Ditched Cheating Alpha, I Led My Daughter to Life's Peak novel Chapter 279

If Onai or Ethel strolled up to the car, I could only imagine Mom's face. Still, they need to know where I am. I lower the passenger window.

"What are you doing?" Mom asks.

I stretch dramatically, sighing into the open air. "Nothing like an early trip to get some groceries to start off the day."

She rolls the window up as quickly as she can. "It's too cold for that, Mia." She turns the heat up, staring at me like a traitor. That should be enough for whoever's on guard duty. We're just going to Walmart anyway, so it's no big deal.

Mom pulls out of the driveway, sighing as she sits back in her seat. "Did he do something to you?" she asks suddenly.

I raise an eyebrow. "What?"

"Carson," she says. "Is that why you cheated on him?"

"No," I say.

She nods, watching the road. It's quiet for a while before she tries again. "Did you want to get even with him? Because he cheated first?" She's not being rude or sarcastic. She sounds genuinely concerned.

I shake my head. "It's not like that-"

Her breath catches in her throat.

I look into her eyes. "What?"

She covers her mouth. "Did..." Her voice drops. "Did his brother take advantage of you?"

"No." I wave my hands frantically.

Her eyes widen. "I knew it."

"Mom," I'm screaming now.

But she's already made up her mind. "Carson was drunk. His brother said he'd give you a ride. 'No problem.'" She imitates a masculine voice. "'Anything for my future sister-in-law.'"

I nearly gag. Aiden is not my brother. I wish she'd stop deciding things on her own.

She slaps the wheel. "Then he tried something! The scoundrel!"

"It wasn't like that," I yell over her.

"It wasn't?" she asks.

I shake my head.

She deadpans. "Then..."

I stay quiet.

"You cheated on Carson for no reason?" she asks.

There's no winning with her.

I try a different method. "Listen. Last night." I watch the road. "The person in the front seat was-"

"- not Carson," she says flatly. "Don't even try it."

"I wasn't going to," I say.

"Sure you weren't."