Chapter 88
Ruth sneered. “If it weren’t for me back then, do you really think the Jean family would be where it is today? What right do you have to kick me out?”
She scoffed contemptuously. In her eyes, Shermaine wasn’t even half as capable as Wendelyn. What a joke.
All traces of guilt instantly vanished. Janice had thought Ruth’s mistreatment of Shermaine was because of Jameson’s infidelity, but now it was clear that wasn’t the case at all.
If that were truly the case, although Ruth was never a responsible mother to Ross, she never showed any dislike for him. Yet when it came to Shermaine all she ever showed was pure contempt and disgust.
Now, Ruth was just throwing her weight around with that 15% stake. Janice was no saint. For Shermaine’s sake, she wouldn’t even hesitate to be ungrateful. If Ruth couldn’t love her own daughter, then she would.
Seeing the argument about to escalate, Jameson feared they might say something shocking. “Enough, you two!” he interjected.
Every family had its skeletons. The crowd was riveted by the drama. Was Wendelyn really the culprit after all?
Shermaine gently held Janice’s hand and comforted her, “Don’t be upset, Grandma. Getting worked up isn’t good for your health.”
Janice’s expression softened. “Sheary, go ahead. Your brother and I have your back.”
Ross gently patted her head. “I believe in you,” he said.
Owen quickly added his support, “Sheary, I believe in you, too. You have my support.”
Shermaine smiled radiantly, a comforting warmth filling her heart. She turned to Ruth and said, “The police require solid evidence before making arrests. Without proof, how could I rashly call them here to apprehend Wendelyn as the mastermind?”
Gradually, her gaze turned icy, her voice ringing with conviction. “Mrs. Jean, you’d better watch closely. See for yourself what a deranged monster your precious daughter truly is.”
She called Ruth “Mrs. Jean“, not “Mother“.
Ruth’s expression shifted unpredictably, a knot of anxiety tightening in her chest.
Shermaine added calmly, “Besides, I’ve never relied on Joshua, only on myself.” She was strong enough to weather any storm, unafraid of adversity or schemers. That was how she had made it this far, safe and sound.
Joshua admired her unflappable composure in any situation. He could never predict what delightful surprise she might spring on him next.
But then it struck him: Shermaine was only 19, an age when most girls would be carefree and romantic. Yet she carried a maturity and steadiness that seemed beyond her years. For some reason, he felt an unexpected surge of protectiveness toward her.
Joshua wondered, ‘Would she feel hurt, being treated like this by her biological mother?‘
She was probably devastated, but she’d never let it show.
At that moment, Bradley strode toward the stage, escorting a man and a woman in custody.
The moment Wendelyn saw the two of them, she went completely pale, her mind blank with terror.
Yvonne was still alive.
To top it off, even the hired assassin was tracked down and brought back by Joshua’s men.
Wendelyn was consumed by gut–wrenching regret, so deep it twisted her insides with remorse.
Chapter 88
She shouldn’t have been so bewitched by Kingston’s words and tried to hurt Shermaine. Not only did Shermaine survive, but she found herself in a desperate mess. However, there was no remedy for regret.
Yvonne, who had been listless just moments before, flew into a rage the instant she saw Wendelyn. She lunged forward, seizing her.
“You promised! You said if I followed your plan and made Shermaine drink that worm, you’d send me abroad to study. So why did you try to have me killed? Why send someone to silence me for good?
“I was grateful when you paid for my dad’s treatment; I truly was! I considered you my best friend!
“To repay you, I even took the blame for you, got expelled from school, and did things that went against my conscience for you! But none of that gives you the right to hurt me!”