After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 136

“Get out!” Natalie snapped.

Cynthia bit back her frustration, forced a polite smile, and hurried away. The second she turned her back, her expression fell flat and she stiffly walked out of the house. She couldn’t help wondering who had set Natalie off this time. Natalie always seemed to take her bad moods out on Cynthia. Just now, Natalie had called both her and Isabella annoying. Did that mean Isabella was the one who’d made her mad?

Once Cynthia made it to the backyard, far enough from the main house, she pulled out her phone and called Isabella. When Isabella picked up, Cynthia lowered her voice. “Isabella, did you do something to upset Natalie? She’s furious. I tried to bring her a glass of water and she knocked it out of my hand, told me to get out.”

Isabella sighed, her voice soft and worried. “Mom, I told you not to try to please her. When she’s in one of her moods, just stay away. Don’t let her take it out on you. She always does.”

“You’re her mother-in-law. Even if you don’t act all strict with her, you shouldn’t let her walk all over you,” Isabella added.

“I didn’t do anything to her,” Isabella continued. “She called and wanted me to go shopping with her. I didn’t want to, so I said no. That’s probably why she’s mad.”

Cynthia frowned. “She asked you to go shopping. Why didn’t you just go?”

“I was busy, Mom. And honestly, I didn’t want to. You know how she is. She acts all friendly to your face, then turns around and does something else. I’ve been tricked by her enough times already.”

“When I was still living at The Lane Family’s house, I put up with it for your sake. But now I have my own place. I don’t have to swallow my pride anymore or put up with her nonsense. Mom, you don’t have to either. I’m Mrs. Adams now. You have support.”

Cynthia knew she just had to keep holding on. She would leave the Lane family one day, but not now. She’d wait until Jackson passed away—when that day came, even if she wanted to stay, Jordan would force her out.

She had spent decades with Jackson, serving both him and Jordan like a maid. She’d kept her head down, swallowed her pride, all for Isabella’s future and a hope that she might get a little inheritance from Jackson to leave for her daughter.

Sometimes, Isabella just couldn’t understand why her mother put up with all this and even blamed her for it. But Isabella was her only child. Of course Cynthia loved her.

She just didn’t have the strength to live on her own. She’d had to rely on Jackson all these years. She’d always been quiet and obedient, had treated Jordan like her own, never complained about anything—not even when Isabella suffered because of it. The only reason the Lane family finally accepted her and started treating her better was because they saw how genuinely she cared for Jackson and Jordan, day in and day out, year after year.