The Husband I Loved for Eight Years Never Loved Me-Chapter 158: Even Tolerating Claire Ainsworth Being Hit

Chapter 158: Chapter 158: Even Tolerating Claire Ainsworth Being Hit

Chapter 158: She Actually Tolerated Claire Ainsworth Being Hit

"Melissa."

Melissa heard her grandmother’s voice. She turned, saw her, and stood up to walk over. "Grandma," she called out.

Sylvia Shannon walked over and crouched down to hug Melissa.

Jane Sullivan walked over to Jean Sullivan’s side. Her gaze fell on Melissa. "So this is Tristan’s daughter. She’s so beautiful!"

Melissa tilted her head and glanced quizzically at the stranger in front of her.

Sylvia Shannon said with a smile, "Yes! Melissa, call her Grandma Sullivan."

Melissa obediently called out, "Grandma Sullivan."

Claire Ainsworth crouched down, looked at Melissa, and said with a gentle smile, "Melissa, that’s a beautiful necklace. I’ll pick out a few more for you to go with it."

She was growing more and more annoyed with Melissa Sterling, but the girl was Tristan’s pampered daughter. If she wanted to marry Tristan Sterling, she had to get on good terms with her. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Melissa looked at Claire Ainsworth with strong resistance. Ever since she found out Claire had bullied Aunt Evelynn, she disliked her completely.

"I don’t want your necklaces."

As soon as she said that, the expressions on Jane Sullivan’s and Sylvia Shannon’s faces changed. The smile on Claire Ainsworth’s lips froze, looking even more strained.

"Melissa, Miss Claire is so good to you. How could you say such a thing?" Sylvia Shannon said.

Melissa muttered, "Grandma, Miss Claire bullied Aunt Evelynn."

Sylvia Shannon’s expression darkened, and she looked toward Rachel Royce.

Rachel Royce met her gaze. ’She’s probably looking at me with such displeasure because she thinks I incited Melissa and bad-mouthed someone in front of her.’

Jane Sullivan glanced at Claire Ainsworth, then bent down to Melissa. "Melissa, Miss Claire and your Aunt Evelynn must have had a misunderstanding. How about we have Miss Claire apologize to Aunt Evelynn, and you can forgive her, okay?"

Claire Ainsworth gave her mother a wronged look.

Jane Sullivan shot her a look, signaling her not to get emotional.

Melissa said, "Aunt Evelynn has to be the one to forgive Miss Claire."

Sylvia Shannon’s tone grew sterner. "Melissa, you can’t be so unreasonable."

Melissa lowered her head, aggrieved.

Jane Sullivan said, "It’s alright. Claire must have done something wrong. We’ll have Claire apologize to Miss Evelynn."

Claire Ainsworth clenched her fists, silently cursing Melissa Sterling in her heart.

Jane Sullivan tugged her daughter’s arm. Claire Ainsworth’s face was stiff, but she finally walked toward Rachel Royce and said, "Miss Evelynn, if I offended you in any way before, I apologize. I’m sorry."

Rachel Royce watched her reluctant apology, knowing that in her heart, Claire now thoroughly resented both Melissa and her.

"If you’re going to apologize, Miss Ainsworth, then you need to show some sincerity."

Claire Ainsworth’s dark eyes narrowed as she stared at her. "What are you planning to do, Miss Evelynn?"

The words had barely left her mouth.

Rachel Royce raised her hand and slapped her across the face. ’If I can’t slap her mother, I’ll slap her instead.’

This scene stunned everyone.

Even Joanna Sutton and June Jennings were startled, but then their faces broke into smiles, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

Jane Sullivan’s expression darkened.

Sylvia Shannon started to step forward to teach Rachel Royce a lesson but was stopped by Jane Sullivan. She walked up to Rachel Royce and said, "Miss Evelynn, there was a misunderstanding before. I apologize to you. Now we’re even."

Rachel Royce was completely bewildered by Jane Sullivan’s attitude. ’What does she mean by this? She’s actually tolerating me hitting Claire Ainsworth.’

"Since Mrs. Ainsworth is apologizing so sincerely, it’s not that I can’t accept it. But please, keep your daughter away from me from now on."

Jane Sullivan’s eyes turned a few shades colder, but in the end, she said nothing.

Melissa walked over and looked at Rachel Royce. "Aunt Evelynn, did you forgive Miss Claire?"

Rachel Royce stroked her daughter’s small head. Instead of answering, she just asked, "Melissa, do you still want to pick out some jewelry?"

Sylvia Shannon came over to take Melissa to the VIP lounge.

"Aunt Evelynn, can I go?"

Rachel Royce hummed in agreement. "Go ahead."

Seeing that Aunt Evelynn didn’t seem angry, Melissa finally went with her grandmother.

「After they left.」

Joanna Sutton said happily, "Melissa is such a good kid. You should have slapped her even harder." Then she added sarcastically, "Both sets of elders have met, but that damn scumbag Tristan Sterling still isn’t planning to marry his precious treasure."

June Jennings said, "I heard the Ainsworth Family dotes on their daughter. I can’t believe they tolerated Claire Ainsworth being hit."

Joanna Sutton also frowned in confusion. "That doesn’t seem like Jane Sullivan’s style. Her expression was clearly awful when Claire Ainsworth got hit, but she didn’t say a word."

June Jennings added, "Well, judging by the kind of daughter she raised, I doubt she’s a good person either."

Joanna Sutton said, "You’re absolutely right about that."

Rachel Royce and June Jennings both looked at Joanna Sutton at the same time.

Joanna Sutton didn’t really want to gossip about the private affairs of their elders, but today she couldn’t help herself.

She said, "Claire Ainsworth’s mother and father are on their second marriage. Mrs. Ainsworth was a famous beauty in her youth. I heard a lot of business tycoons fell for her at first sight, but she was already married at the time. Still, she eventually managed to marry into the Ainsworth Family. Suzanne Sullivan is the child she had with her ex-husband."

June Jennings had a realization. "So Mrs. Ainsworth abandoned her husband to marry into a wealthy family. It seems she’s no pushover. Like mother, like daughter, indeed."

Rachel Royce let out a soft laugh. "But it looks like Claire Ainsworth is a far cry from this Mrs. Ainsworth."

Joanna Sutton understood what Rachel Royce meant. A sarcastic curve formed on her lips. "True. If Claire Ainsworth had any real skill, she would’ve married into the Sterling Family long ago. It’s a pity she only has the looks, not the brains."

Tristan Sterling did dote on Claire Ainsworth, but it was clear now that he was the one who unilaterally controlled their relationship.

Rachel Royce now truly wished Claire Ainsworth would grow a brain, preferably one that could get Tristan Sterling to finalize their divorce.

The three of them sat on a sofa outside, waiting.

June Jennings picked out a set of jewelry for Stella, along with a hairpin she liked.

Rachel Royce and Joanna Sutton each chose a bracelet.

Of course, when June Jennings offered to pay, they didn’t stop her. After all, she was a rich woman with more money than she knew what to do with.

After waiting for over ten minutes...

Joanna Sutton said, "Why isn’t Melissa out yet? Don’t tell me they’re not letting her come out!"

Rachel Royce looked toward the VIP lounge.

’Sylvia Shannon definitely doesn’t want Melissa spending more time with me, but Melissa is very attached to me now and will surely want to stick with me.’

Just as she was thinking this, she heard a commotion from upstairs.

They all looked toward the stairs and saw Sylvia Shannon coming down, holding Melissa’s hand. Jane Sullivan and Claire Ainsworth followed behind.

Sylvia Shannon indeed didn’t want Melissa to stay with Rachel Royce any longer today, but Melissa was unwilling. As the child grew older, her sense of self became stronger, and her interactions with Rachel Royce increased, making her more and more clingy.

"Aunt Evelynn!"

Once downstairs, Melissa ran toward Rachel Royce.

Rachel Royce walked forward.

Sylvia Shannon shot Rachel Royce a cold glare, then said a few words to Melissa.

"Goodbye, Grandma, Grandma Sullivan."

Melissa waved at them.

"Rachel, let’s go too!"

June Jennings’s voice called out.

Rachel Royce composed her expression and didn’t let her thoughts wander any further.

Sylvia Shannon and the other two left the store.

Jane Sullivan asked, "Since this Miss Evelynn is Melissa’s mother, why hasn’t she acknowledged her?"

A cold glint appeared in Sylvia Shannon’s eyes. "She abandoned her child and left back then. Now that she’s back, of course she doesn’t have the face to admit it. At least she has that much self-awareness."

The three of them went their separate ways in the underground parking garage.

Claire Ainsworth got in the car and started crying to her mother.

Jane Sullivan quickly comforted her. "I know you’ve been wronged, but Tristan Sterling dotes on Melissa. You have to like her. Even if you don’t, you have to pretend to. Have you forgotten what I told you?"

Claire Ainsworth cried, "But Mom, I really can’t stand that little bitch."

"Claire!" Jane Sullivan cut her off. "If you still want to marry Tristan, you have to do this. Now that you’ve been wronged, Mrs. Sterling will only feel more sorry for you."

Claire Ainsworth choked back a sob, understanding what her mother meant. Just now, Sylvia Shannon had given her a very expensive necklace to comfort her.

She clenched her fists. "I know."

「By evening.」

She still hadn’t received a call from Peter Preston or Thomas Sterling and didn’t know what was going on.

Rachel Royce and her friends went to Orchid Gardens for dinner.

They happened to run into President Hale from the Financial Weekly.

Rachel Royce chatted with them for a bit.

Joanna Sutton and June Jennings took the children up to the private room on the second floor first.

Rachel Royce didn’t talk for long.

Just as she got upstairs, her phone vibrated. She picked it up and saw it was a call from Thomas Sterling. She answered and walked toward a quiet balcony.

"Hello, Thomas."

Thomas Sterling said, "Have you had dinner?"

"I’m at the restaurant. What’s the situation now? How did it go with Raymond Reynolds?"

Thomas Sterling said, "We haven’t seen him yet. Peter and I just arrived in Solara. We probably won’t be back tonight."

Rachel Royce frowned. "Raymond Reynolds is in Solara? He went there to gamble?"

Thomas Sterling hummed in agreement. "We checked his bank statements today. The transaction amounts are huge."

Rachel Royce instantly understood. "Okay, you two be careful."

"We will. You go eat first."

Rachel Royce said, "Okay."

After hanging up the phone, Rachel Royce put down her phone and sighed heavily.

’Raymond Reynolds must have been set up.’

’A personality like his is easily exploited. I just hope we didn’t discover this too late.’

She leaned against the railing, letting the night breeze blow over her for a while.

Rachel Royce finally snapped out of it when Joanna Sutton called her. Composing herself, she turned to leave. As she passed a corner, she heard a familiar voice. She took a step forward, looked up, and came face to face with the man who was on his phone.

Who else could it be but Tristan Sterling?

Claire Ainsworth was beside him. When she saw Rachel, the hatred in her eyes was unconcealable.

Rachel Royce’s expression wasn’t much better. ’Of all the rotten luck, I run into them everywhere I go.’

Rachel Royce averted her gaze.

Tristan Sterling looked at her, said a few more words to the person on the phone, and then hung up.

As Rachel Royce walked straight past them to leave, Tristan Sterling asked, "Where’s Melissa?"

Rachel Royce stopped, looked at Tristan Sterling, and said coldly, "You can parade your woman around wherever you want, but don’t you dare bring her in front of Melissa again."