Chapter 122



The line remained silent, and Kallie assumed Jake had nothing left to say.

Kallie drew in a deep breath, trying to suppress the bitterness and resentment that surged up her throat. If this was the reality of their relationship, she had no reason to expect anything from Jake anymore.

With a final click, Kallie ended the call.

Determined not to succumb to despair, Kallie focused on finding a solution. Despite not being responsible for the torn clothes, she racked her brain for a way to fix them. She had made a promise to Rachel, and she was committed to honoring it. A promise was a promise, after all.

Meanwhile, Jake stared at the screen of his now silent phone, his expression darkening.

He walked back to the lounge where Sarah’s parents were seated, their faces etched with panic and nervousness. They rose as soon as they noticed him approaching.

Willard spoke up, treading carefully, “Jake, what Sarah did was completely out of line. However, she acted out of deep love for you. Now, she’s really not doing well. The doctor mentioned her mental health is fragile, and she needs our support.”

“Support?” Jake’s response was laced with sarcasm as he crossed his legs. His smile grew more mocking, his gaze turning icy and sharp. “And what, exactly, do you propose I do to ‘support’ her?”

Willard and Amara shared a look of tentative hope.

Amara cleared her throat, preparing to speak, “Actually, this is all just a big misunderstanding. Kallie might feel wronged, but that doesn’t justify her humiliating Sarah in front of everyone. How about Kallie visits the hospital, offers her apologies to Sarah, and we put this entire ordeal behind us? What do you think?”

Seeing that Jake’s expression was calm, Willard grew bolder. “Yes, Jake, we have great respect for you. We know you genuinely care about Sarah. Our families are about to become relatives through marriage, so there’s no reason to let someone who isn’t part of our family disrupt our peace.”

“Exactly,” Amara chimed in.

“Someone who isn’t part of our family? Disrupt our peace?” Jake’s smile disappeared in an instant.

Jake stood, his stature becoming more commanding. His gaze turned icy as he fixed it on Willard and Amara. “From the beginning, I was certain Kallie hadn’t pushed Sarah. I hurried to the hospital to check on Sarah’s condition myself, only to ensure that later, no one could blame any inexplicable injuries on Kallie.”

Willard’s smile stiffened. “What are you implying?”

“I’m not sure why you assumed I was on your side this time. My mother might be enthusiastic, but she acts independently, and so do I. I didn’t come after you because I feared trouble for Kallie. She’s on her own, and I knew you’d go after her if given the chance. But what I didn’t expect was your audacity to actually do it. Do you think I’m someone you can just push around?”

“No, that’s not what we meant at all,” Willard’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Willard had never really delved into Jake and Sarah’s relationship. All he knew was that Jake seemed to have grown weary of Kallie, the mute girl.

Ever since Sarah’s accident, Jake had been a frequent visitor at the hospital. Moreover, Shirley always seemed caring when visiting Sarah, reminding her to look after herself.

It was only natural for the Millers to see Sarah as Jake’s future wife.

But upon closer inspection, something seemed amiss.

Jake mostly maintained a grim expression. Beyond his initial inquiries about Sarah’s health with the doctor, he never engaged in further conversation.

When Sarah regained consciousness, Jake’s first question was whether she recalled the specifics of the incident.

Looking back, it was clear Jake wasn’t genuinely concerned for Sarah. His thoughts were on Kallie all along. It was just that none of the Millers had realized it.

Amara’s eyes darted around, and she immediately began to wail. “But Sarah really cares about you. She likes you a lot and has done so much for you.”

Jake didn’t respond. He walked over to Willard, grabbed him by the collar, and jerked it violently.

Despite the age gap, the chilling stare in Jake’s eyes sent a shiver down Willard’s spine.

Jake’s gaze was frosty. “You know exactly what needs to be done. Monitor Sarah and make sure she behaves. If she crosses Kallie again, just imagine what I’ll do. And those online rumors, they need to end now, or it’s you who’ll suffer the consequences.”

Willard couldn’t bring himself to object, merely nodding repeatedly in agreement.

Jake, reassured by Willard’s compliance, released his grip on the collar and departed with a grimace, a storm of frustration brewing within him without any escape.

Once Jake had exited, the others in the room quickly followed suit, and the stifling tension dissolved instantly.

Amara, overwhelmed, covered her face and wept. “What are we going to do now? Does Sarah have no chance of marrying Jake after this?”

Willard, his face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and irritation, couldn’t contain his frustration at Amara’s tears. “Enough with the foolish talk,” he snapped. “Jake and Kallie ending things is inevitable. Remember, Kallie was once the foster daughter of the Reeves family, and she and Jake have a history. This time, Sarah went too far. She should have been honest with us. I believed she had merely tripped and pinned it on Kallie, but it turns out she tried to push Kallie and instead fell herself. It’s no wonder Jake is livid. Instead of crying, you should be advising Sarah. For now, she needs to steer clear of Jake and Kallie’s problems. They’ll part ways sooner or later. When Jake settles down, he might reconsider his feelings for Sarah. They’ve been entangled for years. It’s hard to believe he feels nothing for her.”

Amara relayed Willard’s words to Sarah, who, overwhelmed by emotion, began hurling objects around the room in a fit of rage. “Wait? How much longer must I wait? If this continues, Jake will have no room for me in his heart!”

Sarah’s reaction caught Amara off guard.

“Sarah, what are you doing?” Amara exclaimed, her hand pressed against her chest in disapproval. “Jake clearly cares about you. He wouldn’t treat you so differently if he didn’t. He’s just upset because you crossed a line this time. If you anger him again, you might lose any chance with him.”

Tears welled up in Sarah’s eyes as she teetered on the edge of hysteria. “No, it’s not like that at all.”

Sarah finally realized Jake’s so-called affections for her were just for show, meant to evoke Kallie’s jealousy.

Realizing the gravity of her situation, Sarah knew that relinquishing her efforts now would mean losing Jake forever. Her thoughts darkened. Eliminating Kallie seemed the only solution. Kallie had to go! Once Kallie was no longer in the picture, Jake would have no reason to push her away.

Sarah muttered, her voice quivering as she clutched Amara’s hand.

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