Chapter 409
Eileen’s heart skipped a beat as her eyes landed on Zola.
“What are you doing here?” Eileen demanded.
Zola had been struggling with how to approach Eileen about Milford, especially if Eileen refused to let him leave. Her thoughts were jumbled, and she hadn’t even registered what Eileen had said when she first walked in.
“I came looking for Milford, but he went upstairs with the baby. I also need to talk to you, so I decided to wait,” Zola explained.
The sight of Bryan standing protectively beside Eileen only deepened her irritation.
“Next time, call ahead before showing up unannounced, or I’ll call the police,” Bryan said coldly, making no effort to hide his disdain.
With that, he turned to Eileen, who silently signaled for him to go upstairs. Ruby, clutching the new clothes she’d bought for Gabriela, followed him out.
Eileen’s gaze lingered on the shattered phone on the coffee table. “What did you want to talk about? Did you and Milford have a fight?”
“No, it wasn’t a fight. But he was in a bitter mood, pushing me to leave. I planned to call you to arrange a meeting, but he smashed my phone and stormed upstairs.”
Her face twisted with dissatisfaction as she sank back onto the couch. “I let him stay with you because he was young and rebellious. I did my best to guide him, but now he’s becoming even more rebellious. And what about you? How can you let him stay home to look after a baby?”
Eileen’s patience was wearing thin. “So what?” she snapped. She suspected Milford had smashed Zola’s phone because Gabriela had been scared and Zola kept badgering him.
Zola straightened up proudly. “I plan to take Milford back home. You won’t have to worry about his college expenses anymore. I’ll cover it. I’ll even pay off everything he’s spent over the past two years, in one go.”
Legally, Zola had the right to be assertive about Milford. She was his only sister, after all.
“As long as Milford agrees, I have no objections,” Eileen replied after a pause.
“That’s why I need to talk to you. He doesn’t want to leave, so I want you to persuade him,” Zola pressed. “Look… about what happened between us… we have different perspectives. You have your reasons, and I have mine. You can’t say I’m wrong. You’ve made him think I’m a bad person, and now he won’t leave with me…”
Eileen couldn’t let Zola’s words go unchecked.
“I’ve never said anything to him about what happened between us. He watches the news. He sees everything. He’s got a good sense of right and wrong. If he doesn’t like you, it has nothing to do with me.”
To Zola, everything Eileen said sounded like excuses. She wasn’t interested in her explanations.
“In three days, I’ll come to take him away. If—”