Chapter 157

Hayden spun Jeremy’s tablet around, revealing a webpage crammed with text. “Can you read all this?” he asked.

Jeremy’s face clouded. He glared, his three-year-old frustration evident. He understood some words, but not enough to hide Hayden’s deliberate goading.

Hayden remained calm. “This is the civil code. Stacey’s divorced, I’m divorced, we’re both single. If I marry her, she’ll be your mom. You can call her Mommy.”

Jeremy’s eyes lit up. He grabbed the tablet, scribbling: “[Then you must]…” He paused, struggling with the next word. Hayden waited patiently. Finally, Jeremy finished: “[Then you must merry her fast!]” He thrust the tablet forward.

Hayden looked from the words to Jeremy’s eager face. “Do you think marrying someone is that simple? She has to like me, want to marry me.”

Jeremy stared, speechless.

“You have to help me win her over,” Hayden explained. “Then I can propose.”

Jeremy frantically wrote: “[How can I help you?]”

Hayden pondered. He shook his head. “I haven’t figured it out yet. I’ll tell you what to do. Just follow my instructions.”

Jeremy wrote: “[Okay].” Hayden smiled; Jeremy remained solemn.

Meanwhile, Stacey, Lillian, and Kevin were heading home. At the entrance, they saw Theodore. Stacey instinctively shielded the children's eyes.

Debra hissed, “Ignore him. He doesn’t live here.” She called the building management, demanding they bar Theodore.

The manager, flustered by the call from a wealthy resident, immediately barred Theodore’s entry.

Theodore, unaware of the Carter family’s arrival, stood fuming at the gate.

Back at the Carter mansion, Patrick greeted them excitedly. He took Lillian from Stacey, peppering her with questions. "How was work? Any problems?"

Stacey smiled. "No, everything’s fine. Mr. Hoggard… Hayden was very kind."

Patrick beamed. "The Hoggard family are good people. We don't worry when you're with them."

Inside, Stacey checked her phone. An hour-old message from an unknown number: “[Rebecca, I’ve settled things with the Edwards family. I’m at your place. Can we talk?]”

She’d been offline. Even if she’d seen it, nothing would change. She blocked and deleted the number.

Theodore waited, but Stacey didn’t appear. The guards wouldn’t budge. He got a new SIM card and texted: “[Rebecca, can I see the children? I miss them.]”

Stacey deleted the message and blocked the number. She wanted to protect the children from Theodore and the Edwards family’s influence.

To avoid further harassment, she almost switched off her phone when a WhatsApp message popped up. It was from Hayden. Surprised, she added him and cautiously messaged: “[Mr. Hoggard?]”

Hayden replied instantly: “[Yes, it's me.]” “[Are you home?]”

“[Yes. Thank you for yesterday.]”

“[You’re welcome. Glad you’re home safe. I won't disturb you. Rest well. We’ll talk later.]”

Stacey wondered if he was checking on her. Then a video call request appeared – from Hayden. Jeremy's face filled the screen.

Suddenly, Stacey understood. Jeremy probably missed her. Hayden added her contact to help. The thought of Hayden’s frustration with Jeremy made her chuckle.