Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System
Chapter 270: Help?

Chapter 270: Chapter 270: Help?

Theodore nodded, his face expressionless as usual. "Yeah, that’s me," he said, his tone neutral.

Jean’s eyes lit up with excitement.

"Oh my God, I’m such a big fan of yours! I’ve been watching your shows for the past seven years!" She quickly walked over to Theodore and grabbed his hand, practically shaking it in her excitement.

Olivia, who had been watching this entire exchange with amusement, couldn’t help but ask,

"Really? What show do you like the most? Which one’s your favorite?"

Jean’s face suddenly froze, and she was caught off guard. She had no idea what she was talking about.

In truth, she didn’t know much about Theodore’s work at all, she had only heard a little about him from other people.

She just saw him on TV once or twice and thought he looked familiar. But now, she was so caught up in trying to impress everyone that she didn’t want to admit she didn’t know much.

She grinned awkwardly and muttered, "Oh, all of them are great! Yeah, I really like all the shows you’ve done."

But Olivia wasn’t buying it. Her sharp gaze made it clear she could tell Jean was lying.

"Hmm, really? Well, I guess that’s good to know," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Maybe you should catch up on a few more episodes then."

Jean felt a surge of embarrassment but tried to cover it up with another fake smile. "Oh, I will. I definitely will."

Meanwhile, Olivia, Theodore, and Lucas exchanged glances, silently agreeing that Jean’s behavior was a bit strange.

As Jean looked around the apartment once more, Adriana could see the clear envy in her eyes.

It was like Jean couldn’t wait to benefit from this new lifestyle Mary had built for herself, and it made Adriana feel uneasy.

"Anyway, this place is lovely," Jean said, trying to shift the focus back to the apartment.

"It’s so much better than I expected. Looks like Mary’s really doing well for herself."

Jean settled herself on the couch, looking like she owned the place. She crossed her legs and smiled sweetly at the four siblings sitting in front of her.

"You know," Jean began, her tone suddenly changing as she looked around the room, "when we were young, Mary used to be such a rebel. Always doing things her own way, never listening to our parents."

The four siblings—Olivia, Theodore, Adriana, and Lucas—sat quietly, listening.

"She used to get into so much trouble," Jean continued, letting out a fake sigh.

"And when she did, our parents used to punish her. Sometimes, they wouldn’t even let her eat dinner."

Jean shook her head slowly like she was remembering something heartbreaking.

"If it wasn’t for me sneaking food to her, I swear, Mary would’ve been just a scrawny little stick her whole life."

The room grew quiet. None of the siblings had ever heard this before.

Their mom, Mary, rarely spoke about her family or her past. And their dad, Adam, wasn’t any different. It was like both their parents had chosen to leave the past behind.

Jean smiled sadly and kept going.

"Mary didn’t even have her own makeup back then. Poor thing," Jean said, rolling her eyes.

"It was always me who shared my things with her. My lipstick, my brushes, my powder—she borrowed everything. And I never once complained."

The siblings exchanged glances. Something about Jean’s words made them feel weird, like Jean was trying too hard to make herself look like a saint.

"Now look at us," Jean said dramatically.

"Time has changed. I used to share everything with her, and now she’s the one living in this beautiful home, and I... I have nothing left to share."

She gave a big, fake sigh and looked straight at the four of them.

"If I were in Mary’s place, I’d still share with my sister. Even if I had just one piece of bread, I’d split it. But look at me now... my left shoulder’s been in pain for weeks, and I can’t even ask Mary for help because she’s so far ahead of me."

The room was still silent. Olivia, Lucas, Theodore, and Adriana just looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Jean, on the other hand, was getting more and more annoyed.

’Why aren’t they saying anything?’ she thought angrily. ’Why are they staring like statues? Can’t even one of them offer to help? Ugh! I want to slap every single one of them!’

She clenched her fists and tried to keep her voice sweet.

"I just wish... someone could help me," she said with a soft, pitiful tone.

Olivia blinked and suddenly smiled. "I can help you."

Jean’s eyes lit up. Finally! She knew one of them had a kind heart.

"Oh, Olivia! That’s so kind of you," Jean said, putting on her sweetest face. "How are you planning to help?"

Olivia’s eyes sparkled. "I’ll introduce you to an NGO. They help people like you!"

Jean’s smile froze. Her face twitched slightly.

"An... NGO?" she repeated slowly.

"Yup!" Olivia said cheerfully. "They help people in need. You should totally check them out. I’ll even give you the contact details."

Adriana covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh.

Theodore turned away, hiding his face in the couch cushion, his shoulders shaking. Lucas stared at the floor, biting his lip so hard it looked like it might bleed.

Jean, meanwhile, was fuming inside.

’This girl... this little monster... she’s just like Mary! Vicious little snake! I swear I’m going to slap her!’

But on the outside, Jean forced a fake smile. "Thank you, Olivia. I’ll be waiting for that NGO contact."

Olivia tilted her head sweetly and said, "By the way, Aunt Jean, you said you and Mom were close, right?"

Jean quickly nodded. "Yes, very close. Like best friends."

Olivia nodded thoughtfully. "That’s nice. So... if you’re that close to her, where’s the birthday gift?"

Jean blinked. "What?"

Olivia smiled innocently. "Well, it’s almost Mom’s birthday. If you came to visit her out of love, you’d have brought something, right?"

Jean gritted her teeth and forced another laugh. "I... I didn’t bring a gift because I don’t have much money right now."

Olivia’s expression turned disappointed. She looked at the floor and said in a voice that was just loud enough for everyone to hear,

"Even a beggar brings a leftover piece of bread when they visit someone. How come my aunt didn’t even bring a bowl of rice?"

Jean’s entire face turned red. She wanted to leap out of her seat and scream, maybe even throw a shoe at Olivia. But she stayed still, her nails digging into her palms to control herself.

Olivia looked up with her big innocent eyes and said sweetly, "What? Why is everyone looking at me?"

Theodore gave her a secret thumbs up from behind Jean’s back, his eyes full of admiration.

’If Olivia ever becomes an actress,’ he thought, ’she’s going to win all the awards. Her acting is flawless.’

Jean’s fake smile started to slip. Her lips twitched, and her eyes narrowed just slightly, but she kept her voice sweet.

"Well then, can someone call Mary for me?" she asked, trying to sound polite.

Olivia, who had been answering every question till now, quickly said, "I can do it!"

But before Olivia could stand, Jean waved her hand. "No, no. I really like you, Olivia. I don’t want you to leave. Why don’t... Adriana go call her?"

She turned to Adriana with a kind-looking smile, but her eyes were sharp and calculating.

Olivia’s eyes didn’t miss a beat. "Oh no, you see, Adriana isn’t really liked by our parents. I’m the only one they really listen to. So I should be the one to call."

Before Jean could even open her mouth, Olivia stood up and skipped out of the room like nothing happened.

Jean’s jaw clenched as she stared at Olivia’s back. She was this close to grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her.

But she took a deep breath and told herself, Not yet.

’Don’t fight with the kid. I’ll deal with her later... once I move in here with my husband and my four kids. Then we’ll see who has the last laugh.’

Meanwhile, Olivia walked to the farthest corner of the house where she was sure Jean couldn’t hear her and pulled out her phone. She dialed her mom’s number, and after a few rings, Mary answered.

"Hello?"

"Mom," Olivia said in the most casual voice ever, "there’s this random aunt named Jean who’s sitting in the living room asking for coins."

Mary blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"I’m serious. She says she’s your sister or something, but she looks like one of those rich-looking beggars.

Keeps talking about how sad her life is. I think she’s just here for benefits. You know her or not? Should we just kick her out?"

There was a short silence on the other end. Then Mary sighed. "No, don’t kick her out. I’m coming back now."