Chapter 140: Leaving No Means Untried
Hillary held the few pages of evidence.
The first page was about her conflict with Tanya in the kindergarten. The photo clearly showed that she had provoked Tanya first. The humiliated Tanya had then counterattacked.
The second page was photos of her speaking with the lobby manager in Club Prism’s lobby. Her facial expression in the photo was exceptionally smug.
Hillary balled up her fists. She wanted to say something, but before she could, Joel said unhurriedly, “There are surveillance cameras in both the kindergarten and the club. If you continue to deny it, I can ask for the video footage for you. Ms. Jones, allow me to remind you that surveillance camera footage comes with audio nowadays.”
Hillary’s retort instantly got stuck in her throat..
She stared at Joel in shock. A moment later, she finally hung her head dejectedly and said, “It’s my fault this time, Joel… I only did that because I panicked when I saw that Tanya was back. I was afraid that she would take you away from me… Joel, she told me that she’s back this time so that she can take revenge on me and take everything from me.”
Hillary, whose head was lowered, started to cry. She said, “As you know, Tanya has been fighting with me over everything ever since we were kids. I had no other choice. I just wanted her to leave. I just wanted to protect everything that’s mine!”
She looked at Joel again and said, “There’s Mia, too. Of all the kindergartens around, why did she go to that one? It’s definitely because she knows that Mia is our daughter, so she especially went there for her. Joel, she must be planning to start her revenge with Mia. I don’t know how she did it, but she’s already bribed Mia. It’s only been a day, but Mia’s already asking for her…”
She stared at Joel and went on. “There’s no way someone like Tanya would be content. Back then, for the sake of dancing, she abandoned you. Even though she won the championship, her life abroad all these years must not have been that great either, right? That’s why she wanted to come back. She must be thinking of pestering you…”
‘For the sake of dancing, she abandoned you…’
The words stabbed brutally into Joel’s heart like a knife.
He lowered his eyes and let out a cold chuckle.
Perhaps that woman would give up glory and wealth for the sake of dancing, but there was no way he would ever believe that she would pester him for the sake of glory and wealth…
No matter how people might change, the pride embedded in one’s bones would never change.
Besides… She had gone to that kindergarten for her son. Now that she had Justin Hunt, there was no need for her to pester him anymore.
The icy smile at Joel’s lips became tinged with a bit of bitterness—he’d rather she pester him instead.
“Joel, I really am repentant. I won’t do anything anymore, no matter how Tanya provokes me again in the future. Don’t worry. Even though she betrayed you back then, the two of you are ultimately still friends, so…”
Before Hillary could continue sowing discord, Joel said detachedly, “What did I say back then, when you came to me with your child?”
What he had said?
Hillary bit her lip. Back then, she had wormed her way into the Smiths by relying on her daughter. However, Joel had refused to marry her no matter what, and only gave her the title of his fiancée.
She was the one who moved into the Smiths with the excuse that her daughter needed her mother. She cared for and fussed over Mia greatly ever since, thereby stopping Joel from driving her away.
However, on the night that she moved in, an icy-cold Joel had said, “If you stay content with your lot and behave, I don’t mind turning a blind eye to most of your actions. However, you’re not allowed to publicize that you’re Mrs. Smith. I won’t let you off if I ever find out.”
Why would Hillary even care about that at that time? She had agreed to his terms right away.
In the years that followed, she waited on Mia carefully, in hopes that once enough time passed, Joel would officially register their marriage in order to give the girl a mother.
This way, even if they didn’t hold a wedding ceremony, she would still become the veritable Mrs. Smith!
However, apart from when she was picking up and dropping off Mia, she actually didn’t have any chance to meet Joel at all after she moved in. It was no exaggeration to say that they were strangers with the closest relationship with each other.
At this point of Hillary’s inner thoughts, Joel said, “Since you’ve broken the rules… Get lost.”
Get lost?
Hillary’s head whipped up and she stared at him incredulously.
Even when he was telling her to get lost, Joel’s upturned eyes still felt mild-mannered, despite him being expressionless.
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