Chapter 222 Kimberly's Selfish Motives
After figuring things out, Lauren felt a weight lifted from her shoulders. She knew that going back to Ethan's villa would mean a lot of explanations, and thinking about it gave her a severe headache.
Meanwhile, at the company, Ethan learned that Matthew had discovered the whole truth and had gone to find Quentin. He couldn't help but feel jealous and sad. Unable to stay at the company any longer, he packed up and returned to the villa, determined to have a good talk with Lauren when she returned.
When Ethan arrived home, he found only Kimberly tidying up, as Lauren was still out. Seeing Ethan's grim expression, Kimberly couldn't help but worry.
"Ethan, what's wrong? Are you too tired from work? You look so pale. Why don't you go rest for a while?" Kimberly asked with concern.
Ethan glanced at Kimberly, feeling a pang of bitterness.
"Lauren has already told Matthew that Quentin is his biological father. I'm a bit worried. Do you think Matthew won't come back?" Ethan voiced his long-standing concern.
He had calculated everything but had yet to anticipate that Matthew would get along so well with Quentin. His three years of companionship with Matthew couldn't compare to a brief meeting with Quentin. Honestly, it left him heartbroken and sad.
But he couldn't bring himself to say these things out loud. He believed that his efforts would eventually pay off, but the long wait was almost extinguishing the last bit of hope in his heart.
Kimberly was startled, "What? Has Matthew already known? How did he react?"
Ethan replied, "What else? He was so happy that he asked Lauren to take him to Quentin."
Hearing this, Kimberly became even more unsettled.
"What is Lauren thinking? Why does she tell Matthew about this now? Matthew is strange, too. He hasn't seen Quentin for three years, yet he's so happy to see him and sticks to him."
Kimberly felt helpless as she glanced up at Ethan and noticed his expression had darkened even further.
"Ethan, don't give up. Matthew will learn sooner or later that Quentin is his biological father. So the most important thing for you now is to express your feelings to Lauren as soon as possible. Once you become Lauren's partner, no matter what the relationship between Quentin and Matthew is, it won't be an obstacle to your marriage with Lauren."
Kimberly said seriously. She had thought about this for a long time and supported Ethan, hoping that Lauren and Ethan would be together.
Besides, Ethan was so good to Matthew that she believed he wouldn't mistreat Matthew after he married Lauren.
Ethan's expression softened a bit. "But I'm worried that confessing will scare Lauren off. You know she's just getting back on her feet, and if I come on too strong, it will make things difficult for her."
Ethan's concern seemed fair. He remembered how awkward things had become between them after he previously confessed his feelings, which wasn't what he wanted.
Kimberly remarked, "Ethan, you are worried too much about Lauren. Trust me. You should clarify things with Lauren as soon as possible. The current situation is already very favorable for Quentin. Do you want to lose without even fighting?"
Ethan suddenly realized that he couldn't give up on Lauren again.
"Thank you. I understand now." Ethan smiled.
Kimberly also felt relieved. "Ethan, I will always support you. When Lauren comes back, I'll help you talk to her. Don't worry."
If that was the case, it would be great. Ethan anxiously waited for Lauren in the villa. After more than an hour, Lauren finally returned.
Lauren said, "Mom, Ethan, you're back too."
Lauren walked in and saw Ethan and Kimberly sitting in the living room. She had a bad feeling.
Sure enough, Kimberly's face darkened, and she looked at Lauren seriously. "Did you take Matthew to Quentin?"
Lauren walked over and picked up a glass of water from the table to drink.
Lauren explained, "Yes, Mom, I wanted to discuss this with you, but Matthew was so eager to see Quentin after finding out he was his father. So..."
"We've raised Matthew for so long. Now that he has his biological father, he forgets about you, me, and all the love Ethan has given him! When he comes back, I'll give him a good lesson!" Kimberly said angrily, but her real intention was to make Lauren understand some things.
Lauren knew what Kimberly meant. She smiled and comforted Kimberly, "Mom, don't be angry. Matthew won't forget us. Kids are always playful. Maybe he was bored at home and wanted to see Quentin."
"You always have excuses. Why did you tell Matthew about this? Keeping it from him was fine. We finally had a bit of peace, and now Matthew will definitely go to Quentin often," Kimberly said angrily.
Lauren said with frustration, "Mom, we can't keep this from him forever. You don't know how much Matthew has suffered over the years because he didn't have a father. As his mother, it broke my heart! He didn't tell me because he didn't want me to worry. You don't know how guilty I felt. Quentin being his father would come out sooner or later, so why not let him be happy sooner?"
As Lauren spoke, tears welled up in her eyes. She thought Kimberly would understand her feelings as a mother.
Kimberly felt deep sympathy for Lauren, who had been a single mother at such a young age, and for the innocent and lovely Matthew. Kimberly sighed deeply, not knowing what to say.
"Lauren, Aunt Kimberly is worried that Quentin will use this opportunity to take Matthew away again. Three years ago, he was ready to go to court to get Matthew's custody. If you hadn't left quickly, we might not have seen Matthew again," Ethan interjected.
Talking about this made him feel ashamed. He never thought he would do such a despicable thing again. Whether it was three years ago or now, Quentin had no intention of taking back Matthew's custody. It was he who lied under those circumstances, forcing Lauren to follow his plan.
He thought that three years of companionship would make Lauren forget Quentin, but he overestimated himself and underestimated Lauren's feelings for Quentin.
Three years of companionship had indeed brought him and Lauren closer, but they hadn't become a couple. Later, things went out of his control. Lauren returned to the country, met Quentin, and now even revealed Matthew's true parentage .
A cold glint flashed in Lauren's eyes. How could she forget this? However, everyone misunderstood her. Her actions didn't mean she had forgiven Quentin for what he did. She was just doing it for Matthew, not wanting Matthew to be sad!
