Chapter 123
“Mom, I know. Don’t worry.” Claudia reassured her.
“Just take good care of yourself, Maisie reminded her.
“I will.” With that, Claudia ended the call.
After talking to Maisie, she felt a little better. She took a deep breath, grabbed her bag, and got up.
When she opened the door, she saw the breakfast sitting on a chair nearby. She ignored it and headed straight for the living
room.
Peyton, who had been waiting in the living room, looked up and asked with concern, “Claudia, did you eat? Did you like it? What do you want for lunch? Just let me know, and I’ll make it for you.”
“No need. I don’t feel like eating anything,” Claudia said without even looking at Peyton as she walked straight to the entryway.
She changed her shoes, ready to head out.
Peyton quickly walked over. “Where are you going?”
“Where I go is none of your business. Are you trying to control me now?” Claudia snapped.
“I’m not trying to control you. I just don’t feel comfortable letting you go out alone, and Rupert would be worried too. Let me go with you,” Peyton offered sincerely.
But to Claudia, it felt like Peyton was trying to keep an eye on her.
“No need.” Claudia slammed the door behind her.
She left the house and took a cab, wanting to eat out instead of staying home for another second–it was suffocating her.
She went to a trendy restaurant and ordered a whole spread of delicious food.
Just as she was enjoying her meal, Rupert’s call came in.
She wiped her hands before answering, only to hear Rupert’s anxious voice. “Claudia, Mom said you didn’t eat again and went out alone? Where are you? I’m really worried about you.”
Claudia cursed Peyton internally for snitching. “I didn’t want to stay cooped up at home. What’s wrong with going out and getting something good to eat? I’m a grown woman–what’s there to worry about?”
“Of course, I support you going out, but you could’ve at least sent me a text. You’re not alone anymore–you have the baby now. What if you trip or something happens? How could I not worry?” Rupert sounded genuinely concerned.
But Claudia wasn’t convinced. “You’re not worried about me. You’re just worried about the baby inside me, aren’t you?”
“You’re my wife, of course I’m worried about you,” Rupert said firmly.
“I don’t believe you, Claudia huffed. “Now stop bothering me–I’m eating
“Alright, take your time. You haven’t eaten much since yesterday, so don’t overeat all at once. It’s not good for you. Call me if you need anything.” Rupert said.
“Rupert, you’re so annoying. I’m pregnant–what’s wrong with eating more? You keep saying you don’t care if I get fat, but deep down, you totally do. You’d be embarrassed to have a wife who looks like a balloon, right?” Claudia retorted.
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“Well, I’m going to eat as much as I want, and you can’t stop me.” With that, she hung up and kept eating.
Rupert called again, but she ignored it.
93%
In the end, Rupert had no choice but to send her a message: [Claudia, I mean it. No matter how you look, I’ll always love you.]
Claudia didn’t reply. Instead, she turned her frustration into appetite and kept eating.
She spent 170 dollars on this meal all by herself.
13
Claudia felt an odd thrill from spending money, so she kept swiping her card as she shopped. In no time, she had spent tens of thousands.
One after another, the transaction notifications popped up on Rupert’s phone.
He looked at the amounts but didn’t dare to say anything.
When Claudia got tired of shopping, she spotted a stylishly decorated café and pushed the door open.
She found a seat, sat down, and ordered a special orange soda–no coffee.
As she waited, she glanced around, and the moment she saw Doris, her pupils dilated.
Doris had just come out of the kitchen in the back, placing freshly made desserts in the glass display case.
Claudia got up and walked over, her shadow falling in front of Doris. Doris looked up. “Claudia, it’s you.”
“What are you doing here?” Claudia asked.
“I work here,” Doris said flatly.
“You quit Hampstone Hotel and settled for this tiny shop?” Claudia was shocked. Did Doris have a screw loose?
There was no way this place could compare to Hampstone Hotel in salary and benefits.
“Who said she ‘settled‘ for this shop?” Lola overheard and stepped in to clarify. “Doris is one of the owners.”
Claudia’s face flushed slightly. She hadn’t heard a single word about this. Doris had actually left Hampstone Hotel and started her own business.
This café’s style and flavors were the best she’d ever seen.
Setting up such a high–end café and dessert shop must have cost at least 30 thousand dollars–maybe even more.
She thought, ‘If she had enough money to open a place like this, why hadn’t she paid back that one million dollars? Instead, she had forced the Reeds to sell their house and move in with me, making my life miserable. Why?‘
Claudia felt an intense sense of unfairness, even resentment.
“Oh, so our dear second sister is so rich that she’s her own boss now. How impressive,” Claudia sneered. “Doris, do you know your parents had to sell their house to pay off debts and now have nowhere to live?”
Doris paused for a moment. She had expected this outcome.
Seeing no reaction from Doris, Claudia pressed on. “You don’t care at all about the parents who raised you? You’re just going to ignore them?”
“I heard Mr. Reed and Mrs. Reed have always doted on their youngest son and said they’d rely on him in the future. Doris is
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married now–she’s like an outsider to us.
“Taking care of them is her brother’s responsibility. What does this have to do with Doris?” Lola shot back without missing a
beat.
“How does it not? She’s their daughter. She has to take care of her parents!” Claudia argued passionately.
“If the daughter is supposed to handle everything, then what’s the son there for?” Doris‘ expression turned cold. “Claudia, Rupert got all the benefits of being their son, so he needs to take on his responsibilities. As for what I choose to do, that’s none of your business.”
“You’re just making excuses because you don’t want to spend money or take care of them. Your parents raised you, and now you’re abandoning them? Where’s your conscience?” Claudia shouted furiously.
“So just because Rupert is the son, all the responsibility falls on him? You got married, so now you can ignore your parents? Then what about families with only daughters? Are their parents just supposed to wait for death?”
“Twisting words and making a fuss–are you insane? Who spoiled you into acting like this your whole life?” Lola snapped. “Get out. You’re not welcome here.”
Claudia flinched as others moved toward her and screamed, “Don’t touch me!”
Her face turned deathly pale, cold sweat forming on her forehead. Clutching her lower abdomen, she gasped, “My stomach hurts so much.”
Lola just scoffed, “Oh, cut the act.”
“I’m serious… it really hurts…” Claudia doubled over in pain.
Staying calm, Doris quickly caught her before she collapsed and had someone bring over a chair. “Lola, call an ambulance.”
