A Bumpy Road to Power

We all know about Arlo Yarbrough's background.

His father passed away very early.

Later, his mother remarried, and Arlo Yarbrough lived with his five-year-younger sister, Dora Yarbrough, and his grandmother, who had an eye condition.

The year Arlo Yarbrough went to college, his grandmother passed away.

In this world, Arlo Yarbrough's only family left was his sister Dora Yarbrough.

Dora Yarbrough did not get into college back then.

Later, she went to a vocational school to study accounting.

Even after graduating, she couldn't find a decent job, and at the age of 24, she married an ordinary carpenter from Kenton County.

This brother-in-law was named Blythe Meadows.

At first, he seemed to have a decent character.

He was hardworking and diligent, and his family background was also just average, so Arlo Yarbrough didn't oppose the marriage.

Unexpectedly, three years after the marriage, Blythe Meadows's personality changed drastically.

Not only did he become lazy, but he also got involved in gambling.

The three evils of gambling, drugs, and prostitution—anyone who gets involved with one can turn into a wastrel.

Blythe Meadows was just like that.

He didn't work, he didn't earn money, he spent his days at various gambling houses, not only selling everything in the house but also accumulating a mountain of debt.

And what's more.

Whenever he lost money, Blythe Meadows would come home and, upon the slightest displeasure, start beating Dora Yarbrough.

At that time, Dora Yarbrough's first child was just over a year old.

The second child was already in her belly.

To protect the family, Dora Yarbrough never told her brother Arlo about these situations; she swallowed it all herself.

Arlo Yarbrough often supplemented his sister with his salary, which is why he was always perceived as "stingy."

He thought his forbearance might lead to Blythe Meadows's repentance.

Unexpectedly, it did not.

He took Dora Yarbrough's continuous concession as weakness.

Not only did he gamble more, but his debts increased, and he even had Dora create various reasons to ask Arlo Yarbrough for money, all of which he squandered thoroughly.

Dora Yarbrough couldn't bear it anymore.

She proposed divorce several times.

That scoundrel Blythe Meadows even threatened Dora Yarbrough with the children, saying if she dared to divorce, he would immediately kill the two children.

Dora Yarbrough was terrified.

So she endured silently for all these years.

Recently, Arlo Yarbrough was getting married.

Blythe Meadows had somehow found out that Arlo Yarbrough's wife was a third-generation official.

He immediately began scheming.

He told his wife, Dora Yarbrough, to demand five hundred thousand from Arlo Yarbrough.

If he received the five hundred thousand, Blythe Meadows would agree to divorce Dora and even grant her custody of the two children.

Dora Yarbrough naturally didn't want to do it.

After all, she had already spent so much of her brother's money.

Blythe Meadows was furious.

He beat Dora Yarbrough.

After Arlo Yarbrough found out about this, he rushed back to Kenton County overnight and gave Blythe Meadows a beating.

But Blythe Meadows was truly ruthless in his actions.

He took his entire family to the State Committee's petition office overnight, carrying a banner that said his brother-in-law was abusing his power.

After the media eager for such stories caught wind of it, they used it to stir up news, making Arlo Yarbrough and Elaine Nolan quite troubled.

Furthermore, Blythe Meadows also announced.

If he didn't get the money, he would cause trouble at Arlo Yarbrough's wedding, making its normal proceedings uncertain.

After Aziel Grant finished explaining the whole story while driving.

Not only was Dirk Carter angry, but even Dorothy Zechariah was infuriated.

She turned and said to Dirk Carter, "Dirk, maybe I should pay this money. Give him the fifty thousand, free little Dora, and save Arlo a lot of trouble."

"No, it's not that I can't part with the money, it's because someone like Blythe Meadows is a bottomless pit. Once he gets this fifty thousand, he'll think it's easy to get money. After he squanders this money, he'll come up with all sorts of schemes, and by then neither Arlo nor Dora will have peace."

"Then what should we do? We can't just watch this bastard make a scene, can we?"

Dorothy Zechariah asked.

Dirk Carter pondered for a moment.

He asked Aziel Grant, "Have you investigated everything?"

Aziel Grant nodded and laughed, "I knew you wouldn't just stand by, so I had someone look into Blythe Meadows's background, and it turns out his current state is connected to a woman."

"A woman? What woman?"

Dirk Carter asked.

Aziel Grant said, this woman is named Patricia Payne, a local from Kenton County, and she's 30 years old this year.

First, let me tell you about Patricia Payne.

She got married at 18.

Divorced at the age of 20.

And after that, she never got married again.

Though unmarried, she's never had a shortage of men, leading quite a promiscuous life. According to locals, the number of men involved with Patricia Payne could fill a bus.

You can imagine how promiscuous this woman is.

At 27.

Patricia Payne wanted to have a wardrobe built for her house.

So someone introduced her to Blythe Meadows.

At that time, Blythe Meadows was still relatively honest and straightforward.

To avoid paying for the work.

Patricia Payne came up with a crooked idea.

During the days when Blythe Meadows was working in her house.

Patricia Payne dressed provocatively and supervised the work at home.

His wife, busy with the kids, was disheveled all day long.

Patricia Payne, with her seductive attire and forward advances, how could the average man resist?

On a bright and sunny afternoon.

Seduced by Patricia Payne's advances, Blythe Meadows finally gave in, and the two had relations on the carpenter's workbench.

Patricia Payne's allure and bedroom charms left Blythe Meadows unable to quit, not only giving up his pay but stuffing all his usual earnings into Patricia's pocket.

Patricia Payne typically enjoyed playing small-time mahjong.

Under her influence, Blythe Meadows, also eager to please her, learned mahjong.

Once he learned, it was all over.

He became "captivated" by gambling once again.

Since then, Blythe Meadows changed.

Of course.

Patricia Payne's brainwashing played a significant role.

If nothing unexpected happens, the idea to extort money from Arlo and cause trouble at the State Committee office was Patricia Payne's as well.

"Where are this man and woman now?"

Dirk Carter asked.

Aziel Grant sneered.

He said, "To facilitate causing trouble, the two rented a house on Serenity Lane, probably planning to make a scene at Arlo's wedding the day after tomorrow."

"What about Dora and the two kids?"

Dirk Carter continued to ask.

Aziel Grant said, "They should still be at their old home in Kenton County, with Blythe Meadows's parents and relatives keeping an eye on them. This is also their leverage over Arlo."

Dirk Carter fell silent for a while.

He told Aziel Grant, "Here's the plan: we'll split up. You call Cosimo Griffin to send you some men, and you take them to Kenton County to forcibly bring Dora and her two kids out."

"Alright."

Aziel Grant nodded and said.

Next, Dirk Carter looked at Dorothy Zechariah and said, "Dorothy, arrange a house for Dora and her two kids to settle in, and also find her a job at the company."

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