Chapter 10: A Tragic Life
After hearing Jennifer's words, Carl was stunned momentarily before finally reacting.
“I died? And it was for Jennifer? Damn it, I’ve only known her for less than a week—was our bond really that deep?”
Carl figured that something must have happened later that strengthened their relationship. However, since those events hadn’t occurred, Jennifer should have known about them. However, she could only cry now—she wasn’t even thinking about the situation rationally.
The curiosity of their classmates reached its peak. They were desperate to know what had happened to Carl. How did he die? And why was his death related to Jennifer?
The math teacher, Mr. Hewlett Booth, took off his reading glasses and scanned Jennifer thoughtfully.
“Young lady, I don’t know what’s happening, but I can arrange an empty room for you two if you’d like to continue hugging and chatting.”
Carl quickly whispered to Jennifer, “Hurry back to your seat. Mr. Hewlett is different from the other teachers.”
Some of their classmates also lightly tugged at Jennifer’s clothes, and Sheila even approached her, gently holding her hand as she guided her back to her seat.
It was only then that Jennifer noticed something peculiar—during other teachers’ classes, the students acted indifferent. Some even dared to chat on their phones openly. But in Mr. Hewlett’s class, every student had their textbook open and appeared to be paying close attention.
Sheila leaned over and whispered, “Mr. Hewlett is a senior professor with a long-standing reputation. Most of our parents were once his students. If they found out we disrespected him, we’d probably get a beating at home.”
Jennifer finally understood why everyone was being so careful.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hewlett,” she said, wiping her tears. “I lost control of my emotions just now. I suffered 15 years of abuse from my adoptive parents… My mental state isn’t exactly stable.”
Mr. Hewlett was momentarily taken aback. He hadn’t expected Jennifer to have such a tragic past. His stern expression softened slightly.
“I don’t recall seeing you in my class before. You must be the new transfer student John mentioned—Jennifer, right? I’ll let this slide this time. If you ever have trouble understanding anything, please come to me.”
He gave Jennifer a small smile before putting his glasses back on and resuming his lecture.
Jennifer let out a sigh of relief, glad she had escaped punishment.
Meanwhile, Carl’s ears twitched—he could hear Jennifer’s thoughts again.
“Oh my god, I got way too emotional just now. I can’t believe that after my heart was forcibly taken from me, Carl avenged me by rejecting his beloved girl’s confession. Then, he used scandals he obtained from the FBI and CIA to blackmail those people, forcing them to take down the Payne family. Later, their rivals exposed his activities because he left too many traces online while digging up dirt on the Paynes. As a result, he was shot to death. And worst of all, he was holding my photo when he died! Oh god, I feel like crying again. He is my dear brother…”
Tears welled up in Jennifer’s eyes again. If she turned to look at Carl at that moment, she would have seen his utterly shocked expression.
Meanwhile, the class group chat was on fire again.
Billy: [Hey, guys, did you hear that? Jennifer died because her heart was forcibly removed! And it was connected to the Payne family!]
David: [Was it the Payne family who took her heart? Why? Isn’t the Payne family Jennifer and Carl’s own family?]
Monica: [Was it their parents who did it? Oh my god, that’s terrifying—I don’t even want to think about it.]
Euphemia: [Are all rich people’s lives this insane?]
Peggy: [My family is one of the wealthiest, but we’ve never had anything like this happen.]
Carl glanced at the chat and then put his phone away, a shadow flickering in his eyes.
Outsiders didn’t know the truth about the Payne family, but Carl, as someone born into it, was well aware of the eerie atmosphere surrounding them.
He had always found his parents, older brother, and even his younger sister to have somewhat twisted minds. Take Jennifer’s situation, for example—if a daughter who had endured over a decade of abuse returned home, any normal parents would hold her in their arms, comfort her, and make amends.
But his parents didn’t do any of that. Carl vaguely sensed that they felt an instinctive disgust toward Jennifer. And that disgust came from Madonna.
If he hadn’t been sure that Madonna didn’t possess some mind-control ability, he would have suspected that his parents’ perceptions had been altered.
“If the Payne family orchestrated all of this, then Madonna is likely involved,” Carl speculated, narrowing his eyes.
He wasn’t particularly concerned about how he had died. What intrigued him more was what exactly had happened to Jennifer. He needed to determine whether it was her strange abilities or the mysteries surrounding her future.
But Jennifer wasn’t thinking about any of that right now. She focused her gaze on Mr. Hewlett as he lectured.
“I wonder what secrets Mr. Hewlett is hiding?”
Jennifer delved into the old professor’s secrets, unable to resist her curiosity.
The classroom fell silent as the students listened intently. They, too, were curious about what kind of secrets their esteemed professor might have. Challenging the privacy of an authority figure gave them an unexpected thrill.
Mr. Hewlett Booth is a highly respected professor. Most of his students have gone on to become industry elites. However, some didn’t achieve success and even faced hardships in life. Unbeknownst to most, Mr. Hewlett has been secretly keeping track of all his former students. Whenever one of them falls on hard times, he anonymously donates money or supplies to help them. But Mr. Hewlett doesn’t want public gratitude—he loves teaching and wishes to live a peaceful life. That’s why so few people know about this kind-hearted older man’s noble secret.
Jennifer read what she had seen in her mind, and the whole class suddenly felt a pang of guilt as they looked at Mr. Hewlett’s back.
There was no doubt that Mr. Hewlett was one of the best people in this world. No wonder their parents spoke so highly of him.
Suddenly, Jennifer’s furious voice echoed in their minds.
“That bastard! Someone deceived Mr. Hewlett?! And even drove him to suicide?! Those people deserve to die! I have to save him!”
The whole class shuddered.
It was the first time they had felt such pure rage from Jennifer.
At the same time, they all realized something terrible must have happened to Mr. Hewlett.