Next Move

So what if her aunt was actually elated?

She definitely would never think that the person she choose to be on her side would in the end be the one to cause her to lose face. The proves that she needed wasn't something that she could tamper with. Maybe if her relationship with her niece was so good as she tried to make it look like, perhaps Auriane wouldn't have had the upper hand.

But she was far from expecting that everyone had secrets, even her closest family member wouldn't tell her about her dark secrets. It was the nature of man, even if they revealed their dark secrets to their trusted people. There was not much confidence to actually release their deepest thoughts.

The one who was sent inside actually came back holding a little bottle of what looked like sleeping pills. At least that was the impression it gave to everyone, even Auriane scoffed when she saw it.

"That's merely a bottle of sleeping pills, how is it supposed to prove anything."

   With such an appearance it definitely couldn't prove anything, so Stella couldn't be bothered by it. However, when she set a glance at Cindy and saw that her expression had suddenly turned pale, she immediately panicked.

"Don't judge the book by its cover. What you see might not be the truth."

What truth?

    Everyone was curious what Auriane's words had been hinting, but the moment she pulled away the ticket sealing the lower body of the slightly oval container. A loud gasp was heard from the crowd who immediately recognized the content of the container.

"This, how was it possible?"

   Everyone who had once seen this container could tell that the drug was a rare contraceptive drug given to only girls that had been forcefully violated. Obviously, only one hospital at the capital city had it, because of its effectiveness. It was not only a mixture of contractive pill but it prevented girls who had been raped to avoid contracting disease or any inflammation from their rape. Helping with their psychological trauma as well.

In not more than five years the drug would become popular and accessible to everyone. But as for now it wasn't so accessible, consequently Auriane didn't need to explain much but everyone understood it.

"How is it possible, why does Stella's niece have... could it be that...."

"N...no, that's not mine!"

In a moment of panic Cindy admitted that the bottle wasn't hers, but didn't she also admit that she was guilty of keeping Nora's innocence unknown.

How stupid

Stella glared at her niece who couldn't help but panic the next moment, now she had made things even more difficult for her.

"Elder cousin, I know this isn't yours, sister's name is written in a piece of paper inside, with few informations, obviously she didn't even take a pill out of it, that's why it's still sealed, but what I don't understand is why it's with you?"

A wave of shock took over Nora at the moment she saw the container with Cindy. She recalled that the doctors had given her contraceptive drugs to block any pregnancy, but she couldn't understand why at the end she was still pregnant even after taking precautions. It turns out Cindy gave her the wrong drugs.

"Elder cousin, ain't you being vicious, you knew sister was violated, you could have at least saved her more trouble."

"I didn't do anything, it was..."

"That's enough!", Stella cut in, if she really stayed behind and just watched the whole scene, the old screwed plan would bring more  trouble for her and her family. How would she face the neighbors if she lets the little brat to continue to probe further; besides, Auriane didn't look like the shy, naive girl that could be easily fooled or suppressed by her. Letting her go any further could only cause more harm for her reputation, even her niece had totally been suppressed by her.

Stella gritted her teeth and glared at Auriane, but she saw nothing more but a faint smile that curved her pink lips, yet she couldn't tell what the girl had in mind, but her every word carried a trap or poison along. 

Such that Cindy was already giving answers out of fear and if it continued like that she would end up confessing that everything had been planned by her, even up to Nora's rape. If she had known that giving the green card to Auriane would cause more harm than expected, then she wouldn't have taken the bargain.

"Auriane, Cindy might have done something bad, but the fact that this container was found in her room doesn't mean she's vicious, don't be judgmental."

"Right, Auriane this is a serious case."

"Right, you can't just judge your sister, Cindy had always been a kind and sensible child, how could she do such a thing to harm Nora, there must be an explanation."

"Yes, these two girls are the dignity of our little country home, how could any cause harm?"

   Auriane heard the villagers speaking to each other, though very few had positive respond, their negative respond was kicking in Auriane's head.

' Was she really judgemental?'

Certainly not, wasn't Stella the one who actually judged her sister upon discovering that she was pregnant. No one gave her the chance to explain and were even ready to chase her away.

So unreasonable

"Aunty is right about a point, but don't you think you owe sister an appology and elder cousin owes us an explanation as well."

Auriane didn't resist, but it was obvious that she wouldn't just let everything go until she had gotten what she wanted. Even though her sister's reputation had been cleared and rather than disgust and disdain, others actually felt that the little Nora was quite pitiful.

She had been violated in the capital and for some reasons she couldn't avoid pregnancy, how was a pitiful child like her even going to survive with the creature growing in her. Her mother was death and her step family didn't seem to like her.

"Sigh...what a pitiful child, I really regret my actions just now...who could have known that she suffered so much injustice."

   An elder lady who was also a neighbor to the Whites sighed when her gaze met that of Nora. Others felt even too ashamed to look at the girl, but they didn't last to blame Stella and Cindy who had castigated everything.

"A step mother is indeed a step mother...these children were doomed the moment they lost their mother."

"Look at us, instead of defending them we actually joined the step mother to chase her away..."

  The other neighbors added, glaring at Stella and Cindy who stood in a corner. How was she supposed to ignore the cold glare of everyone who actually looked down on her.

She was furious when she looked at Auriane standing by her sister, but she almost vomited blood when the girl ignored her and was calmly chatting with her sister.

"Don't worry sister, I'm here..."

   Auriane stood closely by the side of her sister like a shield to protect her from Stella's glaring. Even if eyes couldn't kill, Auriane couldn't stand Stella glaring at her sister with a killing intent.

This vicious girl.

   Stella cursed, but she didn't pay any further attention to Nora and Auriane. She would have enough time to deal with them, but as for now she still needed to settle the trouble that Auriane had caused.

Stella poked Cindy who had just regained her composure, she instigated her to take an act before it became impossible to go back.

"Junior cousin, please don't be mad at me, I was wrong, I should have told you that I lost the contraceptive given by the doctor. But I was so scared and I didn't dare to tell you, I went to the pharmacy to get another one for you, but who would have thought that...I was failed."

Cindy knelt in front Nora, her desperate words carried a faint feeling of being regretful, even her words hd given her right. Anyone would believe that she had indeed been wronged, but they failed to see that her rush to explain was actually an attempt to escape criticisms. They only saw the side of the girl that never gave up to fix a situation, however bad it went.

Purely Hypocrisy!

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