Chapter 1055
But Elena was already furious. Her gaze drilled into Anika as she continued, “Look at you. You’re so thin! You never looked this worn out when you were at home. Why don’t you come back with me for a couple of days to rest and recover?”
Katie understood exactly what Elena was implying, and her expression turned cold.
Elena reached out and motioned for Anika to come closer, then held out a jar of Anika’s favorite preserves. “I made these a few days ago. You need to take better care of yourself when your father and I aren’t around. You’re pregnant now, and taking care of someone who’s sick is exhausting. You need to be taken care of too. Don’t try to do everything on your own.”
Elena was reminding Anika not to diminish herself—that she wasn’t just the Brooks family’s nanny.
Katie cut in, her voice icy. “My son is in this condition because of Anika. She was the one who insisted on staying here in the first place. She owes my son. She owes us.”
Elena could no longer hold back her anger. She slammed her palm on the table and shouted, “Is this how your family operates—bullying a pregnant woman? The baby is your family’s successor, and yet you show no gratitude to my daughter. Instead, you treat her so harshly. Do you have no heart?”
Katie shot Elena a furious glare and snapped, “No matter what Anika is doing, she chose to do it. Even if she’s a princess in your family, so what? She decided to come and serve me and my family. The Brooks family is rich and powerful, and Marcel is outstanding. Anika couldn’t measure up to him, so she had to pay a price. And don’t forget—she got pregnant before marriage. Is that really something to be proud of? Our family is already being generous. If it were any other family, they wouldn’t have let her in at all!”
“You… you… you!” Elena trembled with rage. She stood up, pointing at Katie, but for a moment she couldn’t even form a complete sentence.
“It’s all your son’s fault! Anika is the victim here!” she finally forced out. Then she grabbed Anika’s hand and started to pull her toward the door. “Anika, let’s go…”
“You are Mrs. Mendoza, right?”
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Bowen appeared and interrupted the tense standoff between the two women. He must have overheard part of their argument through the door, because he stepped in at once, clearly trying to defuse the situation.
“I didn’t know you were coming. Otherwise, I would have sent the driver to pick you up,” he said quickly. “Why are you standing? Please, have a seat. Anika, help your mother sit down.”
“Mom, please sit,” Anika whispered to Elena.
Elena’s expression remained stern, and she squeezed Anika’s hand tightly, as if she still wanted to pull her away.
Bowen could tell Elena was still fuming, so he immediately added, “Anika is a wonderful young lady. She’s been taking care of Marcel tirelessly these past few days, and we’re incredibly grateful. In the last two days, Marcel’s subconscious seems to be recovering slowly, and all he can do is call out Anika’s name. Anika truly is exceptional—enduring so much hardship with such a kind heart. Katie and I have been talking about her constantly at home.”
He paused, then continued in a gentler tone, as if offering an explanation. “That’s why Katie is still upset. She thinks Marcel has forgotten the rest of us and only cares about Anika. Even when she’s right beside him, he still calls for Anika.”
Bowen not only praised Anika, but also tried to explain Katie’s anger.