Falling For My Ex's Uncle - Chapter 356: Chapter 356

Yvonne approached me with measured steps, the red-and-black dress flowing gracefully with her movements, like a restrained flame smoldering. She stopped before me, her makeup impeccably applied, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes expertly concealed beneath foundation.
Were it not for the slightly stiff smile betraying her age, one would hardly guess she was past fifty. Standing beside Marvin, she could have easily been mistaken for his sister rather than his mother.
"Laurel," Yvonne spoke first, the corners of her lips lifting as she attempted to pull off a warm smile. But the unnatural tautness of her features—an unmistakable result of excessive cosmetic work—gave her expression an eerie edge.
"Can we talk?" With that, her gaze settled on me, steady and unblinking, though a cold glint flickered beneath the beauty of her eyes.
I slightly nodded and responded, "Alright." Truthfully, facing her like this left me feeling a bit uneasy.
Up close, it was easy to see the remnants of her youthful beauty—the elegant contours of her brows and eyes, the straight bridge of her nose, and the effortless grace from a life of privilege. It wasn't hard to imagine that she had once been a breathtaking woman who turned heads wherever she went, with suitors lining up at her door.
"I never thought I'd run into you here. That is all my life has come to." Yvonne let out a faint, bitter smile, her hand unconsciously rising to her cheek to reassure herself that her beauty was still there. "When I fell in love with Michael in my youth, I thought it was fate. Who would have guessed?"
She paused, a flicker of melancholy passing through her eyes. "He was my friend's husband, yet I still threw myself in, convinced that having a son would make everything right. And so, I waited—waited for more than thirty years."
"Back then, I severed ties with my family for him. Pregnant and alone, I endured the whispers and judgment from everyone around me—but I didn't care. All I wanted was for him to divorce and marry me." Yvonne's voice trembled slightly, laced with both resentment and regret.
"And after all that, he finally divorced—so what was the result?" She laughed self-deprecatingly, the sound sharp and hollow as it lingered in the air. "Even now, there's still no resolution. What does my whole life amount to?"
Yvonne looked at me as if waiting for an answer. The sharpness in her gaze faded, replaced by a rare flicker of vulnerability—so starkly different from the woman she had been just moments ago.
I parted my lips, searching for words, but found none that could offer absolute comfort. Ultimately, I said softly, "Yvonne, please don't be too upset. There's still a long road ahead."
The moment the words left my mouth, I felt how hollow they sounded. A fixation spanning over thirty years could not be easily let go.
Yvonne shook her head, her fingers clutching the fabric of her dress so tightly that her knuckles turned pale. "Is it? How many more thirty years do I have left?" Her voice was laced with bitterness.
"My youth is gone, my reputation is ruined, and all I have left is this..." She didn't finish the sentence—she didn't need to. Her gaze swept over her face, filled with sorrow and regret.
After a moment of silence, she took a deep breath, as if making a decision. "Laurel, you're close to Michael. Can you help me find out what he is thinking?" She stared at me intently, her eyes filled with a silent plea.
I hesitated, unable to respond immediately, when suddenly footsteps echoed behind me. I turned around to find Marvin standing there, his expression dark and menacing. He glanced briefly at Yvonne before coldly saying, "Mom, don't make things difficult for her. If you have something to say, say it to me."
At the sight of Marvin, Yvonne's expression shifted, and she opened her mouth as if to speak. But before she could, Marvin stepped before me, positioning himself to shield me.
His stance made it seem as though Yvonne were about to devour me. Perhaps, in his eyes, my close relationship with Jamilah made it clear that Yvonne would never like me.
It wasn't lost on me that Yvonne had never liked me, and that was because she didn't want me to be part of her family. But things were different now. I was already married and pregnant, and there was no possibility of me seducing Marvin.
"Didn't I ask you to stay with Miss Cole?" Yvonne furrowed her brows, her expression filled with displeasure as she fixed Marvin with a sharp gaze. "You didn't scare her off, did you?"
Marvin glanced at Yvonne, his expression dark with frustration. He replied slowly, unwavering, "Mom, why do you always make decisions independently and bring people here? Aren't you worried about what others might think?"
"Why should I? The only people laughing will be those who see you end up without a wife," Yvonne retorted, showing no mercy to Marvin.
"If you hadn't ignored my messages, would I have brought her here?" Yvonne continued, her frustration growing. "Besides, it's rare to find a girl interested in you. Why can't you just be more proactive? What about Miss Cole?"
"Mom, there are plenty of women who are interested in me. Should I marry them all?" Marvin slipped back into his usual carefree attitude. "You're focused on her status, but that doesn't mean she's interested in me. As for whether I find a romantic relationship, don't make it harder for others."
With that, Yvonne scoffed. "I was just meeting Miss Parks for a casual chat. Why are you so worked up?"
"Casual chat?" Marvin chuckled, then picked up where the conversation left off. "Mom, I'll be honest with you. I'm still going back to the police department. I'm not taking over the Adams Group."
Yvonne was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting Marvin to want to return to the police department. "You still want to be a lowly cop?" she sneered, her gaze turning cold as she fixed him with an icy stare. "Fine. But if you return to the police department, never call me 'Mom' again. I'll have your father deactivate your card."
Marvin nodded without a flicker of emotion. "The card Dad gave me? I've never used it. You might as well take back that apartment you gave me, too. Honestly, it's just sitting there, collecting dust. The dorm at the police department is way more comfortable."
I frowned slightly, slowly lifting my gaze to Marvin. Was this guy out of his mind? The little allowance he got every month was barely enough to cover his expenses.
While it was confirmed he hadn't used the money Michael had given him, the apartment he lived in had been a gift from Michael on his 18th birthday, and it was in Marvin's name.
Perhaps Yvonne had always felt that Michael owed her, that he had squandered so many years of her love and sacrifices. But she never seemed to consider that, in reality, she and Michael had also failed Marvin.
If Marvin had grown up with a complete family, he wouldn't have developed such a fear of happiness. Because he feared losing it, he never dared to pursue what he truly wanted.
Marvin wasn't always like this when he was a child. Perhaps the countless disappointments, the endless waiting and hoping, had worn him down. Now, he no longer expected anything good to happen. In his eyes, even simply surviving had become a struggle, let alone seeking that elusive happiness.
Yvonne was visibly enraged by Marvin's words, her gaze burning with fury as she glared at him. If it weren't for the circumstances, she would likely have slapped him without hesitation.
"Mom, I can work and have money. But as someone who doesn't even feel happiness, do you think I could bring it to someone else?" Marvin said with a forced, empty smile as he looked at Yvonne. "I'm not fillial and won't be a good husband, so I don't want to ruin someone else's life."
He paused momentarily, then added, "Miss Cole is still waiting for you in the café. If you don't go soon, she'll probably leave."