Divorced and Pregnant My New Life with a Billionaire Drives My Ex Crazy novel Chapter 360

Annette couldn’t hide her look of distaste. Was this really her son, the same boy who hadn’t smiled since he was seventeen? Now he looked completely different, not a trace of that cold, commanding CEO she remembered. All she saw was a man desperately in love, acting like a lovesick teenager.

She pressed a hand to her chest and went back to her seat. Alice was already digging into her food, clearly in a great mood. Conrad was cutting his own steak, but then he slid the neatly cut pieces onto Wiona’s plate so she could eat first. He just ate whatever the staff had prepared for him without a second thought.

Wiona and Conrad shared a quick smile, a little spark of warmth between them. Annette noticed and felt a wave of relief wash over her. Maybe, just maybe, she didn’t have to worry about their relationship after all. Actually, she couldn’t even remember the last time her son had looked this happy since her husband died. He never really showed his emotions, but this was the first time in ten years that Annette felt a bit of warmth return to this house.

She knew she hadn’t been the best mom. Seeing these changes in both her son and daughter, she felt a gratitude toward Wiona that words couldn’t express.

“Wiona, thank you. Thank you for coming into our family.” Annette lifted her glass, her voice sincere, and finished her drink in one go.

Wiona quickly tried to stop her. “Mom, please, don’t drink too much. Your health matters most. And I should be the one thanking you all for really accepting me. I promise, I’ll love this family, and everyone in it, with all my heart.” She finished her juice with a determined gulp.

Annette watched her through the candlelight and found it absolutely adorable. Her new daughter-in-law got embarrassed so easily. She was so pretty, and with just a little teasing her cheeks turned pink. No wonder her son couldn’t take his eyes off her. Who wouldn’t fall for this adorable girl?

Annette let herself smile, feeling at ease. She finished her food quickly, then talked Alice into leaving the dining room with her. She wasn’t clueless—she knew the rest of the evening should belong to her son and his wife. Otherwise, with the way Conrad looked at her, you’d think he was ready to chase his own mother out of the room.

Annette walked Alice to her bedroom herself. She had found so much more patience for her daughter lately. “Alice, try to get some sleep early tonight, okay? Goodnight.”

Annette saw it all—how he’d hide his injuries, how he’d narrowly escape disaster, how he’d get betrayed and outmaneuvered until he had almost nothing left. She felt powerless. The constant setbacks almost destroyed her. And with Alice’s condition getting worse every day, Annette eventually grew afraid to even see her own daughter.

That’s when the fights with Conrad started. She pushed Alice away, over and over, and lost control more times than she could count. She started acting out, lashing out, falling apart.

Eventually, when she saw Alice growing distant and heard Conrad say, “You’re sick,” Annette couldn’t take it anymore. She ran away from home, leaving behind a son who wasn’t even an adult yet, left to fend off a pack of wolves, and a daughter whose illness was breaking her heart.

She’d been gone almost ten years.