Chapter 506
Denise recalled the lawyer’s letter and knew she couldn’t confront Eileen like this.
Quickly, Denise managed a smile. “Eileen, don’t speak to me like that. I’m your mother; I just wanted to see you. I heard Ruby’s daughter got married, and I assumed she might soon have grandchildren to care for. Who will look after Gabriela then? Surely I can do that for you.”
Denise’s words twisted the truth, subtly threatening Ruby by implying that Ruby should not stay in the house anymore.
Anger flared within Eileen. Denise and Judie were clearly cut from the same cloth.
“I’ll manage my daughter myself. If my mother can’t help me, we certainly don’t need someone like you meddling. No matter how you dress it up, my decision won’t change. Beyond alimony, expect no involvement from us,” Eileen said firmly.
With that, Eileen ushered Ruby into the car and helped her into the passenger seat.
Denise, lingering by the car, seemed ready to respond but then thought better of it. Fearing further provocation, she simply stood there, watching as Eileen drove off with Ruby in the luxurious vehicle.
Sighing, Denise slapped her thighs. Why had Eileen shown up? If only she had caught Ruby alone, manipulating her would have been easy.
Denise glanced at the onlookers and began to fake crying. The curious crowd drew closer, gossiping.
“What happened?” one of them asked.
“Hey, you know that lady, right?” another voice chimed in.
“What’s going on? Are they bullying you?” someone else questioned.
“Don’t cry. Tell us what happened; maybe we can help,” another added sympathetically.
Denise rubbed her eyes until they stung, then, with red eyes, said, “Eileen is my daughter, and that woman is unrelated to her. After I divorced Eileen’s father, I couldn’t take her with me. He later married that woman—Eileen’s stepmother—who sent Eileen to school for a few years but eventually made her pay for her own medical expenses, costing her a lot of money. Now, she won’t even let my daughter recognize me…”
In the car, Ruby expressed her concerns. “Eileen, what if she does something drastic?”
“It won’t come to that. She’ll leave if she can’t get in,” Eileen replied, trying to alleviate her own irritation and comfort Ruby. “Mom, don’t dwell on her words. You know how she treated me and how well you’ve treated me. You have nothing to feel guilty about in front of her.”
Ruby sighed, acknowledging the point. “I don’t feel guilty. I just didn’t want to cause a scene and embarrass you. Otherwise, I would have confronted her.”
If it were anywhere else, Ruby wouldn’t have hesitated to handle Denise’s antics.
“Eileen, this can’t go on. I don’t think she’ll give up easily,” Ruby said, her voice tinged with concern.
Eileen said, “I will speak with Roderick about this later.”