Chapter 231 The Relationship Worsens
Quentin felt like he was going to be driven mad by Lauren. He had never met someone so ungrateful. Clenching his fists tightly, he struggled to suppress his urge to break down, pretending to be nonchalant as he looked at Lauren with a smirk.
Lauren was also feeling terrible. Quentin's sarcastic words kept echoing in her mind, leaving her truly heartbroken. The pain of having her wounds reopened by Quentin and then having salt rubbed into them was almost numbing.
Lauren used all her strength to force a smile. "Well, thank you for not killing me."
Lauren's indifferent tone made Quentin uncomfortable. He turned his head away, not wanting to see Lauren's ashen face. He knew that her heartbreak was his doing.
Quentin didn't understand why his self-control was so weak when it came to Lauren. He couldn't control his anger and bad temper when he was around her.
The colder Lauren was, the more he felt an urge to conquer her. That urge was so strong that it made him lose himself.
Watching Lauren tremble, her frail shoulders shaking, Quentin felt a strange emotion wash over him, which he thought was the last bit of pity he had for her.
Quentin softened his tone and said, "I'll arrange for another copy of the notice to be sent to you. Matthew's schooling is important. Don't let your anger with me delay it."
He thought that by stepping back and refraining from arguing with Lauren, she would understand his good intentions. Instead, he was met with Lauren's cold stare.
"Quentin, drop the act. Do you think we can't live without you? Do you think we can't do anything without you? Can you be more straightforward? If you haven't secretly obstructed Ethan, Matthew's enrollment would have been settled long ago. Don't you think you're being hypocritical and disgusting?" Lauren's eyes were red and swollen like a rabbit's.
"I didn't!" Quentin lost his patience completely, looking at the furious Lauren.
"Did Ethan tell you that I obstructed him from enrolling Matthew? You believe everything he says, and everything he does pleases you. Then you should be with him! No, you two have been together for a long time. Three years ago in Paris, weren't you hugging and kissing like a couple?" Quentin roared at Lauren.
Lauren's mouth twitched at Quentin's words. She felt extremely wronged, but she had to endure it because there was nothing left to say between them.
Without a word, Lauren continued walking forward, leaving Quentin, who was now furious and frantic.
Lauren quickly walked a long way, gradually calming down.
She couldn't believe Quentin was so unreasonable. 'What did he take me for? Hugging and kissing Ethan? That's ridiculous! Although she was close to Ethan, there had never been any flirtatious behavior.
So, Lauren became even more determined not to avoid any further dealings with Quentin. Quentin was indeed someone she, as an ordinary person, couldn't afford to provoke. Once provoked, there would be a price to pay. She didn't ask for any other outcome. She was just hoping she could get out unscathed.
When Lauren returned to the villa, she didn't mention the incident to anyone. However, every time Ethan looked at her, his eyes were filled with melancholy as if he had many unresolved sorrows.
Lauren knew what he was worried about. She only hoped that Jessica could show her some mercy one more time. If Matthew could successfully sever ties with the Robinson Family and live an ordinary life, it wouldn't be a bad thing.
However, it was too cruel to Jessica. Every time Lauren thought of Jessica, she felt very guilty. But, no matter how guilty she felt, they couldn't go back to the past.
So, in the following days, Lauren went to work as usual and didn't take Matthew to visit Jessica as she used to. She didn't know how to face Jessica without a definite answer from her. Besides, she wanted to avoid Quentin as much as possible.
Seeing that Lauren hadn't taken any action, Ethan was anxious and puzzled but didn't want to ask her directly. So, he kept his doubts to himself, anxiously waiting for Lauren to come to him.
It was Matthew who noticed that Lauren was different from before.
One day, after Lauren came home from work, she had dinner and then went into the study to focus on her design work.
Having watched enough TV, Matthew tiptoed into the study. Lauren was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice Matthew's presence at all.
Matthew mischievously popped his head out from behind Lauren, startling her.
"Matthew, you little rascal, you almost scared me to death!" Lauren said, feeling at a loss of words and amused, lightly tapping Matthew's arm.
Matthew laughed happily. "Mommy, you're too timid. No wonder Daddy told me you're the most timid person in our family."
Matthew's words made Lauren fall silent. She didn't want to mention Quentin, but Matthew brought him up at this moment. Lauren sighed, thinking that Matthew was still a child. Although she told him not to mention Quentin, he wouldn't listen.
"You haven't seen me being brave. You'll see it someday," Lauren said dismissively.
Matthew tilted his head, unable to understand Lauren's words. He gave up and asked, "Mommy, why haven't you taken me to see Mrs. Jessica Robinson lately?"
Actually, Matthew had a plan. He could only see Quentin if he went to the Robinson Estate. He was puzzled why Quentin, who had promised to play with him, hadn't contacted him for so many days. Was he really that busy?
Lauren patted Matthew's little head, feeling very gratified. She thought Matthew was concerned about Jessica because she treated him well.
"Matthew, be good. I've been a bit busy lately. Once I'm done, I'll take you to see Mrs. Jessica Robinson, okay?"
Matthew pouted. "When will you be done, Mommy? I'm afraid Daddy will get impatient. We promised to play games together last time." Matthew said, feeling disappointed.
Lauren's smile gradually faded. So, this was Matthew's real intention.
She looked at Matthew sternly. "Matthew, you're too young to be thinking about playing games all the time. Being addicted to games and not striving to improve is a big no-no. Don't play games anymore," Lauren said seriously.
Actually, Matthew was better than she made it sound. However, the thought of Matthew spending a lot of time with Quentin made her feel uneasy.
