Chapter 506:
Denise recalled the lawyerâs letter and knew she couldnât confront Eileen like this.
Quickly, Denise managed a smile. âEileen, donât speak to me like that. Iâm your mother; I just wanted to see you. I heard Rubyâs daughter got married, and I assumed she might soon have grandchildren to care for. Who will look after Gabriela then? Surely I can do that for you.â
Deniseâs words twisted the truth, subtly threatening Ruby by implying that Ruby should not stay in the house anymore.
Anger flared within Eileen. Denise and Judie were clearly cut from the same cloth.
âIâll manage my daughter myself. If my mother canât help me, we certainly donât need someone like you meddling. No matter how you dress it up, my decision wonât change. Beyond alimony, expect no involvement from us,â Eileen said firmly.
With that, Eileen ushered Ruby into the car and helped her into the passenger seat.
Denise, lingering by the car, seemed ready to respond but then thought better of it. Fearing further provocation, she simply stood there, watching as Eileen drove off with Ruby in the luxurious vehicle.
Sighing, Denise slapped her thighs. Why had Eileen shown up? If only she had caught Ruby alone, manipulating her would have been easy.
Denise glanced at the onlookers and began to fake crying. The curious crowd drew closer, gossiping.
âWhat happened?â one of them asked.
âHey, you know that lady, right?â another voice chimed in.
âWhatâs going on? Are they bullying you?â someone else questioned.
Your story source galnovâ¯ðµð¼â¤cøm âDonât cry. Tell us what happened; maybe we can help,â another added sympathetically.
Denise rubbed her eyes until they stung, then, with red eyes, said, âEileen is my daughter, and that woman is unrelated to her. After I divorced Eileenâs father, I couldnât take her with me. He later married that womanâEileenâs stepmotherâwho sent Eileen to school for a few years but eventually made her pay for her own medical expenses, costing her a lot of money. Now, she wonât even let my daughter recognize meâ¦â
In the car, Ruby expressed her concerns. âEileen, what if she does something drastic?â
âIt wonât come to that. Sheâll leave if she canât get in,â Eileen replied, trying to alleviate her own irritation and comfort Ruby. âMom, donât dwell on her words. You know how she treated me and how well youâve treated me. You have nothing to feel guilty about in front of her.â
Ruby sighed, acknowledging the point. âI donât feel guilty. I just didnât want to cause a scene and embarrass you. Otherwise, I would have confronted her.â
If it were anywhere else, Ruby wouldnât have hesitated to handle Deniseâs antics.
âEileen, this canât go on. I donât think sheâll give up easily,â Ruby said, her voice tinged with concern.
Eileen said, âI will speak with Roderick about this later.â
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