Chapter 148
"Take Mr. Julius Harrison away!" Jennifer snapped, her voice cold.
The bodyguard immediately scooped up Jude, who looked back at Victoria with tears welling in his eyes.
At that moment, Victoria felt a sharp pang in her heart.
Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists as Jennifer shot her a disdainful glance before turning to leave.
Despite being in what should have been a joyful place, the atmosphere had turned heavy and oppressive.
Evie grasped Victoria's hand. "Victoria, are you thinking about fighting for Jude's custody?"
Victoria closed her eyes for a moment, then replied, "I can't even manage the divorce; how could I fight for custody? Beside, Henry loves Jude. Do you think he just let me take Jude away from him?"
Her words revealed a crack in her resolve.
As a mother, Evie hoped Victoria would pursue custody. Having a child brought so much joy, especially one as bright as Jude. If he stayed with the Harrison family, who knew what kind of person he might become?
Evie said, "Then let's tackle the divorce first, and we can deal with custody later. It seems like the kid really regrets things. Keeping him close could help."
Victoria forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. "Let's just go grab some food."
The earlier confrontation had weighed heavily on her, and the rest of the afternoon felt like a blur. Only Emma's laughter managed to lift her spirits a little.
In the car, Jennifer called Henry, relaying everything Victoria had said. She ended with a cold laugh. "This woman can't continue as Mrs. Harrison. Her heart isn't in it anymore."
Henry's deep voice came through, heavy with disapproval. "Why did you stop her from taking Jude out?"
Jennifer frowned at his question. "Henry, did you not hear what I just said? Victoria is trying to fight for custody of Jude. Are you just going to let that happen?"
Henry replied coolly, "She won't take him away. But you shouldn't prevent her from spending time with him. They're mother and son."
Jennifer huffed, "I can't trust her with him. What if she messes him up?"
"Jude not bonding with his mother isn't good for him, either," Henry said.
"Are you blaming me?" Jennifer's voice sharpened with irritation. "His distance from Victoria is all my fault? What's your attitude toward her? He's your son, and he'll learn from you!" With that, she hung up, fuming.
First, it was Victoria, and now Henry–she couldn't believe how they were both turning against her!
Meanwhile, in the car, Jude sat with a sullen expression, ignoring Jennifer completely when she climbed in.
"Jude, weren't you the one who disliked her?" Jennifer asked directly.
He pressed his lips, his youthful voice steady. "I don't dislike her anymore."
Jennifer raised an eyebrow, curious. "Why? She hasn't treated you well."
Jude replied, "She used to be really nice to me. I was the one who was mean, so she stopped being nice."
Jennifer felt a flash of surprise. She hadn't expected him to grasp something so profound at such a young age.
It seemed their recent meetings had changed his perception of Victoria, and that worried her.
She thought, "I can't let things continue down this path."
After a moment's pause, Jennifer said, "How about we go see Ms. Miller's performance tonight? You love watching her dance, don't you?"
Jude thought for a moment before asking, "Can we go find my mom after Ms. Miller's performance?"
Jennifer wasn't thrilled, but she managed to say, "Alright, if she's willing to pick you up later, you can go see her."
"Okay!" Jude's face finally softened a bit.