Chapter 973
A wave of pity welled up inside her. With a son like this, how was she ever going to hold her head high in the socialite circles again? The more Carol thought about it, the more miserable she felt. Adding to it the slap she had just taken, all her pent-up grievances came crashing down. She threw her arms around Julian and sobbed uncontrollably.
“My poor boy, why are our lives so wretched? That useless husband of mine only knows how to take everything out on me. And your cursed fiancée–she’s nothing but trouble. Son, our fate is just too cruel.”
She cried as she patted Julian’s back.
But Julian’s face was filled with nothing but irritation. He hadn’t expected his parents to be so utterly useless. They couldn’t even handle Grace and folded so easily. He decided he needed to keep watching them a bit longer. If it really came down to it, he might have to confess to Albert that he wasn’t actually insane. Julian sighed inwardly, growing increasingly fed up with his mother. She was more of a liability than anything else. One little problem and she exploded. She never thought things through before acting. Julian recalled how she’d been lounging around watching TV without a care in the world. And him? He’d been rotting in prison with no one giving a damn. Julian shut his eyes, his mother’s wailing ringing in his ears, and forced himself to block it out. In the end, it proved completely useless. Julian suddenly stood up and walked toward the stairs, calling out, “Daddy… need Daddy…”
Carol felt her vision go dark. Her once bright and sharp son had now turned into a simpleton.
But Julian, relying entirely on his performance, managed to break free from her grip. If he stayed there any longer, his ears might go deaf. It was time to think carefully about his next steps.
Go to prison? Absolutely not. Not in this lifetime.
Tessa clung to Grace’s arm as they sat together in the back seat, leaning against each other. Jason was up front, driving. He glanced at the rearview mirror, watching the mother and daughter, still thinking about what had just happened. Good thing Grace had been cautious enough to keep him close. If not, that madwoman Carol might really have taken everything out on Tessa. It had been genuinely dangerous. But now, it looked like Tessa had truly changed. She used to be proud and untouchable. But now, she’d actually said thank you. That fierce arrogance she once had seemed to be gone, replaced by a gentle softness, though her voice still didn’t sound pleasant. If only it were her old voice–he might’ve liked this new version of her even more.
In the back, Grace gently checked on Tessa. “How are you? That crazy woman didn’t hurt you, did she?”
Tessa shook her head obediently. “Mom, I’m really fine. With all of you protecting me, nothing happened. I should be the one thanking Jason.”
Hearing that, a wave of warmth passed through Jason’s chest. “Miss, you’re too kind. I only did what I was supposed to do.”
Grace nodded in agreement. “You handled it well today. When we get back to the office, I’m giving you a raise.”