Chapter 78
“Oh, then you’d better hurry back to her. Don’t let Ms. Turner worry,” Veronica said.
“As if I need you to tell me that. I was just about to leave!” Miriam replied dismissively. However, her eyes remained locked on the young girl holding Veronica’s hand.
Suddenly, Wanda clutched her ankle and let out a soft groan. She leaned into Veronica, giving the latter a pitiful look.
“Ms. Pretty, my foot hurts.”
“What happened, Wanda? Is it a cramp? Why did it hurt all of a sudden?” Veronica’s tone shifted from calm to anxious in an instant. She immediately scooped Wanda into her arms with great care, as if she were afraid of hurting her in the slightest.
Watching that, Miriam felt a sharp sting behind her eyes. It felt like sand had gotten in them.
It had been a long time since Veronica had held her like that. Miriam questioned why that stupid little brat got to steal her away.
“I’m fine, Ms. Pretty. I just can’t walk anymore. Can you carry me for a while?” Wanda nestled she against Veronica’s shoulder, acting all sweet and cutesy. Then, over Veronica’s shoulder, shot Miriam a smug look.
“Of course,” Veronica said gently, not the least bit suspicious. She didn’t scold the child for being overly dramatic.
Wanda beamed and rubbed her cheek against Veronica’s neck before kissing her softly. “Ms Pretty, you are so nice to me.”
Miriam could not take it anymore. She stormed up to Veronica and pointed at the girl. “Mom, she’s faking it! Can’t you tell?”
Veronica glanced up and said flatly, “Yes, I can tell. And?”
That was not the response Miriam had expected. A strange ache welled up inside her.
“She’s full of tricks. You should stay far away from her!” As she spoke, she reached out to yank
Wanda down.
Veronica stood on a step, holding Wanda in her arms and wearing heels. The sudden pull threw her off balance, and she nearly fell backward with the child in her arms.
At the critical moment, a firm hand caught her by the waist and steadied her just in time.
Veronica’s heart pounded.
When she turned her head, she saw Ashton. He had shown up without her noticing.
Chapter 78
Flustered, she hastily transferred Wanda into his arms. Then, she turned back around, her voice sharp with anger.
“Míriam, you keep calling me your mom, but have you ever actually treated me like one? Do you want to put me back in the hospital again? Last time, you made me fall and hit my head so hard that I lost my memory. What are you trying to do this time? Kill me?”
Her words landed hard.
Miriam suddenly felt a jolt of fear when she realized that she had almost killed Veronica. Still, if Veronica hadn’t been holding that annoying girl, she wouldn’t have done that!
Furious and scared, Miriam shot Wanda a hateful look and ran off crying without even apologizing. She loathed Veronica and believed that she had to convince Heath to divorce her. She felt that only Eleanor was fit to be her mother!
Veronica watched Miriam run off into an apartment complex across the street. She could guess that it was the one Heath had bought for Eleanor
An uneasy feeling stirred in her chest, clouding the peace she had just started to rebuild.
Snapping back to reality, she turned and apologized to the uncle–niece duo.
“I haven’t been strict enough with her. But she’ll be living with her father from now on, so something like this likely won’t happen again.”
“You’re getting divorced?” Ashton caught on to that key detail.
“Yes. We are separated now. Once the time is up, I’ll file for a divorce.”
Ashton masked the flicker of delight in his eyes and cleared his throat. “I know an excellent divorce lawyer, Ms. Dolton. If you need someone, I can introduce you to him. His win rate is 100%”
His offer tempted Veronica. After all, a lawyer with a 100% win rate had to be extraordinary. Still, she wondered if Ashton was single and how he knew a divorce lawyer. Could it be that he once had a secret wife? A hidden marriage no one knew?
Chapter 79
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