Rising From Betrayal Reborn As The Family Outcast novel Chapter 139

Chapter 139

Jason and Alicia were sharing a cozy dinner at home, bantering and joking around as they ate.

Meanwhile, at the Hammond residence, Nicole and her mother, Mavis, were starting to get anxious.

By this time, Leo was usually home, having dinner with them.

But tonight, he was nowhere to be seen.

His phone was off, and they couldn’t reach him at all.

Mavis couldn’t help but send a message to Leo’s secretary to ask about Leo’s whereabouts.

The secretary had two phones, and she texted his personal one.

The secretary called her right away. “He knows you were behind that car accident with Mr. Hammond back then.

“He’s in a terrible mood at the office and says he’s not coming home tonight.

“Don’t contact me for a while. If he finds out we’ve been talking behind his back, you’ll be in even more trouble.”

Before Mavis could say a word, he hung up.

He called instead of texting, just in case their messages got screenshotted.

He never texted her back-he’d just call as soon as he saw her message.

He didn’t really care if she tried to record their calls.

He was calling from a burner phone that wasn’t registered to him, and he even used a voice changer.

Mavis clutched her phone, her heart pounding with anxiety.

‘If Leo doesn’t come home, how am I supposed to take the initiative and confess everything to him?

‘What if I miss the best moment and he never forgives me?’ she worried.

Nicole nudged her, “Mom, why don’t you take that soup you made and go see Dad at the office?”

‘If Dad’s not coming home, Mom can totally go find him herself, Nicole thought.

It was the first time Nicole had ever seen her usually calm and collected mom this rattled.

‘Wow, she must really love Leo,’ Nicole thought.

Mavis hesitated for a moment, then finally said, “Alright, I’ll go to the office.”

Nicole grabbed the car keys and drove her mom over.

When they got to the parking lot, Mavis carried the thermos and headed into the office by herself.

When the secretary saw Mavis walk in, he couldn’t help but frown.

He approached her with a distant tone. “Mrs. Hammond, what brings you here?”

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Mavis forced a smile. “I brought some soup for Mr. Hammond.”

The secretary said, “Please wait here. I’ll check with Mr. Hammond first.”

Back in the day, Mavis used to just knock and go straight in.

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But now things had changed. Leo was purposely avoiding her and staying away from home, so the secretary had to ask for permission first.

The secretary knocked and said to Leo, “Mr. Hammond, Mrs. Hammond is here-she’s brought you some soup.”

Leo looked up with a piercing gaze. “Who told her I was here?”

If his son hadn’t dug up that info, he wouldn’t be so suspicious.

But now, Leo thought it was way too much of a coincidence for Mavis to turn up like this.

His phone was off-there’s no way she could’ve known he was here unless someone told her.

The only two people who knew he was staying at the office tonight were his son and the secretary.

It was obvious who had tipped her off.

His mind started racing, piecing things together.

Mavis always seemed to know just when he needed her, always saying the right thing to comfort him and showing up with thoughtful gestures.

Back then, he never gave it a second thought, but now, the idea made his skin crawl.

All that perfect timing and care-turns out, she’d been keeping tabs on him and plotting every move behind his back.

The secretary felt Leo’s sharp gaze boring into him and cursed Mavis in his head-she was being a total liability right now.

‘Showing up out of nowhere at a time like this? Now Mr. Hammond’s definitely going to suspect me,’ he thought.

He braced himself and said, “She didn’t say.

“Should I let her in?”

Leo really hadn’t wanted to see her, but now he was having second thoughts.

He put on a helpless act and sighed. “Alright, let her in.”

The secretary thought, ‘Guess Mr. Hammond really does have a soft spot for Mrs. Hammond, and replied, “Yes, sir.”

Soon, Mavis walked in with the soup in hand.

She flashed him a warm smile. “Honey, I made you some soup.

“Would you like some now?”

Leo looked at her and suddenly asked, “Did the secretary tell you I was here?”

Mavis froze for a moment, her expression faltering for a split second before she pulled herself together.

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She replied, “I just guessed. When you’re upset, you either hide out in your greenhouse or hole up at the office.”

Back in the day, Leo would’ve bought it without a second thought. But now, he was watching her closely, and he caught that flicker of unease in her expression.

Now he knew exactly what was going on.

He felt his chest tighten. All these years, and he’d been so blind about her.

After a long silence, he cut straight to the chase. “Let’s get a divorce.”

Mavis’s expression changed, her voice trembling. “Honey, I was wrong. I didn’t tell you what happened before because I was afraid you’d get angry.”

She rushed over to Leo, her eyes filling with tears. “I love you so much. Please, don’t give up on me.”

She reached out and tugged at his sleeve, pleading, “Without you, I don’t know how I’d go on.”

Back in the day, if she cried and acted vulnerable like this, Leo’s heart would’ve melted right away.

But now, all he felt was annoyance. He pulled his sleeve free from her grip. “If you can’t live without me, then maybe you shouldn’t.”

If a young girl acted all pitiful and cried like this, it might be normal. But at her age, it just seemed forced and pathetic.

Nicole had always used threats of suicide and tears as bargaining chips, driving a wedge between Leo and his kids, making them drift apart.

And now Mavis was doing the exact same thing-using tears and the whole “I can’t live without you” act, hoping he’d go soft and forgive her.

‘Like mother, like daughter, Leo thought.

For all he knew, Nicole probably picked up all her manipulative moves from Mavis.

Mavis’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you seriously telling me to just go die?”

All these years, she’d thought she’d finally warmed his heart, maybe even taken the place of the woman he used to love.

So before she came here, even with all her nerves, she still believed she could win him over and make him forgive her.

But she never imagined he’d be this cruel.

Leo’s expression was icy. “Are you really willing to die? Isn’t playing the suicide card you and your daughter’s favorite trick?

“You know exactly what you’ve done. I’ve already looked into almost everything.

“If you only lied to me because you claimed you loved me, I might’ve let it go.”

He narrowed his eyes. “But our whole marriage? You plotted and manipulated your way into it.

“All these years, you and Nicole have been playing the perfect wife and daughter in front of me, but behind my back, you’ve been scheming to push my daughter out, making her feel like she doesn’t belong-even forcing her to cut ties with us.”

His face darkened with anger. “You even cursed the woman I loved to die in your diary.

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“And you’ve been stalking my every move, always showing up with your phony kindness at just the right time. It’s honestly creepy.”

He knew if he didn’t spell it out, she’d just keep clinging to hope, so he said bluntly, “Now that I’ve seen your true colors, there’s no way I could ever forgive you or stay married to you.”

When Leo saw Mavis wishing his wife would just die, he totally lost it.

He couldn’t help but remember Alicia’s snarky comment-how she said Mavis and her mom were nothing but bad news.

He even started wondering if maybe all those nasty wishes from Mavis had something to do with his wife’s illness and death.

She was the woman he loved most, and she passed away when they were happiest together.

Every time he thought about it, his heart would twist with pain and longing.

‘Mavis? Please. She’s nothing compared to my wife, Leo thought, his contempt practically dripping.

Sure, he liked her, he wouldn’t deny that.

But all he liked was how she was always so obedient, how her whole world revolved around him, how she depended on him for everything.

He’d gotten used to her always being there, fussing over him, making sure he was comfortable, taking care of every little thing.

But he could never actually love someone so bland, so empty inside.

Women like her were a dime a dozen-as long as he had status and money, they’d line up for him.

Since he was young, there had always been women chasing after him.

Even without his family background, just his looks and abilities alone attracted plenty of admirers. He never lacked for women’s affection.

But a woman as unique and irreplaceable as his wife? That was one in a million-no one could ever take her place.

Mavis had even gone as far as paying off people close to him just to keep tabs on his every move. Who knew what she’d try next-maybe even cause trouble for Hammond Group down the line?

She’d already stomped all over his bottom line. There was no turning back now-divorce was the only way this could end.

Before they got married, Mavis was actually the one who suggested signing a prenup.

That way, even if they split up someday, their money would always stay separate.

At the time, Leo thought she was being smart about things-he really believed she just wanted some security and would help look after his kids.

Looking back now, Leo realized she was making a strategic move-acting all selfless and agreeable, but really just protecting her own interests.

Even if she hadn’t suggested it, he would’ve brought it up himself.

‘She’s way too calculating,’ Leo thought, a cold feeling creeping over him.

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