From Forgotten Wife To Fierce Queen - Chapter 18: Chapter 18

The next morning, in the bedroom, Paisley carefully tended to Serena's wounds. Thankfully, Maria had gone back to Brightmoor for the weekend due to some family matters. If she saw Serena's wounds, she'd be heartbroken.
Maria had been with Paisley since the day Serena was born and practically raised Serena alongside Paisley. Her love for Serena was no less than a mother's.
Luckily, Serena's fall yesterday had only scraped her palms. If it had been worse, Paisley wouldn't have let go of Stella, who had hurt Serena.
As for the school, Paisley was far from done with them. She had already contacted her lawyer and planned to send a formal legal notice on Monday.
Gently disinfecting Serena's small hands, Paisley winced every time Serena flinched from the cotton ball's sting.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Paisley asked, her voice full of concern.
"It hurts, but I can handle it," Serena replied, biting her lip. Tears welled up in her shiny eyes, but she stubbornly held them back.
Once the bandages were on, Paisley pulled Serena into her arms and kissed her head. "Mommy will find you a new preschool. We're never going back there, okay?"
Running into Grayson at school had been the last thing Paisley expected because Grayson wasn't even enrolled in that preschool—he was at another elite school.
When choosing a school for Serena, Paisley had deliberately avoided any areas where she might cross paths with the Vanderbilt family. Yet somehow, fate had other plans.
"Mommy, it's alright. I can keep going there," Serena said softly.
Despite how awful the principal and some of the teachers were, she liked her teacher, Sophia, very much.
Serena continued, "Don't worry, Mommy. I won't bother Grayson anymore."
Hearing Grayson's name, Paisley sighed. "So, you snuck that painting out of my studio just to show it to Grayson, didn't you?"
Serena nodded, looking pitiful. "But Grayson didn't like it. Stella even tore it up. Mommy, I'm sorry..." She snuggled deeper into Paisley's arms, her little voice sticky with remorse.
"It's okay, sweetheart. I'm not mad at you," said Paisley.
There had been a day, not long after her divorce, when Paisley couldn't stop thinking about the son she'd left behind. The overwhelming panic nearly drove her to pick up the phone and call Dominick—a number she had buried deep in her heart.
But the urge passed soon. Two hours later, the storm in her chest had quieted. That same day, she painted Grayson's portrait, pouring all her unresolved feelings into the canvas.
One day later, Serena stumbled upon the painting and asked who the boy was. Paisley replied simply, "That's your brother."
What Paisley hadn't anticipated was how deeply Serena would remember those words.
As she gently stroked Serena's hair, Paisley began to say, "Rena, I know you want to talk to Grayson. But he doesn't know you yet, and that's why he didn't like you. Remember, love has to go both ways. You can't make everyone like you, can you?"
Serena nodded, her face earnest despite her limited understanding. "I get it, Mommy."
Paisley held her close, a bittersweet ache tugging at her heart.
She had once believed the same naive notion that giving her whole heart would mean being loved in return. But life had taught her otherwise. This lesson made it easier for her to let go.
Just then, a ringtone broke through her thoughts. From the living room, Paisley's phone chimed with an incoming video call.
Before she could move, Serena wriggled out of her arms and hurried to grab the phone.
"Mom, who's Gregory?" Serena asked, her curiosity piqued. At three years old, she had learned quite a few names already.
Paisley's eyebrows shot up slightly at the mention of that name. It had been years since Gregory had been a part of her life.
Gregory was her biological father. After cutting ties with the Sullivan family, they hadn't spoken once. Even after her marriage to Dominick, the birth of Serena, and their eventual divorce, the Sullivan family knew none of it from Paisley.
Paisley hadn't heard from Gregory in years after she left the Sullivan family, and here he was, calling her out of the blue. She'd forgotten to remove him from her contacts, so now this was the only way he could reach her.
The voice call kept ringing, and Serena squirmed, clearly annoyed by the noise. "Mom, aren't you gonna answer?"
Paisley hesitated for a moment and tapped the screen to answer. She was too curious about what Gregory wanted after all this time.
"What took you so long to pick up?" Gregory's familiar voice scolded as soon as Paisley answered.
Paisley's tone was cool. "What do you want?"
"I'm your father. Can't I call you?" Gregory shot back, his tone defensive.
Paisley just let out a dry laugh but said nothing to reply.
Gregory probably knew how ridiculous he sounded, especially because it had been so many years since they'd last spoken. He softened his tone a little and continued, "I heard from your mom and your sister that they saw you at the mall. They said things got a little tense."
Paisley understood right away—he was trying to guilt-trip her. But to her surprise, Gregory didn't dwell on that incident.
Gregory added, "Since you're back, why don't you come home? You're still my daughter. You can't stay out there forever. It's embarrassing for the Sullivan family."
Sitting back on the couch at Sullivan Villa, Gregory ignored the disapproving look Christina shot him and kept talking, "You've learned your lesson these years, huh? I'm sure you'll get along with Brittany from now on.
"If you come back, we'll forget everything that's happened. Your mom, Brittany, and I will let the past go."
Paisley couldn't believe what she was hearing. She instantly regretted answering the call. She had just wasted a minute of her life on this nonsense. She didn't even bother responding but just hung up the phone.
"Hello? Hello!" Gregory shouted, hearing the line go dead. Furious, he threw the phone down and cursed, "That ungrateful brat!"
Looking at him with an unimpressed expression, Christina snapped, "Why are you even talking to her like that? And why are you insisting she come back?"
Christina asked Gregory to call Paisley only because Brittany loved that gown, and they tried to make Paisley give up the gown under Gregory's pressure. After all, they couldn't bother Dominick just for a gown.
Gregory's reasoning was simple. "Back when she left, we let her go. But now that she's back, she can't just stay out there. She's still our daughter, after all."
"You want her back to bully Brittany again?" Christina rolled her eyes, clearly not thrilled by the idea.
"She was young and immature back then. Besides, with Brittany's position now, who's gonna dare bully her?" Gregory glanced over at Brittany as he spoke.
He continued, "When you and Dominick's relationship is solid, maybe you can help Paisley. Find her a decent guy. She's gonna need someone to lean on in the future. As for that stupid gown, just forget about it. Paisley's friend can't be someone impressive."
Gregory didn't think much of Paisley, and even less of her friends, including Emery.
"I'll give you some money to buy something better," he added.
Christina's mood lightened a little, and she was convinced by her father's theory that no top designer would have a store in a mall.
Brittany nodded and smiled, "Sure, Dad. If Paisley's willing to come back, I'll make sure she's taken care of."
She couldn't help but think, 'When the time comes, I'll just find her some guy to marry, and she'll never be able to hold her head up in front of me again.'