Chapter 242 Astonishing News
Tiffany had watched the whole parent-child event through security cameras. She saw Gabriel, Sophia, and Sam interact just like a real family.
Though there were no overt displays of affection, to an outsider, they seemed like a warm, loving family unit.
This was a scene Tiffany had longed for.
She once dreamed of having a healthy, beautiful child with Gabriel and spending joyful times together as a family.
Her vision included standing by Gabriel's side, watching their child grow, participating in every school event, and becoming the envy of everyone around.
Now, her place had been usurped by Sophia and her child's place taken by that little brat, Sam.
The provocation was more than Tiffany could bear.
Five years, no, six years — she had worked tirelessly for six years using the good will of the past, remaining by Gabriel's side, leveraging Sam to become Gabriel's girlfriend.
However, as Sophia had come back into the picture, all of Tiffany's meticulous plans had come crashing down.
Tiffany was consumed by resentment and fury, so much so that her beautiful face contorted into something ghastly, like that of a horror movie villain.
The doorbell chimed, and in an instant, Tiffany composed herself. One minute later, the gracious Tiffany was back.
However, the moment she opened the door and saw who was standing outside, her grace vanished, replaced with a look of disgust.
"Why are you here?"
The person pushed past her, bringing with him an offensive odor. Tiffany fanned the air in front of her nose.
"Have you been skipping showers again?"
"Why bother with showers? You keep me running around so much, when do I even have the time?" Allen Foster retorted impatiently.
Upon seeing the elegant house, a glimpse of greed flickered in Allen's eyes. He settled into the leather sofa comfortably and sighed with content, "This is so nice."
"What are you doing here without being called?" Tiffany didn't bother to press him about the bath. She figured she’d have to throw away that sofa as soon as he left.
"Look, my dear niece, you beckon me all the way here, and I don't even know what you want. I've spent all my money, I can't even afford food. If I can't come to you, who can I go to?"
"Didn't I give you money already?"
"That pittance? It wasn't even enough to fill the gaps in my teeth."
"Don't get greedy. The money I gave you is more than enough for you to live comfortably in City B for three months. Did you gamble it away?"
Allen pursed his lips, tacitly admitting it.
Tiffany was shaking with anger.
"If you don't give me money, I'll just live here."
He liked the splendor of the place and imagined how he could boast to others about it, reveling in their envy and jealousy.
"That’s wishful thinking. This is my house!"
"What's yours is mine. I raised you. It's time you pay me back."
"Raised me?" A bitter laugh escaped her. She'd been barely clothed and fed as a child, almost unable to attend school. Was that his idea of raising her? She had seen dogs treated better.
Allen glowered at her. "Are you going to give me the money or not?"
Tiffany scoffed and pulled out a card, "Here's two hundred thousand. Plus, I'll rent a place for you and find you a job. Get to work, stand on your own two feet in City B, and you'll have better days ahead."
Allen barely listened to anything after the mention of two hundred thousand. He snatched the card, tapping it in his palm.
"If only you'd been this sensible earlier, it would’ve saved me a lot of breath."
"Just take the money and leave," Tiffany said with a twitch in her eye.
"Hmph."
Taking the money as his cue, Allen left without another word.
That evening, Gabriel came home only to face what felt like a "trial" from his son.
"Why did Daddy sneak some of my treats?" Gabriel was stunned.
He had only eaten three pieces, and there were so many left...
Looking into his son's earnest eyes, Gabriel sheepishly touched his nose.
"Just curious, and then I couldn't resist having two more."
"That was a gift from Mommy to me!" Sam gestured.
"I give you so many presents, but I don't see you treasuring them like this," Gabriel muttered to himself.
"What did you say?"
"Sorry, Daddy won't do it again," Gabriel quickly admitted to his error.
Admitting a mistake to his son was no big deal, as long as his son was happy.
Madam Lancaster couldn't help but snicker. She wrapped her arms around Sam.
"Your Daddy has never had your Mommy's homemade treats before. He's missing out. Let's forgive him this time."
Sam was puzzled. "Daddy never had them?"
"Yeah, your Daddy used to snub your Mommy's cooking."
Sam looked confused.
Seeing that Madam Lancaster was about to spill more of his secrets, Gabriel coughed lightly. "Grandma, you really should go rest. The doctor said you shouldn't stay up late."
"It's only nine o'clock."
"The doctor said sleeping at nine is perfect."
Madam rolled her eyes.
On Monday at Lancaster Group, ever since Fiona got kicked out, the design department had been much quieter. With those five designers secretly rooting for Sophia and singing her praises, Sophia’s reputation was on the rise.
"Sophia, your semifinals are starting soon. Are you ready with your work?" Kathy approached Sophia warmly.
Sophia smiled faintly. "Almost there."
"What kind of clothes are you making? Can I take a look?"
Sophia was hesitant. It was not that she was intentionally suspicious of others, but previous warnings from designer Lee had alerted her.
Moreover, such a sensitive request, and Kathy still had the audacity to bring it up.
Normally, nobody would peek at someone else's design drafts.
Only after the sample garments were made would they share a look.
Sophia replied bluntly, "It's not convenient."
Kathy's expression changed slightly.
"Oh, then I offer you my best wishes for success."
"Thank you."
Charlotte, since her promotion, had seen an improvement in her social standing. She had plenty of people hovering around her daily, but Sophia now acted as if Charlotte was non-existent.
After getting slapped twice, Charlotte was furious, but since she was in the wrong first, she dared not trouble Sophia any longer.
Larry was ignoring her now.
"Sophia, I've got some hot gossip for you."
"What's the scoop?" Sophia was eager. Which celebrity couple was divorcing this time?
"Miss Foster had started working at Lancaster Group, landing a job as the executive assistant in the CEO's office. "
The news extinguished Sophia's enthusiasm in an instant.
"Oh."
"Aren't you curious? Miss Foster, a psychologist, suddenly becoming an executive assistant..."
"Her counseling room has gone out of business, Gabriel had to find a job for his beloved girlfriend."
They must be truly in love.
Sophia sarcastically chuckled to herself.
"NO, NO, NO, you've got it wrong. I heard Mr. Lancaster isn't spoiling Miss Foster like he used to. There seems to be trouble in paradise, and reliable sources from inside say they're likely to break up."
Break up, yet he brought her into the company, right under his watchful eye?
Initially, Gabriel was ready to divorce her for Tiffany. The rumor of their split didn't ring true to Sophia, not even half a word of it.
In the CEO's office, Tiffany was with Gabriel.
Gabriel's voice, icy and distant, came through. "I've found out where your uncle has been staying."
Tiffany felt a lurch in her heart.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
