Chapter 260: No Need To Pretend

George paused before cautiously saying, “I’ve made so many calls that you didn’t answer, but you picked up this one, so I thought…”

Chelsea spoke bluntly. “I answered your call because I needed something from you. Your son has been spreading false statements online, deliberately stirring up public opinion and causing significant emotional distress to my family. If he doesn’t reveal the truth before tomorrow and allows public opinion to continue brewing, he can kiss his singing career goodbye!”

Beep beep beep…

Without giving George a chance to speak, Chelsea immediately hung up the phone.

George was the kind of person who took advantage of the weak and feared the strong. If someone was even slightly nice to him, he would interpret it as them being scared of him. Only by showing some toughness would he understand the gravity of the situation and handle the matter properly.

Chelsea let out a sigh of relief, then headed upstairs to see Caleb. The door was left ajar, and through the narrow gap, she caught sight of him. He was lying on the bed, idly scrolling through his phone with one hand. His brows were furrowed tightly, his expression as dark and oppressive as storm clouds gathering before the rain.

Hearing some faint sounds, he lifted his head. “Is that you, Ms. Yardley? Why don’t you come in?”

Chelsea straightened her hair, a subtle attempt to hide the guilt she felt from sneaking a peek. “The things people are saying about you online are quite harsh, so I thought I’d come and see you.”

Clearly, he still seemed somewhat bothered. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have knowingly subjected himself to the pain of reading those harsh criticisms.

Caleb locked his phone screen and said nonchalantly, “I really don’t care. It’s just a bunch of nobodies launching petty attacks. If I were to feel upset by this, wouldn’t I be playing right into their hands?”

Chelsea suddenly let out a soft laugh. “Caleb, when you’re with me, there’s no need to pretend. From the moment I first met you, there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity. If you were to ask me why I chose to help you, I couldn’t really put it into words myself. However, I simply couldn’t bear to watch you suffer.”

She didn’t offer any comforting words, just casually voiced her feelings. Yet, her words still managed to move Caleb.

After his release from prison, he was ostracized everywhere he went, almost pushing him to the brink of despair. However, fate hadn’t been cruel enough to take everything away from him. It took away his insincere family, but in the darkness, it also lit several dazzling lights, illuminating his path ahead.

One day? A week? Another year, perhaps? Perhaps he couldn’t even hold on for a second.

When someone of much higher status sought to oppress another person, it would strip away even one’s strength to resist. Take, for instance, the recent online uproar. If Chelsea hadn’t come to his aid, and Jesse continued to fabricate stories about him online, leading a large number of netizens to ridicule him on the internet, he would soon be overwhelmed by the tide of public opinion. Even those who didn’t typically pay attention to the news could easily be swayed by the comments of netizens when they heard negative reports. As a result, they might join the ranks of online mobs, spreading rumors far and wide. When that time truly came, his rebuttals would simply be seen as cunning excuses. No matter how much evidence he produced, he wouldn’t be able to convince anyone.

One could only say that the people of the Quixall family were ruthless. Once they targeted someone, they would stop at nothing to ruin that person, even if that person had once been part of their family.

Caleb lowered his head, murmuring softly, “If only you were my sister…”