Chapter 321
Laura stared down at her hands, her face tight with worry. She was still reeling from slapping Barnard, and it wasn’t until Camilla spoke up that she snapped back to reality.
She shot Camilla a frustrated glare. “Is money all you ever think about? You can’t just sum everything up like that p>
Laura was always known for her gentle nature, someone who rarely lost her temper, but it felt like everything was pressing down on her all at once. Her patience was unraveling, and there was a new edge to her voice that even surprised her.
In the past, the big issues were always handled by Calvin and the little stuff fell to Camilla. Laura just needed to enjoy her comfortable life without worrying about a thing. Now, suddenly, every responsibility had fallen squarely on her shoulders.
Sure, there was Davina at home, but Laura never trusted her. With her knack for making things worse instead of better, Laura knew better than to rely on her.
“The contract has your signature right there, Mrs. Carter. Everything is crystal clear,” Camilla said. “If you don’t want to work it out, we can always just let the court decide p>
Laura’s face went pale, her lips pressed into a thin line. She absolutely didn’t want things to get that far, so she gave Camilla a reluctant yes.
Camilla had finished what she came to do and didn’t bother sticking around. She turned and headed right back to the office, not looking back.
Barnard reached for her, but Laura stepped in his way. She clung to his sleeve, her voice suddenly soft, tinged with a hint of pleading. “Barnard, you ran out on your own wedding. We have a whole mess to clean up at home, and your father… He’s not doing well. Just come home with me first, will you p>
Barnard looked irritated. “I’ve told you before, I haven’t decided about Davina. He was the one who forced me, even locked me up. He brought this all on himself p>
“Barnard, that’s not fair. Your dad was only trying to do what’s best for you. You kept saying you loved that girl, fighting with him again and again. We just wanted to see you happy,” Laura said, her voice losing some of the strength it had before. She couldn’t help but feel helpless at how quickly he’d changed his mind.
Barnard shook his head. “That was in the past, like you said. Back then, you all left, didn’t care about anything, and Davina was the only one who really looked after me. I figured I liked her, but I realized later it was really just gratitude. You all rushed me. I didn’t even have time to figure out what I really wanted and suddenly I’m being pushed to divorce, pushed to marry. This is my life. I can’t just go along with it.
“Tell Dad for me. I don’t think I’m wrong, and I’m not coming home. I still have things to say to Camilla, so you should go p>
Laura stared at him, completely stunned. “Barnard, what happened to you?” she whispered.
He didn’t answer. Laura tried again. “Everyone already knows about you and Davina. Now you’re saying you don’t love her? You need to give people an explanation. She’s still living in the house as your wife, you can’t just p>
Barnard cut her off. “Alright. I’ll go back with you. I’ll handle it myself p>
He knew he owed Davina an explanation, even if his feelings for her had changed. From the start, he hadn’t known his own heart, and Davina had only ever been caught in the crossfire. He did feel grateful to her.
Even if Davina couldn’t be his wife, she deserved something from him, some recognition. He was sure of that.
Finally, Barnard slid into the car next to his mother. Laura felt the weight lift off her chest and wasted no time in telling the driver to head home.
No one noticed the strange woman crouching in the shadows of the holly bushes nearby.
She wore a bright red wedding dress, her makeup smudged so badly her features were almost hidden. Still, her eyes were shining and intense, locked on the car as it pulled away.
Barnard had really run out on her to go after Camilla. All those promises, the sweet words — he hadn’t meant any of it. Now he didn’t want to marry her at all.
How could she just let that happen? She’d burned bridges with her parents and fought with her in-laws to get into this family. There was no way she was letting her chance slip away now.
Davina’s hands shook as she typed something quickly on her phone, then called a number. When she hung up, the resentment and hatred burning in her eyes only deepened.
Camilla wanted to take her man? Fine, then she’d make sure Camilla’s reputation was destroyed.
Before she could even put her phone away, she got another call — this time from the police station, telling her to come in for a statement and bail out her ridiculous swarm of relatives.
Her mother, Carmen, had been so desperate to show off about marrying into money that she called up every relative she could find, no matter how distant. They’d dragged over a hundred people into the reception, and now, except for Davina, there wasn’t a soul who could bail them out.
The police holding cells were packed, and the overflow had spilled into the lobby. The place was filled with the sound of crying, pleading, and kids yelling, turning the whole police station into a giant, chaotic market.