Thus, Wesley spoke up.
“Grandma, Sandra is tired. Can we take our leave now?”
Hailey’s expression darkened in an instant.
“Wesley, what are you saying? Today, we are all here for Holly!”
Holly looked fraught.
Her eyes were fixed on Wesley, expressing unspoken love amid her suffering and restraint.
If one harbored even the smallest trace of affection for her, witnessing her sorrow would be unbearable.
Yet Wesley offered her not even a glance.
“She has received enough welcome here. Sandra and I need to go back and rest, don’t we, dear?”
Hearing “dear,” Sandra felt goosebumps spread across her skin. A swift pinch on his arm was her silent plea for fewer saccharine endearments.
Wesley’s deep gaze landed on her once more.
It seemed to warn: Cease your fidgeting, or face the consequences.
Sandra,
Debra chimed in awkwardly with a laugh.
“Wesley, you’ve known Holly forever, and she even brought you a gift this time.”
“In the past, whenever Holly would return, you always had gifts prepared. Surely you’re not empty-handed today?”
Holly smiled.
“Wesley didn’t know I would come, so…”
Debra’s smile deepened.
“Even without a gift in hand, I’m certain preparations were made. He cherishes you most.” She glanced at Wesley.
“Right?”
Wesley remained expressionless.
“Ask Mrs. Cooper. She’s the one who should have arranged everything for me.”
Sandra,
I’ve seen scapegoats, and I’m one now?
I’ve never heard of that bullshit!
Sandra rolled her eyes.
“Sorry.”
Her expression suddenly switched to one of blame.
“When you mentioned a friend, you didn’t tell me she’s Miss Campbell! I apologize for my negligence.”
Effortlessly, she returned the pressure back to him.
She refused to be the only scapegoat.
Wesley,
Resigned, he said, “Your negligence is acceptable, I forgive you.”
Sandra blinked.
Their flirting made the faces of Debra and Holly darken.
The first to buckle under the strain was Holly.
She started crying.
“Wesley, are you resenting my abrupt departure abroad three years ago?”
Before Wesley could utter a word, she sighed.
“I know I deserve that.”
“I should have been by your side, enduring those hardships with you.”
Angela interjected at once,
“You hold no fault, Holly. Your studies were not to be abandoned.”
“Upon learning of Wesley’s accident, it was your parents who forbade you from returning.”
“Now, after your graduation, your immediate return speaks volumes of your love for Wesley.”
There stood Sandra, Wesley’s rightful wife.
In speaking thus, Angela rendered Sandra invisible.
Holly dabbed her tears.
“Mistakes were made. I must bear the consequences of my errors.”
Wesley’s gaze shifted to her.
The chill in his voice was palpable.
“I did not blame you.”
Holly’s eyes shimmered with hope.
Her demeanor vibrated with excitement.
She stepped forward.
“Wesley, I-“
Wesley interjected, “Because…”
“Because I never cared about your leave,” Wesley declared, his expression tranquil.
His lips uttered the words with no hint of emotion.
Despite Holly’s instantaneous shift in expression, with tears welling up, he did not offer even the hint of a sympathetic glance.
Sandra stood aside, watching.
She found herself struggling to continue watching.
It looked like a typical plot of lovers arguing over their past.
Yet Wesley’s behavior was anything but normal.
He truly did not care about Holly.
If he was lying, then he must be adept at concealing his true feelings.
Holly’s tears flowed incessantly, falling even as she dabbed at them.
Angela kept consoling her, but she continued to sob uncontrollably.
“I knew it,” she cried, her voice choked with sobs.
“You must be sad.”
“But I never expected…”
She looked up, her red-rimmed eyes filled with emotion.
“I never expected you to hate me so much that you can’t even spare me a shred of dignity in front of all these people.”
Upon witnessing this scene, Hailey could not remain seated. She rose to her feet at once and declared,
“Wesley, you’re being too harsh!”
Her countenance was dark as a storm cloud, and her voice carried an air of stern authority. She seemed ready to condemn.
Sandra scoffed lightly.
“The world’s full of resentful women like her.”
“Wesley merely wanted to avoid any misunderstandings with Miss Campbell, which is why he spoke with such clarity.”
“It’s good to be clear.”
“You’re too old to insert yourself into our affairs.”
Her successive words left Hailey nearly breathless with fury.
“Be silent!”
Sandra smiled faintly.
“Why so angry, Hailey? You want Wesley to cheat on me?”
The color drained from Hailey’s face.
“You…”
Joey internally raised his thumb.
The young madam was truly formidable, silencing Hailey with just a few sentences.
His gaze wandered back inside.
Victor was leisurely drinking, the epitome of relaxation.
Victor didn’t seem particularly affected by the incident. Given his advanced age and dementia, it was normal for him to have no response.
As for Victor,
Joey harbored some doubts.
Before the brain hemorrhage, Victor would have done anything for Debra and her children, which was why Wesley’s life had been so challenging in those years.
Yet now, with Debra and Angela facing setbacks, he showed no reaction whatsoever.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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