Evelyn felt her cheeks burn. Every family member at the table stared at her. She nodded, too embarrassed to shake her head.
Finally, she forced herself to order a dish. But her hand found Alexander's waist and twisted hard.
Alexander winced slightly. His smile only grew brighter.
Eleanor heard Evelyn's answer and beamed with joy. A warm smile spread across her face.
Sterling Manor buzzed with noise that night. They celebrated Iris's release from the hospital. Everyone hoped she would recover soon.
Such a wish was only self-comfort. Still, it was a hope and a thought.
Iris was weak. She went to rest early after dinner.
Alexander walked his mother back to the main house. They chatted along the way.
"Gray, how are things with Evelyn now?" "Very good!" Alexander replied with a smile.
"Good. No divorce this time?" Eleanor sighed.
"Mom, you're so well-informed!" Alexander said with a bitter smile.
"Brat, you still have the nerve to tease me!" Eleanor turned and glared at him.
"Mom, Evelyn and I won't get divorced." "Now it's not that you want to leave her. It's that she doesn't want to live with you." "Your son is old and has no charm."
"Come on, don't think I don't know. You're confused. Evelyn wants to divorce you." "Just like that woman?" Eleanor said teasingly.
"I like Evelyn very much," Alexander said with a smile.
The next second, his mother slapped him. "I told you to be careful, but you played me for a fool!" "What's going on with you and that Grace O'Sullivan?" Eleanor asked sternly.
"Nothing. We ended things long ago," Alexander said.
"Don't think I don't know. The day Evelyn was hospitalized, that woman came to see you at the hospital." "Mom, you misunderstood. She just came to thank me." "Thank you at the hospital? Your wife was in the ICU. What was she saying to you outside?" "Was she hoping Evelyn would have an accident so she could have you?" Eleanor asked angrily.
"Mom—" Alexander had to tell his mother what happened that day. Since she resigned as chairman of Sterling Group's board, she barely heard anything outside. He hadn't told her about that. He didn't expect to settle it with her now.
Eleanor didn't respond. She went back to the main house but didn't rest. Instead, she had Alexander push her into the sunroom and asked Chloe to make tea.
"Gray, do you want to talk about your plans?" "That way, I'll be prepared. Things won't happen too suddenly, and I won't be caught off guard."
"Mom, you're embarrassing me again." "Embarrassing you? You're embarrassing your mother!" "When did our family ever have a man staring at the pot while eating from the bowl?" Eleanor squinted at Alexander and snorted coldly.
Alexander propped his cheek on his hand and watched his mother sing and write. She didn't hold back at all.
"Mom, I don't have two hearts," Alexander said with a smile. "I'm still loyal." "It all happened suddenly. I didn't think it through carefully." "Mom—"
"It's no use calling me grandma now. If Evelyn doesn't forgive you, you deserve it." "In the future, if you want to find a daughter-in-law as good as Evelyn, you can dream on!" "Don't wait until you lose her. It'll be too late to cherish her!" Eleanor was just talking, but she got angrier.
Alexander had no ability to fight back. When his mother had finished scolding him, he said, "Mom, I don't want to live with anyone else. I just want to live with Evelyn for a long time." "What I did before was really thoughtless. I hurt Evelyn." "I'll apologize and make it up to her." "Mom, please let me off the hook."
"Begging your mom is useless now. It's not your mom who wants to divorce you!" "..." Alexander was KO'd.
Later, Eleanor stared at Alexander and asked, "Did you always take care of that girl named Grace because of her mother Iris?" "Mom, I have nothing to do with Grace anymore," Alexander begged for mercy.
"No red flag at home, but colored flags flying outside?" Eleanor didn't believe it. "Mom, you think too much. Didn't you say our family doesn't have that kind of blood?" "No wonder. Your father is a typical example." Alexander was KO'd again.
His mother had said before that there was no such boy in the Sterling family. Now his father was a typical example. Sure enough, old people were harder to serve than children.
After a while, he felt something was wrong and asked his mother, "What does this have to do with Mother Iris?" "Isn't Mother Iris more fond of that woman?" Eleanor paused for a moment and replied.
"Yes? Mother Iris likes Evelyn very much. She always told me to have a good life with Evelyn." "It seems that if you want to have a good life with someone, they have to be willing to have a good life with you," Eleanor couldn't help teasing again.
"..." Alexander was completely destroyed.
After a long time, he assured his mother that he didn't have a woman outside. He would never divorce Evelyn. He just wanted to have a good life with her. His mother finally let him go.
Alexander returned to Sterling Manor and entered the bedroom. Evelyn had just come out after taking a bath. Seeing Alexander's frustrated expression, she asked, "What's wrong?" "What's wrong?" "What's wrong with my mother?" "Why? Because of Iris?" Evelyn asked.
Because in the evening, Alexander and Iris had offered tea. That was equivalent to announcing that Iris was his foster mother. It wasn't something to talk about lightly. If his mother-in-law didn't like it, it would become complicated and difficult.
"No," Alexander said. Then he lowered his head to Evelyn's shoulder and murmured, "You smell good."
"Go away. You stink!" Evelyn pushed Alexander away, replied, and walked toward the sofa.
Alexander laughed. Instead of pestering Evelyn, he went into the bathroom to take a bath.
Evelyn was watching TV when she heard Alexander yelling in the dressing room. "Evelyn, where are my pajamas?" "Find them yourself!" "I don't know where they are!" Alexander opened the door, poked his head out, and answered pathetically.
Evelyn turned her head to look at Alexander. A smoke line suddenly appeared in her mind. She really wanted to say that if you can't find them, don't wear them. But in the end, reason controlled her. She reluctantly got up and went into the dressing room to help Alexander get his pajamas.