Chapter 27
In the cozy private room of the bar, Jasper waved his hands animatedly while chatting with Foreman and Rachel. "I mean, come on! She ditched making you that special meal tonight to hang out with some stranger! Rachel, mark my words, Haynes won’t let that housewife get away with it."
Rachel was about to reply when the door swung open. Haynes entered, his face looking as neutral as ever. Haynes was known for his poker face, revealing nothing of his emotions. Yet somehow, Rachel sensed he was in a bad mood. In a gentle tone, she asked, “Haynes, is Ms. Cameron calm now? She’s probably gone back to look after little Keen, right?”
Haynes pressed his lips into a thin line. “No, she hasn’t.”
Rachel’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Ms. Cameron’s ignoring Keen, too?” She bit her lip, seemingly resolving something. “Haynes, maybe I should go apologize to Ms. Cameron? Keen’s still so young. He can’t be without his mom.”
“No matter how upset adults get, it’s our issue. We should never let it affect the kids; Keen’s innocent in all this.”
Jasper rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on,” he scoffed. “We all see through her little charade—using Keen as a pawn to manipulate Haynes. That woman’s a master of ruthlessness, exploiting her own child. It’s despicable.”
Foreman interrupted, “Jasper, give it a rest.”
“But am I wrong?” Jasper retorted without restraint. “Look at what Stella’s been doing! She’s married, has a kid, and she’s still out at bars meeting random guys. That’s cheating!”
“No wonder Keen’s getting more distant from her. What kind of mother does that? Haynes has been way too nice to Stella, spoiling her!”
“Living the high life at home, spending Haynes’ money like nothing, and still unsatisfied! Now, she wants to spend his money on some other guy!”
Jasper turned toward Haynes, an idea sparking in his eyes. “Haynes, you ought to teach her a lesson! Freeze her card and see if she can keep up the attitude. I bet she’ll come crawling back to apologize in no time!”
Meanwhile, Stella’s mood was gone after meeting Haynes and Rachel. As she was about to head back, her phone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she saw a notification telling her her credit card was frozen.
It took Stella just a second to realize what had happened. Haynes had frozen her card. She’d been at home for years, caring for Keen, with no personal income. She’d been using Haynes’ card for all her expenses. Of course, Stella had her savings before the marriage—a nest egg that, by any ordinary measure, was substantial. But in the gilded world of the O’Briens, it was a mere droplet swallowed by an endless sea. She didn’t see any issue spending Haynes’ money. After all, he was the breadwinner while she ran the household, and spending his earnings was fair game.
Looking at the screen, Stella let out a bitter laugh. So, Haynes was starting to play hardball. As she pondered this, heading back to the room, someone suddenly bumped into her leg.
Startled, Stella looked down to find a little boy, not more than five or six, staring up at her. The kid was adorable, with delicate features and eyes like glistening stars, but his face was ghastly pale. With her background in holistic medicine, Stella could tell immediately that the boy was frail and likely prone to illness.
The little boy said, “You bumped into me. You owe me.”
Stella blinked, then crouched down to his level, meeting his eyes. “Hey there, little guy. Are you feeling okay?”
The boy looked down, saying nothing. Stella glanced around but saw no sign of his parents. She asked softly, “What’s your name, sweetheart? Where are your folks?”