Chapter 88

Kathy rubbed her hands together with a mischievous grin. "Oh, I feel so embarrassed."

Royce waved his hand dismissively, and soon a car arrived to whisk him away.

Once he was gone, I turned to Kathy and demanded, "Why did he suddenly go to Suncrest City? Was this your doing?"

Kathy initially avoided my gaze, but eventually, she nodded reluctantly.

"I was just thinking about your future. After your divorce from Brandon, don't you plan on finding someone new?"

"I noticed Royce hasn't married all these years. Maybe he's been waiting for you."

I was taken aback and quickly denied it. "Come on, that's impossible."

"Besides, I have three kids now. Why would anyone want to suddenly become a father to three children?"

Kathy sighed. "Why do you think like that?"

"So what if you have three kids? Your figure is still great, and you're beautiful. With a bit of self-care, you could look like a young woman again. Why wouldn't he like you?"

"Even if he doesn't, that's his loss!"

I knew Kathy was trying to cheer me up, but it still made me happy.

I playfully tapped her forehead with my finger. "Stop flattering me. I'm starving. Want to grab a bite with me?"

Kathy nodded, and we found a restaurant near the airport.

As we ate, I brought up the topic of Jason's disappearance.

"What do you think?"

Kathy snorted. "Jason's just unlucky. His mom did so many bad things, and now she's facing the consequences."

"But," she continued, "Jason is innocent. I hope they find him soon."

I shook my head. "I have a feeling there's something fishy going on."

She looked at me curiously. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it. Brandon is about to finalize an overseas deal, and now this happens. I checked my phone after landing, and all I saw were missing child alerts for Elora's son. Doesn't it seem like someone is behind this?"

"You have a point," Kathy mused. "I hadn't paid much attention, but because I'm in this city, I kept getting notifications about Jason's disappearance. It does seem unusual."

I nodded and continued, "I think Jason might not be missing at all. Someone could be trying to sabotage Brandon."

"Just wait and see. The rumors will probably say Jason is Brandon's son and Elora is his mistress."

Kathy frowned. "Who would do that? What would they gain?"

"Besides, the overseas deal was a setup by us and Joanna. No one else knows about it. So who could it be?"

I smiled mysteriously. "There might not be a direct beneficiary, but Brandon losing out is crucial for some people."

Kathy's eyes lit up. "You mean Earl!"

I nodded. "He was the first to tell Brandon about the missing child. Elora was threatening me on the phone just moments before, so she either doesn't know or is pretending not to."

"Once this blows up, everyone will think Brandon has a mistress and a possible illegitimate child. Do you think the overseas deal will still go through?"

Kathy nodded. "Caroline, you really see things clearly!"

I shook my head. "If you were in my shoes, you'd see it too. This environment forces me to think this way."

Kathy sighed and patted my shoulder. "Isn't it exhausting to live like this? It's all Brandon and his cronies' fault. They've pushed you to this point."

I smiled wryly. The people who hurt you never consider these things.

I've gotten used to it and have no choice but to adapt.

After finishing our meal, Kathy drove me home.

As soon as we arrived, I saw a crowd gathered at my doorstep.

The moment I approached, they swarmed around me.

"Excuse me, are you Brandon's wife, Caroline?"

I nodded. "Yes, what is it?"

"There's a rumor online that Ms. Kingsley, the mother of the missing child, is your husband's mistress. Do you know about this?"

I nodded. "I don't know, but even if he made a mistake, I can forgive him."

The reporter pressed on. "Do you know your husband might have an illegitimate child with Elora?"

I stopped in my tracks. "I said I don't know. What does this have to do with me? Isn't that child Brandon's brother's?"

The reporter continued, "Now that the child is missing, Ms. Kingsley suspects you might have kidnapped him out of anger over Mr. Jordan's affair."

I stood firm and looked directly into the camera. "I'm a mother of three. Even if I knew about this, I would never harm a child. Anyone who does is a monster."

I turned to the reporter. "Is that clear?"

The reporter nodded, stunned. "Yes, it's clear."

Kathy stepped in front of me, parting the crowd. "She's not feeling well. We need to go."

With that, I entered the house and shut the door.

Inside, I saw Brandon pacing anxiously.

When he saw me, he rushed over.

"Honey, do you have anything to do with the missing child?"

His eyes were bloodshot, clearly from a sleepless night.

I sneered. "First, tell me what your relationship with that child is."

"That's not important," Brandon said urgently. "Do you know this is affecting the overseas deal?"

"If that's not important, then what is?"

I glared at Brandon, my eyes filled with anger. "Are my kids and I not important to you?"

"I've already forgiven your affair, and you still can't tell me the truth?"

Brandon gritted his teeth. "I don't know."

I rolled my eyes and headed upstairs.

Brandon tried to follow, but Kathy blocked him. "What are you doing? Adding to Caroline's stress?"

"You..."

Brandon was furious, pointing at Kathy.

But because I was there, he couldn't curse her out.

He could only mutter, "This is our family matter. What does it have to do with you?"

Kathy snorted. "How does it not? Caroline's problems are my problems. You cheated, and you don't want people to talk about it? Despicable man!"

Brandon was so angry he couldn't speak and stormed downstairs.

I watched him from the second-floor railing, feeling nothing but cold amusement.