Substitute Wife, Genius CEO novel Chapter 122

Beulah's face was a roadmap of deep, weathered wrinkles and age spots, her mouth pulled down into a permanent, unpleasant scowl.

"You wretched girl!" Beulah barked. "We traveled all this way to see your parents, and this is the attitude you give us? You can't even offer us a glass of water? Your aunts, uncles, and cousins rarely make it to Empire City, and you don't even have the decency to show us some hospitality?"

"Kicking us out the moment we arrive? Have you completely lost your conscience? If my son hadn't taken you in, fed you, and paid for your schooling, you'd still be rotting in some forgotten alleyway. You think you'd have the life you do now?"

"You think you can just turn your back on us because you're rich now? Even a stray dog knows not to bite the hand that feeds it! I told them years ago that raising someone else's trash was a waste of time, but they refused to listen!"

Edward's chest heaved violently, his face twisting in pain as he fought through the agony of his fresh wounds. "Mother!" he shouted, his voice rough.

"I've told you a thousand times, drop the adoption talk! Summer is Maeve's and my flesh and blood. Stop speaking to her like that!"

Beulah narrowed her eyes, her voice turning shrill. "Edward Vance, I am your mother! I raised you single-handedly, and it wasn't easy! Yet here you are, screaming at me over some outsider with no shared blood? Where is your respect?"

"Mom..."

Edward's complexion paled drastically as his agitation spiked, causing the medical machines beside his bed to blare in alarm.

"Beep—!"

His vitals were crashing!

The sudden drop sent doctors and nurses rushing into the room to check on him.

Thankfully, his heart rate soon stabilized back into the safe zone.

Before leaving, the doctor issued a stern warning: the patient could not handle stress or emotional volatility, and the room needed to remain calm.

Summer gently rubbed her father's chest. "Dad, did you hear the doctor? You need to relax."

Seeing the tension, Jared's mother smiled and tried to smooth things over. "Edward, why are you getting so worked up with your mother? You know how she is. When she heard about your accident, she practically fainted on the spot. As soon as she recovered, we bought tickets straight to Empire City. She's been so worried she hasn't eaten or slept in days. I think Summer should at least let her rest here in the city for a day or two to catch her breath, instead of chasing her out."

Edward's older brother chimed in, adopting an earnest tone. "Edward, Mom might have a sharp tongue, but she has a soft heart. She just wants what's best for Summer's future. She spoke out of turn because she was anxious, not out of malice. You know how hard she worked to raise us all on her own. She's older now. As her children, we need to be more forgiving. Don't be so hard on her."

Edward's younger sister nodded in agreement. "He's right. And it's not just Mom; we're all worried sick about Summer's situation. Don't make a foolish mistake. Where else is she going to find a husband like that? A family like ours couldn't score a match like him even if we searched the globe with a spotlight. We're all parents here. Who doesn't want their daughter to live a life of luxury? You need to think about her long-term happiness. And even if you don't care about that, think about Leo."

Maeve's face was thunderous. These people sounded so caring, but they had essentially orchestrated a massive group vacation to Empire City just to leach off their wealth.

His sister's failing furniture factory had miraculously secured massive investments, bouncing back from the brink of bankruptcy to make them the wealthiest family in their county.

Her cousin Jared drove a brand-new luxury car. His brother had a massive new house. Tiffany was chasing her acting dreams on sets with A-list idols. Beulah dripped in gold and silver jewelry. The list went on.

It didn't take a genius to figure out who was footing the bill. Xavier.

So, hearing about the impending divorce had sent them into a frenzy, terrified their golden goose was about to fly away.

Not a single person in that room actually cared about Summer.

Edward knew this perfectly well, but he was caught in an impossible position.

Summer was deeply worried about her parents. They had just barely survived surgery and could not handle the stress.

Her father's vitals had just proven that.

She made a split-second decision to get these parasites out of the hospital...