Chapter 316 Serves Her Right!
To Eilisâ credit, she would not let some old woman walk all over her. Scowling, she rebuked, âOh, really? Your Bobby is also the same gremlin who stole OâConnorâs harvest and beat up other kids every few days. in a week, ainât he? How many people complained to the village head about this? I lost count.
Now youâre telling me the same lad is somehow incapable of lying?â
Mrs. Boebertâs eyes widened in rage. Livid, she knocked over their potatoes to the ground.
Glaring, Eilis yelled, âWhat the heck!?â
Everyone in the village knew just how much trouble Mrs. Boebert posed. She had always been the type to bully others with her seniority.
âYou just accused my grandson without proof, Eilis!â Mrs. Boebert shrieked. She yanked Bobbyâs arm and pulled him into the fray, her wrinkled finger training at a little sore spot on his forehead. âYou see this? Bobby has never-I say never!-been bullied by anyone all his life, so how about one of you do some explaining right now before I drag this out all day!?â
Eilis was about to repartee when Deirdre tugged on her arm. âAllow me, Madame Russell.â
âNo, sweetie! Go back inside and ignore her,â she whispered back. âMrs. Boebert doesnât listen or talk.
sense. Sheâs nuts! She isnât going to walk away no matter what you do unless itâs exactly as she wants it. You wonât win in an argument with her, guaranteed, so leave her to me. Besides⦠I donât believe you have it in you to hurt a child, Dee Dee. Iâm 100% confident about this!â
Deirdreâs eyes watered. When was the last time anyone had that much faith in her character?
It was precisely that same unconditional faith from the older woman that compelled her to step in and stop the whole thing from spiraling out of control.
âI was the cause of this thing, so Iâll settle it,â Deirdre replied, her grip tightening.
Turning back to Mrs. Boebert, she raised her voice, âIt was my fault that your grandson got hurt, maâam. I think an apology for that alone is fair. But! Your grandson will have to say heâs sorry, too.â
She pointed at the bandage on her forehead. âYour grandson mocked me while I was minding my own.
business in my yard and threw a rock at me. He caused this injury. Doesnât that count for something?â
Mrs. Boebertâs expression turned stormy. It was as though she had regained whatever misguided bravado she had at the beginning. âWho the hâll cares if you got a little cut on your forehead when the rest of your face already looks like an accident? Can you really blame kids for throwing rocks at you when you look like a freakshow?â
She scoffed mockingly. âH*ll, Bobby could whack you with a stick, and it still doesnât mean you can just hit back! Youâre an adult, for Christâs sake! Youâre literally the bigger person. So be the bigger person!
Jesus, itâs like you have no shame!â
Deirdreâs face turned pale, but Eilis turned red. âSo, that gremlin is the one responsible for your injury!?â.
She yanked Deirdre away and shielded her with her body. Her voice was shaking in a fury. âBoebert, you dreadful bag of bones! Thereâs being insensible, and then thereâs this! What would happen if your tyrannical little gremlin caused a concussion to Dee Dee, huh? Do you even have the money to pay for her medical bills?â
Mrs. Boebert was almost choked into silence, but she recovered quickly enough to sneer. âWho the hell cares about what-ifs when that she-devil is obviously fine right now? Besides, you all made it sound like itâs some godd med critical condition. How the hell am I supposed to know if thatâs true when you had that all covered behind some bandage? Maybe you arenât even hurt! Maybe this is all a big, fat slander!â Deirdre drew a deep breath and yanked her bandage away.
Her gash-red, sore, and very swollen-laid bare in front of them. âHappy now? Was it slander? You tell me!â
A crowd had begun to pool around them. The attention somehow added fuel to Mrs. Boebertâs fire. â
Whatâs this supposed to mean, huh? Oh, so this is what youâre trying to do. Youâre trying to make a scene, so Iâll look like the bad guy here! Aww, shucks! Who knew a young lady like you could be a world-class schemer? No wonder God took your mother away from you and punished you with that face! Serve you right!â
All colors were drained out of Deirdreâs face.
Eilisâs fury reached a boiling point. âHow dare you!? Boebert, you crazy, heartless broad! Iâve been very patient with you only because youâre an old bag of bones on your way out, but you sh*t all over my goodwill with that foul, disgusting mouth!â
âYou hear that, everyone!?â Mrs. Boebert shrieked before falling on her butt and squeezing crocodile tears out of her eyes. âShe thinks she can bully a helpless old woman just because her sonâs a college graduate with some fancy job in the city!
âShe thinks sheâs better than me now! Did it occur to her that I was a widow very early on in my life?
Does she care that my childâs been working out there, leaving me alone here? Does it matter to her that my precious grandson is all I have now?
âNo! Sheâs probably glad that even a blind woman can walk all over me! Oh, God, why are my lots so bad? Have You no pity for meeeeee!?â