Chapter 213

Joshua and Jamur checked their group chat. Maddox, that damn bastard, had spammed the chat with more photos. The two groups were on a luxury yacht, having a seafood barbecue, laughing, drinking, and having the time of their lives. And this time, it wasn’t just Maddox. Even Lexic and Andrea had joined in, posting tons of gorgeous photos, all of them surrounding Phoebe. There were shots of them standing on the yacht, swimming in the ocean, fishing, and grilling seafood. Every picture radiated energy and fun. But most importantly, Phoebe looked incredibly happy. She even cooked several seafood dishes herself, each one looking mouthwateringly delicious.

Joshua couldn’t help but complain. “That bastard Maddox is eating the most—why hasn’t he choked to death yet?” Jamar agreed. “Exactly. At least let him get a little indigestion. He’s always leeching off Phoebe—shameless prick.” Joshua stared at a plate of curried shrimp in the photo, his stomach grumbling. “Phoebe’s cooking is still amazing.”

Cain overheard their conversation and got curious. “Let me see.” Jamar immediately shoved his phone at him. “Go ahead.” No way they were suffering alone. Lydia also turned to Joshua, her meaning clear. Joshua, this time, reacted quickly and handed his phone to her.

After scrolling through the photos, Cain suddenly felt like the food in his hands was tasteless. He missed Phoebe’s cooking and the medicinal dishes she used to make. But Lydia’s focus was different. She was fixated on the photos of Andrea and Bexie, the ones where Phoebe was smiling so brightly. She was eating, drinking, playing, having the time of her life. Lydia’s eyes turned red as she said, “I collapsed and was hospitalized, yet she didn’t come to see me. And she’s out there, playing and laughing like nothing happened. She really doesn’t care about me anymore.”

Looking at these pictures, Lydia finally had to accept the truth. Phoebe didn’t care about her anymore. And it broke her. She had never imagined it would come to this. Her words made the three brothers fall silent because it was the truth. They didn’t know what to say. Even they felt awful about it. If Phoebe didn’t even care about Lydia anymore, then she definitely felt the same about them. How had things ended up like this?

Cain furrowed his brows. “This is ridiculous. Just because she cut ties, does she really think she can erase our blood connection!” He had always believed that, no matter what happened, they were family. There was nothing that couldn’t be forgiven. But now, it seemed like Phoebe really was done with them.

Chapter 213

Lydia felt even worse hearing this. She grabbed her bowl and flung it at Cain. The food splattered all over his face and clothes. Cain jumped up in anger. “Mom, what the hell…” What was with her constant mood swings? Last night, she threw a cup at him—now it was a bowl? Lydia stood up, stormed to the corner, and grabbed the broom. Then she swung it at Cain. “You want to know why?! If it weren’t for you three idiots always siding with Sienna and treating Phoebe like an outsider, she wouldn’t have been so hurt! She wouldn’t have shut me out either!”

She couldn’t hold back anymore. As she hit him, she started crying. “She doesn’t even want me as her mother anymore!” And this time, Joshua and Jamar weren’t spared either. “You bastards! If it weren’t for you, my daughter would be here with me right now instead. You’re always causing me grief! Why the hell did I give birth to such useless sons?!” Lyslia was completely breaking down. She unleashed all her frustration, sadness, and heartbreak on her three sons. At first, Joshua and Jamar had been watching Cain get beaten with amusement. But now! They were getting beaten too.

“Dammit, Cain, you dragged us into this!” Joshua, especially, regretted coming on this reality tv show. If he had a second chance, he wouldn’t have come. No wonder Leon had been so eager to push him into this. That bastard must have wanted to see him suffer.

Cain, meanwhile, felt completely wronged. “Why am I getting the worst of it! It’s not like I was the only one who treated Phoebe badly! And now everything is our…” ur fauler, he thought. Even their mom had favored Sienna back then! The broom kept landing on him, leaving fresh red marks on his face and arms. Cain was furious too. “Mom, why are you so hypocritical! You’re acting like Phoebe cutting ties with us had nothing to do with you. Weren’t you the one giving her the cold shoulder back then! Didn’t you scold her for Sienna’s sake! And now you’re making it sound like it was all our fault, like you’re completely innocent!” He dodged away from her, continuing, “If you were truly blameless, would Phoebe have refused to visit you in the hospital?”

Joshua and Jamar had been thinking the same thing. Sure, they had their share of the blame, but their mom wasn’t innocent either. They couldn’t hold back anymore. While dodging her wrath, they chimed in. “Exactly! Mom, you were the one who favored Sienna over Phoebe in the first place. As her mother, you didn’t even stand by her; of course, we followed your example. You always said Phoebe was being unreasonable, but now look at yourself! Aren’t you doing the same thing!”

Lydia’s face twisted with shame as her sons called her out. This was exactly what she didn’t want to admit—what she refused to acknowledge. These weren’t sons. They were three ungrateful brats. Her blood pressure spiked. Dizziness hit her, her body weakened, and her face paled even further. Dropping the broom, she clutched the bed for support, her breathing rapid and uneven. The Jenkins brothers panicked. “Monti, are you okay?” Januar immediately ran out to call the doctor. When the doctor arrived, he quickly administered treatment. Afterward, he scolded the brothers with a stern face. “Stop making her so agitated. If she passes out again, it could be dangerous.”

Feeling utterly humiliated, the Jenkins brothers could only sit there, enduring the reprimand.

3:15 PM

Chapter 213

They didn’t dare say another word of truth to their mother. If she fainted again, they’d be in even bigger trouble. Lying on the bed, Lydia forced herself to suppress her anger for the sake of her health. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop the tears from falling. What had she done to deserve this! The Jenkins brothers sat beside her, their appetites completely gone. Cain, who had originally planned to eat and then visit Sienna, didn’t dare sneak off anymore. Instead, he lowered his head and texted Sienna.

Lydia had been crying in silence, but the constant notification sound from Cain’s phone soon got on her nerves. Noticing him typing away, her expression darkened. She turned to Joshua and ordered, “Give me Cain’s phone. I want to see it.” Not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, Joshua acted before Cain could even react. He snatched the phone from Cain’s hands and handed it to Lydia. The phone was still unlocked, open to his chat with Sienna. Lydia skimmed through the messages, and her face turned black with rage.

She slammed the phone down and yelled. “I’m lying here like this, and you’re still in the mood to text Sienna? Flirting with her, comforting her? You ungrateful brat, do you even have a conscience? Is Sienna more important to you than your own mother?” Cain—what a waste of effort raising him. She was absolutely livid.