\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 94 The Scent of Betrayal\u00a0<\/p>\n
52\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
After what felt like an eternity of searching, she finally discovered an old pajamas tucked away in the back- the same one she used to wear nightly while caring for Vanessa. It had originally been a soft pale yellow, but after countless washes over the years, it had faded to a dull, lifeless off-white.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If this were Sabrina\u2019s closet, there would certainly be no place for such worn-out sleepwear.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she was Scarlett. When it came to her, nobody paid attention to these minor details.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She changed out of her elegant evening gown and slipped into the pajamas she hadn\u2019t worn in ages. With careful, almost reverent movements, she folded the expensive dress and placed it securely in her bag.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That gown had been a gift from Damian. She resolved to find an appropriate opportunity to return it to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa still hadn\u2019t returned, so Scarlett decided to proceed with her own nighttime routine. She stepped into the shower, completing her ablutions quickly and efficiently in under ten minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When she emerged from the steamy bathroom, Vanessa remained conspicuously absent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A growing sense of unease prompted Scarlett to leave the bedroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as she prepared to descend the stairs, her eyes fell upon Vanessa and Sabrina sitting together in the living room below.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At that moment, Vanessa was perched comfortably on Sabrina\u2019s lap, clinging to her arm while whining in a pleading tone, \u201cSabrina, please don\u2019t be angry with me! I really didn\u2019t know Mom would come home tonight. Next time, I promise I\u2019ll sleep in your room again, okay?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sabrina pretended to be offended, turning her face away in a show of silent treatment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing that Sabrina was ignoring her, Vanessa straightened up and pressed her cheek urgently against Sabrina\u2019s, her voice trembling with desperation. \u201cSabrina, please don\u2019t ignore me like this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, Sabrina, please smile for me! Look at me, please!\u201d Vanessa began making exaggerated silly faces, pulling out all the stops to coax a smile from Sabrina.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa employed every tactic in her arsenal, determined to see Sabrina\u2019s expression soften.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Watching this entire scene unfold from her vantage point on the staircase, Scarlett felt a bitter, aching emptiness spread through her chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She remembered when Vanessa was just learning to form words-how she would stay awake day and night talking with Vanessa, responding to every babble, terrified of making her child feel even momentarily ignored or uncomfortable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet all that devotion and effort now felt like a cruel, meaningless joke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If making Sabrina happy required Vanessa to get down on her knees and beg, Vanessa would probably do so without a moment\u2019s hesitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The thought brought fresh tears to Scarlett\u2019s eyes that she struggled to hold back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:13 Thu, Jan 8\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 94 The Scent of Betrayal\u00a0<\/p>\n
Unable to bear watching any longer, she turned and walked toward Vincent\u2019s room, suddenly feeling parched and in need of water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
52\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
After drinking her fill and returning to Vanessa\u2019s room, she found Vanessa just emerging from the staircase.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Spotting Scarlett, Vanessa called out with a hint of guilt in her voice, \u201cMom?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett looked at Vanessa, who was growing into a young woman before her eyes, and thought of how she\u2019d just witnessed her groveling before Sabrina. The pain in her heart intensified into a sharp, twisting\u00a0<\/p>\n
sensation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yet there was nothing she could do. Both Vanessa and Vincent clearly preferred Sabrina\u2019s company.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, where did you go just now?\u201d Vanessa approached, slipping her small hand trustingly into Scarlett\u2019s palm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett immediately understood what Vanessa was really asking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa was testing her, trying to determine whether she had overheard the conversation with Sabrina downstairs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But things were different now. Scarlett had learned to accept the painful realities of her situation. If Vanessa didn\u2019t want her to know something, she would simply pretend ignorance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI just went to the bedroom to get my pajamas and take a shower,\u201d she answered calmly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As she spoke, Scarlett watched Vanessa\u2019s expression closely. When she saw the visible relief wash over Vanessa\u2019s features, the ache in her heart deepened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hand in hand, they walked back to the bedroom together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa announced, \u201cMom, I finished my milk. Let\u2019s get ready for bed now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett gently withdrew her hand from Vanessa\u2019s grasp, replying softly, \u201cAlright.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Noticing that Scarlett had pulled away, Vanessa looked down at her now-empty palm, experiencing a strange, unnamable bitterness she couldn\u2019t quite comprehend.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett entered the bathroom and turned on the shower.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even as the hot water began to flow, she didn\u2019t call for Vanessa to join her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was simply too tired. She didn\u2019t want to call out anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Surprisingly, Vanessa obediently gathered her pajamas and entered the bathroom without being summoned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Soon enough, Scarlett had finished bathing Vanessa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After carrying Vanessa back to bed, Scarlett said simply, \u201cGo to sleep now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her tone suggested she was preparing to leave.\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
10.10\u00a0<\/p>\n
mu, Jail o\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 94 The Scent of Betrayal\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Vanessa quickly called out, \u201cMom, aren\u2019t you going to sleep here with me tonight?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
52\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finished\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though Vanessa had grown accustomed to Sabrina\u2019s company, she would have been equally happy to have Scarlett stay the night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scarlett refused without hesitation. \u201cNo, I\u2019ll sleep on the couch tonight.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The blankets carried the distinct scent of Sabrina\u2019s perfume, and Scarlett detested that fragrance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t just Vanessa-Vincent carried the same scent these days.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her husband and daughter, who had once belonged solely to her, were hers no longer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Since they all clearly preferred Sabrina, there seemed little point in caring anymore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Vanessa, who had finally managed to cheer Sabrina up and was in a rare good mood, had even been willing to let Scarlett share the bed with her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But she never expected Scarlett to reject the offer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stunned, Vanessa watched as Scarlett settled onto the small sofa. Without concern for whether Vanessa was properly situated in bed, Scarlett reached over and turned off the main lights..\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only the soft glow of the bedside lamp remained, casting dim shadows throughout the room while still illuminating everything within.\u00a0<\/p>\n
18:13 Thu, Jan 8 G\u00a0<\/p>\n
Awakened Housewife Ignore Betrayer\u2019s Begs\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silent Dreams Never Die \u2014 Author: John Miller 94 \u00a0 Chapter 94 The Scent of Betrayal\u00a0 52\u00a0 Finished\u00a0 After what […]<\/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":[81],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-impossible-condition-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27458","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=27458"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27458\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}