Mr. Neal, Mrs. Neal’s Gone With The Money

Chapter 441
After all, Mandy had always treated them with sincerity. Cynthia watched the scene unfold but chose not to interfere further. She merely told Jonathan, “Shirley and I will be heading home. You two can continue your conversation.”
“Alright,” Jonathan agreed without hesitation, aware that this matter necessitated an in-depth discussion. Misunderstandings between him and Mandy were trivial. However, his beloved Cynthia should not be misunderstood.
Once Cynthia and Shirley had left in the car, Shirley wasted no time in asking, “What did you two talk about? Why did Madam Mandy have such a strong reaction?” Cynthia made no attempt to hide the details, summarizing her conversation with Mandy. Five minutes later, Shirley had pieced together the situation.
“So, she was just pretending in front of Dad? Why, though? She was never like this before” Shirley appeared to he stunned by the revelation, having never expected this side of Mandy.
“Personal interests are the ultimate test of character. After what I said, she probably felt all her previous dreams shattered,” Cynthia stated calmly.
“But she had ne right to accuse you like that!” Shirley exclaimed, visibly upset. She had trusted Mandy implicitly. Without Cynthia’s help, she might have fallen for their deceit and perhaps even pitied Michelle enough to share some of the company shares with her.

Cynthia noticed Shirley’s agitation and asked her gently, “What are you thinking about?”
“I just feel st upid. I couldn’t even see their true intentions. If you hadn’t come back, I would have believed they were good people,” Shirley confessed to Cynthia
Cynthia patted her head comfortingly. “They did a great job of pretending in front of you. It’s not your fault that you didn’t notice.” After all, she, herself, had only suspected something was amiss after running into Michelle at the office. It was a combination of chance and careful observation.
Shirley was still young and naive, always trying to see the good in people. “I’m still so mad!” Shirley pouted. Cynthia affectionately ruffled her hair, reassuring her
When they arrived home, Shirley retreated to her room to talk to her boyfriend on the phone. Cynthia did not intervene, understanding that this was the age for a pure and simple romance.
By the time evening came, Jonathan called to inform them that he would not be coming home and asked Cynthia and Shirley to get some rest. After agreeing, Cynthia hang up and had dinner with Shirley.
Throughout the meal, Shirley kept glancing at Cynthia, seeming like she wanted to say something but hesitated. Cynthia noticed. “Out with it. You’ve been holding back something all day.”
“How did you know!!! You’ve been watching the since breakfast and while watching TV,” Shirley exclaimed in surprise.
Cynthia knew her sister well. “What’s on your mind?”
“Well it’s just that…” Shirley stumbled over her words, her cheeks flushing slightly.