Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 199

Marlowe clearly wasn't on board with my idea. "People prefer boys over girls, and everyone already knows about the tough breaks these families have had. They've managed to get out on their own. Even if we write about it, I doubt many people would care."

She added, "Folks like reading about comebacks, not just wallowing in misery. Quinlan can't get away from her family because she doesn't have what it takes."

I scowled, feeling pretty ticked off. "You haven't lived in a family like that, so it's easy for you to talk. You've only dealt with Yosef and Yasmin once, and they left you feeling helpless. Where do you get off saying it's easy to break free?"

"And don't forget, Yosef and Yasmin came to Starlight City because of you. You don't really think I'm helping you out of the goodness of my heart, do you? I'm doing this for Quinlan, and you're just along for the ride. If you keep arguing with me, I won't bother sharing my methods with you."

My sudden firmness made Marlowe look a bit embarrassed. She opened her mouth but eventually decided to keep quiet.

Seeing that she finally got the message, I continued, "If we only talk about Quinlan's rough family background, it might not attract many readers. But if we change the angle, and you, as an observer, describe how you brought Yosef and Yasmin here, how they treated you, and weave in Quinlan's tragic past, I think a lot of people would be interested. It's more dramatic and unexpected."

Marlowe frowned, thought for a moment, and then reacted quickly. "But wouldn't that make me the villain in the story? No way, my reputation would be even worse. How could I clear my name then?"

She was willing to do this only if her reputation could be salvaged.

"That's not hard. You work in magazines and have researched reader psychology. You should know that when a more despicable image of Yosef and Yasmin appears, you won't be hated as much. At that point, if you admit your mistakes and help Quinlan, I believe compared to Yosef and Yasmin's evil deeds, yours would be nothing. You'll be able to clear your name quickly."

The reason I was willing to help Marlowe wasn't out of sheer kindness. When I was chatting with Paula, she actually suggested buying off Quinlan's relationship with Yosef and Yasmin with a sum of money.

But I refused because I believed people as greedy as Yosef and Yasmin would agree initially, but once the money ran out, they'd shamelessly continue to pester her. I wanted to help Quinlan eliminate future troubles.

Of course, I was not in a hurry. The only one who should be anxious was Marlowe herself.

"You can go back and think about my proposal, but you'd better decide quickly. Letting this drag on won't do you any good."

Marlowe didn't say anything, but she looked utterly defeated. She probably knew that if she couldn't come up with a better solution, she'd have to follow my advice.

She asked, "Quinlan is your cousin, right? By helping her, aren't you hurting Yosef and Yasmin? This is disrespectful to your elders. Your parents are gone, and Yosef is one of your few remaining blood relatives. Can you really bear to do this?"

"I grew up in the city and didn't have much contact with Yosef and Yasmin. How deep could our relationship be? Compared to Yosef, who is related to me by blood, I prefer and want to help Quinlan, who is also related to me by blood. After all, our bond is much stronger." I didn't hide my disdain for Yosef and Yasmin.

"Really? You talk a big game, Melinda, but people can change. Have you ever thought that if Quinlan betrays you one day, it might be like father, like daughter? Her dad's selfish, and she could be the same."

I wondered what Marlowe had gone through to make her so cynical.

After what happened with Lawrence, I had become more cautious and wary of human nature.

But once I decided someone was trustworthy, I was still willing to accept them.

From my interactions with Quinlan, she was kind, measured, and strong. Her resilience made her personality stand out, and I was naturally willing to trust her.

"That's not your concern. Instead of worrying about that, you should focus on yourself. Yosef and Yasmin won't give up easily, and their son is still waiting for money. I doubt they can wait much longer." I wasn't exaggerating. It was up to Marlowe to believe it or not.

Marlowe left with a dark expression, not giving an immediate answer about whether she was willing to cooperate with me.

But her stubbornness, even at this point, was something I couldn't help but admire. I couldn't resist telling Paula about Marlowe's situation.

"She doesn't have many options now. If she could let go of her hostility and prejudice against me, she shouldn't waste time and should agree immediately. I don't understand why she has such animosity towards me." I had always been puzzled by this.

Even if it was about Quinlan, there were traces to follow, possibly because of her brother. But initially, I didn't have much interaction with her.

Paula thought for a moment and then said, "Didn't you ask me to investigate her? I found some information and sent it to your email. Maybe it'll give you a different perspective on her."

After hanging up, I opened the email Paula sent and carefully read the information about Marlowe.

Marlowe originally lived in a wealthy and loving family. Her parents were affectionate and doted on her.

The year her mother was pregnant with her brother, the family went bankrupt. Her father couldn't handle the pressure of the debts and jumped off a building, committing suicide. Her mother, seven months pregnant, went into premature labor upon hearing the news. Although the baby survived, he had congenital issues and intellectual disabilities.

Her mother died from excessive bleeding during childbirth.

Because Marlowe was smart and well-behaved, some relatives wanted to adopt her. But she agreed to be adopted only if they took her brother too.

However, her brother was weak and had intellectual problems, so no one wanted him.

So, she and her brother were sent to an orphanage. As her brother grew, his frailty and intellectual issues became more apparent.

In the orphanage, the weak were often bullied. Marlowe fought many battles to protect her brother, becoming quite a troublemaker.

But one time, she wasn't careful, and an older kid almost beat her brother to death. Her brother, being slow and frail, was still very young.

In a fit of rage, Marlowe hit the boy who bullied her brother on the back of the head with a stick, causing him to pass out and bleed profusely.

She probably thought she had killed him and ran away from the orphanage with her brother.

When she returned to the orphanage, she was skin and bones, and her brother was on the brink of death.

Later, she was adopted but didn't insist on taking her brother. However, when she became an adult and had the means, she took her brother back home.

But as a young woman, she had to work hard to earn money and take care of a sickly, intellectually disabled brother. It was a huge drain on her energy and finances.