Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
Alicia quickly pushed Caden away and pretended to be engrossed in her phone.
Caden frowned, annoyed by the interruption. “What’s all this noise about?”
Gerry replied sadly, “Someone was blocking the road, so I honked to remind them.”
Caden looked at the clear road ahead and said, “No one was blocking you.”
“He disappeared in an instant. He was probably a pervert.” Caden couldn’t help but say, “Being single for too long messes with your head.”
Unwilling to concede, Gerry retorted, “When I start dating, I’ll come to your house every day just to kiss.”
“I don’t need to see your romance live. That would be too much for my eyes,” Caden replied, shaking his head.
Curious, Alicia asked, “Mr. Hopkins, you have wealth despite your looks and personality. Why don’t you have a partner?”
Gerry raised his voice in protest, saying, “What do you mean, despite my looks and personality? Are you saying I’m ugly?”
In truth, Gerry wasn’t ugly at all.
He stood out among the wealthy second-generation crowd because he was tall, handsome, and the quintessential pretty boy.
He held high standards, emphasizing feelings in relationships, which was why his first love was still ongoing.
Watching Caden and Alicia so in sync only deepened his envy.
Alicia laughed. “Not at all! You are the best-looking.”
Gerry chuckled and asked, “Am I better looking than your boyfriend?”
Alicia glanced at Caden with a playful smile. “Honestly, Caden can’t compare to you.”
When they arrived, a heavy atmosphere hung over the Hopkins family.
Madison’s eyes were red and swollen from crying.
Gerry almost knelt before her. “Mom, are you crying because of me again?”
Madison elegantly wiped her tears away, forcing a smile through her sadness. “Stop joking.”
“What’s wrong?” he pressed.
Just then, Alicia and Caden walked in, exchanging warm greetings. Madison offered a faint smile as she explained the source of her tears.
“My sister was diagnosed with cancer last year, and she tragically passed away last month. She left my niece all alone, so I brought her here to care for her. The poor girl is so thin and pitiful; she reminds me of my sister, who was always weak and sickly.”
As the words spilled from her lips, her voice trembled, and she let out a heavy sigh.
Standing nearby, Caden said, “Don’t cry, Mrs. Hopkins. If you keep it up, you won’t have any tears left when your husband punishes Gerry later. Besides, crying without tears strains your eyes.”
Madison paused, momentarily taken aback by his unconventional way of offering comfort.
Yet, his words had the desired effect. Madison quickly regained her composure, her gaze turning sharp as she glared at Gerry. “Why did you film that? Don’t you realize how much your father values his reputation? Your brother is a veteran, and you’ve brought shame upon us.”.
Gerry ran around the house, his mother hot on his heels.
“Please feel free to deal with him as you see fit, Mrs. Hopkins,” Caden called out.
“I’ll go have a word with Mr. Hopkins.”
As he headed upstairs, he ran into Cliff, who was coming down. Cliff’s brows were furrowed in a somber expression, and there was a conspicuous, wet patch on his gray shirt, right over his chest.
Caden paused and stared at the wet spot.
“What happened?”
Cliff glanced at him briefly and tugged at the hem of his shirt.
“It’s nothing.”
Sensing that something was off, Caden craned his neck and looked toward the room Cliff had just exited. A housekeeper was walking through the door with a white suitcase.
“Miss, where should I put your things?”
“Anywhere is fine, thank you.” It was the voice of a girl, and she sounded like she had been crying.
Caden raised an eyebrow and cast a suspicious glance back at Cliff.
“How old is she? She doesn’t sound like she’s even eighteen yet.”
Cliff wasn’t as clueless as Gerry. He had encountered people from all walks of life during his time in the military. While he may not have experienced everything life had to offer a young man in his prime, he was well aware of the goings-on among his peers.
“That’s my cousin,” he replied irritably.
Caden laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
“The cousin who just arrived?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.”
Cliff’s face darkened.
“Can you stop with that sleazy laugh?” He gestured vaguely at his stained shirt.
“She’s young and shy. It hasn’t been that long since her mother passed away. She’s been crying a lot and ended up wiping her tears with my shirt.”
“I see,” Caden said, his voice still filled with amusement. He wore a mischievous grin, too.
Cliff let out an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes.
“Look, I know your tastes are all over the place, but I’ll have you know that not everyone is as freaky as you.”
“Me?” Caden said, pretending to be affronted. “Freaky?”
“Wasn’t Alicia your ex-sister-in-law once?” Cliff shot back.
“You didn’t even spare your brother’s wife. You shameless rascal.”
Caden had nothing to say to that.
Gerry was still scurrying around by the time Cliff reached the downstairs landing.
“Mom, what are you doing?” he asked.
Madison stopped to catch her breath and pointed at Gerry.
“This brat had the nerve to come back after the mess he made. I’m just giving him a warm-up for his father’s inevitable punishment.”
At that point, Gerry had already suffered a couple of blows. He rushed over and hid behind Cliff.
“Bro! Save me!”
Cliff shielded him long enough to ask their mother, “What did he do?”
“What do you think?” Madison shot back, placing her hands on her hips.
“Haven’t you seen the news?” Something jogged in Cliff’s memory, and then a light bulb went off in his mind. He slowly rolled up his sleeves.
“Go ahead and take a break, Mom. I’ll take it from here.”
Gerry pulled back and stared at him.
“What?”
A few seconds later, the living room erupted into pure chaos again.
Alicia’s lips twitched as she watched it all unfold. Knowing that Gerry was a proud man, she decided to give him the courtesy of leaving the scene. He would surely resent the embarrassment of her witnessing his punishment. So, she slipped into the garden under the pretext of taking a stroll.
Outside, the Hopkins family’s housekeeper was walking Cade. The border collie had grown strong and muscular, likely due to regular exercise and the vast amount of meat Caden fed it.
Suddenly, Cade stopped short and began sniffing the grass in the flowerbed. His furry body shuddered for a few seconds, then resumed sniffing as though he were on a life-or-death mission.
The housekeeper covered her mouth and laughed.
“What’s going on?” Alicia asked curiously as she approached the housekeeper.
“What’s got him so excited?”
“Miss Bennett,” the housekeeper began, “has your dog ever mated?”
“No, Cade was neutered early.”
“Ah, that makes sense. Dogs under a year old are the most easily aroused.” The housekeeper continued, “A guest arrived with her female dog today. Cade probably caught a whiff of her scent.”
Alicia was initially surprised, then embarrassed.
She mustered an awkward smile and glanced at the border collie, who was wagging its tail earnestly. His energetic demeanor reminded her of Caden in certain, heated moments. She looked away with a sigh and headed back inside. Never mind the dog. It was more entertaining to watch Gerry get bullied.
She had just stepped into the living room when she saw Caden walking down the stairs.
“Got everything sorted out?” Alicia asked.