Despite feeling somewhat upset, Ellen only let out a dismissive laugh without saying anything. She sure is terrible at choosing the right words to say Still, she held back her anger and asked, “What would you like to drink?”
Stefanie sat on the couch and responded, “Tea is fine. I just came to have a chat with you.” Ellen proceeded to pour Stefanie a cup of tea and washed some fruit for her before sitting across from her. “What have you been up to lately? I haven’t seen much of you.”
Stefanie sighed helplessly at that. “What else can I do? I’m busy worrying about Alex. He has been making me really angry recently.”
“Oh? What happened?” Stefanie sat up straight and began to complain. “He fell for a woman eight years ago, and I disapproved of her at that time. I got in their way as much as I could and eventually caused them to fall out. I thought everything came to an end then. Who would have thought that the same woman would come back eight years later? And just like that, Alex went crazy, and he has gotten involved with her again now. I’m so mad!”
Ellen let out another unnatural smile and persuaded, “Isn’t Alex too grown for you to care about that? It is not like he is a child. You should let the youngsters do what they want.” Feeling both dissatisfied and unwilling to concede, Stefanie stubbornly held her head high.
“No way! Anyone else is fine, just not her. Alex is also too willful for his own good. I have given him what he deserved in the past few years, and all the women I introduced to him are better than this woman. But that child promised me one thing, and then he messed it up behind my back. It’s like he has been bewitched into liking this one woman!”
Ellen peered at her with a resigned gaze. “Why do you think Alex shouldn’t fall for this woman? Is it because of her looks? Or her character?”
“Everything about her is problematic.” Stefanie pursed her lips. “Eight years ago, she slept with another man when she and Alex were still in a relationship. I sent her away with some money. She must have gotten used to my spoiling her, and that is why she has come to ask for money again. Ugh!”
Ellen seemed to have suddenly understood as she hummed. “But still, you have to consider what your child wants. As parents, we will have to make compromises if our child has found someone they like. Besides, it has been eight years since those things happened. What’s done is done. Since Alex likes her, there must be some redeeming qualities about her.”
Stefanie snorted again. “I don’t see anything redeeming about her. She doesn’t have an impressive family background, connections, or eloquence, and she is not particularly pretty. She doesn’t even know how to show respect to her elders. I went through a lot of trouble meeting her yesterday, but guess what she said? She said she won’t leave Alex unless he personally tells her to go. Can you imagine how infuriating it was to hear that? She clearly wants money!”
Ellen furrowed her eyebrows. She had been wondering all along, Isn’t Jewel the one Alex is interested in? Whom is this woman talking about?
But the more she listened to Stefanie speak, the more she had a feeling that Stefanie was talking about Jewel. However, Ellen held her temper in as she asked, “What’s the name of the girl Alex likes?”
Reluctantly, Stefanie uttered, “Jewel Fenton! Her old name was Jean Louis. Who would have thought she would come back with her name changed? And she even became inarticulate.”
Ellen’s face immediately turned grim. “She is not as despicable as you make her out to be, is she? Her voice was damaged because someone set her up. They locked her in a warehouse and set fire to it, and her voice was ruined by the smoke. Besides, isn’t Alex the one pursuing her? Jewel has been rejecting him all along. How can you blame everything on her?”
Her reply shocked Stefanie, who then asked, “You know her?”
“She is my goddaughter!” Ellen warned. Stefanie immediately blurted out, “You see this?! I’m sure she was the one who wanted to be your goddaughter. Be careful, though. Women like her don’t have good intentions. She might end up deceiving you and taking away all your money.”
Ellen grew increasingly displeased with what she heard. “Enough, Stefanie. Don’t pass judgment on someone you don’t know well. Jewel is the one who has been buying me things ever since she became my goddaughter. In what way has she deceived me? And don’t speak ill of her anymore. She is my goddaughter.”
However, Stefanie continued to advise her friend, sounding as though she was saying this for Ellen’s own good. “Ellen, you probably don’t know how sly people have gotten since you were away for many years. She won’t mind showing some small favors to win your heart when she wants more. You will see what happens once you get closer to her and start letting your guard down!”
