Chapter 196

S21 26. A Mother’s Jealousy

Before Susan had time to reply, Melanie left the dining room. At that moment, Barbara stood up with a lazy expression.

“Happy birthday, Mrs. Martin. Please excuse me too.”

Without second thought, Barbara went after her mother. The others could only be stunned. However, after a brief silence, they continued to have fun.

“They can still laugh after offending me and Mommy?” Barbara

grumbled, pausing to make sure she hadn’t heard wrong. “They are simply too much!”

Suddenly, Philip appeared before her. He had just delivered the chair to the back veranda. “Where are you going? The party isn’t finished.”

Philip’s voice spread the tension within Barbara. The girl

spontaneously closed her mouth. But then, folding her arms, she lifted her chin. “What do you care?”

Philip shrugged. “Just asking.” Without further ado, he stepped into the dining room.

“Wait!”

Philip looked over his shoulder. “What?”

“Those two guests…. Who are they?”

Philip raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t know?”

Barbara rolled her eyes slowly. “Why would I ask if I already know?” she grumbled faintly.

Philip turned back to face Barbara. “Mrs. Bell is Norman Harper’s ex- girlfriend. She was abandoned while she was pregnant with Mr.

Jeremy because Norman Harper was betrothed to your mother.”

Barbara turned still. Her expression was kept cold, but Philip knew she was suppressing surprise.

“Is the information clear enough?”

Barbara blinked. Raising one shoulder, she whispered, “Actually, I already know that. I just wanted to test your knowledge.”

A second later, she walked away. Looking at Barbara’s retreating back, Philip furrowed his brows.

“So

her mother kept that secret from her?”

After a short moment of contemplation, Philip exhaled a long breath. I thought they were besties.”

While Philip returned to the dining room, Barbara headed to her mother’s bedroom.

“Mom, you owe me an explanation. Who are those guests? Do you know them?”

Melanie, who had just been sitting by the window, glanced sarcastically. “Please, Barbara. I don’t want to talk about them.”

Barbara was silent for a moment. “Are you keeping something secret from me?” One of her eyebrows failed to hold back a frown.

Melanie blinked. Her expression turned flat. “What secret, Dear? Of course not. I just can’t understand your brother.”

“Because he invited Vivian? And also Jeremy? That illegitimate son?”

Melanie’s mouth fell open without a word. After a few blinks, her awkward laughter escaped.

“What are you talking about? I’m upset because Frank is being unfair,” Melanie corrected as she motioned for Barbara to come closer.

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“Did you see how he acted earlier? He deliberately showed how close he was to them. I’m his own mother but he never treats me that way.”

Leaning against the window, Barbara studied Melanie. “Are you jealous?”

Melanie snorted. “Which mother wouldn’t be jealous if her son paid more attention to another woman? He gave Susan that rare jewel! Do you know how much it costs?”

Barbara shrugged briefly.

“Millions of dollars! He should give such expensive jewelry to me, not her mother-in-law.”

While Melanie tried to calm her breathing, Barbara pursed her lips. ” Yes, he is indeed unfair. He should put his biological mother first before anyone else.”

Melanie snapped her fingers. “That’s what I mean. Your brother needs to be awakened. I’m the person who gave birth to him. The person he should treat as queen is me.”

“Do you want to tell this to him?”

“I have to. If I let it go, those people will take advantage of him more and more often.”

“What if he doesn’t want to listen? You left him a long time ago. He was closer to those people.”

Barbara was just talking casually, but Melanie’s chest heated up. Her eyes flashed with anger.

“That’s why I came back to him. I’m his mother. He should be close to

me.”

Seeing Melanie’s sullen face, Barbara didn’t dare speak any more. She also had to suppress her curiosity. She realized that it was not the

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right time to confirm information from Philip.

A few moments later, Melanie rushed out of the room when she heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Her guess was correct. Frank was going up to the second floor while listening to the chatter

of the toddlers with Kara. Without thinking, she stopped them.

“Frank, I want to talk to you.’

The man’s laughter suddenly stopped. He blinked, observing his mother’s expression. “Is there anything else you want to spend on, Mom?”

“We’re going to your study now.”

Without waiting for approval, Melanie walked towards the room she mentioned. Frank glanced at Kara and the twins.

“How about you guys get ready for bed first? Daddy will follow later.”

“Okay, but don’t take too long, Daddy. Tonight’s storybook is thicker,” Emily said, supported by Louis’ nod.

“And Daddy, you also have promised to hear the story about the chair I bought for Grandma.”

Frank nodded. After kissing them one by one, he went after Melanie.

“Don’t you think you’re going too far?” Melanie said as soon as Frank walked through the door.

The man’s eyebrows immediately rose. His hand that was about to pull the doorknob froze. “What do you mean, Mom?”

Melanie folded her arms across her chest then looked away. Her

expression looked annoyed and helpless.

“You have the heart to give someone diamond in front of me. Even though you yourself have never given me such an expensive gift.”

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Suddenly, Melanie glanced out of the corner of her eye. “You deliberately want to be mean to me, hmm? Showing that your relationship with other people is warm but with me it’s not?”

Frank sighed faintly. “It’s not like that, Mom.”

“That’s the reality. Barbara and I were like strangers earlier. Your

attention was only focused on Susan. You didn’t even look at us for a second.”

“That’s because it’s her birthday. Isn’t it natural for my mother-in-law to be the center of attention? Please don’t be childish, Mom.”

“You are the one who’s childish. Favoritism is not an adult’s attitude.”

Melanie looked away again.

Frank started to clench his fists. “You don’t like me giving someone a birthday gift?”

Melanie didn’t answer. She continued to look hurt.

Meanwhile, Frank took a deep breath. After successfully suppressing his ego, he whispered, “Then what do you want?”

Melanie glanced back. “Justice.”

Frank laughed sadly. “You know what, Mom? I thought you sincerely. loved me like a mother does to her son.”

Melanie turned tensed. Her eyes silently followed Frank towards the

work desk.

“I even prepared this for you. I was waiting for the right time to give it, hoping that moment could be a turning point for us.”

With a sad face, Frank took out a box and brought it to Melanie.

“I thought our relationship could improve when I gave you this gift. But I was wrong. I become increasingly aware that you only want

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money from me, not love.”

Melanie fell silent for a moment. Her eyes trembled at the box in his son’s hand. “Is that for me?”

As Frank nodded, Melanie snorted in disbelief. “It definitely wasn’t for me. You must give it because of what I said. Do you want me to feel guilty for demanding justice?”

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