Chapter 462 Confrontation
Carol snapped, "What do you mean I made fun of her? I was just telling you what went down today. I didn't mean anything by it, and I sure as hell didn't give her a hard time."
"Mom, it was my bad," Seb jumped in.
Carol's tone softened a bit, "I know you really like Susan, and I didn't fight your marriage this time. Plus, you two already have two kids. But I won't let anyone mess with our family's name. Susan's dad was out there cursing like a maniac today!"
"Mom, Susan usually doesn't even have association with him," Seb quickly clarified.
Carol sneered, "No association? Then why do I hear you give him $800 a month? Is that no association?"
"Mom, James might be a mess, but he's got no skills and he's getting old. We can't just let him starve," Seb said, feeling troubled.
Carol shot back, "Eight hundred bucks is nothing to us, but taking our money, eating our food, and then cursing us? No way. You need to handle this. If I hear him cursing us again, I'll have someone teach him a lesson!"
"Yes, Mom," Seb nodded.
Hearing all this, Susan stood there stunned for a moment, then turned and went back to her room with her empty cup.
Not long after, the bedroom door opened, and Seb walked in with a steaming bowl of pasta.
"Delicious pasta is here; get up and eat!" Seb shouted with a smile.
Susan lay on her side with her back to him, not wanting to move or respond.
Seeing Susan lying still, Seb placed the bowl of pasta on the nightstand, then sat on the edge of the bed, gently holding Susan's shoulder. "Don't pretend to be asleep. I know you're awake," he said softly.
At this point, Susan couldn't hold back her feelings of hurt and sadness. She turned and buried her face in Seb's lap, wrapping her arms around his waist.
Seb stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head.
Susan immediately felt a warmth spread from the top of her head to the soles of her feet.
This affectionate gesture comforted Susan more than any words could. She pressed her face against his abdomen, wishing she could merge into his body to escape everything.
After a moment, Seb smiled and said, "You never cared about James before. Why are you so down this time?"
"Even though I never wanted to admit he was my father, I can't change the fact that I'm his biological daughter. Before, I didn't care about him. Whenever he messed up my life, I would fight back. But this time is different, Seb. This time, he made me lose face in your family." Susan's voice choked up as she spoke.
Hearing her sobs, Seb frowned and lifted her chin, seeing her tear-filled eyes.
Seeing the tears in her eyes, Seb felt a pang of heartache. He held her shoulders and said, "You are you, and James is James. You don't need to overthink it!"
Susan gently shook her head, not agreeing with Seb's words.
Seeing this, Seb tried to calm her down, "Look, you're the queen of this castle. My mom's just a guest here. You don't argue with her out of respect for me. You respect her as an elder, but no one can look down on you because you're my wife. No one has the right to criticize you!"
Hearing this, Susan broke down in Seb's arms.
Usually, she was as tough as nails, but today, seeing her curled up in his arms like a wounded kitten, Seb's heartbroken, and he held her tighter.
That night, Seb comforted Susan with all the tenderness he could muster.
The next morning, he let Susan sleep in, not wanting her to get up early.
Susan didn't rush to get up either. She slept until she woke up naturally, then took her time getting ready, dreading the thought of facing Carol downstairs.
But she knew she had to face it eventually. At nine-thirty, just as she was about to head downstairs, her phone rang. It was Catherine.
"Mom, Seb's mom has been here these past few days, so I haven't had time to visit you and Dorothy," Susan said as she answered the call.
"We're both doing well. The doctor said Dorothy's condition has improved a lot and she can go home to recuperate. I wanted to ask if you could come over and handle the discharge procedures?" Catherine said, sounding cheerful.
Susan could tell Catherine was thrilled about Dorothy's improvement.
Without hesitation, Susan agreed. "Mom, I'll come over right now. I'll handle the discharge procedures and bring you both home."
"Okay, I'll start packing up now," Catherine said before hanging up.
After hanging up, Susan quickly grabbed her bag and headed downstairs.
As soon as she descended the stairs, she saw Carol sitting alone on the couch, watching TV.
Susan paused, thinking, 'I have to face it. She is Seb's mother and my elder.' She wouldn't take to heart yesterday's words. After all, if Carol accused her of being unfilial, she wouldn't be able to defend herself.
Susan walked up to Carol and greeted her, "Good morning, Mom!"
Carol, however, responded sarcastically, "Morning? It's already late! Seb and Hayden have gone to work and school. How are you managing the household? Seb spoils you, making me the bad guy!"
Susan had anticipated her direct criticism and maintained a smile. "Mom, I wasn't feeling well last night, so I got up late this morning."
Seeing Susan's respectful attitude, Carol's tone softened. "Fine. I noticed we have a lot of expensive herbs and supplements at home. It would be a waste to leave them unused. Today, I'll have Kathy teach you how to make soup. Seb is under a lot of work pressure and is over thirty now. It's time for him to get some nourishment!"
Hearing this, Susan frowned.
Seeing Susan's troubled expression, Carol raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?"
Susan smiled and said, "My mom just called. She and my sister are being discharged from the sanatorium today. I need to go pick them up. How about I learn to make soup tomorrow?"
Hearing this, Carol's face darkened.
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