Chapter 218 Endless Quarrels
Lauren felt very down. Jessica had never been angry with her over the years, but today, Jessica was truly upset.
Deep down, Lauren knew Jessica genuinely cared for her, but she stubbornly and selfishly isolated Matthew from the Robinson Family, even hiding the fact that Quentin was Matthew's biological father.
She was in pain. Initially, she hadn't intended to hide the truth from Matthew. However, after living abroad for so long, every time Matthew cried and asked about his father, she would lie to make him happy and avoid his sadness.
However, the lies grew bigger and bigger until they became impossible to explain.
Lauren looked at Matthew with deep sorrow, knowing that this child was also suffering. When Matthew was two, he would often ask her where his father was.
Every time Lauren faced this question, she felt troubled and heartbroken. Matthew was so kind that he couldn't bear to see Lauren sad, so he eventually stopped asking about his father.
"Matthew, do you really want to know who your dad is?" Lauren asked while she looked at him gently, trying to keep her expression and actions as natural as possible.
Matthew lifted his head, feeling conflicted because he was afraid that asking would make Lauren cry like before.
"Mommy, didn't you tell me that when the time comes, my daddy will come back? I'll listen to you," Matthew said sweetly.
Lauren felt complicated emotions. She really couldn't bear to deceive such a kind and innocent Matthew.
After all, Matthew was innocent. What she did was indeed unfair to Matthew and Quentin.
Lauren said, "Matthew."
Matthew called, "Quentin! Quentin!"
Just as Lauren was about to tell Matthew the truth, Matthew suddenly shouted excitedly. Following his gaze, she indeed saw Quentin with a stern face.
Hearing Matthew's call, Quentin walked straight toward Lauren and Matthew.
The words Lauren was about to say got stuck in her throat.
As Quentin approached them step by step, Lauren's heart pounded, feeling like a thief caught in the act.
Her grip on Matthew's hand tightened due to her nervousness, causing Matthew to pull away in pain and run towards Quentin.
Quentin watched as Matthew ran to his side, then affectionately picked him up and walked over to Lauren.
Lauren felt slightly awkward, unsure of Quentin's intentions. She nervously brushed her hair and looked away.
Seeing Lauren like this, Matthew couldn't help but say, "Mommy is shy."
Lauren almost fainted from anger. Which of Matthew's eyes saw her being shy? She had never been shy, at least not in front of Quentin.
Deceiving herself, she coldly said to Matthew, "Matthew, how many times have I told you not to call people by their first names? It's impolite."
Matthew pouted and said, "However, Quentin told me to call him that. He doesn't want me to call him Mr."
Lauren looked deeply at Quentin, unsure of his intentions.
"Besides, Mommy calls Quentin by his first name, too. Why can you do it, but I can't?" Matthew continued.
Lauren felt helpless. Matthew was usually as well-behaved as an angel, but when he acted up, he gave her a headache.
Faced with Matthew's questioning, Lauren couldn't answer. She felt extremely embarrassed, especially in front of Quentin. The more anxious she got, the harder it was to find the right words to respond to Matthew.
This wasn't the best time to tell Matthew the truth. Lauren unintentionally looked up at Quentin, only to find him watching her with a look of amusement.
Lauren felt a bit angry. Matthew and Quentin were truly her nemeses from a past life; otherwise, why did it seem like they were both intentionally making things difficult for her?
Seeing Lauren's flushed face, Quentin pretended to be kind but was actually sly in helping Lauren out.
Quentin explained, "Because your mommy and I are very close, so she can call me by my first name."
Matthew nodded, somewhat understanding.
"However, Quentin, I'm also very close to you, so I can call you by your first name too, right?" Matthew's mind was sharp; he wasn't easily fooled.
Quentin affectionately tapped Matthew's nose. He replied, "Yes, you little smart cookie."
Seeing this gentle and kind Quentin, Lauren could hardly believe it. It was very rare to see Quentin speaking to Matthew with such an expression that wasn't like him. This may be the closeness between father and son.
Lauren harshly interrupted their conversation, "Matthew, we need to go home."
Matthew was unhappy to hear this. He pouted and reluctantly said to Quentin, "Quentin, I'm leaving. Come back early next time to play with me."
Quentin stared at Lauren and finally said, "Did Sophia talk to you?"
Mentioning this made Lauren furious, thinking, 'What is Quentin up to? Is he trying to make fun of me?'
"You should ask her if you want to know," Lauren said coldly.
Quentin patiently replied, "I did ask her, and I understand the situation now. There's no need to be angry. She did it for Grandma."
Lauren scoffed at this. He was already siding with Sophia so quickly. He was telling her not to be angry, but she would be furious if she wanted to be. Who did he think he was? Could he control her?
"So, are you here to declare war?" Lauren sneered.
Seeing Lauren's cold reaction, Quentin felt extremely frustrated. He thought, 'Why does Lauren always misunderstand me? Does she really think so little of me?'
"You're simply unreasonable!" Quentin responded and decided to drop his good intentions.
That day, after being refuted by Lauren, Quentin felt something was off and decided to investigate. He found out that Sophia had visited Lauren before him.
Quentin immediately confronted Sophia about her visit to Lauren. Sophia, being a good actress, easily deceived Quentin, telling him she only went to persuade Lauren to bring Matthew to visit Jessica more often.
She spoke tearfully and pitifully, even questioning Quentin if he didn't trust her. Quentin and Sophia had grown up together, and he believed in her character despite her past betrayal. He chose to trust her.
However, Quentin was still worried that Sophia's visit might have caused a misunderstanding with Lauren, so he wanted to explain. He didn't expect Lauren to be so aggressive, which made him angry, too.
