seduce my own brothers!!!
But the truth is, she’s our family stalker!
She’s been stalking Alan, Nathan, and Sylas for who knows how long!!!”
A fresh wave of gasps rippled through the store like a contagious outbreak of shock.
People’s eyes widened in horror as they processed Everly’s bombshell revelation.
They turned to Sophie with looks of pure disgust, as if she were a slimy creature that had crawled out from under a rock.
Anna was completely dumbfounded.
Her mind was racing a mile a minute as she tried to make sense of it all.
How on earth did Everly know all of this?
She had only just returned to the house yesterday.
But then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit her – yesterday, Everly had been mumbling to herself in her mind about Anna’s secret life as a thug.
Could it be that Everly not only had the ability to make people hear her thoughts, but also to uncover their deepest, darkest secrets?
The realization sent a chill down Anna’s spine.
Fear crept back into her heart like a shadow, threatening to engulf her.
But then, she heard Everly’s voice in her head, and something inside her snapped.
A fierce protectiveness for her sons welled up within her, pushing aside the fear and replacing it with a burning anger.
Humph!
Not only did this Sophie get Alan’s jacket dirty, but she’s also trying to frame me!
Who would have thought she was a stalker?
Every time she comes home from work or has a free day, she follows them around like a lost puppy.
Although she has a thing for all five of my brothers, she seems to be particularly obsessed with Alan, Nathan, and Sylas.
Their schools and workplace are conveniently located near her house, which she deliberately rented so she could keep a close eye on them.
The audacity of this woman!
She even goes so far as to steal their belongings.
Poor Alan…
he actually becomes one of her harem in her warped imagination…
Everyone within earshot of Everly heard her thoughts, clear as day.
At first, they were confused, wondering if they were just imagining things.
But then, they realized that the accusations against Sophie were far more important than their own bewilderment.
Without hesitation, some of the bystanders called security to come and restrain the deranged stalker.
Anna was seething with rage.
Her hands were shaking as she reached for her phone and dialed the police.
Meanwhile, Sylvia was looking at Everly like she was the Grim Reaper himself.
Yesterday, she was the only one in the family who didn’t know about Everly’s mind-reading ability.
Sylvia was in a total tizzy.
She wasn’t sure if the voice of Everly that was ringing in her head was just a figment of her overactive imagination or something more sinister.
But when she saw the reactions of the people around her – their eyes wide with shock, their mouths hanging open in disbelief – it became crystal clear that they could hear Everly’s inner monologue too.
Suddenly, Sylvia felt like she was staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.
Everly wasn’t just some enigma that was difficult to figure out; she was a walking, talking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.
Before Sylvia could even begin to wrap her head around this new development, the security guards arrived on the scene.
They descended on Sophie like a pack of hungry wolves, grabbing her by the arms and dragging her away.
Sophie, of course, put up a fierce fight.
She kicked and screamed, flailing her arms and legs like a wild animal.
“What are you doing?” she shrieked.
“This is all a lie!
You have no proof other than what that crazy girl said!”
Everly let out a disdainful snort as she read the texts on the screen that were floating above Sophie’s head.
[Did you know that Sophie is a total nutjob?
She’s been stalking the members of the Tang family for ages!
Her obsession with their handsome faces has driven her to the brink of insanity.
She actually believes that all five brothers are secretly in love with her and would be willing to join her crazy harem!
She even got their schedules from Sylvia Tang, paying her a small fortune for some of their personal belongings.
And get this – she not only rented a house near Nathan, Alan, and Sylas’s schools and workplace, but she also steals their stuff and puts it on an altar in her house!
And when she has a day off, she spends the whole day following them around, taking pictures and stealing their spoons and straws.]
[Pssstttt…
you want to know a little secret?
The keychain she’s wearing right now belongs to Sylas, the phone case belongs to Alan, and…
the underwear she’s wearing…
it’s Nathan’s boxer!]
As the realization dawned on everyone that they were holding Sophie captive without a shred of solid evidence, relying solely on Everly’s wild accusations, Everly wasted no time in springing into action.
She pointed a finger at the phone nestled in Sophie’s skirt pocket, her voice ringing out like a clarion call.
“I have proof that she’s a stalker!
In her phone, she’s saved a ton of photos of my brothers!
The keychain she’s wearing belongs to my little brother, Sylas!
And her phone case?
That’s my big brother Alan’s!
But that’s not all…
the underwear she’s wearing?
She stole it from my brother Nathan!”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Everyone, including Anna, stood there dumbfounded for a moment, their minds struggling to process the bombshell that had just been dropped.
Then, like a wave crashing against the shore, a wave of disgust washed over them, leaving them feeling sick to their stomachs.
Not only was Sophie stealing other people’s things, but she was also using them?
And to make matters worse, she was wearing someone else’s underwear?
The audacity!
But…
how on earth did the new daughter of the Tang family know all of this?
Especially the part about the underwear?
Had she been keeping a close eye on her brothers’ belongings, including their undergarments?
Was she some kind of pervert who got a kick out of peeking at other people’s underwear?
“I didn’t!!!
I…
I didn’t steal it!!!” Sophie tried to defend herself, but her protests fell on deaf ears.
She knew it was useless; there was no way she could talk her way out of this one.
So, she could only squirm and wriggle, shooting daggers at Everly with her eyes.
“Even if the stalking is true,” she spat, “it doesn’t excuse you for stealing the necklace from our shop!
You should have caught this thief too!”
“Is there a problem here?”
Suddenly, a deep, masculine voice boomed from the front door of the store, causing everyone to turn their heads in unison.
“Huh?
Isn’t that Jeremy Shen?” someone whispered.
“It looks like he’s doing an inspection of the mall,” another person murmured.
“After all, this mall belongs to the Shen family.
And even though Jeremy is only the second son and still in college, he sometimes gets involved in their family business affairs.”
“He’s so dreamy!
And smart too!
No wonder his older brother is green with envy!” Some of the girls tittered like a bunch of schoolgirls with a crush.
In an instant, the talk about Sophie vanished into thin air, replaced by excited whispers about the newly arrived Jeremy.
Even Everly was completely smitten.
Her eyes widened in awe as she took in his chiseled features, starting from his perfectly tousled hair and working her way down to his broad shoulders and long, muscular legs.
Wow, I thought my brothers were already the epitome of handsomeness, but this guy is on a whole other level. Find the original chapter at g.com.
He’s either just as good-looking as them or even better, except maybe for Alan.
And let’s not forget about his body.
He’s not only tall, but I bet he has a six-pack that could rival a Greek god’s!
Jeremy, who was making his way towards Sophie, nearly stumbled when he heard Everly’s thoughts.
He furrowed his brow in confusion.
It was as if a girl’s voice was suddenly inside his head, praising his body.
The people around her, who had also heard Everly’s inner monologue, were now awkwardly silent.
The problem was that what Everly had said was a bit…
well, embarrassing.
But at least she hadn’t said anything too perverted.
Sophie, seeing Jeremy, immediately put on her best innocent act.
She pouted her lips and batted her eyelashes, even though two security guards were still holding her hands behind her back.
“Mr.
Shen!!!
Please help me!
I’m being framed!
This girl stole a necklace from this shop, and now she’s trying to pin it on me without any proof!”
“Is that so?
Well, then let’s take a look at the CCTV footage,” Jeremy said, his voice calm and authoritative.
“Oh, but the CCTV in this shop broke last night,” Sophie quickly interjected.
“There’s nothing to see.”
“Hmmm?
How convenient.
The CCTV in this shop just happens to break right when there’s a theft?
What a coincidence,” Jeremy said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.
He turned to the other staff members.
“Does anyone here have anything to add?
Or would you all like to be fired for your incompetence?
Not only did you fail to prevent a theft, but you also didn’t bother to fix the broken CCTV right away?”
The staff members looked at each other nervously, their faces pale with fear.
None of them dared to speak up.
However, one of the staff members was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.
She kept her head bowed as Jeremy’s piercing gaze swept over each of them.
Finally, she mustered up the courage to step forward and dropped to her knees on the floor.
“Mr.
Shen, I’m so sorry!!!
Sophie threatened to get me fired from here!
She faked evidence that I was embezzling money!
So I…
I had no choice but to put the necklace into Miss Tang’s jacket pocket on her orders.”
“NO!!!
YOU’RE LYING!!!” Sophie screeched at the top of her lungs, thrashing around like a wild animal caught in a trap.
Jeremy’s expression darkened as he spoke in a voice that could freeze water.
“If what you say is true, you will be punished according to the rules for harming a customer by framing her.
And you…”
Just as Jeremy turned to address Sophie, the police burst through the door, their uniforms crisp and their expressions stern.
Anna wasted no time in filling them in on the details.
“That girl not only stalked my five sons, but she also stole their things.
But that’s not all, one of my sons is still a minor!
And to make matters worse, she was trying to frame my daughter by planting a necklace in her pocket!”
The police officers nodded in understanding and swiftly moved to apprehend Sophie.
She let out a blood-curdling scream and fought tooth and nail, but it was no use.
“Let me go!!!
Sylvia, help me!!!”
Anna’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and she immediately turned her attention to Sylvia.
“Why did she mention your name?”
“I…
I don’t know, mom…
maybe it’s because she’s the one who always serves me when I’m shopping here, so she thought I’d come to her rescue,” Sylvia replied, her voice carefully measured.
Everly couldn’t help but let out a snort of amusement.
If only everyone knew the truth about Sylvia’s involvement…
“Everly….!!!!!”
Sylvia quickly cut off whatever Everly was about to think, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead.
She really regretted underestimating Everly!
“What’s up?
Is there something you’re itching to spill, Sylvia?”
Everly’s grin stretched from ear to ear as she stared at Sylvia, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
Anna, who had been feeling a bit off ever since this whole fiasco started, suddenly felt a pang of suspicion towards Sylvia.
She felt terrible for suspecting her seemingly fragile and kind adopted daughter, but today’s events had been so bizarre that she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.
Meanwhile, Jeremy was initially convinced that the voice he’d heard in his head belonged to Sylvia.
After all, it had been talking about brothers and Alan, and this whole mess was clearly related to the Tang family.
But when he heard Everly’s voice, he immediately realized his mistake.
So, when he found himself staring at Everly for a rather long time, he noticed a jacket lying on the floor near her feet.
Without a second thought, he bent down and picked it up, then handed it to her with a charming smile.
“Is this your jacket, miss?”
“Oh, yes!
Thank you so much!
Not just for the jacket, but for sorting out that whole necklace business too!”
Everly had only just realized that her jacket had fallen off, so she eagerly accepted it from Jeremy.
But during the exchange, Jeremy’s finger accidentally grazed Everly’s skin.
“No problem at all.
I hope you’ll keep coming back to shop here in the future.
And of course, we’ll be giving you a voucher as a token of our apology for this whole debacle.”
However, Everly completely ignored Jeremy’s words.
Her eyes widened in shock as the transparent screen reappeared, this time floating above Jeremy’s head.
[Name: Jeremy Shen
Age: 20
Relationship: !!!]
And when the text shifted to the “Gossip” section, Everly’s jaw dropped.
Holy crap, this handsome Jeremy has some seriously juicy secret!
I never would have guessed that he would lo-
Before Everly could even finish thinking about Jeremy’s juicy secret, Jeremy suddenly swooped in and scooped her up in his arms, bridal style.
“Oh my goodness!
I just noticed something’s wrong with your body!
We need to get you some medical attention right away!”
With that, he took off like a bat out of hell, sprinting through the store with Everly in his arms.
Everyone was left standing there, completely dumbfounded.
It was like they’d just been hit by a whirlwind of confusion.
One moment, Everly was standing there, and the next, she was being carried away by Jeremy!
It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off, but when it did, the realization hit them like a ton of bricks.
EVERLY’S BEEN KIDNAPPED BY JEREMY SHEN!!!