âIf I were a sure loser, you wouldnât be calling me right now.â Dorothyâs voice was even, betraying no
emotion. âRight?â
Amanda was caught off guard by her composure and her voice pitched up in response.
âDo you think Everett will always protect you? Let me tell you, he is my son!â
âYes, I know that.â
âDorothy!â
âThe outcome of this lawsuit isnât up to you or me. Weâll just wait for the verdict. No need for any
backchannel chatter.â
Without a hint of malice, Dorothy hung up the phone. She wasnât one for nasty exchanges, finding
them pointless.
If she got Amanda so worked up that she fell ill before the verdict, Dorothy would be the one under
the microscope for blame.
Besides, Everett would be caught in the middle, and that would be unfair to him.
It really wasnât necessary.
â¦
Karen agreed to get the marriage license.
It was the only way to get a chance to leave this place!
Besides, once at the registry office, she might find a better opportunity to escape. Jeffrey couldnât
possibly keep his eyes on her every second.
Since they were going to get the marriage license, Jeffrey had dressed up â suit and tie, hair
perfectly styled, his handsome features sharp and defined.
Sitting in the car, he seemed excited, holding Karenâs hand a little too tightly.
In contrast to his eagerness, Karen remained silent. Resting her head against the car window, she
didnât utter a word.
âFeeling okay?â
Jeffrey sensed something was off.
âNo.â
âAfter we register, Iâll take you wherever you want to go for lunch or shopping.â
Karen looked up, meeting his gaze. âDo you really have to do this?â
Jeffreyâs face darkened instantly, his eyes turning stormy.
âIâve said it before, marrying me is a done deal. Sooner or later, we have to do this, so why the
resistance?â
âBut we hardly know each other!â
âWe have the rest of our lives for that.â
Karen pursed her lips, knowing that arguing was futile.
When they arrived at the city hall, she had hoped for a chance to slip away amid the chaos, but to
her dismay, Jeffrey had the place cleared out.
It was just the two of them registering.
âMr. Turner, Ms. Miller, do you want to take a photo first?â
âSure!â Jeffrey said, eager to pull Karen along.
âWait!â
She suddenly shouted, then clutched her stomach, âJeffrey, I need to use the restroom, okay?â
She tried to look as urgent as possible, fearing Jeffrey wouldnât believe her.
Fortunately, Jeffrey didnât overthink it and nodded. âIâll take you there.â
âItâs okay. I can go by myself.â
With that, she hurried towards the restroom.
The moment Karen had entered the building, sheâd scoped out the restroom's location.
Jeffrey instinctively started to follow but stopped after a step, letting her go.
Maybe she really did just need to use the restroom.
He didnât want to press Karen too hard.
With the city hall surrounded by his people, why make her feel overly trapped?
Jeffrey stood still, pulling out his phone to check it.
On the screen were missed calls and pleading texts from Paige.
[Jeffrey, please, Iâm begging you, leave my family alone! My mother is really on her last legs!]
[Canât you show some mercy for the few months we were together? Please?]
[Jeffrey! They just issued a critical condition notice for my mom, are you happy now?]
Happy?
His lips curled into a sardonic half-smile.
Of course, he was far from satisfied.
Comments(0)
Join the discussion — sign in to leave a comment
Sign In to CommentNo comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!