Chapter 747 Mutual Assistance
Vicky showed up at Mandy's place.
After splitting from Dalton, Hailey moved back in with her parents.
The moment Vicky walked in, Mandy Smith came over, saying, "Vicky, you made it!"
Mandy was Vicky's grandma, Hailey's mom, and the head of the Smith family. She was seventy but looked like she was in her fifties.
She had this commanding presence, a real tough lady.
But when she saw Vicky, her face lit up with a warm smile.
"Mandy." Vicky stepped up and took her arm. "Why'd you call me over?"
Mandy chuckled and led Vicky to the couch.
"I missed you. Do I need a reason to see my granddaughter?" Mandy teased.
"That's not what I meant." Vicky was always good at smoothing things over. "Mandy, I was just worried. When you called, I thought something was wrong, so I rushed over."
"You're such a sweet girl. My love for you hasn't been wasted," Mandy said, beaming.
"By the way, how's Mom?" Vicky asked.
Mandy glanced upstairs and sighed.
"Mandy, is Mom still upset? I'll go check on her."
Just as Vicky was about to head up, Mandy held her back.
"Give your mom some space," Mandy said gently. "She and your dad were together for so long. This divorce is tough on her."
Mandy sighed again. "When she told your grandpa and me, it seemed like she wanted the divorce. But now, it looks like she was protecting your dad, worried we'd cause trouble for him."
Vicky held Mandy's arm. "Mandy, I've watched Mom and Dad's relationship for years. Dad's always been a provider, but it feels like the spark between them faded a long time ago."
"You're a bit naive," Mandy said. "You don't understand your mom. You don't know how much she gave up to marry your dad. She almost cut ties with us. She loved him deeply."
"Really?" Vicky was surprised. "Mom never told me any of this."
"Of course, she wouldn't," Mandy explained. "When Dalton was starting out, he was talented but not trustworthy. We didn't want him to marry Hailey. But your mom was stubborn. She starved herself and lost twenty pounds just to marry him. I only have one daughter, and I felt so sorry for her."
She continued, "Later, your mom got pregnant. We had no choice but to agree to their marriage."
"I had no idea. Mom never told me. She should have," Vicky said.
Mandy shook her head. "Even if she did, what difference would it make? Your mom was blindly in love with your dad, but he only used her to get ahead. We couldn't change her mind, so we had to let her be."
"Mandy, are you saying Dad's success is all because of Mom?" Vicky asked, shocked.
"Yes. Even though we didn't like Dalton, he married our daughter, so we had to support him. We helped him build connections in politics and business, making his career smooth. Over the years, he's been capable and respectful to us, not causing much trouble. And you kids have grown up. You're our grandchildren. No matter his initial intentions, we're all family now, and we need to stick together."
