Chapter 180
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Tristian slowly got up once Kayla wasn’t holding him down anymore. He wiped the corner of his mouth, and when he saw the bright red blood on his fingers, his face turned dark and terrifying.
“Didn’t you hear what Mom said? Move!” Tristian shoved Kayla aside hard.
Kayla nearly stumbled and fell, but Bailee caught her just in time.
Tristian acted like he didn’t even see what happened, his face still dark as he said, “Mom, don’t get mad at me for saying you’re useless. Honestly, you’re home all day. Couldn’t you at least keep Kayla in line? Look how crazy she’s gotten. She actually hit me! Where’s her manners? ”
Not like Marianna, Tristian thought. ‘She’s just like Ruby. Gentle, kind, never loses her temper p>
Comparing the two, Tristian suddenly understood why Jackson might be drawn to Ruby. After all, every guy preferred a woman who was sweet and easygoing.
Kayla’s furious glare practically burned into him, like she wanted to rip him apart. Tristian rubbed his aching face and smirked nastily. “Looks like when we find her a husband, we’ll need to make sure he and his mother are tough enough to keep her under control p>
Something seemed to click in Tristian’s mind, and his eyes lit up with a sly grin. “Actually, Mr. Victor Caldwell’s son would be perfect. I heard he does MMA or something, and he’s basically a terror at his school, beat up a bunch of kids.
“It’s all over the upper–class circles. Mr. Caldwell’s worried sick about finding the guy a wife. He’d be a perfect match for Kayla p>
I should talk to Dad about this,‘ Tristian thought excitedly. ‘Mr. Caldwell’s desperate to deal with his son
anyway.
If we could arrange an engagement between Kayla and Chen’s kid, not only would it put her in her place for good, but it’d strengthen our relationship with Mr. Caldwell. That’d be a huge help when I take over the company p>
The more Tristian thought about it, the better the idea seemed.
Tristian was still riding that high when suddenly a dark blur flashed in front of him. Before he could process what was happening, a sharp slap cracked across his face.
Tristian stared at Bailee’s eerily calm expression, his eyes wide with shock. “Mom, you hit me p>
Bailee had never laid a hand on him his entire life. And now she’d actually slapped him. ‘Has she lost her mind too?‘ Tristian thought.
“Yeah, I hit you!” Bailee said coldly.
Before Tristian could react, Bailee raised her hand and slapped him again, even harder. “I gave birth to you and raised you all these years. You don’t appreciate anything I’ve done. You just put me down with every word.
18:11 Thu, Oct 23
Chapter 180
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“I haven’t even called you out on that, and now you dare humiliate your sister like this? Is this what you call having manners p>
Kay’s his own sister. How could he have such vicious thoughts about her?‘ Bailee thought.
All the values Bailee had taught him, all the kindness she’d tried to instill–it was like Tristian had thrown it all
away.
Tristian wanted to argue back, but then he caught sight of Kayla standing nearby, looking ready to jump in. His face throbbed where he’d been hit, and the pain made him hesitate.
Tristian gritted his teeth bitterly. “No wonder Dad doesn’t like coming home anymore. Guess women really are impossible to deal with. Whatever. I’m not gonna waste my time arguing with you two. I’ll stay at the company for a while. You two can sit here and think about what you’ve done p>
Besides, Ruby would take care of him at the company. It wouldn’t be any worse than being home.
Tristian stormed out and slammed the door behind him.
Bailee’s composure finally cracked. She started gasping for air and nearly collapsed.
Kayla rushed forward to steady her, worry all over her face. “Mom, are you okay p>
In her past life, Bailee had died in a car accident early on and never had this kind of brutal confrontation with Tristian.
But in this life, because Kayla had intervened, Bailee was alive–only to hear her own son say such cruel things. Kayla was terrified Bailee might spiral and hurt herself.
The tears Bailee had been holding back finally fell at the sound of Kayla’s concern. Official source is
Kayla gently supported her, worry written all over her face.
Bailee saw the worry in Kayla’s eyes and tried to steady her emotions, forcing a faint smile. “It’s okay. I’m not that fragile.” She glanced down at the little pig rubbing against her leg, then slowly crouched down and picked it up.
If Bailee had heard Tristian say these things before discovering Jackson and Ruby’s affair, the pain would’ve been unbearable. She might’ve wanted to die.
But after Jackson’s betrayal, Bailee had done a lot of thinking. She’d even hired a private investigator and learned that Tristian was close with Ruby too.
Still, part of her refused to accept it. Bailee couldn’t believe the son she’d sacrificed so much for would betray her for outsiders.
That was why Bailee had confronted Tristian today. She wanted to know if he’d tell her the truth when she asked directly. She wanted to know what role he was playing in Jackson and Ruby’s affair.
Bailee had expected Tristian to cover for Jackson and Ruby, but she never imagined he saw her as so utterly worthless. Even though she’d tried to prepare herself, Tristian’s words had cut her to pieces.
18:11 Thu, Oct 23
Chapter 180
But maybe it was better this way. Now Bailee didn’t have to hold back anymore.
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Bailee looked up and saw Kayla’s red–rimmed eyes, her heart aching. She reached out and gently wiped away Kayla’s tears, then ruffled her hair softly. “Sweetie, don’t cry. Don’t take what Tristian said to heart. As long as I’m here, I won’t let you or your marriage become their collateral damage p>
Bailee was still worrying about her even now. The tears Kayla had just stopped started falling again. “Mom, do you know everything about Dad and Ruby p>
Bailee froze for a second. “You know about it too?” Kayla wouldn’t say something like that otherwise.
Kayla didn’t deny it. She was worried Bailee might misunderstand, so she quickly explained. “Mom, I wasn’t trying to hide it from you. I found out by accident that Ruby and Dad were… close.
“But you seemed so happy every day, and you trusted Dad so much. Even if I’d told you, I was afraid you wouldn’t believe me, so p>
Bailee’s eyes trembled as realization hit. “So that’s why you kept telling me to visit the company more. You wanted me to discover their affair myself.” And discover her awkward position at Sexton Group.
Kayla pressed her lips together and finally nodded. “I just didn’t want you to be deceived or get hurt, but in the end, you still got hurt anyway p>
Guilt twisted in Kayla’s chest. She didn’t know if what she’d done was right or wrong.
Bailee looked at Kayla’s guilt–stricken expression, and her heart ached. She’d never realized Kayla had been carrying such a heavy burden all this time.
Bailee pulled Kayla into her arms, her voice soft and gentle. “Don’t blame yourself. I’m not mad at you. I should be thanking you. You helped me see the truth before I wasted any more time being fooled by Jackson in some clueless fog.
AD