Hi Ex, Your Uncle Is My Hubby Now - Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Then, returning to the matter of Shelby, "The mess your mother made is far too big to cover up. She brought this on herself, and since she refuses to change, prison is exactly where she belongs.
"And anyway, your brothers' futures are important, yes—but what about the victims? Don't their lives matter too?
"You did the right thing, Irene. You don't owe anyone an apology."
Irene had always been someone who responded more to kindness than to criticism.
As she heard those words from Gwen, a wave of guilt surged through her—along with a deep hatred for the foolish, blind version of herself from her previous life.
The Jackson family had always been good to her. And yet, in her previous life, they had all suffered because of her.
Her brothers died one after another. Oliver and Elias lived out their final years in hardship. Gwen passed away full of regret. Nevaeh fell ill and died far too young…
That crushing guilt spread through her chest like wildfire, until her hands began to shake and her body trembled uncontrollably.
"I—I need to use the restroom," she stammered and quickly excused herself.
Inside the bathroom, she shut the door, leaned against the wall, and bit down hard on her arm to keep herself from making a sound as silent tears streamed down her face.
She thought, 'Irene, look at everything you missed in your previous life.
'Family. Real friendship. You could've had it all.
'But instead, you chased after an illusion of love—something fleeting and empty—and in the end, you died alone with no one to bury you. Your family was left in ruins.'
Irene took a few minutes to collect herself before stepping back out.
No one mentioned her red-rimmed eyes. They knew better than to ask.
It was Oliver who finally broke the silence. "You've been dating Dorian for over two years now, right? Maybe it's time we invited him over for a home-cooked meal."
Worried she might not catch the social nuance, Elias added gently, "You've been together a while now. If we never invite him over, people might start to think there's tension between our families."
Gwen nodded in agreement. "If it works for you, Irene, bring him by sometime."
Irene wasn't ungrateful—she knew they were looking out for her.
"Maybe next week," she replied. "This Saturday, Dorian's taking me to his family home for dinner. I'll meet his father first, and then… we'll see how things go."
If his father didn't approve, then there was no point playing house with the rest of the family.
Hearing this, Gwen gave her a kind reminder. "First time visiting his family? Don't forget to bring a gift. It doesn't need to be expensive, but it should be thoughtful. Good manners matter."
Then she turned to Maisie. "Maisie, help Irene pick out a few appropriate gifts."
Maisie Jackson came from a jewelry family and was a pro when it came to social etiquette. She agreed right away.
"Of course. Leave it to me."
Maisie then turned to Nevaeh. "Nevaeh, the weather's been warming up lately—why don't you come with us?"
Nevaeh was not only frail but also deeply introverted. Socializing was never her thing.
She looked to Elias first, saw his encouraging nod, and finally agreed. "Alright. I'll come."
So that afternoon, Irene was whisked off to the mall by the two women to shop for gifts.
What started as a trip to buy presents for the Barnes family quickly turned into a full-on shopping spree—for Irene.
She was the only girl in the Jackson family. And since she'd always kept her distance, they had never really had a chance to spoil her.
Now that they finally had the opportunity, they weren't holding back.
Clothes. Jewelry. Handbags…
By the time they were done, a small battalion of sharply dressed store attendants helped carry their mountain of shopping bags to the underground parking lot.
As they parted, one of the young men bowed politely to Irene, smiling from ear to ear. "Miss Jackson, next time you visit, feel free to let us know in advance. We'll be happy to arrange private VIP service just for you."
Irene was speechless.
'Shopping. So evil. So ridiculously satisfying,' she thought.