Chapter 36
“Alexa, Audrey’s just blunt, but she doesn’t mean any harm Clayton gave Audrey a p
turned to Alexa. “Please, cin you tart
That look he gave her made Audrey want to gag. She instinctively tried to pull away, but Clayton held her firmly in place
Alexa rolled her eyes at Audrey while helping Lillian put on the pearl earrings “Oh, so hitting someone now counts as blunt Clayton, only you could twist words like that–you really did go to law school”
“Clayton, Alexa’s pregnant with her second child,” Lillian cut in, shooting a sideways look. The meaning was obvious he’d better not do anything to upset Alexa
Since Clayton’s whole purpose today was to get Audrey to apologize, Alexa’s forgiveness was the p
top priority.
“Congrats, Alexa,” Clayton said gently. “Audrey brought a box of supplements for you. It should be good for the baby, too,”
“Oh, I wouldn’t dare touch it,” Alexa said with a cold short. “Who knows, maybe Audrey’s ‘bluntness‘ got me some sketchy, unregulated garbage of anything happens to the baby, who ans supposed to blame?”
Lillian doted on her granddaughter Riley, but she also wanted another grandchild. Alexa had just gotten back from a checkup today everything looked good, and the doctor said the baby was a boy.
Lillian was over the moon. She’d had the staff cook all of Alexa’s favorite dishes. Right now, her entire focus was on that baby boy growing inside Alexa
“Did Audrey lose her voice or something?” Lillian questioned. “Why do you have to do all the talking for her?”
Maybe it was because Audrey was acting a little too “well–behaved” today–nothing like the last time she stood up to her–that Lillian started feeling like the boss of the house again.
Lillian lifted her chin, looking down her nose at Audray. “We agreed–however many slaps she gave Riley, she gets double in return. She’s your wife, so leave it to you to handle.”
Clayton’s face darkened instantly. He’d promised to stand up for Audrey. If he couldn’t even say a word for her and ended up slapping her instead, their relationship would be ruined for good.
Lillian, seeing him hesitate, snapped impatiently, “If you’re not here with any sincerity, what’s the point of showing up and annoying everyone?” She then turned to the housekeeper. “Show them out.”
Audrey turned to leave. She’d come to Patel Manor. That meant Clayton was supposed to sign the divorce papers, just like he’d promised.
Clayton panicked and grabbed her arm. “Alexa’s pregnant right now. Don’t upset her.”
“So you’re saying you’re gonna hit me?” Audrey shot him a cold look.
Clayton felt trapped in an impossible vise. He brought Audrey here to patch things up with his family. He hadn’t expected Alexa to be pregnant.
Now, Lillian was clearly more concerned about how Alca felt. With her parents having paved the way for Wyatt’s career, she held a lot of sway in this
household.
But to actually raise a hand against Audrey was sophething he simply couldn’t do.
He was caught in the middle, looking helplessly at Wyatt, hoping he’d speak up and steer the conversation away from this mess.
Wyatt had just ended his call, and when he say the tension in the room, he simply dialed another number, casually continuing his conversation. He was clearly siding with his wife.
The Patel family had never liked Audrey. After she hit Riley, there was no way Wyatt and Alexa were letting it go.
1/2
Ina situation like this, Wyatt had to keep his hands clean and Alexa would be the one to play the bad guy. But either way!
Audrey pay.
Clayton thought, “if keeping the peace in this family means Audrey has to sacrifice a little today, then so be it. Once Alexa cools off, I’ll make it up to Audrey–double
As the thought passed through his mind, he slowly lifted his hand, his fingers trembling.
Audrey lifted her chin. “Clayton, I’m warning you don’t push it”
“Watch your
mouth.” Lillian shot up from her seat, pointing at Audrey. “Who the hell do you think yo
you are, talking to Clayton that?”
“And who the hell do you think you are?” Audrey looked at Lillian coldly. “Clayton promised to sign the divorce papers. That’s the only reason I came to Patel Manor today as a guest, I didn’t come here for you to humiliate me.
“You can spoil Riley all you want. But if she comes at ine again, I’ll hit her just the same.”
“How dare you say that?” Lillian’s whole body shook with rage. She grabbed a cup off the coffee table and hurled it to the floor. “Get out of my house.”
“Gladly, Mrs. Patel,” Audrey scoffed. “The apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree, huh?”
Lillian’s face went pale with anger as she pounded her chest. “Clayton, this is the woman you insisted on marrying, even after going against me and your father. If you don’t put her in her place today, don’t bother calling me your mother again.”
“Mom,” Clayton pressed his lips together, clearly torn, then turned to Audrey. “Can’t you just hold back for once? She’s my mother”
Audrey met his pained, conflicted gaze with a cold, sharp look. All she felt was how ironic it all was.
She thought to herself, “What is she, some kind of queen who expects everyone to bow to her every whim?”
Alexa bent down to slide the empty jewelry box under the coffee table, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “What would she know about respecting her olders–she’s an orphan.”
That hit Audrey right where it hurt. Clayton knew it too–there was nothing she hated more than people insulting her family.
Clayton was about to tell Alexa to watch her mouth, but Audrey had already shaken off his hand, stepped up to Alexa, and delivered a sharp, resounding slap.
“Ow! You hit me?” Alexa screamed.
Clayton’s mind went blank. He rushed over and grabbed Audrey’s hand, thinking, ‘Alexa just said the wrong thing in the heat of the moment. Audrey could’ve just thrown a little tantrum or something, but she shouldn’t have hit her.
“Alexa’s pregnant. If something goes wrong, how the hell am I supposed to explain this to Wyatt?”
Wyatt, who’d been trying to stay out of this, hurried over the moment he saw his wife get slapped. “What’s going on here?”
“Honey, Audrey insulted Lillian. I said a few words to Audrey, and she came at me and slapped me,” covering her face as she demanded an explanation.
me,” Alexa said, throwing herself into Wyatt’s arms,
“Clayton, if you can’t keep your wife in line, I will,” Wyatt warned, his icy gaze locked on Audrey.
Audrey stood her ground, glaring at Alexa. “Say one more word about my family, and I’ll slap you again.”
“That’s enough,” Clayton snapped. “Don’t you get she’s pregnant?”
“Oh, so being pregnant gives her a free past to insult my family? Audrey looked at him icily. “What, I have to respect your family, but mine doesn’t
matter?”
Chapter 36
She turned her sharp gaze on Wyatt and Alexa, “Right back at you if you can’t discipline your daughter, don’t be surprised when someone else steps in and does it for you.”
“You bitch,” Alexa grabbed a cup and handed it at Androy’s head.
But then Lillian shrieked and clutched her head, collapsing onto the couch.
Shocked, Welt and Clayton shouted at the sanse time, “Mami”
thet
time John got home, Wyatt
Wyatt was already carrying Lillian into the car. “Dad, Audrey pissed Mo
1 Mom off so bad the passed out.”
John’s face went stone cold. He didn’t even bother putting down his briefcase and jumped straight into the car to head to the hospital.
Clayton pressed a hand to his forehead, his jaw clenched as he looked at the mess in the living room. “Happy now?
“Don’t forget to go to the courthouse tomorrow,” Audrey remarked as she turned to leave.
“I’m not divorcing you,” Clayton said.
Audrey reached the door, then turned back. In Clayton’s stunned gaze, she walked up and slapped him across the face. “You are seriously the most disgusting man I’ve ever met.”
As soon as Lillian regained consciousness at the hospital, she said firmly, “Divorce her. You have to divorce her.”
Clayton had been sitting by her side all morning and was clearly worn out. “Mom, Alexa was the one who insulted Audrey’s family first.”
“You’re still defending her?” Lillian’s eyes widened in disbelief, “If she’d just apologized to Alexa, or if you’d slapped her a couple of times to vent Alexa anger, none of this would’ve happened,
“She couldn’t even fake a decent apology. She might as well not have come at all.”
C
