Reborn to Dodge the Bad Marriage novel Chapter 301

Chapter 301 Taking Down the Portraits

Finished

Harlan pointed at the dining table, still smiling. “Come have some breakfast, Mother. I’m practically your son, after all. You may be moving out of the main house, but I’d never send you off without breakfast.”

The thought of becoming head of the Weston family, with his son as heir and himself calling all the shots from now on, had him practically giddy.

As for running wild, he’d put up with Constance for decades. Now that the tables had finally turned, he figured he’d earned a little head start.

Constance came slowly down the stairs, leaning on Bess for support. “Until you’re head of this family, you don’t get to run wild here, not for a single minute.”

“Grandma Weston.” Olivia hurried over and took Constance by the left arm. “Don’t worry. Nora has a plan, and if all else fails, there’s Julian. They’d never just hand the Weston family over.”

Harlan’s courtesy toward Constance had only been for show, and now he dropped it entirely. He waved a hand. “Hollis, let’s get this move started. Careful with the old lady, though. She’s not getting any younger, and we wouldn’t want her to drop dead from the stress.”

Harlan pointed straight at the family portrait on the living room wall. “Go on, take that one down first, and take down Mother’s pictures too. Put up my mom’s portrait, and the family photo of me with her and Dad.”

The living room wall was covered in photos. There was Constance’s wedding photo with Julian’s late grandfather, a family portrait with their son’s family, a portrait of each of them on their own, and a three- generation family portrait that included Julian.

On Harlan’s orders, Hollis and his people went straight for Constance’s photos. Someone behind them was already holding the memorial portrait of Harlan’s mother, ready to hang it up in their place.

Harlan strode forward and looked up at the photo beside them. It showed Julian’s late grandfather and Constance along with his two mistresses, one of whom was Harlan’s mother.

In the photo, the couple sat front and center while the two mistresses stood behind them like servants.

Harlan had grown up looking at that photo. Every time he saw it, it reminded him that his mother was a mistress and he was an illegitimate son. He had more than enough ability, but he could never be the heir!

These were modern times. Nobody talked about mistresses and illegitimate sons like that anymore. But the stigma, and the humiliation he’d grown up with, had been burned into him for good.

Constance had never once mistreated him, but she still wasn’t his real mother.

The longer Harlan looked, the angrier he got. Decades of pent-up resentment had swelled like a balloon stretched to its limit, and now it was ready to burst!

“It’s my turn to run this family! My mom isn’t a mistress anymore. She’s Dad’s wife now! Get me a chair. I’m taking this picture down myself!”

One of the staff brought Harlan a chair.

10:53

Chapter 301 Taking Down the Portraits

Finished

Olivia rushed over and planted herself in front of him. “Uncle Harlan, you can’t take down Grandma Weston’s pictures, and you can’t live in the main house. This is Grandma Weston’s and Julian’s home.”

Harlan frowned at her. “Olivia, I like a girl like you. I’d love to have you as my daughter-in-law, so I’ve been especially patient with you. But move, or I won’t go easy on you either.”

Olivia didn’t budge. She kept her arms spread wide to block him. “Just hear me out first. Doing this won’t be good for you…”

Nora watched Olivia throw herself into the fray and raised an eyebrow. Then, she looked up at Constance.

Constance looked exhausted, and it was hard to tell what she was thinking.

Nora went to her side and asked quietly, “Grandma, do you trust me?”

Constance looked up at her. She wasn’t completely sure, but she nodded anyway. “I didn’t trust you all that much at first. But you keep pulling off things nobody expects, so yes, I trust you.”

Nora had a way of going all in and turning things around at the last second. With her around, people believed there was always a way out, no matter how hopeless things looked.

She gave a soft laugh. “Then don’t worry, Grandma. Go have some breakfast. As for Uncle Harlan…”

Nora had her own reasons for letting Harlan take down the photos and start moving things out.

When Julian saw her trail off, he picked up where she’d left off and turned to Constance. “Grandpa’s dying wish was that unless the other branches of the family did something unforgivable, we’d never make them move off the Weston estate.

“We couldn’t touch their shares either. But this time, Uncle Harlan is digging his own grave. The further he goes now, the stronger our position, and we won’t be going against Grandpa’s wishes.

“After this, Uncle Harlan will know he’s in the wrong, so he won’t dare run his mouth to the press. It’ll scare the rest of the family into line too.”

Constance looked at Nora.

Nora nodded. “That’s what I was thinking too. I’m just sorry you have to put up with this for now.”

Constance shook her head with a wry smile. “I’ve been through worse more times than you two have had birthdays. This is nothing.”

She looked up at Harlan, who’d ignored every attempt to stop him and already taken down the frame. “They’re just a few pictures. It’s about time someone dusted them off anyway. Besides…”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify