Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 166

Caden's voice grew quieter and quieter, until that final phrase—'you force me too'—was only loud enough for Hester to hear.

But before Hester could say a word, Seraphina immediately spoke up.

"Caden, you're misunderstanding Mommy."

Her voice was frantic, trembling with the unmistakable hint of incoming tears.

Caden had developed a near-traumatic reaction to that specific tearful tone.

Because every single time Seraphina cried, Julian's face would turn to ice.

Caden immediately ducked his head lower and went completely silent.

Hester noticed his physical withdrawal. She reached out and gently rubbed his back. "Caden, your chicken drumstick is getting cold. Eat up."

Caden nodded. He slipped on a pair of child-sized plastic gloves and began nibbling quietly on the chicken.

Hester lifted her gaze. Staring directly into Seraphina's tear-filled eyes, her voice was absolute frost. "Ms. Simpson, did Julian not make things clear to you before you came?"

Seraphina jolted, acting as if she had suddenly been snapped back to reality. She took a sharp, jagged breath and forced a wobbly smile onto her face. "He did. He absolutely did. Don't worry, Hester, I can handle this. I'll... I'll just go take my apron off. You guys go ahead and eat."

With that, Seraphina spun around and practically sprinted out of the room, raising a hand to hastily wipe the corner of her eye as she fled.

She looked like the ultimate martyr—wronged, bullied, and suffering in silence.

Hester pulled her gaze away, completely exhausted by the theatrical performance.

Julian stared at Hester, the crease between his brows deepening into a harsh line.

...

The rest of the meal was suffocating. The tension between the adults was so thick it was palpable, and Caden ate with extreme caution.

After lunch, Hester felt a wave of fatigue and wanted to head upstairs for a nap. But Caden clung to her side.

Sensing his lingering anxiety, she decided to take him up for a nap together.

She brought him into the children's room.

As they lay side by side on the bed, Hester turned to him. "Downstairs, you mumbled that your mommy forces you to do things too. What happened?"

"She always tries to make me eat things I hate..." Caden whispered. "When I say I don't want it, she tells me it's nutritious and good for me. I hate taro. The smell just scares me. But she said it's bad for kids to be picky. I took one bite, and I couldn't help it—I threw up. And then she just started crying, and she called Daddy to cry to him..."

"Alright then. Let's get some rest first."

"Okay!"

...

Soothed by Hester's presence, Caden quickly fell asleep.

Hester lay beside the sleeping boy, entirely unable to drift off.

Finally, she sat up with a heavy sigh.

For Caden's sake, she realized she needed to have a very serious, very formal conversation with Seraphina.

...

As Hester walked down the stairs, Celeste's voice echoed clearly from the living room.

"Mr. Weston, Seraphina didn't want me to say anything because she didn't want to put you in a difficult position, but I genuinely think Mrs. Weston crossed a line today. Seraphina accidentally cut her finger while cooking for her, and not only did Mrs. Weston refuse to eat the food, but she completely humiliated Seraphina right in front of Caden. And now she deliberately took Caden upstairs to alienate him even further. Do you have any idea how much this is breaking Seraphina's heart?"