The Apple of My Eye
Chapter 453 Thief In The Lu Family

Ever since her pregnancy, Autumn always felt self-conscious and uncomfortable when someone stared at her tummy. Unable to bear Leila's gaze any longer, Autumn got up hurriedly. "Give me a call when you set your wedding date. I'll buy you a nice wedding present."

"No need to bother, Autumn," Leila said, smiling. She looked slightly embarrassed at Autumn's words. "You already gave me the best gift, your forgiveness. I can't ask for more."

"It's all right," Autumn responded, smiling back at Leila. "It's my gift for your unborn baby," she continued, looking around to signal to Brent that she wanted to go.

They walked together towards the exit, and Leila turned to give Autumn a big sisterly hug. "Thank you!"

They were home in a matter of minutes. Autumn noticed that Nancy still looked pale and unusually quiet. "Are you feeling unwell, Nancy? You don't look well since yesterday," Autumn said, concern in her face. "I'm fine," Nancy said lightly, forcing a smile. "Mrs. Lu, I prepared the dinner, and it's on the table. Mr. Lu isn't home yet. You can eat first if you want," she continued.

"Thanks but I will wait for my husband. Are you sure you're fine? If something's bothering you, don't hesitate to tell me," she told her comfortingly. 'Nancy has been working for the Lu family for a long time, she's like our family,' she thought.

"I'm really fine, Mrs. Lu. Perhaps I'm just tired," Nancy reassured Autumn with a smile. She turned to Brent behind Autumn, and with a disapproving look she told him coldly," You, come with me. I have something to tell you."

"Can we talk about it later? I'm starving," Brent appealed to her mom. "Mom. Did you prepare my dinner?" he asked.

"Food! Is that all you can think about?!" Nancy seemed agitated. Her voice raised as she pulled her son harshly to her side. She had forgotten that Autumn was still standing listening. "Please excuse us, Mrs. Lu," she apologized.

"It's okay," Autumn replied, a little shocked at seeing Nancy behave this way. She went up the stairs still thinking that Nancy had been acting weird lately.

Nancy dragged Brent to his room. Brent pried his hands from her mother's iron clasp, complaining," What's going on, mom? Why are you doing this? I followed Mrs. Lu all day and I'm famished. If it's nothing important, can I eat dinner first?"

Brent was puzzled by his mom's angry face. He looked at her with questioning eyes, wanting to know what was going on.

"How can you think about eating at this time?" Nancy asked with reproach. "Tell me the truth. Mr. Lu has lost valuable things recently. Do you have anything to do with it?" she asked her son accusingly. "That's rubbish, mom!" Brent denied vehemently, avoiding Nancy's eyes. "I told you, I have nothing to do with it. What did he lose, anyway?" he asked defensively, starting to panic.

Looking at her mother's still angry countenance, he composed himself and continued," Why are you so sure that I stole his things? Mom, I'm your son. Why don't you give me the benefit of the doubt?" "I dragged you here because you're my son. Otherwise, I would have turned you over to Mr. Lu without delay," Nancy told her son in a hard voice. Nancy sighed deeply, catching her son's hand in a firm grip. "Brent, I warned you to stop stealing things before I brought you here. Why didn't you listen to me?"

Nancy regretted bringing him to work for the Lu family.? 'It's like setting a wolf to look after the sheep,' she thought.

"I'm asking you for the last time. Did you steal those things?" Nancy asked Brent in a grave voice, her eyes pinning him to the spot.

Brent looked away angrily. "I have nothing to do with the missing stuff. So stop being ridiculous! What if someone overhears you and suspects me?" he asked her accusingly.

Nancy looked at her son. "Are you afraid?"

"Of course, I'm afraid," Brent answered honestly. He looked at his mom appealingly. "I finally got a job. I want to continue working here."

"Are you really sure that you didn't take them?" Nancy asked again, giving her son another chance to tell the truth. 'He is my son and I hate to question him like this, but...' she thought. "I'm sure," ? Brent replied confidently.

The moment she heard this, Nancy walked to his drawer purposefully, spilling its contents. "Then where did you get this?"

Aside from the Jade Ruyi and prayer beads that Gary mentioned, there were a dozen or so small articles made of jade and silver inside the drawer.

Brent stood rooted to the spot, his face growing pale as he knew that he had been found out. Nancy glared at Brent," Tell me, what are these things?"

"I can explain, mom..." Brent said, starting to panic. "These things..." he faltered, not knowing how to explain.

"Go on, then. I'm listening!" Nancy was very disappointed with her son and it showed in her voice.

She knew Brent was lying to her when she asked him earlier. After he left with Autumn, she started to search his room for Gary's missing Jade Ruyi and prayer beads. She thought maybe she wronged her son but she was wrong. Her heart sank in despair when she saw these things. She couldn't believe that her son was really the culprit. She waited tensely all day for Brent to come back and explain to her why he stole those things. But he denied it till the end.

Nancy gave him the chance to come clean but he wasted it.

"I..." Brent stammered guiltily. Unable to bear his mom's accusing glare, he lowered his head dejectedly.

Nancy could't stop herself, so she started pummeling her son's chest with her fists while crying brokenly," I warned you not to steal things but you didn't listen to me. In just a few days you have stolen so many things. Did you think no one would replace out? How can you put me in this awkward situation? I have worked for the Lu family for more than twenty years and diligently fulfilled my duty. But to save you, I drugged Mrs. Lu. Instead of blaming me, she hired you to be her driver. How can you steal from these good people?"

Exhausted, Nancy finally stopped beating Brent and sat shaking on the bed. Brent endured his mom's anger, deep in thought. 'I chose small items to steal because I thought they wouldn't notice that. But they found out soon enough.'

Brent let his mom take out her anger on him. He truly regretted what he did.

When he first came to the Lu family's house, he was extremely discontented with his role as a driver. But later on, he found that being Autumn's driver was an easy job and started to enjoy it. Since she was pregnant, she?disliked?going out unless to go shopping. Besides, he was receiving a generous salary. He tried to do his job, but he couldn't resist his impulse to steal when he saw valuable stuff.

"You'd better hurry and see Mr. Lu and tell him that you want to quit your job. After that, return to our hometown," Nancy told her son emotionally. "After what you've done, I can't let you stay here anymore." Nancy's tone broke no argument.