Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Chapter 54 – Who is Mrs. Barker?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After that, Samantha turned around to see a dumbfounded Tiana and had a mocking grin on her face. “You don’t even know how to make a proper complaint and you have the decency to try and act as though you’re pure at heart?”

“You… You…” Tiana never expected Samantha to respond like that. Those words halted whatever argument she was about to retort.

However, Samantha’s madness worked very much in her favor. She did not need to fight with Samantha because she simply needed to win Timothy’s pity and have him help her.

Tiana’s face turned pale and she let the floodgates loose with her tears. She looked at Timothy standing silently at one side and cried out grievously, “Mr. Barker, you asked me to come over and take care of you. My responsibility is to do just that. I don’t know what I did to offend Ms. Larsson and why she has to treat me like this…”

She bit her lower lip lightly as her voice became hoarse again. “Mr. Barker, I… I don’t think I can stay here and care for you properly if she’s around.”

Samantha could discern Tiana’s implication that the former was being a hindrance and so Timothy should chase her out.

Tiana had grown some brains after Samantha’s pointers earlier and finally knew how to make a convincing complaint.

Unfortunately, Samantha was the kind of person who could go both ways—she could either be amicable and ignore the people who did not mess with her, or she could show that she was no pushover if that person insisted on looking for trouble and stubbornly set foot into that minefield!

Why would she be afraid of Tiana if she did not fear Timothy at all?

She leaned against the door, crossed her hands in front of her chest, then said calmly, “Oh? So, Mr. Barker invited you back here specifically to take care of him, is that it? I thought he asked you over to sleep with you! I mean, why else were you so excited to go into the master bedroom and wear someone else’s nightdress?”

Tiana’s fake crying expression froze abruptly.

She went to the master bedroom and changed into the nightdress for the sole purpose of seducing Timothy. She never thought that Samantha could be so self-indulgent in front of Timothy and mention all of that.

Panic appeared in her eyes and she explained vaguely, “Mr. Barker, I… I didn’t. It’s just, you let me choose whichever room I wanted, so I just went into a random room. I can explain why I changed into a nightdress. I poured some water onto my clothes by accident, and I only changed into the nightdress after seeing some women’s clothes in the closet. I didn’t know it was someone else’s.

“It really was just an ordinary nightdress…”

Samantha felt repulsed yet again, almost as though the steak she had just eaten would be vomited out.

She would have simply viewed Tiana with disdain if Tiana did not act like such a tramp, but each and every one of Tiana’s words and actions made Samantha nauseous.

Samantha gazed down at Tiana and asked coldly, “Ms. Reece, do you know who’s the owner of that ‘ordinary nightdress’ you speak of?”

“Who?” Tiana did not take it seriously. The nightdress was plain and conservative, and she would not have changed into it if she had brought her own over.

Old Madam Barker lived in that villa as well, so Tiana’s first thought was that it belonged to the old lady. The servant must have sorted the clothes by mistake and placed them into the master bedroom’s closet.

Having seen through Tiana’s thoughts, Samantha smiled and said clearly, “It belongs to Mrs. Barker!”

After a pause, she kindly added, “You’re thinking of Old Madam Barker, but I’m not referring to her. I’m talking about Timothy’s wife, the Barker’s rightful madam. That Mrs. Barker!”

Tiana’s eyes widened suddenly and she looked at Samantha in disbelief. The next second, she looked at Timothy again.

Was Timothy married? Unlikely… Tiana never heard such rumors, but Samantha seemed to be so confident that she could not help asking, “Is that true, Mr. Barker?”

Samantha’s dark eyes turned to Timothy as well and she looked at his handsome face.

She had quietly stretched her hand into her pocket and activated the recording function on her cell phone.

Her intention was to record what Timothy said. If he refused to sign the divorce agreement, then she would bring the recording to the old lady. She wanted to make sure his life was just as difficult as hers!

Timothy’s black eyes met Samantha’s gaze. One of his heartstrings was tugged when she said ‘Mrs. Barker’ earlier, and his thin lips moved slightly as he finally opened his mouth.

His answer shook both Samantha and Tiana.

It was but a one-word monotonous reply, “Yes.”

Tiana’s head went blank. Timothy had gotten married in secret? Who was Mrs. Barker? Could it be Penelope? Then again, it would not have been that hush-hush if the Barkers and the Schmidts got married. If it was not Penelope, who else could it be?

She mulled over it but could not figure out who it could possibly be. Her gaze then swept to Samantha and a sudden thought occurred to her, further increasing the panic in her eyes.

Could it be…Samantha?

Impossible!

It was definitely not the case. Samantha said it herself that she was merely a guest that Old Madam Barker invited and it was clear she was staying there shamelessly. Timothy had publicly broken off his marriage with her two years ago, so why else would he take a liking to her again?

Samantha probably knew about Mrs. Barker because the old lady told her.

Mrs. Barker’s existence was of no importance to Tiana at that moment. Samantha had humiliated her so terribly that day and ruined her plan, so she had to teach Samantha a lesson. At the very least, she wanted to see Timothy kick Samantha out of the villa and nip those social climbing thoughts in the bud!

Tiana adjusted her mood immediately and lowered her face, as though she was a delicate flower floating in the wind. “Mr. Barker, I didn’t know that the nightdress belonged to…Mrs. Barker. It was my mistake. If anyone has the right to be angry, it’s Mrs. Barker. What does it have to do with Ms. Larsson? What right does she have to insult me? Could she be that eager to overstep her place because she wants to be your wife?”

While saying that, Tiana pretended to act helpless and wanted to lean against Timothy’s body.

Timothy did not hide the disgust in his eyes and took a step back. Unable to grab hold of him, Tiana staggered and nearly fell.

He opened his lips to speak once more, and his voice was so cold it could pierce through one’s hearts. “Ms. Reece, hand in your resignation letter tomorrow and disappear. Don’t ever let me see you again.”

Tiana thought she had heard him wrongly and asked in a daze. “Are you talking to me, Mr. Barker?”

Timothy was supposed to dispose of that malicious vixen Samantha! Why did he suddenly tell her to resign and just disappear?

“No… Wait, Mr. Barker, I… Was I wrong? Why are you doing this to me?” Tiana asked anxiously before Timothy could speak.

Tiana was not the only one who was puzzled—even the dumbstruck Samantha could not comprehend why he said that. She turned to look at Timothy, waiting for his answer..