Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer's Begs (Scarlett) novel Chapter 256

Awakened Housewife: Ignore Betrayer’s Begs

Chapter 256 An Unwelcome Midnight Call

“Lily, what’s all this noise?”

Seeing Maria, Lily simply explained, “Vanessa had a bad dream.”

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Maria walked over and gently nudged Lily aside. “Let me handle this. You go get some rest.”

Lily was taken aback. “Huh?”

Maria bent and scooped Vanessa up, then glanced back at Lily. “Go on to bed. You can trust me with her?”

Lily fell silent. It was true–besides being attached to Sabrina, Vanessa was also quite fond of Maria.

Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to let Maria comfort her.

Besides, Vanessa’s sobs had already quieted to sniffles now that she was in Maria’s arms.

After a moment’s hesitation, Lily left the bedroom.

She had just finished washing up downstairs when Maria came down a short while later.

Seeing her, Lily asked with concern, “Maria, is she settled?”

Hearing the casual address, Maria’s brow furrowed in clear displeasure. She corrected Lily with a pointed tone. “Lily, I call you by your name out of courtesy. But don’t you think it’s a bit informal for you to call me the same? I am Sabrina’s mother, after all. Shouldn’t that warrant a bit more respect?”

Lily didn’t know how to argue.

Given how Vincent was treating Sabrina these days, what Maria said was likely to become a reality.

Too tired to pick a fight, Lily asked flatly, “Fine. What should I call you, then?”

Maria pondered this seriously for a few seconds before declaring, “From now on, you may address me as Mrs. Monroe.”

Lily was momentarily stunned. Though she found Maria presumptuous, she was, at the end of the day, the hired help. She could only nod in reluctant agreement. “Yes, Mrs. Monroe.”

With Vincent clearly favoring Maria’s side, it was even less wise for Lily to oppose her.

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She was about to drop the subject when she remembered Vanessa. “Mrs. Monroe,” she asked, unable to hide her worry, “is Vanessa really alright now?”

The title seemed to satisfy Maria. She nodded. “Children are resilient. A little comfort goes a long way.”

Lily remained skeptical but simply said, “I see.”

Come to think of it, Vanessa had been hard to soothe lately, yet Maria had managed it quickly. It was clear the little girl had grown genuinely fond of both Sabrina and Maria.

With that thought, Lily bid Maria goodnight.

*****

Early the next morning, just as Scarlett’s alarm stopped buzzing, her phone began to ring.

She had been contemplating ten more minutes of precious sleep, but the ringing shattered any hope of dozing off.

She answered without checking the caller ID.

Vincent’s voice, hoarse and heavy with fatigue, came through the line. “You need to take Vanessa to school today.”

The words snapped Scarlett fully awake.

Assuming Vincent must be at the hospital with Sabrina at this hour, her refusal was instinctive. “I have teaching rounds this morning. I don’t have time to drop her off.”

The rounds were real. So was her resentment.

Vincent continued, “I won’t be able to handle school drop–offs or pick–ups for the next couple of days. I’ll need you to go to Ravenshade Villa in the evenings to look after her, too.”

Scarlett couldn’t help letting out a bitter, incredulous laugh. “Let me guess,” she said, her voice sharp. “Working late? Or is your grandfather unwell and needs you?”

Vincent didn’t bother to hide it. “Sabrina’s in the hospital. Her condition isn’t great. I need to stay with her.”

A cold sneer escaped Scarlett. “So, for her sake, you’re just going to shove Vanessa aside?”

“I’m not shoving her aside,” Vincent argued, a defensive edge creeping into his tired voice. “I just can’t be in two places at once. It’s a temporary situation.”

A wave of inexplicable anger washed over Scarlett. “The result is the same, Vincent! What’s

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there to explain?” she shot back, her voice rising. “Don’t you always put Sabrina first in your heart? Why pretend otherwise?”

Vincent seemed to start another sentence, but Scarlett had heard enough. “Save your explanations for Vanessa,” she cut in, her tone final and furious. “Don’t waste them on me. I don’t want to hear it.”

She ended the call before he could respond.

That conversation with Vincent cast a shadow over Scarlett’s entire day. Her mood stayed foul.

Even though she’d declared she was done taking care of Vanessa, the worry gnawed at her all afternoon. Vanessa was, after all, her daughter. A mother’s concern wasn’t something she could simply switch off.

With neither Vincent nor Sabrina around, what would happen to the little girl?

The question haunted her through every meeting and patient consult.

When her shift finally ended that evening, Scarlett got into her car. Almost on autopilot, her hands turned the wheel toward the direction of the kindergarten.

By the time she pulled up, the parking lot was nearly empty, and the stream of departing children had dwindled to a trickle.

Scarlett didn’t see Vanessa among the few remaining kids. Anxiety tightening her chest, she approached the security guard at the gate. “Excuse me,” she asked, trying to sound calm. “Has Vanessa Stewart been picked up already?”

The guard looked her over, his expression turning appraising and slightly suspicious.

Scarlett opened her mouth to say, “I’m her mother,” but the words stuck in her throat, unsaid.

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Awakened Housewife: Ignore Betrayer’s Begs