Chapter 219
Trey’s expression tightened.
For a moment, he didn’t answer.
“Why aren’t you speaking?” Stella’s voice rose sharply as she suddenly pushed herself upright.
Her face, once carefully maintained, now looked pale and worn. She grabbed his hand with surprising force.
“If you had to choose between me and Angela… would you really choose her?”
“Mom,” Trey said quickly, trying to steady her, “what are you saying? Don’t get yourself worked up.”
He knew her temperament too well—once she spiraled, it never ended well.
“I’ll talk to Angela,” he added immediately. “I’ll explain things properly. Don’t worry.”
“Explain?” Stella let out a cold laugh. “She hates me to my core. She’d be happy if I dropped dead tomorrow.”
Her eyes sharpened.
“If she ever listened to you, would I be lying here like this? Would she have embarrassed me in front of everyone like that?”
Each sentence landed heavily.
Each one cut deeper than the last.
Trey fell silent.
Because buried under his mother’s anger, there were things he couldn’t fully deny.
On the surface, his marriage with Angela still looked intact—like a family finally holding itself together.
But in reality…
Something had already cracked.
For days now, he had stayed away from the estate, coming only briefly to see Pete or handle dinner before leaving again.
If not for Stella’s call today, he wouldn’t have come at all.
And now—
For the first time, the thought surfaced clearly in his mind.
If I left Angela… would things finally become easier?
The idea startled him.
He quickly suppressed it.
“The company is at a critical stage right now,” he said steadily.
“I mean, after the IPO,” Stella interrupted immediately.
Her tone softened, shifting from anger to persuasion.
“Trey, listen to me. You and Angela will never be happy.”
“She can’t even raise a child properly. If you stay tied to her, even the family will be dragged down.”
She leaned closer, gripping his hand again.
“You’ve seen it now. She’s not gentle. She’s not harmless. She’s calculating.”
“If she can betray you once, she can do worse in the future.”
Her voice grew quieter, more urgent.
Every word pressed into Trey’s thoughts like a weight.
He didn’t respond.
But his silence already said too much.
Later that day, Trey pushed open Angela’s room door.
The moment he stepped inside, chaos greeted him.
Pete was running around excitedly, waving a toy gun.
A stray shot hit Trey square in the chest.
“Pete!” Angela snapped immediately, grabbing the toy from him. “How can you point that at someone? Apologize to your father!”
Pete froze for a second—then, seeing Trey, brightened instantly.
“Daddy!”
He dropped the toy and ran over.
“I’m sorry!”
Trey crouched down slowly.
His expression was different today.
He didn’t smile.
He didn’t reach out to lift the child.
He simply looked at Pete—quietly, deeply.
And for a brief moment, his mind drifted elsewhere.
Khloe’s words surfaced uninvited.
A child’s behavior reflects the environment around them.
But discipline… can still shape who they become.