Once a Doormat Now Untouchable (Caleb and Sydney) novel Chapter 492

**When The Ocean Learned My Name and Whispered It Back to You by Aurelia Novel 492**

**Chapter 492**

Mabel, a woman in her sixties, possessed thoughts that often seemed more innocent than those of a girl barely in her twenties. Did she truly harbor the belief that someone like Raymond—a member of that distinguished family—would ever consider marrying a woman whose past was riddled with chaos and misfortune? It was a notion that danced on the edge of absurdity.

The Huttons had no need for their daughter-in-law to be a political asset, yet they certainly could not afford to have her be a liability. Not for Raymond, and certainly not for the family name that carried weight and expectations far beyond her understanding.

When Diana had first approached Mabel, urging her to “talk sense” into Tiffany, Mabel’s pride had crumbled into dust. In that moment, she had been blind to the reality that family background alone could carve a chasm so deep between her daughter and Raymond. It was a painful truth she had been too naive to grasp at the time.

Years passed, filled with struggle and resilience, and Mabel had come to a profound understanding of that harsh reality. If she had been in Diana’s shoes, she might have made the same hard choice, driven by the desire to protect her family and uphold their reputation.

Raymond, keenly perceptive, noticed every flicker of self-deprecation that crossed Tiffany’s face, yet he remained silent, choosing instead to address Mabel with quiet respect.

“Mrs. Voss,” he began, his voice steady but laced with a hint of vulnerability, “I’m afraid I’m not as wealthy as you might think.” He offered a helpless shrug, his sincerity evident in his expression. “I’m just a salaryman.”

Those words seemed to drain the fight from Mabel, though she wasn’t ready to surrender just yet. Her gaze flitted back to Tiffany, but her daughter steadfastly avoided her eyes, a silent rebellion against the weight of expectation.

Mabel sniffed, hastily wiping away the tears that threatened to spill, then turned her attention back to Raymond. “Please, don’t take my husband’s words to heart. Our Tiff is a good girl. I beg you, treat her well.”

With that, she turned away, hurrying off into the dimly lit alley, her shoulders hunched as if carrying the weight of the world. Her petite figure melted into the shadows, leaving Tiffany to grapple with her own mixed emotions.

Tiffany watched her mother retreat, a bittersweet smile barely lifting the corners of her lips. ‘Always the same. Sucking the life out of others while donning the mask of a martyr. Humans truly are contradictions made flesh.’

A cool autumn breeze swept through the narrow space between the buildings, rustling the fallen leaves and carrying with it a sense of change.

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