Defying Fate: The Unstoppable Eileen



The moment Simon spoke, everyone in the room was stunned into silence.

Phyllis and Josiah were both rendered speechless.

Josiah stammered, "Why... why is your whole family coming here?"

Phyllis nodded in agreement, strongly suspecting that perhaps their teacher, Mr. Bartley, had gotten the theme of the gathering all wrong.

The invitation was for friends and family to join Eileen and Mr. Reed at their home. Not for their guests to then invite their own friends and family! Simon didn't dare meet his aunt's gaze, nor could he respond to Josiah's question. So, he fell silent.

The room became eerily quiet.

After a moment of contemplation, Egbert walked over to Eileen. Just as he was about to put his arm around her shoulders, Eileen darted away as if she had been startled, like a cat with its tail stepped on!

Egbert quickly grabbed her.

"Let go of me, let go!" Eileen shouted, struggling against Egbert's grip.

He pulled her back into his arms and glanced at Simon. "Aren't you running?"

Simon snapped out of his stupor and rushed to the balcony. Eileen continued to struggle.

Egbert held her tighter, and trying to soothe her. "Calm down, calm down."

Eileen was practically hopping mad. "How can I calm down? This little... Did I tell him to invite them? Simon, get out here! Right now!"

"Simon?" Jarvis questioned, looking perplexed. Josiah and Phyllis were also confused, their eyes on Eileen.

Eileen choked on her words, her throat suddenly dry.

Egbert gently stroked her hair. "Well, they're on their way. We can't exactly tell them to turn back now, can we?"

"But..." Eileen protested.

Egbert patiently watched her.

Eileen wanted to argue, but she didn't know what to say. In the end, she could only hang her head in defeat, muttering, "What should we do..."

Egbert gently stroked her hair. "I'll ask them how long until they arrive."

Eileen pouted, her small hand clutching Egbert's shirt, her nails picking at the seams.

Seeing that Eileen had calmed down, Egbert held her with one arm while he dialed a number with his free hand.

The call was immediately disconnected.

A second later, the doorbell rang, and Egbert looked towards the door.

Eileen, however, was frozen in shock!

The living room fell into an eerie silence again, neither Josiah nor Phyllis dared to make a sound.

Jarvis frowned, his gaze falling on the balcony where Simon was peeking through the crack in the door.

"I'll get the door," Egbert said, letting go of Eileen.

"Wait." Eileen grabbed Egbert's wrist.

Egbert clasped her hand, asking, "Hmm?"

Eileen pursed her lips, finally deciding, "I... I'll do it!"

Egbert looked surprised, then laughed softly, "We can go together."

Eileen nodded and walked stiffly towards the door. When she reached it, however, she found herself unable to open it.

Egbert squeezed her hand reassuringly, whispering in her ear, "Don't be scared, I'm here."

Eileen glanced at Egbert, feeling encouraged. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and finally mustered the courage to open the door.

The next second, Eileen was left speechless. Outside the door, Sylvia and Hobson stood holding a dish of food. They looked just as stunned as Eileen.

Sylvia and Hobson blinked in confusion. Hobson spoke up, "We made some cherry-glazed pork chops for dinner. Sylvia thought we should share some with our neighbors."

With that, he handed over the dish.

"Thank you," Egbert replied, taking the dish.

Hobson waved his hand dismissively, indicating there was no need for thanks.

It was then that Sylvia noticed Eileen and Egbert's intertwined hands, and her eyes widened in shock!

Peering past Eileen and Egbert, Hobson noticed they had guests. "Ah, your friends have already arrived. We won't disturb you any further."

With that, he turned to leave. But Sylvia remained frozen in place. Hobson tugged at her sleeve.

Finally, Sylvia moved. Reluctantly, she followed Hobson.

As they walked away, Sylvia continued to shout encouragements at Eileen. "Eileen, you're a queen! Be confident and shine bright! Being beautifully independent is the way to go..."

Her voice gradually faded as she was pulled further away from the house.

Eileen closed the door, still feeling a little dazed.noveldrama

Just as Egbert was about to say something, the doorbell rang again. Both Egbert and Eileen were caught off guard.

With a gulp, Eileen braced herself and cautiously opened the door again.

Outside, Sylvia stood with her hands on her hips, her face as fierce as a lioness. She pointed at Eileen and Egbert's still linked hands, shouting, "No, I can't stand it! I have to say something. Eileen, you absolutely must stay alert! You can't let anyone take advantage of you!"

Eileen was speechless.

"Let's go, Sylvia," Hobson said, clearly embarrassed. He quickly pulled Sylvia away.

Sylvia continued to shout encouragements at Eileen as she was pulled away. "Eileen, you're the queen! Be confident, let your light shine! There's no future in relationships, being beautifully independent is the way to go..."

Her voice gradually faded as she was pulled away from the house.

Eileen closed the door again, still feeling a little dazed.

Egbert looked at her, his deep eyes full of reassurance. "Don't listen to her."

Eileen didn't respond.

Eileen wiped her face in exasperation, sighing as she withdrew her hand and prepared to retreat back into her home. But then, "Ding-dong" The doorbell was ringing again! Eileen was beyond exhausted.

Gripping the doorknob, she swung the door open with a sigh, and mumbled in an almost lifeless manner, "I get it, Sylvia. No need to go on..."

Before Eileen could finish her sentence, she saw a sea of faces outside her door. She choked on her words, almost causing a system crash of sorts! Meanwhile, the director and assistant director, who had been munching on takeout while watching the surveillance feed, nearly dropped their meals in shock.

The director asked, stunned, "Did I see that right?"

The assistant director rubbed his eyes vigorously, ensuring he wasn't seeing things. Then he said, "Did Bartley really bring his entire family?" Ignoring the assistant director, the director hurriedly put down his food and began flipping through his phone.

The assistant director urged, "What are you doing?"

The director remained silent, and after a moment, he pulled up a photo and showed it to his assistant. "Look at this man."

The assistant director took a glance at the photo, then looked back at the surveillance feed, finally asking in disbelief, "Is that...Mr. Chad?"

The same Mr. Chad who was a major player in the entertainment industry?

Bartley was related to Mr. Chad?

Before the assistant director could recover from the shock that the industry's top boss was in their program, the director pulled out another photo for him to see. "And this one."

The assistant director took a look, but was still puzzled, "Who is..."

The director said seriously, "You might not know him. I saw him once at an investors' summit. He's the CEO of Lopez Group's branch office."

"What..." The assistant director jumped up, "The CEO of Lopez Group? Vice-chairman?"

The director was starting to sweat as well.

But he pulled up another photo from the inte, and said, "And this lady."

The assistant director looked at the photo of a woman, who was also one of the people standing at the door in the monitor.

The director said, "This is Josephine Patton, the founder of BX Black Diamond, one of Verdantia's top three luxury brands. She is the only female executive in the global top ten."

The assistant director's eyes almost popped out of his head, "They..."

At that point, the director put down his phone, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Then he looked at the monitor, where a horde of people were gathered, reminiscent of a bustling farmers' market.

In a daze, he asked, "Who exactly is Eileen?"