82-1 Feel Left Out\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeline:\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he hung up, he gestured for Yuvonne to come with him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hurried over, and I could tell his parents must have arrived for him to call her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re here!\u201d my stepmother said excitedly, wrapping her arm around my father\u2019s and dragging him away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that moment, I felt completely alone and out of place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then my eyes shifted to my kids, I wasn\u2019t really alone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy,\u201d Bodhi said softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded to let him know I was listening.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re prettier than your sister,\u201d he added, covering his mouth to laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My other two children nodded too, and he was right, I could never feel alone with them beside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a while, Baxter\u2019s family walked in. A short, chubby man with a bald head and a tall, slender woman with perfectly straight black hair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had curves even I couldn\u2019t compete with.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sh\u00a0<\/p>\n
was incredibly beautiful and carried herself with such grace that anyone who saw her couldn\u2019t help but stare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She used to be an alpha\u2019s daughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After her father passed away, their packs merged, which was how Baxter\u2019s pack became so wealthy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As she stepped inside, I noticed the way she looked around the house.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her husband kept glancing at her for approval, and he only appreciated something once she did.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Otherwise, he stayed silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe house looks nice now,\u201d she said flatly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Judging by the way she barely spoke to anyone, I could tell she wasn\u2019t happy about the marriage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wondered how Baxter had managed to convince her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then her eyes landed on me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, you must be Madeline Sawyer, right?\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was the only one who called me by my new surname, which told me she hadn\u2019t come here by chance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had done her research.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, Mom, she\u2019s the one helping the children with the sickness,\u201d Baxter explained, standing beside her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was tall, and I could see where Baxter got his height from.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He still towered over her, built like a giant with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, and you have three children now. Well, I\u2019m glad you\u2019ve moved on from your tired little life and done\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
82-1 Feel Left Out\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
something with yourself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As expected, she spoke softly, barely raising her voice. But her gestures and body language still carried envy and hostility.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I knew what it meant to argue with her, but I decided to respond anyway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Eugenia, you haven\u2019t changed one bit. One would think you\u2019d be smiling today. It\u2019s a big day for your son. When a woman becomes a mother, she usually inherits compassion. But I guess some women never change.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That was my way of reminding her that she was still immature, the same woman who used to argue with teenagers like me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even now, she hasn\u2019t changed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I noticed her expression sour, and Baxter\u2019s eyes widened slightly, surprised by the way I spoke to his mother.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Eugenia, please come and have a seat. Dinner\u2019s been served,\u201d Yuvonne uttered quickly, trying to lighten the\u00a0<\/p>\n
moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd My Goddess, that black dress looks so good on you,\u201d she added, forcing a smile.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instead of responding, Eugenia rolled her eyes and walked toward the dining room with her husband beside her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I watched Yuvonne\u2019s smile fade as she turned to glance at Baxter, silently complaining about his mother\u2019s behavior.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We were all welcomed to the dining table.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The dining room looked newly built, positioned at the corner of the house, right next to the garden.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was part of the main house, but definitely a recent addition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The walls were made of glass, and in the center stood a beautiful antique dining table with perfectly matched\u00a0<\/p>\n
chairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone began to take their seats, and I sat down with my children.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baxter sat directly across from me, so when I looked up, he was the first person I saw.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Beside him was Yuvonne, followed by her parents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Baxter\u2019s right sat his own parents, his mother closest to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was seated on the opposite end of the table with my children.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The maids hired by Baxter began to appear, serving the food.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The dishes looked incredible, like something from a royal dinner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I could already tell Eugenia was trying to recognize the maids, just to prove that this arrangement wasn\u2019t made by Yuvonne or her family, but by her own son.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When she was done glancing around, her eyes landed on me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We stared at each other for a moment before she smiled and turned her attention to my children.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBodhi, Elara, and Gina,\u201d she began, calling their names.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/4\u00a0<\/p>\n
82-1\/es\/Left Out\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
She must have learned them when Baxter introduced the kids earlier, and now she wanted to show me that she remembered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes ma\u2019am.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
What she didn\u2019t expect was for Bodhi to respond. I noticed she was caught off guard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you\u2019re a charming little boy,\u201d she commented, staring at him a little too intently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I started to wonder if she was comparing him to her son.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, you\u2019re a very gorgeous lady too,\u201d Bodhi replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment he complimented her, everyone laughed, but Eugenia looked rather impressed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She smiled, then turned to Baxter. It was the first time I had seen her smile so genuinely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re a sharp little boy. I like the way you talk,\u201d she told Bodhi.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the first time, her tone sounded natural.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t the usual slow, deliberate way she spoke, as if savoring each word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom always says to respond to everyone nicely,\u201d Bodhi continued proudly, raising his eyebrows. \u201cAnd when someone is very beautiful, I respond even more beautifully.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He went on, charming her further.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at him, then at Baxter. The two of them looked so eerily alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEugenia, you really look great. I need some tips on your skincare routine,\u201d Yuvonne quickly spoke up, interrupting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She couldn\u2019t let Bodhi have the spotlight on her big night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you,\u201d Eugenia replied, her tone turning cold again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnyway, this dinner is for me to announce the date of my engagement ceremony with Yuvonne.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Baxter began speaking, gesturing for a maid to bring the envelopes containing the invitations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She started placing them in front of each of us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Elara quickly snatched one from me and opened it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I noticed the disapproval on Eugenia\u2019s face, she didn\u2019t like Elara\u2019s manners,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her expression soured, especially toward Elara, who tended to be more lively.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLook! It\u2019s on December 28th, right after Christmas,\u201d Elara exclaimed, a bit too loudly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Everyone looked at her since they were meant to read it together with Yuvonne after opening their envelopes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby\u2019s writing style is bold and irresistible\u2014perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.<\/p>\n
82-1 Feel Left Out\u00a0 Madeline:\u00a0 When he hung up, he gestured for Yuvonne to come with him.\u00a0 She hurried over, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19078","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-no-daddy-novel-by-novelnozi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19078","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19078"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19078\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19283,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19078\/revisions\/19283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19078"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19078"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19078"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}