Chapter 266: Hard Lessons

“Mom, I’m your flesh and blood. Don’t you want the best for me?”

Sophia’s refusal to help was one thing, but her mockery was another.

“I’m not saying I don’t want the best for you, but…” Sophia began, counting on her fingers, “let’s talk about when you and Ellis were getting divorced. Did you do what a woman finds unforgivable? I’m just trying to show you the reality ahead of time.”

“I did what…?”

“Ellis came to me, crying, saying you were pushing her to the edge. Do you remember that?”

Sophia’s interruption made Easton furrow his brows. “Wasn’t I just trying to stop her from bringing up the divorce all the time? I didn’t mean to…”

“From your perspective, you were stopping her from talking about divorce; from her perspective, what was it?” Sophia moved closer to her son, patting his chest. “Put yourself in her shoes! I’ve told you this many times before—consider your wife’s feelings in everything you do.”

Remembering Ellis in tears, Sophia suddenly felt like cheering her son on. Crying in front of others meant she cried in private too. No one could guarantee how much resentment Ellis held toward her son, and how much effort it would take him to clear the air.

Sophia’s words opened Easton’s eyes to a new world; he realized things he had never paid attention to before. Letting Ellis complain to his mother was something he had never considered from Ellis’s perspective. His mind was filled with teaching her a lesson; she’d learn her place, not bring up the divorce, and apologize to him.

His heart felt like it was being squeezed; his breathing restricted, his face losing some color. The visible change in Easton’s expression prompted Sophia to gently pat his shoulder, comforting him. “Luckily, Ellis is still single and hasn’t listened to Emma’s advice to meet other men. There’s still time for you to win her back and remarry.”

That was a small blessing in a misfortune! If Ellis had been cold-hearted and indifferent, she might have gotten involved with other men right after the divorce, making a reconciliation much more difficult because of the competition. And with more options, Ellis would naturally compare who was better suited for her.

Comforted by his mother, Easton’s complexion improved. At least Ellis was single, not dating, and had no one else she liked.

After returning to the States for a few days, life was calm, but Ellis was still tense. She wished she could live at Tate Group, not setting foot outside, nipping any danger in the bud, while securing a well-paid job.

However, Maya shattered her illusion immediately after hearing her out.

“Hey, danger is everywhere; there’s no place that’s completely safe! Did you ever think what if Victoria, out of sheer madness, bribed someone close to you?”

Hearing this, Ellis felt like the whole planet was unsafe, and she needed to escape to another planet. Her paranoia intensified, making her distrust everyone at the company.

Exhausted from being on edge all day, today after work, Ellis glanced toward Serenity Estate, considering moving back there. No other reason than the fact that the rent at Serenity Estate was paid annually. If a tenant broke the lease, the landlord kept the rent and deposit, so moving out early was a substantial loss.

Frustrated, she walked out of the company building and waited absentmindedly by the roadside for a taxi.

Chapter 256: Hard Lessons

Suddenly, someone called her name and tapped her shoulder. Her heart raced madly, almost jumping out of her chest, accompanied by a chilling terror that made her skin crawl.

In this state, Ellis couldn’t tell whose voice it was and responded irritably, “Who is it, some kind of lunatic? Why scare me like that?”

Before she could finish, she saw her dreadful ex-husband standing in front of her. Instantly, she rolled her eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!”

Easton hadn’t intended to frighten Ellis; he had called her a few times and was close, but she hadn’t heard or noticed him. He had to tap her to get her attention.

Ellis frowned, annoyed. “What are you, some kind of creep? Always lurking around, always…”

“Sorry,” Easton looked around and interrupted, “Can I buy you a coffee?”

“You must be sick! Who wants the coffee you’re offering? Like I can’t afford my own cup of coffee!” Despite being in public, Ellis struggled to control her urge to lash out physically, to save herself the embarrassment.

“I came here today to ask you for coffee, but that’s not the main reason,” Easton pointed to a nearby coffee shop with a prominent sign. “I was hoping we could find a quiet place for me to apologize.”

“Apologize?” For a moment, Ellis thought she had misheard. Easton coming out of nowhere to apologize?