When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 84

“I’ve always been worried about clashing with her. Do you really think I’d go out of my way to start something and end up hurt like this?”

Brody didn’t respond. He just rested his hand gently on Sheila’s shoulder for a moment. “Get some rest.”

“Brody.” Sheila tried to say more, but he didn’t give her the chance. He walked away, his long strides carrying him out of the room.

Brody never really believed Sheila would set Nelly up. Sheila was the daughter of his old mentor. She’d given up so much for him, changed her whole life, and now that she was back, all she wanted was the Garland family’s protection. Picking a fight with Nelly now would only make things harder for her.

Still, Sheila had mentioned Nelly over and over before anything was even settled, and when Brody tried to defend Nelly, Sheila’s reaction just made him uneasy.

He remembered the way Nelly had shouldered all the blame.

“Brody, if I told you I didn’t do those things, would you believe me?”

Honestly, he’d been too angry yesterday. Even if Nelly had tried to explain, he wouldn’t have listened.

…

Brody’s mind was all over the place. He drove for what felt like forever before realizing he’d arrived at Lakeview Estate. He parked outside Nelly’s building and noticed her bedroom light glowing in the window.

He sat there with his phone in his hand, turning it over and over before finally dialing her number. The call just rang and rang. No answer.

He was about to get out of the car when he saw her light go out. On the way home, his phone buzzed with a late-night text from Nelly.

“Are you free? When do you want to handle the paperwork?”

Brody almost didn’t reply. He stared at the screen, hesitated, then finally typed a short message and sent it. When Nelly read his reply, her eyes chilled over.

…

Two days later, Nelly got a call from Jonah, telling her to come home for a Watson family dinner the next night.

Felix had already set everything up. The dinner would bring together nearly the entire Watson family, plus a handful of major business players from their circle. It was supposed to be Nelly’s formal introduction to the family and the industry.

Christopher’s father, the family patriarch Michael, even cut his recovery trip short and flew in from abroad just to meet his granddaughter.

This dinner was going to be a big deal.

As luck would have it, Nelly’s new company was almost ready to launch, so she could show off her brand at the dinner, too. Felix’s plan worked out perfectly on both fronts.

She didn’t seriously believe Nelly wanted a divorce. Nelly was probably provoked by Sheila’s presence. Honestly, without Nelly, wouldn’t Sheila make the perfect daughter-in-law?

After Tina’s call, Nelly lost all interest in shopping for a dress. The worst part was, Tina was right. She’d been so busy lately, she hadn’t even reached out to Carrie.

She scrolled through her daughter’s social media and found nothing but a few preschool drawings. She wondered if Carrie’s head injury had healed.

In the end, Nelly just missed her daughter too much. She tried calling twice, but there was no answer. Preschool was almost out anyway, so she grabbed her keys and drove over, hoping to catch Carrie.

She didn’t expect that, right as she arrived at the classroom door, arms full of Carrie’s favorite snacks, she’d see Sheila standing there on crutches, talking with the teacher while Carrie stood by her side.

Other kids crowded around, laughing and chatting. The whole group seemed caught up in something fun.

“Carrie, your mom is such a good artist. You’re totally going to win first place in the parent-child art contest!” one little boy shouted, then playfully pretended to wail in disappointment.

The preschool was holding its annual parent-child event, and this year’s theme was a drawing competition. Carrie’s school was full of wealthy families, and the grand prize was a limited-edition kid’s sports car and a set of luxury art supplies.

Everyone had been excited, but now that Carrie’s mom Sheila was there, who was famous for her illustration skills, it felt like nobody else stood a chance.