Chapter 40: Chapter 41: Renee Jennings Gets Slapped in the Face Instead

A bug crawled onto Chelsea Raines’s arm. She shrieked, “Why are there so many bugs here!”

The tour guide advised, “There are a lot of mosquitos and insects here. You should put on some long-sleeved clothes.”

Chelsea Raines was very particular about her appearance; her outfit for the day was, yet again, a red dress and high heels. She instinctively frowned at the guide’s suggestion, reluctant to comply. “It’s so hot here. I’d roast to death in long sleeves.”

She insisted on sticking to her style.

“Mom, so many bugs! I’m so itchy!” Jared Woods yelped.

Chelsea Raines’s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly grabbed her son’s hand to examine it closely. Jared Woods had dark skin, and it took Chelsea Raines a long moment of scrutiny before she spotted a red, swollen patch on his arm.

“Sweetheart, what happened to you?!”

Naomi Kenway couldn’t stand her melodramatics and pulled a spray bottle out of her backpack.

Chelsea Raines hesitated, not daring to accept it. “This isn’t some kind of poison, is it?”

“Poison you in front of all these viewers? I’m not that stupid.” Naomi Kenway sneered. “If you don’t want it, then forget it.”

Naomi Kenway retracted the spray bottle.

“Mom, I’m so itchy! My arm is so, so itchy!”

Jared Woods grabbed Chelsea Raines’s hand and pleaded, “Mom, help me! Please, you have to help me!”

Chelsea Raines was frantic, but facing Naomi Kenway, she didn’t know how to ask. “Naomi Kenway… you, I…”

Naomi Kenway simply stood half-turned, watching her.

Seeing Naomi Kenway’s feigned look of incomprehension, Chelsea Raines cursed her under her breath and turned a pleading gaze to Renee Jennings.

Renee Jennings had already rummaged through her own backpack; she certainly didn’t want to pass up an opportunity to help someone and bolster her public image. However, the insect repellent she had prepared was somehow down to a single bottle. ’If I give it to Jared Woods, what if I don’t have enough for myself later?’ She had no desire to appear on camera covered in welts.

Renee Jennings pulled her hand out of her backpack and cleared her throat slightly. “Nina, it must be miserable for Jared to be this itchy. We should help if we can. You’re so kind, Nina, I’m sure you can’t bear to see Jared suffering so much.”

Upon hearing this, Chelsea Raines immediately shot Renee Jennings a grateful look.

Renee Jennings smiled back at her.

Naomi Kenway took in their interaction and nonchalantly shook the spray bottle in her hand. “So according to you, I’m unkind if I don’t give Jared Woods this spray? Are you trying to guilt-trip me?”

Renee Jennings quickly waved her hands. “No, that’s not what I meant. Nina, you’re being too sensitive. I just feel that if it were me, I would definitely have given it to Jared.”

She said this with an air of self-righteousness.

Chelsea Raines was incredibly moved. “Rachel…”

“Is it your place to lecture me? Since you’re so noble, why don’t you take out your own medicine?”

“I…” Renee Jennings’s eyes darted away. “I didn’t bring any insect repellent. Otherwise, I definitely would have given it to Jared. It’s all my fault, I’m so scatterbrained. If I’d remembered to grab it, Jared wouldn’t have to be suffering like this…”

“Why not?” Naomi Kenway said, looking at her with a smile. “I could have sworn I saw some in your bag just now.”

“You must have seen wrong,” Renee Jennings said, clutching her bag. “I didn’t bring any at all.”

“A white spray bottle. It looked like it hadn’t even been opened…”

Renee Jennings’s heart pounded. ’Of all people, how could Naomi Kenway have been the one to see it?’

Naomi Kenway had only described a generic-looking bottle, but now, seeing Renee Jennings’s guilty expression, she knew she had guessed right.

“Do you dare to let me look in your bag?”

Chelsea Raines couldn’t listen anymore. “Why on earth should she let you look in her bag? What if you’re just trying to invade Rachel’s privacy?”

“If there’s no spray inside, I’ll bow and apologize.”

Chelsea Raines’s eyes lit up. The time she had lost to Naomi Kenway and had been forced to kneel and apologize was a humiliation she could never wash away. A bow wasn’t quite kneeling, but it was close. Now, a chance for a grand payback was within reach, and she couldn’t contain her excitement. “Rachel, hurry and agree!”

[Why is Naomi Kenway so arrogant? Someone needs to take her down a peg. Rachel, shut her up and teach her a lesson she won’t forget!]

[How can Naomi Kenway be so sure Renee Jennings has spray? Did she see something? We didn’t see anything on the livestream. So, does Renee Jennings have it or not?]

[Renee Jennings is such a weasel. What right does she have to tell others what to do? It’s a favor if Nina lends it, and her right not to. I hate people who try to guilt-trip others!]

[Wait, am I the only one who thinks Renee Jennings looks guilty? Her eyes are darting all over the place…]

[Rachel, prove her wrong! Shut her down!]

…

Unlike the excited Chelsea Raines, Renee Jennings looked extremely awkward. “Why should I have to make a bet with you?”

“You don’t dare,” Naomi Kenway said in a tone of utter certainty.

Chelsea Raines stared at Renee Jennings in disbelief, shaking her arm frantically. “Rachel, what are you waiting for! Hurry up and show Naomi Kenway your bag, let’s see if she ever dares to make wild accusations against you again!”

Chelsea Raines scoffed. “And her hiding the spray… does she really think everyone is as petty as she is?”

Renee Jennings was backed into a corner and couldn’t see a way out. She never imagined Naomi Kenway would redirect the conflict onto her.

When Chelsea Raines saw her expression, she seemed to guess something. Her own gaze became complex and unreadable. “Rachel, don’t tell me you…”

“Oh, I remember now!” Renee Jennings suddenly ducked her head to rummage through her backpack, then pulled out the spray bottle. “I guess I did bring one. I must have put it in an inner pocket and forgotten about it. Thanks for the reminder, Nina. Otherwise, I really wouldn’t have remembered…”

Chelsea Raines didn’t take it, her expression a little complicated.

Renee Jennings’s eyes grew moist. “I’m sorry, Chelsea. It’s my fault for having such a bad memory. You don’t think I did it on purpose, do you? We’re such good friends, why would I just stand by and watch you struggle?”

Chelsea Raines was a bit stunned, too. ’That’s right, why would she?’

“Mom, I’m gonna die…” Jared Woods whimpered, sniffling as tears streamed down his face.

Chelsea Raines snapped out of it. “Sweetheart, Mommy’s going to put the medicine on for you now.”

After she sprayed the red, swollen area, Jared Woods quickly stopped crying out.

Afraid that Jared Woods would get targeted by more nasty bugs, Chelsea Raines also sprayed his other arm and his calves, then made sure his clothes were securely fastened.

This was only the outer edge; who knew how many bugs they would encounter as they went deeper.

When she was finished, Chelsea Raines returned the spray bottle to Renee Jennings. “Thank you, Rachel.”

Renee Jennings took the now-empty bottle, her heart aching at the loss. Yet, she still had to force a smile for Chelsea Raines. “I’m happy I could help, Chelsea.”

Chelsea Raines glanced at her but didn’t respond with her previous warmth.

Naomi Kenway watched the drama unfold from the sidelines. ’Renee Jennings wanted to drag me into this mess, so I just kicked her in first.’

[Wait, what? Wasn’t Nina supposed to be the one getting called out? Who exactly got put in their place here?]

[Renee Jennings is unbelievable. She had a bottle of spray in her bag the whole time, so how did she have the nerve to criticize someone else? I actually thought she was a kind person, but it turns out she’s just a two-faced hypocrite who loves to attack others!]

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep