Chapter 193
Heather touched her drawn face, feeling helpless and pissed off. She’d been skipping all her beauty treatments because of this whole Jonathan mes Even the fine lines around her eyes and mouth had gotten worse.
She said, “Whatever, forget that. I found out from Jonathan’s secretary that Jonathan sent someone to SWPC and even got pictures of Mireille there. It’s confirmed. Mircille’s at SWPC.
“Now Jonathan’s trying to pull strings to get Mireille out of there. It won’t be long before she’s moving in with me. You gotta help me figure something out.”
Sophia rested her chin on her hand and traced the rim of her coffee cup with one finger. “That’s between you two. I don’t think I should get involved.”
Heather felt a lump in her throat. “Come on, don’t you want my private assets? If you help me with Mireille, I’ll give you a cut.”
Sophia frowned. “Heather, when did I ever say I wanted your private assets? Don’t put words in my mouth.”
Heather conceded, “You’re right, my mistake. I want to give it to you because I want to.”
Sophia raised an eyebrow, looking a little smug. “Well, if you’re gonna force it on me, I guess I can take it off your hands.”
Heather felt weirdly relieved, but then Sophia just pulled out her phone and started scrolling. Heather grew anxious.
Sophia finally put her phone down. “Heather, I’ve got two options for you. Option one, we handle Mireille. Option two, we take care of both Jonathan and Mireille. Your call.”
Without hesitation, Heather blurted out, “Deal with Mireille, obviously.”
Sophia smirked, “You sure about that? Jonathan’s the real problem here. Even if it wasn’t Mireille, there’d just be another Mireille, or someone else just
like her.”
“If you’re gonna fix this mess, why not just kill the problem at the source?”
Heather shook her head hard. Everything she did was for Jonathan.
Sophia’s face turned icy. “Heather, listen up. This is the last time I’m helping you with your relationship drama. After this, don’t come to me again. Even if you handed over every cent you own, I still wouldn’t lift a finger for you.”
Sheer panic flashed in Heather’s eyes. “You can’t do this to me.”
Sophia looked at her like she was something stuck to her shoe. “Why the hell not? At your age, you’re still letting some stupid love turn you into this pathetic mess.
“My time is precious. I’ve got better things to do than babysit your meltdowns. You think this is annoying for you? Try being me.
“You’ve got kids, money, and time to spare. You could be doing anything. Instead, you’re orbiting some washed–up old fart like a desperate groupie. It’s embarrassing.”
Heather felt like she’d been punched in the gut. Her hands balled into fists. She was trapped by thirty years of this sick obsession and couldn’t break free.
Sophia kept pushing. “He’s out there playing around? Then you do it too. He’s cheating and spending your money on his side chicks? Blow some cash on hot young guys who know how to make you feel good.
“Wouldn’t it feel good to have someone kiss your ass for once instead of you crawling around begging Jonathan for scraps? You’re pathetic. You and Jonathan deserve each other. A match made in hell, if you ask me.”
Heather didn’t say anything. ‘That’s brutal, way too brutal,‘ she thought, a knot tightening in her stomach. ‘But… Damn it, she kind of has a point.”
1/3
Chapter 193
Sophia saw Heather wavering and went in for the kill. “Remember what we talked about before? You said you were gonna see how things go. And now you haven’t woken up? And you’re telling me you’re not pathetic?”
Heather’s voice cracked, “Must you be so cruel? I’m your mother.”
“Truth hurts,” Sophia sneered, her face instantly hardening. “You want sweet nothings? There’s the door.”
Heather shut up. Sophia pressed on. “Heather, from what I see, it’s not that you can’t live without Jonathan. You’re just obsessed with him because you can’t stand not having his love. It’s your pride that’s in the way, not love.”
Heather looked up at her, her eyes swimming with helpless confusion. “I–Is that really all it is?” she stammered. After all these years, she couldn’t tell whether what she felt for Jonathan was genuine love, or just obsession and an unwillingness to let go.
Sophia kept messing with her head. “Wanna try a little experiment?”
Heather asked anxiously, “Like what?”
Sophia got all excited and started bullshitting. “Go find another guy and see if you can fall for him. If you’re really in love with Jonathan, no other guy will do it for you. Then I’ll know if it’s worth helping you fight for Jonathan.
“But if you do start catching feelings for someone else? It just proves Jonathan isn’t irreplaceable. Problem solved, right?”
That insane suggestion knocked Heather flat. Her jaw dropped and her brain completely blue–screened.
Sophia shot her an impatient look. “Well? Are you gonna do it or what?”
Sophia’s phone kept buzzing, and she looked like she had places to be. Heather could see she was about to bail, which sent her into total panic mode.
Sophia stood up. “I got someone waiting on me. If you can’t make up your mind, forget it.”
“No, wait.” Heather grabbed her hand, terrified of being abandoned. In a panic, she blurted out, “Fine, I’ll do it. Whatever you say.” Saying it felt like jumping off a cliff.
Sophia saw how completely desperate she looked and grinned like a shark. “There’s the Heather I can actually stand.”
Heather still looked like she was about to puke from nerves. “Is this really, like, okay to do?”
Sophia’s face went dead cold. “Your husband’s about to move his ex into your place to take care of her, and you’re worried about what’s okay? Gosh, you’re pathetic.”
Heather clung to her hand desperately, as if grasping at her last lifeline. “I–I’ll listen to you, okay?” Even as she said it, her gut twisted with a sick feeling.
Sophia bent down to meet her gaze. Then she put a hand on Heather’s shoulder, playing the caring daughter perfectly. “Life’s too short to be miserable. Why not do something nice for yourself?
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