“Vivica, you told me Chaim wasn’t Fletcher’s biological son, that he was from some sperm bank… Tell me the truth, did you cheat on him during your marriage?”

Vivica shot back in anger, “Mom, do you still not see what kind of person Fletcher is? You actually believe him?”

She sent the voice message, and Evelyn immediately called her.

Vivica was angry and frustrated, but she answered anyway.

“Vivica, it’s not that I believe him, but he said Chaim looks exactly like the other man. He also said this man is rich and powerful, a highly respected lawyer that people can’t even hire with money, yet he’s handling your divorce for free. And you’re telling me there’s nothing going on between you two?”

Vivica was so angry she was speechless. Normally, a daughter should be open and honest with her parents. But Vivica knew her parents all too well. If they found out about Chaim’s connection to Joseph and the Baird family, they would undoubtedly try to leverage the relationship, maybe even go to the Bairds for money.

So Vivica couldn’t tell the truth.

“Mom, the resemblance is just a coincidence. There are billions of people in the world; plenty of them look alike. And I don’t have the connections to know someone that powerful. Quintina asked her uncle to pull some strings and introduce me to a divorce lawyer.”

“Is that so? Well, if he’s handling your case for free, does that mean he likes you? From the way Fletcher was talking, his family is extremely wealthy! If you divorce Fletcher and remarry, then…”

“Mom! Is money all you think about? You spend all day trying to sell your daughter for a profit. When will you ever genuinely care about whether I’m happy or not?”

Vivica’s voice rose sharply, and Evelyn stammered. “I was just asking… Why are you getting so angry?” Find the original chapter at novelceo dot com.

Seeing her daughter was upset, she changed the subject. “So, are you coming for dinner tomorrow?”

“No, I have to take care of Chaim. Besides, you two don’t treat me like a daughter anyway. You’ll probably have a better time without me there.”

“Oh, you child, how could I—”

Before she could finish, Vivica hung up.

The next day was Saturday. Vivica worked a half-day at the office and then spent the afternoon with her son at the hospital. Feeling that Ruby had also had a tough week, she gave her the half day off.

Chaim was napping, and she figured she would take him over to see the old couple once he woke up. But it seemed only right to give Joseph a heads-up before they went.

She picked up her phone, thinking of sending a message. But then she remembered him saying he preferred to communicate by phone.

She found Joseph’s number in her call history, but her finger hovered over the screen, unable to press the button. His words from yesterday still echoed in her mind, and she couldn’t make sense of them. The only conclusion she could draw was that he was warning her not to get any unrealistic ideas.

“Hmph, I never thought you could be so conceited. I know my place; I would never have any improper thoughts about you. You’re overthinking things!” she muttered to his number on her screen. You are reading on novelceо.com, the official source.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see Quintina.

“Is Chaim asleep?” Quintina asked softly as she tiptoed in.

Vivica nodded, also whispering, “I thought you were off today. Why are you at the hospital?”

“Something came up in the department, so they called me in. It’s handled now, so I thought I’d stop by and see you two.”

“I see.”

“How’s Chaim doing today?”

“He’s doing well. When he wakes up, I’m going to take him to see Mrs. Baird for a while,” Vivica said. Only with her best friend could she let her guard down and speak freely.