Reborn As Mr. Coldwell's Wife
Chapter 151: The Pity Game

Chapter 151: The Pity Game

Ellen remained seated, keeping her expression calm. Gerald towered above her, clearly unfriendly. Inside, she was almost amused.

Oof, he’s starting off so strong.

It was clear he couldn’t stand pretending to be polite around her anymore, even with his mother right there. The mask had slipped.

She stole a quick glance at Clara, who looked utterly shocked. Her eyes were wide, and her lips parted as she stared at her son in disbelief. Clara had obviously not expected to see this side of Gerald, especially not directed toward Ellen. This was something Ellen could use to her advantage.

Clara recovered quickly from her shock and took a step toward Gerald, her brow furrowed in confusion and anger. She gave his shoulder a light push, trying to break his intense focus on Ellen. "What the hell are you doing, Gerald? Why are you acting like this toward Ellen?" She clearly baffled by her son’s behavior.

But Gerald didn’t even flinch. His hard, sharp gaze never left Ellen, ignoring his mother’s concern as if she wasn’t even there. His eyes narrowed, full of resentment, making it clear that he wasn’t backing down. He seemed completely unfazed by Clara’s attempts to reason with him.

Ellen carefully stood up from her seat. She made sure to move slowly and carefully, as if she were nervous, her fingers gripping the edge of the couch for balance. Her breath hitched slightly, trying to appear hesitant, before she finally spoke with a little fake stammer. "Gerald... I... I’m not here to cause trouble."

Gerald’s sneer deepened, and he scoffed at her, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Don’t you think it’s too late for that?" he snapped. "You’ve already caused enough trouble."

Clara looked between them, her confusion deepening as she tried to make sense of the situation. "Gerald, seriously." Her voice firm as she stepped closer to her son. "What is your problem with Ellen? This isn’t how you treat someone."

Ellen swallowed hard, her eyes darting between Gerald and Clara. She opened her mouth to say something, but all she could manage was a faint, "I... I..." before her voice faltered. She let herself look flustered, her eyes lowering to the floor as if she was too overwhelmed to speak.

Gerald sneered again. "Look at her," he spat, "acting all innocent."

Clara, visibly upset now, turned to Ellen with a look of sympathy. "Ellen, I’m so sorry," she said softly. She shot a glare at Gerald before turning back to Ellen. "Please forgive Gerald. He’s just being a brat. Maybe he’s had a tough time at work or something, but this isn’t like him."

Ellen forced a small smile, her eyes still lowered as if she was trying to hold back her emotions. "It’s okay, really," she answered, adding a little tremble to her voice for effect. "I... I’m kind of used to it."

Clara blinked in surprise, her brows furrowing as Ellen’s words sank in. She glanced sharply at Gerald, her expression hardening. "Wait, wha-what do you mean, used to it?" She looked back at Ellen. "This isn’t the first time Gerald’s acted this way toward you?"

Ellen hesitated, glancing quickly at Gerald, whose jaw was clenched so tightly she could see the muscles in his neck tense. She let her gaze drop again, biting her lip as if she didn’t want to cause any more trouble, even though her heart was racing with satisfaction inside. This was exactly where she wanted the conversation to go.

"Well... he’s just been..." Ellen said quietly, playing up the vulnerability in her voice. "It’s nothing. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it."

Clara’s face fell as she processed Ellen’s words. Her eyes, full of confusion and hurt, shifted back to her son. "Gerald," she called, "can you explain?"

Gerald’s face hardened even more, his fists clenching at his sides. He didn’t answer right away, his gaze flickering between his mother and Ellen with barely contained frustration. It was clear he didn’t want to admit anything in front of Clara, but his silence said a lot.

"Gerald?" Clara pressed. She crossed her arms, waiting for him to explain himself.

"Don’t fall for her act, Mom," Gerald muttered. "She’s just playing you. That’s what she does."

Clara’s eyes widened in shock at her son’s words, and for a moment, she just stared at him, unable to believe what she was hearing. "Gerald, shut your mouth if all you can do is say mean things."

Gerald, however, stood his ground. He looked away from his mother, his eyes finding a spot on the floor, refusing to meet either woman’s gaze.

"I mean it," Clara said, her voice raising just slightly. She gestured toward Ellen, her hand slicing through the air as if to cut through the tension. "You better apologize right now."

But Gerald remained silent, his jaw set and his eyes still fixed on the floor. His refusal to look at Clara or Ellen only made the atmosphere in the room more uncomfortable. The seconds ticked by in awkward silence, and Clara’s face twisted in a mixture of hurt and frustration as she realized her son wasn’t going to budge.

Meanwhile, Ellen carefully chose her next move, her voice low and almost pleading as she spoke. "Please... please don’t fight because of me," she murmured, glancing between the two of them. She clasped her hands together, letting her fingers nervously twist, adding to her act of concern. "I... I think I should just go. It’s probably better this way."

"Ellen, no, you don’t have to leave," Clara began, but Ellen was already moving.

"I really think it’s best." She bent down and grabbed her bag from the couch. She straightened up and smiled sadly at Clara. "Thank you for having me over. I really appreciate it."

Clara seemed at a loss for words, her mouth opening slightly as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the right words. She looked torn between wanting to comfort Ellen and being frustrated with Gerald. Her hands fluttered at her sides, and for a moment, she just stood there, unsure of what to do.

Ellen turned her gaze toward Gerald, her smile never faltering even though she knew he would hardly appreciate it. "Goodbye, Gerald." A small grin stayed on her lips as she walked away.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.