Chapter 141

"Who else could have done this besides you?" Victoria's fingers trembled with rage.

She was always gentle and polite, never one to argue.

The word "barbaric" was the harshest insult she'd ever uttered.

Brenda crossed her arms and sneered. "You call this barbaric? You haven't seen anything yet!"

"You admit it?" Victoria's eyes widened in disbelief.

Brenda's gaze shifted evasively. "Admit what? Where's your proof?"

"Even if I did it, what can you do? Property damage only becomes a case above five thousand. Did you think I didn't know that?"

Victoria's chest heaved violently.

William immediately stepped forward to shield his wife. "Mrs. Murphy, what did our wisteria ever do to you? Was this really necessary between neighbors?"

Evelyn surveyed the scene.

The once-lush wisteria lay in ruins. The trellis near the wall had been snapped in half, dangling precariously.

The entire yard looked like a war zone.

"Of course it bothered me!" Brenda grew bolder with William's intervention. "It blocked sunlight from my vegetable patch and attracted bugs!"

She pointed at the broken wooden frame. "Those sharp edges faced my window—bad feng shui!"

William laughed bitterly. "You can't plant vegetables in public areas. You complain about bugs? Your garden breeds mosquitoes!"

"The trellis was inside our property line. What about Professor Hao's trellis facing your place? Why didn't you tear his down?"

At the mention of Professor Hao, Brenda visibly shrank back.

Her cowardly bullying nature was laid bare.

Brenda curled her lip. "I just don't like you people! Acting all refined—if you're so fancy, go buy a villa!"

"Poor trash trying to play gardener, pah!"

William was rendered speechless.

Victoria couldn't get a word in edgewise.

Evelyn silently walked to the corner.

She picked up the damp mop, freshly used yesterday.

"Aunt Brenda, seems yesterday's lesson wasn't memorable enough."

Before the words fully left her mouth, the mop swung out.

"Ah—!" Brenda shrieked, stumbling backward before landing flat on her back.

Victoria burst out laughing.

William smoothly added, "You okay, Mrs. Murphy? Self-inflicted falls aren't actionable, you know."

A faint smile touched Evelyn's lips.

When intellectuals roasted someone, every syllable drew blood.

"Oh," William added, "this mop just cleaned the toilet. Haven't rinsed it yet."

Brenda's face turned ashen.

"Dad," Evelyn feigned surprise, "we poured yesterday's leftovers down the toilet. Even though we flushed..."

"Aunt Brenda, is that... garbage water I smell on you?"