Chapter 17: The Stepmother’s True Nature

“I won’t do it,” Ellis said, pursing her lips. “Victoria and I were kidnapped together. When the kidnappers asked Easton for 500 million to ransom me, he wasn’t willing to pay. But when they asked for a billion for Victoria, he didn’t hesitate for even a second. Why should I stay with him?”

Emma’s face darkened as she grasped the deeper meaning behind Ellis’s words. “You asked for a divorce because of this?”

“Auntie, don’t you get it? He doesn’t love me. He loves Victoria! I don’t want to stay with someone who doesn’t love me. I want a divorce!” Unable to come up with a more palatable excuse, Ellis decided it was best to tell the truth.

“You’re already Mrs. Hudson, so why does it matter whether Easton loves you or not? What good will that do? Be smart, will you? Hold on to your position as his wife, manage his assets, and keep the money in your hands. Have a child to secure your future! Who cares who he loves?”

Ellis simply couldn’t believe her own stepmother would even say such a thing.

Before their marriage, Emma had encouraged Ellis, telling her that it didn’t matter if Easton didn’t love her at the moment, because in time, he would definitely come to see her value and fall in love with her, and they would grow old together.

“Don’t be foolish, do you hear me?” Emma, desperate to preserve their luxurious lifestyle, insisted that Ellis remain firmly in her role as Mrs. Hudson. “If you divorce Easton, our standard of living will take a massive hit.”

“So, just for the sake of our lifestyle, I have to stay with…”

“Why won’t you listen?” Emma interrupted, her frustration boiling over. “Who cares about love? Even if Easton brings Victoria into your home, you’ll have to endure it.”

Emma was the least capable of the second generation of the Hudson family. Every business she managed either went bankrupt or suffered severe losses. Ever since Scott Hudson handed control of the company over to Easton, Emma was left to live on a fixed monthly allowance from the family trust fund. That small sum wasn’t even enough to cover a few rounds of her top-tier beauty treatments.

With her stepdaughter married to Easton, Emma had enjoyed a dramatic rise in status. Not only was she Easton’s aunt, but she also became his mother-in-law. She was grateful Ellis had fallen for Easton and even more grateful that Ellis had won him over. So when Ellis spoke of grand and unrealistic ideas like love, Emma had no patience for it. To Emma, money was the most tangible and reliable thing. Love was irrelevant.

If Ellis were to lose her wealth and give up her comfortable, pampered lifestyle in pursuit of her so-called idea of love, Emma would be the first in line to oppose her decision and would try to snap her back to reality.

Ellis had never imagined that her stepmother would reject taking her side. Not only did Emma refuse to console her, but she also suggested that even if Victoria moved into their home, Ellis should simply endure it.

Suddenly, she couldn’t react at all; she turned into a wooden puppet and simply stared at Emma.

Emma seemed oblivious to her daughter’s strange demeanor as she picked up the nearby phone and skillfully dialed Easton’s number.

Once the call connected, Emma was greeted with much warmth. “Easton, it’s your aunt! I’m at the family house. Do you have time to come visit tonight? I haven’t seen you in ages. I miss you!”

Emma talked as she moved a distance away from Ellis. As a result, Ellis couldn’t hear the details of the conversation, but the smile on Emma’s face was unmistakable; it revealed her hidden desire to appease Easton.

Moments later, Emma returned. When her gaze fell on Ellis, the smile vanished, and she sternly instructed, “I asked Easton to come back for dinner tonight, and he agreed. I’ll act as a mediator between you two, so you need to be sensible and not make things difficult for me.”

“I don’t want to compromise myself,” Ellis refused her stepmother’s arrangement. Easton had said such horrible things; why should I push myself back into this? Am I to belittle myself?

“If you don’t compromise, do you want Easton to be the one to do so?” Emma was furious. “Especially at a time like this, securing your position should be your top priority!”

“Auntie, I don’t understand what you mean.” Ellis felt a surge of indescribable emotions. It was a mix of disappointment toward her own stepmother and the unsettling realization that she never knew Emma’s true nature.

“No matter how much better than you the other women are, if you hold your ground, it won’t matter. No one should think they can take your place. You can’t make a scene like this; it will drive Easton completely into the arms of another woman.”

“Are you saying I should turn a blind eye to Easton having an affair?” Ellis could hardly believe her ears. Her mother was actually suggesting that she accept the situation of Easton having other partners. It was hard to digest, and her voice trembled slightly.

“You’re right, that’s exactly what I mean.” Emma nodded.

Earlier, Ellis hadn’t told her mother about the kidnapping, hoping to spare her any worry. Now, however, she felt the bitter irony that Emma didn’t seem concerned about her at all. Instead, she still maintained her stance of wholeheartedly supporting Easton.

Ellis bit her lip. “What if I insist on divorcing Easton?”

“I didn’t raise you all these years for you to go against me!” Emma felt that her stepdaughter was utterly confused and believed it was her duty to wake her up to her senses.

“Then what did you raise me for?” Ellis had never doubted that Emma had ulterior motives in raising her. She had always been grateful for her stepmother’s care, but today’s words and actions left her feeling utterly disillusioned.