Chapter 204



“Get on your knees,” Shirley commanded harshly as they stepped into the room.

Shirley nonchalantly settled into a chair, crossed her legs with overt arrogance, and looked down on Kallie with disdain.

Kallie’s jaw tensed, her knees refusing to bend.

“Do you need a reminder of the rules, or shall I refresh your memory?” Shirley taunted with a smirk.

Kallie, remaining upright, returned the stare, her expression icy as she signed. Her gestures showed her rejection of succumbing to Shirley’s humiliation, practically saying, “Why should I kneel? Whatever has upset you this time, please remember that we’re governed by laws now.”

Shirley’s smile thinned, her gaze turning frostier. “You shamelessly persist in refusing to divorce Jake, which means you’re still my daughter-in-law. It’s my right to discipline you. Tell me, what’s wrong with that? What law does it break?”

With a flick of her wrist, Shirley signaled.

A bodyguard immediately stepped forward, forcefully pushing Kallie down until she knelt, her knee striking the floor sharply, eliciting a pained grimace from her.

Shirley eyed Kallie disdainfully, suspecting Kallie of exaggerating the pain.

“You really have become more delicate,” Shirley remarked sarcastically. “Now that you’re pregnant, do you think it gives you the license to defy me?”

Kallie’s reaction was one of utter astonishment. Staring at Shirley, she was overtaken by a wave of disbelief and fear.

Kallie recalled her own first pregnancy vividly.

When Shirley had discovered Kallie’s pregnancy, she had instantly insisted on an abortion, claiming that someone like Kallie was incapable of bearing a healthy child. The Reeves family would never tolerate an unhealthy heir.

But this time was different. Kallie yearned deeply for this child, her own flesh and blood.

gⱯlnσνe𝓁s․com has the stories you love Overwhelmed by her emotions, Kallie beseeched Shirley with a desperate urgency. She signed frantically, her gestures pleading as she promised to leave Jake and take the child away, never returning to trouble Jake. She added she was willing to sign a contract to show she meant her words, ready to accept any punishment if she broke her word.

“Still putting on an act?” Shirley’s anger escalated. “The child you’re carrying is illegitimate. It can’t possibly be Jake’s. You know the truth about who the real father is.”

A sad smile flickered across Kallie’s face as she absorbed Shirley’s harsh words. Shirley actually resorted to lies, eager to be rid of her own child.

Clutching the fabric over her stomach, Kallie resolved to protect her unborn child no matter what.

Shirley declared, “I’ve already arranged everything with the hospital and the doctor. If everything goes as planned, you’ll have the abortion tonight, divorce Jake tomorrow, and I’ll send you overseas the day after. You can choose any destination. I have just one condition. You shouldn’t return to this city.”

Kallie’s hands balled into fists. Why? What right did they have to dictate her life? Why couldn’t she claim her own freedom?

Kallie’s face twisted with resentment, and Shirley scoffed in response, “Don’t you dare give me that attitude. The Reeves family has supported you for years. It’s only right that you do this for them. Remember, only Roderick wanted to keep you within the family. The rest of the Reeves family dislikes you as an outsider. Stop playing the victim with me.”

Turning to the bodyguards behind her, Shirley instructed, “You guys, hurry up. I expect to hear about a successful procedure by nine tonight. If she resists, don’t hesitate to apply pressure. Just keep her alive.”

As Shirley’s cold words hung in the air, the bodyguards stepped forward and grabbed Kallie forcefully. Despite her frantic struggles, they overpowered her easily, gripping her limbs tightly.

Tears of despair ran down Kallie’s cheeks as she watched her fate being sealed.

Suddenly, the bodyguards halted and turned, their tone respectful as they announced, “Mr. Reeves.”

A flicker of hope sparked in Kallie as she lifted her gaze and noticed Jake entering the room.

Jake moved quickly, his expression tinged with anxiety. Yet, he walked straight past Kallie and the bodyguards, ignoring her completely.

Kallie’s struggles intensified in response.

Jake came to a halt a few feet away, his voice devoid of warmth. “Put her in the car. I need to talk to my mom.”

Despair washed over Kallie. She began to suspect that Shirley’s unexpected visit tonight might have been orchestrated by Jake. Maybe he wanted to avoid staining his own reputation, leaving Shirley to manage the dirty work.

Kallie felt betrayed, questioning why Jake could be so heartless. Hadn’t they agreed to not harm her unborn child? In her heart, she branded him a liar, tears cascading down her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Shirley rubbed her temples, worn out. At the sound of footsteps, she looked up and was met with Jake’s once-charming face, now twisted into an expression of spite.

Shirley appeared slightly displeased as she inquired, “What’s happening? Weren’t you supposed to be dining with Sarah? Why are you home already?”

Jake struggled to keep his temper in check, responding, “Actually, I ought to be asking you that. What brings you here?”

Shirley seemed self-righteous. “What’s wrong with a mother visiting her son? Moreover, without the tip-off I received, I would never have guessed you’d engage in such recklessness. What on earth are you planning? Intend to keep Kallie close and then support her and the child once she delivers the baby? Or perhaps you plan to use the child as leverage to ensure she doesn’t leave you?”

Jake clenched his jaw tightly and retorted, “The child Kallie’s expecting is Brent’s. I have no intention of raising another man’s child.”

Shirley mercilessly laid bare the truth. “It doesn’t matter whose child it is. It’s your intentions that concern me. Knowing your temperament, if she had betrayed you, you’d have despised her by now. Yet, you don’t. Don’t think I’m oblivious to your motives. You just can’t bring yourself to leave Kallie, can you?”

Bang! With a loud crash, Jake hurled a vase to the floor. “How dare you speak about her in such a manner!”

Shirley stood and approached Jake, disappointment etched across her face. “Look at yourself. You’ve gone so far as to defy your own mother over a woman. I raised you with care. How could you let me down like this?” Her voice was tinged with sadness.

Jake returned her gaze, his eyes filled with disdain. “My grandpa was the one who actually cared for me, not you. All you taught me was to be merciless and deceitful, all for the sake of power. You wanted me to turn into someone like you. I won’t do it.”

As Jake spoke, the chill and contempt in his expression made Shirley’s heart sink.

Shirley asked, “Jake, what’s gotten into you? You always used to listen to me. When did you start changing? Is it because of Kallie?”

Jake massaged his temples, weary. “Don’t dredge up the past. You know exactly why things are the way they are. It’s not about anyone else. Kallie’s safety is nonnegotiable. That’s my final stance. If you can’t accept that, I’d rather not acknowledge you as my mother.”

Shirley gasped, covering her mouth, her eyes brimming with hurt. “Is this really how you treat your mother, all because of a woman?”

“Edgar, escort them out,” Jake commanded without hesitation.

Shirley’s gaze hardened. “You’re going to regret this, Jake.”

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