Chapter 224:

Upon hearing this, Tess's heart softened. She placed her hand on Corrie's back, comforting her. "Don't cry, Corrie. You're a good girl, and you care for Jayden. I see that. Even though you and Jayden have feelings for each other, someone else is now in the picture. There's nothing we can do."

Jayden's mood darkened. "Mom, please watch what you say," he said icily.

A chill swept through Tess, erasing her arrogance. She stubbornly asserted, "It's true. You and Corrie would have made a great couple, but you married that woman. You're driving me crazy."

Corrie responded softly, trying to calm Tess. "Please don't bring that up. I knew I'd lost my chance with Jayden when I moved abroad last year." She wiped away a tear and continued in a hurt voice, "It's hard for me. I wasn't there for Jayden when he needed me most."

As she spoke, her tears flowed freely. "My parents didn't tell me anything about Jayden's condition while I was abroad. I assumed he was doing well."

Listening to Corrie, Tess's eyes slowly filled with tears. She calmly wiped them away. She knew she was in the right; she harbored no regrets about leaving Jayden. Yet, she felt a slight sense of guilt for having relocated overseas immediately after Jayden's accident.

"Corrie, I'm really sorry. If anyone misinterprets this, could you vouch for me? It's been hard enough losing Jayden," Tess said, nodding. Corrie was like a daughter to her, and she would defend her no matter what. "Don't worry. I'll always support you."

Pretending to be touched, Corrie hugged her tightly. "I know. You're even better than my mom."

Embracing Corrie, Tess earnestly expressed, "It would have been wonderful if you had married Jayden." Corrie didn't respond. She had achieved her objective; this scene was meant for others to see. If questioned, she planned to claim she had apologized and sought reconciliation with Jayden, but he had refused her. Even if it made her seem desperate, it was preferable to being labeled heartless.

Meanwhile, Bryce sat eating his birthday cake, filled with confusion. Today was supposed to be his celebration, yet he felt invisible.

The extraneous website information ("gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․c𝓸𝗆" and "noveldrama") has been removed. The grammar and punctuation have been corrected for clarity and flow. Sentence structure has been improved in several places.