She Outshines Them All

She Outshines 378

While the couple was packing their luggage, Joel also received a call and then announced ecstatically.

“The boss from the power supply station notified me that my application for the electrician position has been successful. I need to report to the station within three days. It’s a formal position with a monthly salary of 3,000 to 4,000 dollars.”

His wife was equally excited. “A formal position is great! Electricians with a formal position are no worse off than civil servants. You don’t need to run around construction sites or home renovations, dealing with small jobs and picky clients anymore.”

“Of course, having a formal position is good,” Joel said, but after a moment of relief, his brow furrowed. “But if I report to work, I won’t be able to live in the relocated house, nor will I be eligible to receive one.”

His wife replied, “Getting the relocated house would definitely be more beneficial…”

At this moment, Joel received a call from Arthur. After taking the call, he nodded. “Alright, I’ll go now.”

He then told his wife, “Arthur and Brandon are back in Kitmore City. They said they wanted to treat me to a meal and have good news for me. I’m going to eat with them now.”

His wife said, “Quickly go. Call me immediately if there’s good news.”

Joel had indeed received great news. The good news was, “Eldest cousin has done something wrong and is too ashamed to stay in Kitmore City. He’s preparing to return to Hartselle. The relocated house is now yours.

“We’ll transfer it to your name as soon as the new deed is signed

Joel smiled from ear to ear and quickly toasted them. “Thank you. It’s been hard on both of you. Come, let me toast you.”

Brandon said, “However, the compensation for the relocated house is not on an individual basis. Instead, it is based on

feet RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

per person.

square

feet.” “For example, the five of you live in 750 square feet relocated house, on average, each of you has 150 square feet. The compensation area is at most 300 square feet per person. In total, it’s at most 1700 square

“Only 1,700 square feet?” Joel was dumbfounded. “Isn’t it too far off from everyone getting a house individually?”

At this moment, the door of the private room was suddenly kicked open. Five or six burly tattooed men rushed in, closed the door, and flashed their knives.

Before Joel and the other two could react, their heads were pressed against the table and their necks the tip of the knife. “Don’t move! If you dare to move, I’ll cut off your ears!” The burly men threatened fiercely.

Joel was so scared that his face turned pale and he trembled. He could not figure out what happened, “Brandon!” The bald man in the lead patted Brandon’s cheek with a knife. “The 200

thousand dollars you owe us is due. Now, you have to pay back 400 thousand dollars. Quickly pay, or I’ll cut off one of your ears and give it to your family.”

Arthur screamed, “Borrowing 200 thousand dollars for three months, and now he has to pay you 400 thousand dollars. This is usury and illegal!”

“Brandon willingly signed this.” The bald man took out the promissory note and slapped it on the table. In one line, pay or

not?”

Brandon raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I’ll pay, I swear! But I don’t have that much money right now. Give me a few days, and I’ll write you an IOU for 40 thousand dollars to cover the interest for these few days

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“I just hope you won’t tell my family about this. Otherwise, my dad and mom will definitely chase me out of the house.”

“I don’t believe you have so much money,” the bald man said. “How about this? A total of 440 thousand dollars, the three of you will split it equally. Each of you will write an IOU of 146 thousand dollars to us. This old IOU will be voided.”

Arthur cried and said, “I…I’ll write it. Don’t hurt Brandon.”

Joel was so scared that tears welled up in his eyes. “I…I’m just their cousin. I’m not close to them at all. I won’t write…”

The bald man slapped him and cut his ear slightly. He then scolded, “You call each other brothers, yet you still dare to say you’re not close to them?”

Joel said crying, “I’m really not close to them. I haven’t contacted them for more than ten years. I didn’t even tell them when I got married and had kids. I’m just here to have fun for a few days. I’m going back to my hometown soon.”

Arthur shouted, “Joel, you can’t do this! When there’s something good, you call us family, but when there’s nothing in it for you, you say we’re not close. That really makes us feel hurt.”

Brandon also said coldly, “Joel, if you can’t share the tough times with us, don’t consider yourself our relative anymore.” Joel said, “We… we’re cousins, to begin with. We haven’t been in contact for more than ten years. How can we be close?”

The burly men looked at each other and discussed in low voices

The bald man said slowly and loudly, “We only collect debts from close family. If you’re really not close to them, write a statement saying you haven’t had contact with Brandon’s whole family for over ten years, that you can’t help them repay their debts, and that you won’t stand by them in tough times. Also, say that if Brandon’s family faces any difficulties in the future, they shouldn’t come to you because you’re not involved. Do that, and I’ll leave you alone.”

Joel had drunk a little too much and his mind was not clear. Furthermore, he was indeed frightened and thus immediately nodded. “I’ll write it. I’ll write it now. After I’m done, you must let me go.”

The bald man took out a pen and paper and placed them in front of him. “Write

Write according now.

to what I’ve just said.

and wrote

a statement that read, “I’m not familiar with Brandon Donovan’s entire pen Without thinking, Joel grabbed the family. I haven’t contacted him for more than ten years…”

After he finished writing, he signed and pressed his thumbprint. The bald man picked up the statement and said, “You can go now.”

Brandon kicked Joel fiercely, eyes full of viciousness. “Joel, Arthur and I will always remember what you said just now. I hope you won’t forget it in this lifetime.

“In the future, if you dare to look for our family members or say that you’re our relative outside, I’ll hire these people to break your legs.”

Joel felt a chill run down his spine from the intense gaze, and he did not want to stay for even a second longer.

He immediately picked up his phone and covered the wound on his ear. He staggered out and said, “I… I won’t look for you all again. Don’t… don’t implicate me…

He did not even think of calling the police. He quickly fled back to the hotel and told his wife what had happened. His wife was also scared out of her wits.

Coupled with Joel securing a stable, iron–clad job in town, the temptation was strong. The two did not dare to get too attached to the elusive relocated house. They quickly packed their things and, with all haste, returned to the town.

Of course, they did not expect the scene in the private room to be a self–directed act by the Donovan brothers and those burly men. Their goal was to make him take the initiative to write that statement and force him to leave Klimore City,

2

After writing that statement, he could forget about demanding anything at all from the Donovan family.

ე

Of course, he did not expect the Donovan family to be behind in him getting the ironclad job in the power supply station and Gavin’s wife getting the position at a key middle school. To be precise, Athena was behind all this.

Athena knew very well that for someone