Falling For My Accidental CEO Husband
Chapter 116: Fury

Chapter 116: Fury

She was shocked and furious. And at this moment, she could not have judged which was more.

As Edwina Dawn stood at the entrance of the greenhouse, her breath hitched in disbelief. Serena had been correct in her statement. Maybe she would have been better off living on the streets than in this... Edwina’s eyes darted around the chaotic scene before her. The girl she had begrudgingly brought into her home was living here, in this humid, overgrown greenhouse. She had believed that she was honouring her son’s last wish so that his soul would rest in peace.. But instead, he was possibly turning over in his grave all these days.

A sense of disgust settled in her chest as she scanned the cramped space. Among the untamed plants, many of which were riddled with pests, a small mattress had been laid out on the dirt floor. It looked pathetic, almost like an afterthought, but it was clearly the girl’s only place to sleep. Next to it were a few personal belongings—the small luggage bag she had brought, some dog-eared books, a battered cooking pot, and, to her astonishment, an induction stove plugged into a nearby outlet.

Edwina’s assistant, who had followed her inside after the housekeeper stepped out, was visibly repulsed. He had been curious about the special preparations they had probably made for her living but this was beyond anything he could have imagined... In fact, the family’s pet dogs had better living space than this...He wrinkled his nose at the stifling smell of damp soil and mildew that clung to the air. Trying to keep his voice low, he muttered, "If child services or the press ever got wind of this..."

But Edwina barely registered his words. Her focus was entirely on the situation in front of her. Her well-manicured fingers tightened as a hot surge of anger boiled within her.

How had it come to this? How could she have allowed a child to live like this in her home, without even realizing it? The girl hadn’t just been neglected—she had been left to fend for herself in a greenhouse that was little better than a pest-infested jungle. The plants had overtaken every available space, their vines creeping over furniture and floors alike, while bugs flitted from leaf to leaf, creating an almost deafening hum. The longer she looked, the more enraged she became.

She shot a look at her assistant, whose discomfort was evident as he awkwardly shuffled his feet, feeling guilty for not following up. "This is beyond unacceptable," Edwina muttered under her breath, her voice thick with fury.

"Do you want me to handle it?" he asked hesitantly, but she didn’t respond right away.

All she could think of was how utterly wrong this was. It wasn’t just about the neglect, or the fact that this girl had been forced to live in these deplorable conditions. It was about the audacity of it all. She shot a look at the trembling housekeeper and already guessed that it could not be her doing alone. No... None of her servants would dare to do that of their own accord. So, someone in her own family had ordered it.

Just then, the door on the other side of the greenhouse opened and a young woman stepped in. However, as soon as she caught a glimpse of the people standing inside, she quickly started to turn around, prepared to run.

But Edwina stopped her with a single word," Halt."

The young trembling servant turned around and walked towards the older woman with her head bowed,her hands clutching the things in them tightly.

Edwina Dawn looked at the girl and questioned," Who are you. What is your name? What are yuo doing here?"

The gril gulped in fear and muttered,"I-I’m sorry, madam. I didn’t mean to... I mean, I was just... I-I’ll clean everything up, I swear! Please don’t—"

Edwina raised a hand, silencing her. "Are these things yours?" Her voice was icily calm.

The maid froze, her wide eyes darting to the small mattress and the clutter scattered around it. For a moment, she seemed completely lost, unsure of what to say. Then, with a jerky nod, she said, "Y-Yes, madam."

This time, her voice came out sharp, cutting through the girl’s feeble defense as she warned. "I will ask you again. Are these things yours?"

The maid hesitated, swallowing hard, her knuckles turning white as she contued to clutch the in her hands. Finally, she blurted out, "N-No, madam. They aren’t mine! I’m sorry—I lied. But please—please don’t punish Serena! She didn’t want to cause any trouble. She’s a good girl, madam.

"Are those Serena’s clothes? And is that food?" she asked carefully. Because they were. She had been wearing them just yesterday.

"Y-Yes, madam... I—I washed them for her. She didn’t want to ask anyone for help, so I—" The maid gulped in fear and continued," Ma’am! I... I didn’t use anything from the laundry room. And even this piece of bread, I haven’t taken from the kitchen but from my own money so... Please forgive me, Ma’am. I know you instructed that she is to be ignored but... she is too... She never takes anything for free! If I do this for her, she helps me with my homework as well..."

Edwina frowned," She helps you with your homework? Aren’t you much older than her?"

"Yes madam! She is really smart. I am already in college but things I find difficult, she helps me with them! Especially accounting..."

"So, you’re telling me, that you defied my orders because you wanted to help the girl?"

The maid looked away,"I am sorry, ma’am...I...Just let me place these clothes here and I’ll go and pack my bags."

"Pack your bags?"

"I know you’re firing me for not listenting to your orders... but I couldn’t..."

Edwina nodded," Is that so? Good. Pack your bags..." Edwina turned around then, "Bring her to me..."

The assistant nodded before looking back at the things...Edwina cast a glance at that one last time before sighing," LEave those things there for now."