Chapter 129
Evie turned to look at Victoria, suddenly recalling a recent news. She immediately stood up and grabbed Victoria's hand. "Are you hurt?"
Victoria shook her head. "I'm fine now."
Evie nodded but quickly asked, "Has Emma been behaving? She hasn't been fighting with Jude, has she?"
Victoria smiled helplessly, "Not at all. Emma has been a sweetheart. Didn't she tell you? I want to make her my goddaughter. Do you agree?"
Evie's eyes flickered. "I'm fine with it, but shouldn't you ask Jude for his opinion, too?"
"Why should I ask him?" Victoria's face turned cold. "I don't want him anymore. I might remarry and have more children in the future. Should I ask his opinion about that, too? He's not that important to me."
Evic shook her head. "Victoria, don't speak so definitively. He's still your child, the baby you carried for ten months. Can you really let go that easily? If it's possible, have you considered fighting Henry for custody?"
Victoria fell silent. She reached out and touched Evie's forehead. "Are you exhausted and losing your mind? I'm already struggling to finalize this divorce, and you want me to fight for custody? I might as well just drop dead right here."
"Don't talk nonsense!" Evie smacked her lightly. "What I mean is, don't rush into making Emma your goddaughter just yet. Handle your divorce first."
"Fine." Victoria understood her current situation was already a mess. She couldn't afford to add more complications.
What if Jude, like his father, started being unreasonable or, worse, acted out and hurt Emma in a fit of jealousy? That was a risk she couldn't take.
Later that evening, Victoria and Evie picked Emma up from school. When the little girl came running toward them, Victoria couldn't help but feel envious. She thought, "Why couldn't she be my daughter?"
Trailing behind Emma was Jude, his school uniform perfectly neat. His delicate features were cold and reserved, but his eyes lit up the moment he saw Victoria.
For a moment, Victoria was stunned. During her hypnosis, she had relived the memories of watching him grow up. She could still remember the small boy who had tried to call her Mom, his gaze filled with pure reliance on her.
"Mom," Jude called out as he walked over.
"Yes," Victoria responded naturally, even reaching out to stroke his hair.
After a few strokes, her hand paused abruptly. She pulled it back and said flatly, "I won't be returning to Rose Villa after today. Let your father know."
Jude, still savoring her rare display of affection, froze at her words. "Why aren't you coming back? Don't you like Rose Villa?"
Victoria nodded. "That's right. I don't like it."
Rose Villa held too many painful memories for her. Five years of marriage, filled with sorrow and unhappiness, had all taken place there. How could she ever like it?
Jude instinctively grabbed her hand. "Then let's move somewhere else together. We can live somewhere else, okay?"
The Harrison family had plenty of houses. If she didn't like Rose Villa, they could just choose another one.
He was already getting used to seeing her every day, even if she remained distant.
Over time, he believed things would change. Just like moments ago when she had gently touched his hair and looked at him with less coldness in her eyes.
As long as the three of them lived together, he was convinced everything would eventually go back to how it was before.
Emma clung to Evie for a moment, but when she overheard Jude's words, she wrapped her arms around Evie's neck and whispered, "Mom, want to make a bet? Do you think Ms. Victoria will agree?"
Evie pinched her little cheek. "You've been staying with Victoria for two weeks now, so you probably already know the situation. I'm not betting with you."
"Come on, just one candy. If you win, I will give it to you!" Emma pulled a candy from her pocket, acting cute and mischievous.
Evie raised an eyebrow. "And if you win, what do you want?"
Emma giggled and said, "Just one candy, too!"
"Fair enough. I bet she won't agree," Evie said with a smile.
Emma shook her head like an adult. "Mom, it seems you don't know Ms. Victoria very well.
From what I've observed, her heart is starting to soften.
She wants to live with that annoying kid, but he's too annoying.
He doesn't care about his own mom and doesn't treat her well, so Ms. Victoria is sad, very sad.
But lately, he has started to behave and try to win her affection.
She will consider it and won't reject him outright. "
Emma's analysis was spot–on, her expression showing she believed she had everything figured out.
Evic scoffed lightly, "Looks like that candy's going to me."
"Mom, we'll see!"
While they were debating, Victoria stood there with a complex expression, looking at Jude. His eyes were filled with unhidden anticipation.
She shook her head lightly and said, "But I don't want to live with you. I'm going to divorce your father. You'll live with him, and your favorite Ms. Miller will become your new mom."
"I don't want that!". Jude shouted, his emotions surging. Tears welled up in his beautiful eyes. "I don't want her to be my mom. I just want my real mom. Mom, do you really not want me anymore? Do you really not like me even a little bit?"
These words had been buried in his heart for a long, long time.
He had always thought that since she loved him so much before, she would eventually come to him, comfort him first and apologize to him first. But he had waited for a long time, and she never came.
Instead, she grew colder. She stopped looking at him with warmth, and he began to panic.
Just now, he had seen Emma running into her mother's arms, her mother holding her gently, stroking her hair and kissing her cheeks. He was so jealous!
He had a mom, too, but he had lost her, who used to love him so much.
The setting sun cast long shadows as the breeze rustled the trees. The little boy gripped the hem of his shirt tightly, tears streaming down his face as he looked at Victoria with reddened eyes, utterly pitiful.
Victoria felt a pang in her heart and wanted to hug and comfort him. But the hypnosis session earlier had reminded her of how cold and disdainful he had once been toward her.
When she tried to hug him gently, he had pushed her away indifferently. When she got close to him, he had closed the door, shutting her out of his world.
She said softly, "The driver is waiting for you. You should go back."
Jude bit his lip, tears falling like raindrops, blurring his vision so he could barely see his mother's face. He wiped his tears forcefully, his voice choked. "I'll make you like me again."
He turned and walked toward the car. After he got in, Victoria finally looked away.
Once she turned around, she saw Evie taking a candy from Emma's hand. Evie unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth.