Chapter 180 The Betrayal of a Loved One
Agreeing to Ulysses' compensation wasn't Quentin's fault. Lauren felt crushed, wondering why her life had to be such a mess.
"You're my dad. I can't even talk to you right now. Why did you do this? How's Quentin gonna see me now? How am I supposed to face the Robinsons?" Lauren cried out, desperate.
But Ulysses didn't seem to care. "You gave the Robinson family a kid. If Quentin's happy, shouldn't I get paid? I only asked for $50 million for a child. It's worth it."
Lauren felt like her world was falling apart. "Fifty million dollars! Dad, that's extortion! Where did Quentin even get that kind of money? If he gives it to you, what happens to his business? Give it back!"
"I don't care. The money's mine, and Quentin can't take it back. Lauren, you don't realize how lucky you are. You don't appreciate marrying Quentin, a rich guy. So you divorced him and got nothing. Are you crazy?" Ulysses was smug, feeling great about the money.
Lauren's face went pale, as if all the blood had drained from her body. She bit her lip hard and said, "Dad, that money doesn't belong to you. You have to return it!"
Kimberly felt sorry for Lauren. "Ulysses, don't go too far! How can Lauren have any dignity after what you did?"
Ulysses ignored Lauren and Kimberly. Even though Walker Corporation was struggling because of Lauren, he felt invincible with the money.
He let go of Kimberly's collar and mocked, "Kimberly, I'll ask you again. Are you coming back with me? If not, we'll get a divorce, and you won't see a single dollar of this fifty million!"
Kimberly's body went limp. "Ulysses, you're heartless! Fine, let's get a divorce. I've wanted to leave someone as unscrupulous as you for a long time!"
Ulysses didn't care. He sneered. "Fine, let's get it done quickly. After that, we're done with each other."
"You can live alone with that money for the rest of your life. I don't care!" Kimberly shouted.
Lauren saw how heartbroken Kimberly was, and it tore her apart.. "Mom, don't be impulsive. Dad, can you stop pushing Mom? Can't you two talk it out?"
"Lauren, I'm done talking to this money-grubbing scumbag. Ulysses, don't regret this. After the way you've treated us, don't expect Lauren to care for you when you're old!" Kimberly wiped her tears and tried to stay calm.
Ulysses sneered, "With the money, what can't I do? A married daughter is like water spilled out. Besides, Lauren is divorced. I don't expect anything from any of you."
Lauren stared blankly at Ulysses, speechless.
Kimberly pushed Ulysses out of the house. "Get out, and don't ever come back!"
Ulysses laughed eerily. "That's just perfect."
He straightened his suit and walked out of the neighborhood with an air of self-importance.
Kimberly couldn't hold back her tears any longer and started sobbing. Lauren hugged her, trying to comfort her, "Mom, don't be sad. I'll always be by your side."
Kimberly cried uncontrollably. "I regret marrying Ulysses. After all these years, I never wanted his money, his car, or his house. I just wanted to be treated well. Now he's done this. It's heartbreaking."
"Mom, I know what you've been through. What he did was too much. This is partly my fault for pushing Dad to the edge." Lauren's tears flowed as she hated her own helplessness.
Kimberly wiped Lauren's tears. "It's not your fault. I'm right to divorce him. He mistreated you, so we don't need him. We'll live our own lives."
"Mom, don't say that. We're still a family. I believe Dad will regret it one day," Lauren said.
Kimberly shook her head lightly. "Forget it. I'm tired. I'll go stay with Matthew. You go ahead."
Kimberly stubbornly straightened her back and walked to Matthew's room, leaving a pained Lauren behind.
Lauren knew Kimberly and Ulysses had grown distant over the years. Ulysses was too harsh and never took Kimberly seriously. He enjoyed his life while Kimberly worked hard to keep the family together.
But now Ulysses had gone too far, and Kimberly's patience was exhausted. Lauren didn't want to change Kimberly's mind about the divorce. Kimberly deserved to choose her own life, and she'd been unhappy with Ulysses for years.
Lauren didn't want to bind Kimberly with emotional chains. Everyone should be free to choose, even married people.
So, she had to make a choice too. Lauren looked out at the bleak scenery, her mood as gloomy as the overcast sky.
At that moment, Lauren thought of herself, 'Compared to Ulysses, Quentin is a good man. At least he hadn't heartlessly initiated the divorce.'
But Ulysses had demanded the money from Quentin. Lauren couldn't imagine if she still had any positive image in Quentin's mind. Would he think she had deliberately sent Ulysses to ask for compensation?
Lauren was afraid to ask Quentin. She really wanted to maintain a good image, feeling ridiculous. Given her current situation, how could she have any good image left?
She instantly researched the Robinson Conglomerate after remembering Ulysses' words and found the Robinson Conglomerate's reputation had suffered.
Due to this incident, the Robinson Conglomerate's stock had plummeted, and consumers were boycotting its products.
Lauren hadn't expected things to get so serious, endangering Robinson Conglomerate's survival. She decided to help Quentin through this problem to minimize her debt to him.
She called Quentin after finding his number. However, the phone rang many times before being hung up. Lauren didn't call again, thinking he was busy.
About half an hour later, Quentin called back. Lauren calmed her excited feelings and answered the phone calmly.
"Hello, Quentin, it's me," Lauren whispered.
"I know." His response was as cold as ever, leaving Lauren unsure of how to continue.
