Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret - Chapter 188: Chapter 188
You are reading Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret, Chapter 188: Chapter 188. Read more chapters of Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret.
"Alright, whatever you say," Jaxon murmured, his voice unusually tender as he gazed at her, lips quirking in a half-smile.
Sally glared at him and pointed at the door. "Mr. Zale, you'd better leave now. Finn will be coming downstairs any minute after his shower."
"When is he finally going to leave?" A flicker of displeasure flashed in Jaxon's eyes.
Sally caught a flicker of intense jealousy in his eyes.
She lowered her hand, curling her lips into a cold, teasing smile. "What's wrong, Mr. Zale? Are you jealous?"
"Just thinking about you two living together every day really gets under my skin," Jaxon muttered, his tone tinged with jealousy.
Sally shot him a glare but remained silent.
Suddenly, Jaxon leaned down and planted a light kiss on her lips.
Letting her go, he turned without another word and strode toward the door. "I'm leaving."
Her back stiffened as Jaxon's figure disappeared around the bathroom door.
He still managed to steal one last kiss before leaving.
Right now, they were like a couple.
The next evening, since Abigail couldn't pick up Lillian, Sally went to get her instead.
Lillian's face lit up with joy when she saw Sally. "Sally, I didn't know you'd be picking me up today. I'm so happy."
Lillian threw her arms around Sally's legs in an enthusiastic hug.
Sally was about to respond with a smile when a sudden voice cut in. "What's with all the excitement? It's not like she's your mom or anything."
Sally looked up and saw Nick, backpack slung over his shoulder, clearly planning to walk right past them.
His face twisted in a cold scowl that sent chills down her spine.
Clearly, he still held a grudge over having to apologize to Lillian in front of everyone last time.
Sally looked back and saw that it was the family housekeeper who had come to pick up Nick today.
The housekeeper nodded respectfully to her and softly called out, "Mrs. Zale."
"Mrs. Zale? She divorced my dad ages ago! She's no longer Mrs. Zale." Nick's face darkened, his expression turning icy cold.
Sally opened the car door and gently guided Lillian inside. "Lillian, wait for me in the car. I need to talk to Nick for a minute."
"Okay." Lillian nodded.
After closing the car door, Sally hurried over to Nick. "Nick, wait up."
The housekeeper had already opened the rear car door for him. Hearing Sally's voice behind him, Nick instinctively paused.
Once Sally reached the car, she quietly dismissed the housekeeper before closing the door.
Nick asked, "Mom, what are you doing?"
"Oh, so you still remember I'm your mom? I thought you'd already started calling Lena Mom..." Sally let out a cold, mocking laugh as her face darkened.
Nick stood rigidly by the car door, his hands gripping the straps of his backpack so tightly his knuckles turned white. His face was set in a stony scowl, refusing to meet Sally's eyes.
Sally said, "I know you're mad at me for making you apologize at school, but trust me, this whole thing hurts me too.
"Forget the rumors about me being in jail, just knowing Lillian's an orphan should make anyone feel compassion. But you went and told everyone anyway. That shows you've really lost your empathy.
"I don't know what goes on between you and Lena, but if she's putting you up to spreading rumors at school, that's just wrong. I need you to understand this and promise me you won't do it again."
Sally said earnestly, but as her words reached Nick, his brows only furrowed deeper.
Sally had never lectured him like this before, even when she did, it was always with gentleness.
Yet now, her expression was uncharacteristically stern.
Nick recalled the gentle look Sally had given Lillian, and suddenly a wave of heartbreak washed over him.
'Does Mom really not want me anymore?' he wondered.
The thought made his eyes well up with tears.
Sally looked at Nick's reddened eyes, her voice growing even heavier. "Nick, I'm not scolding you. I'm just trying to teach you..."
"You're yelling at me. You're so gentle with Lillian, but with me, it's nothing but lectures. I'm your own son, Mom. I just don't get why you always take her side."
Sally lowered her head. When she met Nick's furious, humiliated gaze, a sharp pang of heartache struck her.
'He can't even tell the difference between guidance and scolding anymore. Lena has utterly corrupted my boy,' she thought.
A tide of resentment and anger welled up inside her.
After a long silence, Sally finally replied softly, "If that's really how you feel, then I have nothing left to say. From now on, you're on your own. I won't interfere in your life anymore."
Before Nick could respond, she turned around and walked briskly back to her car.
Nick watched Sally's retreating figure, tears streaming down his face even harder.
His shoulders trembled uncontrollably with emotion.
His hands gripping the backpack straps tightened involuntarily.
He thought bitterly, 'Mom really doesn't want me anymore. It's all because of that Lillian.
'Ever since she showed up, Mom only has eyes for her. There's no room for me anymore.'
Tears blurred Nick's vision. He didn't wipe them away until the Porsche had completely disappeared from sight.
That night at the Zale residence, Brad didn't get home until 9 PM.
As soon as Brad stepped into the living room, he spotted a familiar figure coming down the spiral staircase.
It was none other than Lena.
"Lena, what brings you here all of a sudden?" Brad asked, surprised.
"Nick called me out of the blue tonight," Lena said with a faint smile. "He sounded down, so I came over to check on him. He's asleep now. He's still upset about that school thing, I guess."
Brad strode over to the sofa and shifted the topic. "Nick's never told me who put him up to spreading those rumors, but if I had to guess, I'd say you probably had something to do with it, didn't you, Lena?"
At his words, Lena's back stiffened instantly.
She never imagined he'd actually suspect her.
"Brad," Lena said softly, "I had my reasons for what I did. I just hope you won't be too hard on me."
The sharp click of her heels echoed as Lena hurried over and settled herself right beside him.
Brad's hand, reaching for his cup, paused for a moment.
After a moment of silence, he asked softly, "If I'm not mistaken, this is about the cafeteria incident, isn't it?"
Lena's upper lashes fluttered faintly.
Though she remained silent, it seemed Brad had already seen right through her.
Lena let out a soft sigh, "I just couldn't swallow my pride, but from where I stood, there was really nothing I could do to help him get back at them. That's why I came up with this plan. I honestly never expected things to escalate this far... I'm truly sorry."
Brad poured himself a cup of water and then fixed Lena with a stern look. "Let bygones be bygones. But make sure this never happens again. Am I making myself clear?"
Sally glared at him and pointed at the door. "Mr. Zale, you'd better leave now. Finn will be coming downstairs any minute after his shower."
"When is he finally going to leave?" A flicker of displeasure flashed in Jaxon's eyes.
Sally caught a flicker of intense jealousy in his eyes.
She lowered her hand, curling her lips into a cold, teasing smile. "What's wrong, Mr. Zale? Are you jealous?"
"Just thinking about you two living together every day really gets under my skin," Jaxon muttered, his tone tinged with jealousy.
Sally shot him a glare but remained silent.
Suddenly, Jaxon leaned down and planted a light kiss on her lips.
Letting her go, he turned without another word and strode toward the door. "I'm leaving."
Her back stiffened as Jaxon's figure disappeared around the bathroom door.
He still managed to steal one last kiss before leaving.
Right now, they were like a couple.
The next evening, since Abigail couldn't pick up Lillian, Sally went to get her instead.
Lillian's face lit up with joy when she saw Sally. "Sally, I didn't know you'd be picking me up today. I'm so happy."
Lillian threw her arms around Sally's legs in an enthusiastic hug.
Sally was about to respond with a smile when a sudden voice cut in. "What's with all the excitement? It's not like she's your mom or anything."
Sally looked up and saw Nick, backpack slung over his shoulder, clearly planning to walk right past them.
His face twisted in a cold scowl that sent chills down her spine.
Clearly, he still held a grudge over having to apologize to Lillian in front of everyone last time.
Sally looked back and saw that it was the family housekeeper who had come to pick up Nick today.
The housekeeper nodded respectfully to her and softly called out, "Mrs. Zale."
"Mrs. Zale? She divorced my dad ages ago! She's no longer Mrs. Zale." Nick's face darkened, his expression turning icy cold.
Sally opened the car door and gently guided Lillian inside. "Lillian, wait for me in the car. I need to talk to Nick for a minute."
"Okay." Lillian nodded.
After closing the car door, Sally hurried over to Nick. "Nick, wait up."
The housekeeper had already opened the rear car door for him. Hearing Sally's voice behind him, Nick instinctively paused.
Once Sally reached the car, she quietly dismissed the housekeeper before closing the door.
Nick asked, "Mom, what are you doing?"
"Oh, so you still remember I'm your mom? I thought you'd already started calling Lena Mom..." Sally let out a cold, mocking laugh as her face darkened.
Nick stood rigidly by the car door, his hands gripping the straps of his backpack so tightly his knuckles turned white. His face was set in a stony scowl, refusing to meet Sally's eyes.
Sally said, "I know you're mad at me for making you apologize at school, but trust me, this whole thing hurts me too.
"Forget the rumors about me being in jail, just knowing Lillian's an orphan should make anyone feel compassion. But you went and told everyone anyway. That shows you've really lost your empathy.
"I don't know what goes on between you and Lena, but if she's putting you up to spreading rumors at school, that's just wrong. I need you to understand this and promise me you won't do it again."
Sally said earnestly, but as her words reached Nick, his brows only furrowed deeper.
Sally had never lectured him like this before, even when she did, it was always with gentleness.
Yet now, her expression was uncharacteristically stern.
Nick recalled the gentle look Sally had given Lillian, and suddenly a wave of heartbreak washed over him.
'Does Mom really not want me anymore?' he wondered.
The thought made his eyes well up with tears.
Sally looked at Nick's reddened eyes, her voice growing even heavier. "Nick, I'm not scolding you. I'm just trying to teach you..."
"You're yelling at me. You're so gentle with Lillian, but with me, it's nothing but lectures. I'm your own son, Mom. I just don't get why you always take her side."
Sally lowered her head. When she met Nick's furious, humiliated gaze, a sharp pang of heartache struck her.
'He can't even tell the difference between guidance and scolding anymore. Lena has utterly corrupted my boy,' she thought.
A tide of resentment and anger welled up inside her.
After a long silence, Sally finally replied softly, "If that's really how you feel, then I have nothing left to say. From now on, you're on your own. I won't interfere in your life anymore."
Before Nick could respond, she turned around and walked briskly back to her car.
Nick watched Sally's retreating figure, tears streaming down his face even harder.
His shoulders trembled uncontrollably with emotion.
His hands gripping the backpack straps tightened involuntarily.
He thought bitterly, 'Mom really doesn't want me anymore. It's all because of that Lillian.
'Ever since she showed up, Mom only has eyes for her. There's no room for me anymore.'
Tears blurred Nick's vision. He didn't wipe them away until the Porsche had completely disappeared from sight.
That night at the Zale residence, Brad didn't get home until 9 PM.
As soon as Brad stepped into the living room, he spotted a familiar figure coming down the spiral staircase.
It was none other than Lena.
"Lena, what brings you here all of a sudden?" Brad asked, surprised.
"Nick called me out of the blue tonight," Lena said with a faint smile. "He sounded down, so I came over to check on him. He's asleep now. He's still upset about that school thing, I guess."
Brad strode over to the sofa and shifted the topic. "Nick's never told me who put him up to spreading those rumors, but if I had to guess, I'd say you probably had something to do with it, didn't you, Lena?"
At his words, Lena's back stiffened instantly.
She never imagined he'd actually suspect her.
"Brad," Lena said softly, "I had my reasons for what I did. I just hope you won't be too hard on me."
The sharp click of her heels echoed as Lena hurried over and settled herself right beside him.
Brad's hand, reaching for his cup, paused for a moment.
After a moment of silence, he asked softly, "If I'm not mistaken, this is about the cafeteria incident, isn't it?"
Lena's upper lashes fluttered faintly.
Though she remained silent, it seemed Brad had already seen right through her.
Lena let out a soft sigh, "I just couldn't swallow my pride, but from where I stood, there was really nothing I could do to help him get back at them. That's why I came up with this plan. I honestly never expected things to escalate this far... I'm truly sorry."
Brad poured himself a cup of water and then fixed Lena with a stern look. "Let bygones be bygones. But make sure this never happens again. Am I making myself clear?"
End of Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret Chapter 188. Continue reading Chapter 189 or return to Revenge: Once His Wife, Now His Regret book page.