The silence in the car felt like a graveyard as they drove home.
They could only hear the chirping birds and the car's tyres on the road.
Following Hannah's directions, Mr. Andy pulled up in front of her house. Henry, who was already leaving, saw them and hurried over.
Hannah stopped Henry from going further, assuring him that Mr. Andy would drop Ashley off. Still, Henry insisted on speaking to Ashley.
"Come on, Ashley, I'll take you," he said, opening the car door for her. But Ashley remained silent.
"Go on, Henry. I'll take her home," Mr. Andy said, causing Henry to revolt against his interference.
"My mom and I were the ones who left her in the first place. I'm just trying to make up for it," Henry said, hoping to win Ashley's favor.
Mr. Andy noticed Henry's desperate expression and intervened, reminding him that he didn't have a driver's license.
"There are no officials here, so I won't get caught. And her house is just a few blocks away," Henry argued.
Ashley stayed silent as they argued, but eventually, she spoke up.
"Enough, both of you. Henry, go inside. Mr. Andy will drop me off."
Mr. Andy started the car's engine, and they drove off, leaving Henry and Hannah behind.
The silence persisted until Mr. Andy tried to start a conversation. "I'm glad you didn't go with Henry. You made the right choice," he said.
Ashley, still looking out the window, hesitated to reply.
Mr. Andy realized she wasn't ready to talk, so he focused on driving.
"Remember, you promised not to say anything on our way here. Try to stick to it," Ashley said rudely, snickering.
Mr. Andy stopped the car and sarcastically clapped his hands.
Clap… Clap… Clap…
Ashley was startled. "Why did you stop?" she asked.
"You're quite the actress, Ashley. Maybe you should focus on acting instead of law and music," Mr. Andy said.
"Start the car. My parents must be worried," Ashley demanded.
Mr. Andy replied, "You're not even good at giving orders. First, I didn't promise to talk to you. Second, aren't you the same Ashley who begged me to come back yesterday? So what's changed?"
Ashley sat nervously, struggling to respond.
"Just keep quiet so you don't bite your tongue. I'll try not to talk to you until we get to your house," Mr. Andy said, starting the car.
Driving through the estate, Mr. Andy admired the beautiful houses.
Ashley asked him to stop the car, and when he looked up, he was amazed.
The house in front of them looked like a palace from a fantasy novel, with platinum-white walls and gold designs.
The enormous water fountain in the middle of the 30-acre compound was particularly impressive.
Ashley tapped Mr. Andy and asked him to drive in.
As they entered the compound, Mr. Andy marvelled at the mansion.
He dropped Ashley off at the gigantic gold-plated door.
Ashley got out, and Mr. Andy smiled at her as she walked inside.
Their moment was interrupted by Ashley's nanny rushing out to inquire why she was late.
Seeing the nanny, Mr. Andy waved and drove off.
***
Over at Hannah's house, Henry burst into his room and started pushing things to the ground.
He was followed by Hannah, who stood at the door, frightened by what was happening.
He was about to push down a special vase flower pot when Hannah grabbed him and slapped him to bring him back to his senses.
SMACK!
"What is wrong with you, Henry? What's this madness about?" She shouted, pushing him away from the pot.
Henry replied, "Why are you so dumb, Hannah? Can't you see that Mr. Andy is a disgusting man? Have you seen the way he looks at the female students in the school? Don't you see how he is eyeing Ashley? He is a bad man. Why doesn't she listen?"
Hannah couldn't find a reply; she just embraced Henry and tried calming him down.
***
At Ashley's house, her mother was already seated in the dining hall, being served by the maids, while Ashley hesitantly joined her.
They had both started with their meals when Ashley's father, Mr. Whitmore, walked into the house in rage, calling out Ashley's name.
"Ashley!"
Ashley knew that her father would only call out to her like that if she had gotten into one trouble or another.
She feared he had found out that she was dropped off by a man, knowing that he wouldn't spare her for anything that could tarnish his reputation.
Ashley and her mother both got up from their seats, frightened by Mr. Whitmore's outburst.
Ashley hid behind her mother, terrified by her father's actions.
"Dear, why are you calling out to Ashley in that manner? What did she do to you?" Mrs. Amanda said as Mr. Whitmore walked into the dining room.
He spotted Ashley hiding behind her mother. He walked straight to the big-screen television in the living room and turned it on.
And what they saw dropped a bombshell on them.
Apparently, Ashley's fight with the boy had been recorded and posted on social media with the heading, "VIOLENT RICH BRAT ATTACKS SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT."
Ashley was taken aback by the humiliating and intimidating comments people made about her.
"Children like her shouldn't be allowed to go to school like other kids."
"What more could you expect from the overpampered Whitmore daughter?"
"Is this the value these rich people instill in their children? She is too violent."
These and many more were the comments made by the passersby being interviewed.
Watching Ashley's violence, the harsh comments, and the embarrassment over the family name, Mrs. Amanda walked slowly to a sofa and sank with her head in her hands.
Ashley was about to approach her mother and comfort her, but she was too embarrassed by her actions to go close to her.
Her father asked for an explanation from Ashley, who could barely speak, engulfed in tears.
"Ashley, speak up. Why would you do something like that? The child I gave birth to isn't violent, so what has come over you? Speak up, Ashley," Mrs. Amanda said in pure anger.
Ashley was silent.
But after a while, she narrated the entire event to her parents, and luckily they believed her.
Mr. Whitmore agreed to let it slide, but only under the condition that Ashley would resume being dropped off by her escort and that he would seek permission for a private bodyguard in the school.
Ashley hated the idea.
Having a bodyguard at school would be too embarrassing for her, but she had no other option but to give in after much persuasion as an act of restoring peace.