?Chapter 268:


    The handbag clutched notably out of style, and her plump cheeks trembled as she spoke. Next to her, Judie appeared tense, evidently worried that Eileen, their golden child, might slip away.


    “Do you two have any shame? My sister…” Bailee began, about tosh out, but Ruby quickly intervened. Ruby tried her best to stop Bailee from speaking harshly. After all, Denise was Eileen’s biological mother. Ruby believed that she and Bailee weren’t in a position to make such judgmentalments.


    “Your sister,” Judie snorted. “Are you really rted to her by blood? If she weren’t wealthy, you wouldn’t care about her. It’s you and your mother who are without shame!” When it came to saying harsh things, Judie’s words packed a bigger punch than Bailee’s.


    Ruby and Bailee stood there, their faces a mix of embarrassment and anger, at a loss for words.


    Eileen stepped in, pulling Judie away from Denise and delivering a sharp p to her. “Since your parents failed to teach you manners, I suppose I’ll have to,” Eileen said.


    She rubbed her aching wrist, shot a look at the astonished Judie and Denise, then turned to Bryan and said, “Take my mom and Bailee back. I’ll handle this myself.”


    “Okay,” Bryan replied, giving Eileen the space to address issues from her past she preferred to keep private.


    Bailee helped Ruby into Bryan’s car. Both kept their gaze fixed on Eileen through the car window as they started to leave. Only after the car had driven away did they turn their heads, both wearing expressions of mixed emotions. The midday sun bathed Eileen in light. She was dressed in a dark windbreaker, yet she felt anything but warm. A gentle breeze tousled her hair. She smoothed her hair back and regarded Denise with a cold demeanor.


    “If you’re here for my wedding, I suppose I can allow you to attend,” Eileen said, making it clear she was anything but enthusiastic about it.


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    Denise collected herself, looked at Eileen, and said, “What do you mean by that? I’m your mother; it’s my right to be at your wedding.”


    “Well, then tell me, what more do you want besides attending my wedding?” Eileen asked, standing with her hands in her pockets, her presence pronounced in the open space in front of the hotel.


    The hotel staff looked through the floor-to-ceiling windows, observing the unfolding drama.


    But Denise didn’t think it was a big deal. She said arrogantly, “What else would I want? I’m your mother, so naturally, I should live with you. I should also be in charge of organizing your wedding!”


    “How exactly do you intend to manage it? Are you nning to demand arge dowry or ask the Dawson family for money?” Eileen’s question pierced right through Denise’s hidden motives.


    A mix of anger and humiliation flushed Denise’s face as she countered, “Eileen, I am your mother. You helped your stepmother Ruby financially with her treatment. Why can’t you do the same for me? She only looked after you for a few years. Why does it matter?”


    Raising her voice, Denise scanned the area, looking for any sympathetic onlookers. But they were alone, apanied only by the chill of thete autumn wind and the rustling of fallen leaves. Denise was straightforward, and Eileen didn’t want to sugarcoat things. With a cold smile, Eileen said, “To be clear, you gave me life. And if you need me to take care of you in your old age, I can do that. But that’s as far as I can go.”


    “You… You’re unfilial!” Denise eximed, enraged upon hearing this.


    Eileen said, “You failed in your duties as a mother, so myck of filial duty shoulde as no surprise. When you divorced my father, I cried and ran after you, pleading with you not to leave me, but you never looked back. You even said you would only consider Roderick as your child from then on. What gives you the right to expect me to be different?”


    Eileenughed bitterly, and her heart ached. “I’ve said what needed to be said. If you’re still unhappy, feel free to take me to court. Let’s see if the court will make you my dowry.”


    With that, she climbed into her car and drove off. As she shut the car door, Denise’s curses were still audible.


    Denise made a move to follow, but Judie held her back. Eileen couldn’t hear what Judie said to Denise, but it made Denise stop yelling.


    Watching the figures of the two women conversing quietly in the rearview mirror grow smaller, Eileen looked away.


    She rolled down the car window halfway, letting the cool autumn air soothe her.


    Denise’s sudden arrival had dredged up painful memories from Eileen’s childhood, stirring long-suppressed feelings of sadness. It was hard to tell if she felt more disappointed or sorrowful, but her emotions were certainly stirred.


    She suspected that Ruby wasn’t in good spirits either, so instead of heading to the educational institution, she went directly home.


    After dropping Ruby off, Bryan watched her retreat to her room, iming she needed to rest due to fatigue. Anticipating Eileen’s return, Bryan didn’t leave. He had limited knowledge about Eileen’s biological mother and talked with Bailee in the living room.


    Bailee said, “To be honest, I don’t know much. I was very young when my mother took me to the Curtis family. What sticks out the most in my memory is my stepfather scolding Eileen as a burden, causing him to lose custody of Roderick.”


    Ruby had shared most of what she knew about Eileen’s background with Bailee, while Eileen herself rarely spoke of it.


    Bailee knew Eileen was typically closed off about her feelings and thoughts. But she believed perhaps Eileen would open up more with Bryan, so she told him all she knew about the matter.


    “Eileen usually shares the good news and keeps the bad to herself. In fact, her birth mother reached out to her a long time ago, wanting her to find jobs for Roderick and Judie in Onnd. The real reason that woman is now recognizing Eileen as her daughter is because she’s after Eileen’s wealth! They’re the real shameless ones!” As she spoke, Bailee grew more worked up, and her voice inadvertently rose, but she quickly mped her hand over her mouth, worried Ruby might hear her.


    She said, “Bryan, I know I was quite blunt. I shouldn’t say that, especially considering my mom has also benefitted from Eileen’s generosity. But I just couldn’t hold back.”


    “You and your mom are different from them, and Eileen knows it. The lengths she goes to for you both show she believes you’re worth it,” Bryan replied.


    Having encountered Eileen’s biological mother, Bryan genuinely felt for Eileen. He nced at his watch and said, “She should be back any moment. I’ll head down to pick her up.” With that, he left.


    Eileen was surprised to find Bryan waiting at the entrance when she stopped her car before the apartment building. After a brief moment of eye contact through the car window, Eileen quickly regained herposure, unbuckled her seatbelt, and stepped out of the car. “You didn’t return to thepany?” After she shut the car door and approached him, she suddenly felt his arms wrap tightly around her waist.


    The warmth from his embrace prated her clothes, warming her body. After pausing for a few seconds, she reciprocated the gesture, wrapping her arms around his waist.


    She rested her head against his chest, took a deep breath, then looked up and gently kissed his chin on tiptoes. “I’m okay. It doesn’t matter what kind of person my biological mother is. It’s just that her sudden appearance before our wedding affected my good mood,” Eileen said.


    Bryan leaned down and nted a kiss near her lips. “Leave it to me. I won’t let them spoil your mood.” There were effective strategies to keep Denise and Judie at a distance from Eileen.


    “I’ll leave that to you then. I’m going to check on my mom,” Eileen released him and turned to head into the building.


    Inside Bailee’s ce, where sunlight filled the living room, Bailee was sitting alone, waiting. Upon seeing Eileen return, she quickly got up and approached her. “Mom?” Eileen asked as she changed her shoes.


    Bailee gestured toward the bedroom and said, “She went in there as soon as we got back. I heard noises just now. She hasn’t slept? How could she fall asleep?”


    Ruby had be visibly distressed as soon as Denise showed up, losing her smilepletely.


    The bedroom door was slightly open, and Eileen saw Ruby sitting in a chair by the window. She walked in quietly. “Mom.”


    “Eileen,” Ruby quickly replied, turning with a weak smile. “You… You’re back? Aren’t you supposed to be at—”


    Eileen sat on the bed, facing her. “I was worried about you, so I came back to check on you.”


    “What’s there to worry about?” Ruby’s speech was slow and a bit hesitant, but noticeably better than before.


    After a pause, she said, “If you want her at your wedding as your mother, I understand. I don’t have an issue with it.”


    “Do you really think she came just to attend the wedding?” Eileen asked.


    Ruby was momentarily at a loss for words. She had only met Denise once, but during the brief meal thatsted under an hour, the reason behind her visit was clear to anyone.


    After a lengthy pause, Ruby said, “Try to talk some sense into her. Whether she wants to attend the wedding or wants you to call her mother, I’ll support you as long as she doesn’t disgrace you before the Dawson family.” Ruby recognized that Ste and Bryan were both good people, noting their kind treatment of Eileen.


    But that was just the situation now. If Denise were to continually cause trouble, always demanding money, her greed could eventually disgust Ste and Bryan. Such behavior might negatively impact Eileen’s standing with the Dawson family.


    “I’ve shared everything I should say with her. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it, and you won’t need topromise. You are my mother, the only one I acknowledge,” Eileen reassured her.


    At Eileen’s words, Ruby’s eyes filled with tears. “To have a daughter like you is the greatest gift of my life. You’ve saved me,” she said.


    Eileen grasped Ruby’s hand firmly, allowing Ruby to stroke hers gently. “You saved me too. Even though we aren’t rted by blood, our bond is as strong as if we were, perhaps even deeper.”


    Their heartfelt exchange brought Ruby a sense of relief.


    Judie and Denise had only a little over a thousand dors on them. Unsure if they could get more money from Eileen soon, they opted to conserve their funds and check into a small motel that cost only a few tens of dors per night.


    They shared a room. Inside the room, Denise took a call from a debt collector. “Don’t worry. You have my son; he won’t escape. Give him seven days, and I’ll pay you back with interest,” she said.


    After her resolute assurance, she ended the call. Looking around the shabby motel, she tossed her phone aside with a look of revulsion. “This dump is unbearable. It’s even worse than the restroom in the restaurant we were at today!”


    “That hotel is hardly worth mentioning,” Judie responded.


    “Mom, do you realize how wealthy the Dawson family is? They own countless mansions. Handing over just one would be nothing for them.”


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