Husband With Benefits
Chapter 106: A Threat

Chapter 106: A Threat

Sara Anderson was walking with her head down as she made her way towards the library from her dormitory. The usually beautiful girl looked haggard and even introverted, unlike the Sara of the past who loved to flaunt her beauty and craved attention. Distracted with thoughts of her studies, she failed to notice the woman who had come to stop in front of her.

She tightened the coat around her body, to ward off the chill of the wind and rubbed her hands together before she almost walked into the woman blocking her way.

Apologizing, she tried to sidestep the person, only for the person to block her path. Frowning, she looked up at the person, only to step back as she finally realized who it was.

Her hands tightened around the strap of her bag and she gave her mother a strained smile," Mom! How are you here? What are you doing here on this cold day."

Lara smiled down at her favorite daughter and leaned forward, kissing her daughter’s cheek as she said," Hey sweetheart. You’ve been putting off coming to see me since you moved in here. You are only a freshman and already so busy! So I thought, I’ll come see you."

Sara forced a polite smile, though her eyes revealed a mixture of discomfort and anxiety. "Yeah, Mom, I’ve been swamped with exams and assignments. You know how it is," she replied, trying to keep her tone light.

Lara’s smile didn’t waver as she continued to scrutinize her daughter. " I also hope you haven’t been distracted with other matters lately..."

Lara’s gaze lingered on Sara for a moment.

"Good girl," she finally said, her smile widening. "I was thinking we could spend some time together this weekend. You know, catch up. It’s been too long."

Sara’s heart sank at the prospect of spending an entire weekend under her mother’s watchful eye. She hesitated before responding, "I have a big test coming up next week, Mom. I really need to focus on my studies. Maybe next time?"

"You can spare a day for your mother, Sara. I want to talk to you about why you have been talking to the Police for Nora’s matter. So, be at home this weekend."

"Mom! I am not talking about Nora. I am fighting for a good person who apparently committed suicide. I have seen for myself how good Max was. I can understand that he was dependent on his medicines for maintaining his sanity but he did not deserve to be used as a tool against Nora."

"And how are you sure that this person was used as a tool? And who do you think the police is going to suspect when they realize that I am someone who is angry at her?" Lara hissed. "Are you trying to go against me and implicate me?"

"You can’t keep doing this, Mom!" she shouted, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and desperation as she felt Lara’s fingers sinking into her skin, her fingernails biting at her. This is what she had subjected to Nora as well and now that she was going against Lara Anderson, she knew that this would be a common occurrence for as well. But she would not be forbearing like Nora and suffer for years!

Pushing aside her mother she snapped back," What are you scared of? Did you really use Max and abused him to get back at Nora? Is that why you are worried?"

Of course Sara had expected that. As a child, she had always followed Nora around which had incurred her mother’s wrath. Slowly she had come to understand that to avoid her mother’s scolding, she just had to behave badly with Nora and cause her to hurt. At a young age, when all mothers tried to inculcate kindness and morals in their children, Lara Anderson had taught her to hurt Nora and manipulate her.

She had never understood her mother’s hatred for her sister but only after her marriage to Antonio had she realized that her mother did not just hate her. Lara Anderson treated Nora as a mortal enemy.

After coming to the university, away from her mother’s influence, she had slowly realized that Nora was not a bad person. There was too much in their past for her to think that they could be sisters or even friends. But she knew one thing. She would rather be a stranger to Nora than be her enemy. And the only way to do that was to maintain a suitable distance from her mother.

But her mother had somehow found a way to contact someone in her dormitory. She was very sure that her mother was somehow involved in the incident with Max. What she did not understand was how.

Lara’s expression was cold and unforgiving, her eyes narrow slits of anger. "You think you can just walk away from me, Sara?" she hissed. "I brought you into this world, and I can make your life a living hell if you cross me. You don’t want to help me, then so be it. I have doted on you for years so I will even overlook this. But if you step into my path and try to protect Nora, then don’t blame me for treating you like the enemy! And before you try to stand on high ground, let me remind you of something, I pay for your tuitions. Unlike your new best friend Nora, you do not have a trust fund to stand on. Which means that I only have to pull back my sponsorship and you’ll come back crawling, begging for my mercy."

Sara’s eyes flashed with a mix of defiance and pain. "I won’t, Mom."

Lara gave a small smile to her daughter before patting her cheek lovingly," Oh you will sweetheart. But don’t worry. Your mother can be a little lenient with you. After all you have always been a good girl. This time, I won’t hold your little rebellion against you. But next time...be good."

As Sara stood there, Lara quickly turned back to her car and drove away. Sara breathed a sigh of relief as she watched her mother leave and quickly turned away to move to the library when her eyes met Nora’s.

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