Ashley had Alisa at a loss for words, leaving her trembling with anger. She thought Ashley''s arrival would settle everything and get the wedding ns between her and Jason on track. Instead, she left feeling humiliated.


    Trying to regain herposure, Alisa replied with a firm voice, "Ma''am, Jason and I have been together, and he needs to take responsibility. My family has done so much for him, saving his life and all. It''ste, so I won''t bother you any longer. I''ll be going now."


    With those words, Alisa turned and headed toward the elevator. Ashley shouted after her, "Shameless woman!" Alisa heard the insult, and tears welled up in her eyes. As the elevator arrived, she hurriedly stepped inside, grateful for the privacy to let her tears fall unseen. Ashley mmed the door shut, the noise echoing through the house. Jason, hearing themotion, came out and asked, "Mom, what''s going on?"


    "Nothing much," Ashley replied with a sarcastic edge, "Just had a noisy stray cat outside. But don''t worry, I chased it away." She couldn''t resistparing Alisa to a stray cat. "Jason, just get some rest and focus on getting better. Your dad and I have decided that I won''t leave until I''ve found you a proper wife for the Morton family."


    Jason poured himself a ss of water, trying to stay calm. "Mom, there''s really no need to worry about me. I''m fine. You should head back soon, or you''ll be bored here with me working all the time."


    "If I leave, that Alisa will just find more ways to cling to you," Ashley said with a stern expression. "Don''t think I can''t see through her. The Brown family has been leeching off you for long enough. It''s time they learned to be satisfied."


    What mother wouldn''t be upset seeing her son entangled with such a family?


    Jason was taken aback. It seemed his mother knew everything. Ashley remembered something and asked, "You mentioned you were seeing someone. Was it that girl with the long hair on your Facebook?"


    Jason had shared a silhouette photo of Monica on his Facebook. After a pause, Jason admitted, "We broke up."


    Ashley saw right through him. "Because of Alisa, right?"


    Jason chuckled, "Mom, you should work as a detective."


    Ashley replied, "Ites with experience. That stray cat earlier told me..."


    Realizing she was about to spill the beans, Ashley didn''t hold back. She''d already hinted at her disdain for Alisa. "She told me you two were together and that you should take responsibility. Jason, how could you be so careless? The Brown family is nothing but trouble. Once theytch onto you, they won''t let go. They im they don''t need you to take responsibility, yet here they are, trying to guilt-trip you into it."


    Ashley was frustrated, to say the least.


    Jason frowned, "I was just drunk that night. I don''t even remember how we ended up in the same bed."


    He briefly recounted the events of that night.


    "You might have been drunk, but Alisa was certainly sober enough to take advantage of the situation," Ashley fumed. "They nned it all out, trying to trap you. They want to turn a casual mistake into something permanent. No way they''re getting into the Morton family like that."


    With Daniel and Maliacking any savings and constantly dealing with health issues, not to mention Alisa''s daughter needing schooling, their expenses were high. Alisa, not particrly striking and with a child from a previous marriage, found it tough to secure a good match in Riverdale. Jason had been their financial safety all these years.


    Although Alisa never directly asked Jason for money, she often hinted at her financial struggles, using her father-inw Daniel or her daughter I as reasons. Ashley saw through all of it, but her son felt indebted to Will, and thus was always willing to help the Browns out. When Alisa finally returned home, it waste. Malia was waiting in the living room. Seeing her daughter back, she asked, "Still no agreement? Didn''t Jason''s mome? What did she say?"


    Alisa replied, "I confronted her, but she looks down on me and won''t let me into the Morton family." Sitting down, Alisa asked, "Mom, what do we do now?"


    Malia''s eyes darkened upon hearing that the Mortons refused to take responsibility. "They don''t get to decide that. Jason is going to support our family whether he marries you or not. If he refuses, your father and I will go down to his workce and make a scene. It''s not like it''s our first time doing something like that."