Chapter 136
After the incident at the family dinner, Sean didn’t return to the Jasper estate for several days.
Mrs. Jasper Sr. called him multiple times. At first, he answered and asked her directly why she was targeting Charlotte.
Mrs. Jasper Sr. said it was because Charlotte had been mean to her precious granddaughter, Vivian.
Sean calmly explained that things weren’t the way Vivian made them sound, but Mrs. Jasper Sr. refused to listen. She insisted Sean had been manipulated by Charlotte and said there was no way her sweet, well–behaved Vivian would ever lie.
The conversation went nowhere. Sean hung up and ignored every call from her after that.
During that time, Lilian also called in hopes of calming things down. But after learning that Vivian had been stirring up trouble behind the scenes, her feelings toward her adoptive daughter started to shift.
Vivian continued to fan the flames, feeding Mrs. Jasper Sr. one story after another, blaming Charlotte for “sowing discord” and “tearing the family apart.”
At first, Mrs. Jasper Sr. had simply been lukewarm toward Charlotte. But after Vivian’s repeated whispers in her ear, her dislike deepened into full–blown hostility.
On Monday morning, Charlotte was jolted awake by her alarm. She forced her eyes open, groggy and disoriented, ready to get up for work but something felt wrong.
Her entire body ached with chills, her head throbbed like it might split open, and a dry, hacking cough wouldn’t stop. When she took her temperature, the thermometer flashed 102.2°F (39°C).
She had caught the flu.
Charlotte called in sick and checked herself into the hospital for treatment.
Right after she finished the admission paperwork, she thought about messaging Sean. But she hesitated. He had been completely swamped with a major project lately, working late nights every day.
She didn’t want to worry him over something as minor as the flu.
She was a grown wornan. She could handle this.
She hired a private nurse and a part–time cook to take care of her during recovery. Her voice had been completely hoarse for the first day or two, but after a couple of IV drips and doses of medication, it returned to normal. It was just in time for a phone call from Sean, so he never suspected anything.
“Charlotte’s really in the hospital?” Vivian’s voice practically sparkled as she spoke to her friend, Suzy, over the phone.
Suzy replied, “Absolutely. I went to visit a friend at the hospital yesterday and just happened to see her checking in.”
“She was alone? Sean wasn’t with her?”
“Nope, just her. I even asked a friend who works there–turns out a nurse has been caring for her the past couple of days. Looks like Sean doesn’t even know she’s sick.”
“Gol it.”
That evening, Sean finally got home from work, exhausted.
As he switched on the lights, a figure suddenly darted out from the shadows. His reflexes kicked in. He grabbed the person instantly, twisting their arm behind their back
“Ow! It’s me, it’s me!” Vivian cried out in pain, looking up with a distressed expression. “Sean, it’s me!”
Sean frowned and released her.
“How did you get in here?”
“I asked the housekeeper to let me in,” she said, rubbing her arun pitifully.
Then she gestured toward the dining room.
“You haven’t eaten yet, right? I made dinner for you.”
Vivian had grown up as the housekeeper’s daughter and learned to cook from a young age. After she was adopted into the Jasper family, she often cooked to win favor, especially from Mrs. Jasper Sr.
Sean walked to the dining area.
Two plates of steak Two glasses of red wine. Candles. Roses.
water
A full romantic dinner setup.
Vivian’s intentions couldn’t have been more obvious.
His expression darkened.
“You came over without even telling me? There’s already a cook here. I don’t need you making dinner. And for the record, I’ve already eaten.”
His voice turned colder.
“And one more thing: don’t waste your time having feelings for me.”
Vivian’s face went pale. Her lips parted, and tears welled up in her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I just… I thought it would be a nice surprise.”
