Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tears flowed ceaselessly from Juliet\u2019s eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, honey. Why don\u2019t you find a new mother instead?\u201d Juliet mumbled to the baby in her belly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After crying for an unknown amount of time, Juliet felt like she\u2019d been squeezed dry of all fluids in her body.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She curled up on the couch, lying there motionlessly like a torn rag doll.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her mind was slowly growing blank when the doorbell suddenly rang.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Jolene.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jolene\u2019s hair was a little disheveled as she stood there in a dusty old coat. The exhaustion on her face was evidence that she\u2019d traveled far. She was carrying several plastic bags too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet\u2019s hand paused on the doorknob. She didn\u2019t open the door for her mother right away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet didn\u2019t know how to face her mother right now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was Jolene going to berate Juliet once again?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJules? Open up. It\u2019s your mother,\u201d Jolene called.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet shut her eyes for a moment before opening the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment Jolene saw Juliet in person, Jolene\u2019s eyes filled with tears. Her lip trembled a little\u00a0<\/p>\n
too.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet\u2019s face was bone white. Her eyes were swollen red, her lips dry and cracked. She was as thin as a sheet. She looked so frail it was as if she might sway and fall if someone blew on her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jolene wordlessly entered Juliet\u2019s apartment and set down the items in her hand. She then gently embraced Juliet with her calloused hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom\u2026\u201d Juliet\u2019s voice was incredibly hoarse.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve lost so much weight. Haven\u2019t you been eating well?\u201d Jolene asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jolene patted Juliet\u2019s back and let her go before walking to the kitchen. Jolene then took out an apple from the groceries she bought and washed it. She then began peeling the skin with a knife.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The apple skin curled into a long red ribbon, never breaking. This was Jolene\u2019s habitual way of\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
peeling fruit after years of working as a housekeeper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet stood there watching her mother work in the kitchen. Juliet guessed that James had told Jolene to come over and try to get Juliet to apologize to Asher.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jolene cut the peeled apple into cubes and inserted some toothpicks in the fruit. She then plated them and brought them out into the living room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHave some. You can\u2019t starve yourself now, can\u2019t you?\u201d Jolene said, pushing the plate over to Juliet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet shook her head as she gazed at the pale yellow fruit on the plate. \u201cI can\u2019t stomach anything right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jolene didn\u2019t force her daughter either. She took a piece of apple and ate it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The living room was silent save for the soft sounds of Jolene chewing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After some time, Jolene tossed the toothpick into the trash. She then wiped her hands clean.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you really going to divorce Asher, Jules?\u201d Jolene asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet\u2019s eyes fluttered briefly as she nodded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was a complex emotion in Jolene\u2019s eyes as she sighed long and hard. \u201cWas it his looks or his money that you married him for?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that important?\u201d Juliet retorted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it comes to men, you have to decide based on what it is your heart desires. Asher comes from a powerful and wealthy family, so other women are bound to set their sights on him. If you want him for the money, then you have to put up with some hardship. Change yourself to suit his tastes and appease him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut if you want Asher and his genuine love for you, then you have to show him all your might and fury from the very start. Only if he accepts you for who you are can the two of you spend the rest of your lives together,\u201d Jolene said in a little uncomfortable manner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jolene had rarely spent time with Juliet throughout the years. In fact, Jolene was probably far less close to Juliet than Agnes from the Greene residence was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jolene had left Juliet back in their hometown and came to work for the Greene family as a housekeeper prior to Juliet\u2019s marriage to Asher. After marrying Asher, Juliet only ever stayed by his side.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jolene had all the more avoided spending time with Juliet when that happened. She hadn\u2019t wanted anyone to know that this delicate young woman was the daughter of a mere\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0<\/p>\n
housekeeper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
3\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe greatest wisdom one can ever learn in life is to never compromise one\u2019s dignity and well- being, Jules,\u201d Jolene concluded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet gazed at Jolene, stunned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jolene had never graduated from elementary school and instead spent many years of her life working as a housekeeper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Juliet never expected Jolene to be so wise and grounded.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom\u2026 What about you? Why are you still with Dad? He\u2019s a good-for-nothing old man who gambles all day and wastes away all your hard-earned money. Why do you still stay by his side? Have you never thought of leaving him?\u201d Juliet asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
0\u00a0<\/p>\n
ww\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 28\u00a0 Tears flowed ceaselessly from Juliet\u2019s eyes.\u00a0 \u201cOh, honey. Why don\u2019t you find a new mother instead?\u201d Juliet mumbled […]<\/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":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-save-your-pleas-im-with-your-best-friend-now-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408","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=408"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":447,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408\/revisions\/447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}