Chapter 9
Valerie glanced at Clayton before looking down and continuing, “When Luna was enrolled, the teacher asked for parents’s information.”
She hesitated for a second before adding, “That jerk doesn’t deserve to be Luna’s father. At the last daycare center, the father’s section was left blank, and someone even called Luna a bastard without a father.”
“Which one? I can hold them accountable.” Clayton’s expression clouded.
“Forget it. Luna’s already transferred to a different school. I just don’t want this to happen again. You know Luna has autism, so I’m thinking…” Valerie trailed off, not sure how to continue.
Seeing that Clayton didn’t pick up on her hint, Valerie forced a smile and added, “With you around, no one will push us around. The law office should be closed by now. Could you come with me to pick up Luna?”
Valerie watched Clayton’s face closely and continued, “It’s her first day. All the other kids have their parents pick them up. Luna loves you the most. When she sees you, she won’t just randomly throw tantrums.”
“Random tantrums?” Clayton’s tone grew serious. “She has autism. If she’s throwing a tantrum for no reason, it could be because she’s not feeling well. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Audrey left home because of us. I was afraid…” Valerie’s eyes turned red again, and she let out a dramatic tear, a classic move to tug at Clayton’s heartstrings.
Clayton froze for a second and said in a cold tone, “We did nothing, so you don’t need to blame yourself.”
*****
As Audrey was leaving her new house, she ran into her neighbor Marlyn and her grandson, who was in middle school.
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Marlyn’s son and daughter–in–law worked out of town, so she was raising her grandson. A few years ago, she was in good health, but recently, she injured her knee and couldn’t pick him up or drop him off at his tutoring
class.
She didn’t want him going alone, and hiring a tutor was too expensive.
Audrey thought tutoring could be a good way to make money. At the current market rate, one class cost 100 bucks, and if she taught four classes a day, that would be 400 dollars.
It was pure profit. She didn’t need to invest much in preparation either, so it was a profitable business.
She agreed with Marlyn to tutor her grandson for half the market price once she moved in.
There was a large supermarket near her new house, and as Audrey was shopping for bedding, she ran into a familiar face.
Jade was talking to a sales assistant about fabrics when she spotted Audrey.
“Must be nice not to work. Squandering your husband’s money feels good, right?” Jade said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Still waiting for your hubby to beg you to come home? Sad, he’s already with Valerie.”
Audrey picked up a more expensive pair of pillows next to her and gave a cold laugh. “Did you buy your law degree, or did you actually pass the exam? Without evidence, you’re just gossiping. I can sue you for that.”
Jade didn’t expect Audrey, usually so mild–mannered, to snap back.
She turned pale with anger and fired back. “You can keep talking. I tell you what, Mr. Patel stayed at Valerie’s place last night, and today he brought her back to his house. The one who’s not loved is the real mistress. Just wait to get kicked to the curb.”
“It’s me who’s going to kick him.” Audrey’s eyes flashed with disdain. “Since
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you’ve proved that Clayton cheated on Valerie, I’ll need you to be my
witness in court.”
Audrey used to laugh off the condescending attitudes from people in the law firm because of Clayton. But now that she was done with that jerk, she had no reason to play nice with them anymore.
Jade stood there, speechless, her face shifting between shades of livid and pale.
She fumed inside, thinking ‘Even if Mr. Patel prefers Valerie now, he’s still married to Audrey. Infidelity makes him the wrongdoer.
‘If my gossip ends up costing Mr. Patel more in the divorce settlement with Audrey, not only will Valerie blame me, but the Patel family will have my head too.
‘Going to court? Audrey’s going to file for divorce? No way. She cares too much about Mr. Patel to file for divorce herself.‘
Jade lost all interest in shopping and immediately walked away.
Audrey, on the other hand, selected a new set of bedding and had the staff note down her address for delivery the next day.
20
The next morning, Audrey went to her new house to pick up the bedding.
int was fresh, and there was no smell at all.
T
ought a few household items to put in the house. As she was
g around, she realized there were some decorations she could grab om Hightower Homes since she’d paid for them anyway.
When she opened the door, she was greeted by a pile of shoes in the entryway. Lillian and Clayton’s niece, Riley Patel, were sitting on the couch watching TV. Luna, looking expressionless, was curled up at the edge of the couch.
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Clayton and Valerie stood by the fish tank and fed the fish together. Valerie was shoulder to shoulder with Clayton. She picked up the fish food from his hand and sprinkled it into the tank. They looked almost like a couple.
“This goldfish is the one I gave you all those years ago, huh? I thought it was dead, but you’ve kept it alive so well,” Valerie said, her face almost pressed against the tank.
Lillian looked at them and grinned. “Clay keeps everything you give him properly.”
When Lillian saw Audrey at the door, her smile instantly faded. She
sneered, “Oh, the hostess finally comes back, huh? I thought you had some backbone and went back to Emberholt.”
Clayton heard the noise and turned to look. He asked in a cold tone, “Why did you come back now?”
Riley snorted, “She probably heard Vally was here and came back to mark her territory. I thought she didn’t care about Uncle Clayton.”
Riley was only 13, but the whole Patel family, from the youngest to the oldest, had always thought Audrey was just lucky to be with Clayton.
“Audrey, I didn’t know you were coming. Zoe made the dishes according to Mrs. Patel’s taste,” Valerie said, carrying a plate of candy, as if she were the lady of the house. “These chocolates are from abroad. Try them.”
Audrey scanned the room, and her eyes landed on the candy. She smiled and said, “Did you take these chocolates from my vanity?”
Valerie’s smile froze, and she awkwardly explained, “Oh, we have guests here, so I thought I’d serve them.”
“You’re already causing trouble with Vally the moment you walk in. It’s just a box of chocolate. Is it really worth this?” Clayton’s expression clouded.
Clayton thought, ‘She’s been away for two days, and the moment she
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comes back, she starts to cause trouble.
‘Vally asked me before she took the candy. She was just trying to be polite since my mom and niece were here. Why does Audrey have to make it so
serious?‘
Audrey grabbed the box and dumped all the chocolates into her bag. “I bought these chocolates for someone else, not for you guys.”
Riley planned to take the chocolates home. Seeing Audrey’s action, she shouted, “You eat and wear everything Uncle Clayton buys for you. How could you say you bought them?”
Audrey tossed the box onto the table. She glared at Clayton, her voice sharp. “Clayton, am I living off you? Everything I eat and wear is bought by you? Have I been depending on you this whole time?”
Clayton’s gaze grew more complicated: The Audrey standing before him felt like a stranger. The feeling of losing her grew stronger.
He clenched his fist, suppressing his frustration and irritation, and snapped, “Audrey, do you really have to talk to my family like this?”
