Isabella turned to the bartender and said, “She’s still a minor. Just give her orange juice.” Then she turned to Tammy, rolling her eyes at her and saying, “Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because your mom isn’t here.”
Tammy shook her head. “Says the one who ran away on your wedding day! You just vanished out of the blue and even changed your name! That’s insane!”
Isabella frowned as she said, “Let’s drop the topic, okay? Are your brother still doing okay, by the way?”
“He’s fine. Matthew is a genius, so he can certainly fix this.”
“Where have your parents gone?”
“They’re still at the hotel. To be honest, I don’t think they’ll be much help. We’ll only be here for a few days. So, do you want to meet them?”
“Of course not! You didn’t tell your parents I was here, did you?” Isabella said nervously.
“No! I’m not a blabber like Natalie. I didn’t say anything to them.”
“That’s good,” Isabella said thoughtfully. She felt she couldn’t tell anyone, especially Anna, that she was in Cliatin. Otherwise, Jasper would know it right away.
Later, the waiter served them drinks. Tammy sipped her orange juice while chewing on the straw. She asked, “So, are you planning to stay here forever?”
“I haven’t considered it yet, but I’ll stay here for a while. Did you bring everything I asked you to bring?”
Tammy pulled a stack of things from her coat pocket and handed them to her. “I had a friend make this for me. You can buy airline tickets with this fake ID card. But why don’t you just use your own ID? “
“No, I’m not that dumb. Your parents will certainly find out where I am if I use my ID.” Saying that, Isabella put that ID card into her pocket.
“So it’s really over between you and Uncle Jasper?” Tammy asked, nodding.
For a brief moment, Isabella frowned in silence. “Stop asking questions! I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Fine! I’m not even interested in that at all. Who is that guy in the convenience store, by the way? I noticed him staring at Isabella as soon as I walked into the store. I bet that he must be crazy in love with you!”
“No, he’s not! He’s my landlord. And he saved my life,” Isabella explained.
“It appears you have quite a story to tell about this adventure,” Tammy said thoughtfully.
“I didn’t invite you here to hear my stories, Tammy! Did you bring me any cash?”
“Of course! Why did you run away without any money? Here, this is my dad’s supplementary card,” Tammy said, pulling a card from her pocket.
“No! I can’t use a credit card. Just give me some cash.”
“How am I going to get you cash right now? I don’t have it!” With a pout, Tammy said in dissatisfaction.
Tammy was holding Wayne’s credit card. Isabella knew that every time she used the card, Wayne would receive a message from the bank.
“Don’t you have any money of your own?” Frowning, Isabella asked.
“Why would I? My father won’t freeze my credit card!” Tammy said confidently.
Shaking her head, Isabella said, “Girl, you’re so naive. When you’re older, you’ll realize that your father won’t freeze your card, but your mother will.”
“So, what should I do? Should I go to the bank and take out some cash now?”
Isabella sipped her wine and then shook her head. “Just give me all the cash you have.”
After looking in every pocket on her clothes, Tammy took out some change. The sum was less than a hundred dollars.
In embarrassment, she uttered, “I only took two hundred dollars when I left home. I should have brought along more money.”
Isabella placed the cash in her pocket. “Thank you. I’ll tell you when I run out of money.”
Tammy laughed. “Do I have your financial resources? Does that mean I can boss you around now that I’m your boss in a way?”
“Shut up, Tammy,” Isabella said, rolling her eyes.
“I’ve already helped you out. So, you should do me a favor in return, right?”
“What favor?” Puzzled, Isabella asked.
Tammy handed her phone to Isabella. At that time, Isabella was sipping her cocktail. She almost spit out her drink when she saw the live feed on the phone screen. “Is that you on the screen?” She asked in astonishment.
“Yep! It’s me,” Tammy said, cocking her head proudly.
“Do your parents know about this?”
“Certainly not! I would never tell them about this!”
“Are you insane? Why the hell do you want to be a live streamer? Do you have any idea how much effort your mom and dad have made so that you could live a low-profile life? If your parents find out about this, they will destroy this social platform,” Isabella said loudly. “You should delete these videos before many people know who you are. Where is the delete button?” Isabella asked, her voice trembling.
“No! You can’t delete it,” Tammy said anxiously, grabbing her phone, “I have over 8,000 loyal followers. I play games when I’m live streaming, and my audiences give me rewards. It’s not much, but it’s all I’ve earned through my own efforts. And I occasionally read bedtime stories to them.”
“My God! If your mother found out, she would be so mad. Will you stop doing that?” Isabella exclaimed, surprised.
“Why are you so agitated? It’s not like I’m breaking any laws!”
Having been there before, Isabella knew that going against a teenager would only backfire. Then she sighed helplessly, “How do you want me to help you?”
“In a few days, there will be a live contest, and I need you to find someone to vote for me. Isn’t the guy in the convenience store a college student? Can you persuade him to ask his classmates to vote for me?”
“And you want to participate in a contest?” Isabella was even more taken aback.
Tammy asked with widened eyes, “You don’t want to help me? Fine. I’ll tell my parents that you’re here. I’m taking you down with me, Isabella!”
Isabella was shocked. She paused for a moment before saying, “OK, I can help you. But I’m going to lay down some ground rules for you.”
“Fine.”
“First and foremost, you are not permitted to reveal any personal information about yourself to the public, including your school, relatives, or friends.”
“Sure.”
“Second, you can’t skip classes anymore. You can be a live streamer, but not at the expense of your studies.”
Tammy said, “I have previously skipped class before. This is not why I failed the tests. Relax! No one will find out about it even if I skip classes.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me! I’m calling your mother right now, Tammy!”
“No! Please don’t tell my mother!” Tammy said in a panic.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.