The CEO's Empathy Pregnancy Pains

"Scarlett, are you serious right now?" Emily couldn't bring herself to call Scarlett "Mom" anymore.

She cut straight to the point. "I've been covering all my mom's medical bills myself. It has nothing to do with you or Michael. The money I spend is what I earn. And whatever Michael gave me, that's just the divorce settlement." "Your son is right here. Ask him if I've ever asked for extra money. Let's clear this up face to face, so you can stop spreading lies."

"And by the way, your son got hurt because of me, so I'll take care of him until he's better. But you, as his mother, have you even shown any concern since you walked in?"

"I'm not trying to bring up Michael's past, but in the three years I was married to him, I've seen this over and over. When have you ever done more than just say a few words? When have you ever really cared about him?" Emily's words left Scarlett feeling completely ashamed. She wanted to snap back but didn't know where to start.

Because everything Emily said was true.

When Michael was young, Scarlett was all about having fun.

She was tired of the marriage her family arranged and had no feelings for Michael's dad. If it weren't for the Smith family's money, she wouldn't have had kids with him.

She thought that a child who wasn't conceived out of love didn't deserve her special care.

So, she didn't pay much attention to Michael after he was born.

She handed him off to the nanny and partied non-stop, never coming home sober.

And Michael's dad, always busy with work, didn't care about Scarlett's behavior.

There was no real love between them.

The Smith family didn't expect much from Scarlett either. As long as she had kids, the more, the better.

If it weren't for Veda's birth, Scarlett probably would've never stopped her indulgent lifestyle.

After that, she shifted her focus to the family, but her affection for Michael was still minimal. Scarlett was always self-centered.

In any situation, she thought of herself first, not Michael or Veda.novelbin

So now, being called out by Emily in front of Michael, Scarlett felt extremely embarrassed and ashamed. She was speechless and could only fume over the unfair past and marriage and the blunt exposure by this woman in front of her. Michael looked at Emily, surprised by her sharpness and the fact that she was standing up for him.

What shocked him even more was that Emily actually stood up to Scarlett.

Unlike before, when a few harsh words would send her away, she made it clear she was staying to take care of him.

This made Scarlett furious. She trembled and stammered, unable to form a complete sentence, then turned to Michael. "Michael, are you just going to let an outsider bully your mom like this? I made mistakes when you were young, but everyone does. You even sent me to the police. What more do you want from me? I'm telling you, if you let Emily stay, I will never acknowledge you as my son again!" That was a pretty harsh statement.

She didn't acknowledge him as her son? That's a big deal.

Emily was taken aback. She didn't want her presence to ruin even the most basic relationship between Scarlett and Michael.

No matter how awful Scarlett had been, Michael had always been polite to her, calling her "Mom" every time. It showed that deep down, he still craved that maternal love.

If you're loving the book, nel5s.com is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! Emily didn't want to take that away from him.

Just as she was about to say something, Michael beat her to it. "Does it really matter if you acknowledge me or not? You never raised me. But Emily, she takes care of me every day. If I have to choose, I'd rather go with someone who actually does something for me, right?"

It sounded like a joke, but it was heavy with sadness.

Emily looked at Michael, stunned.

He was looking back at her, his eyes full of concern.

She couldn't hold back her tears. They streamed down her face, falling into Michael's eyes.

Scarlett was beyond embarrassed.

She had said it out of anger, not expecting Michael to actually disrespect her.

Frustrated, she could only stomp her foot and stammer, "You, you, you... is this how you treat your mother? I carried you for ten months, and you side with an outsider. If I had known, I would never have given birth to you..."

She pointed at Emily. "Go ahead, turn my son against me! Do you think you'll get anything? The Smith family won't give you a dime. A woman who can't have kids, let's see how long you can stay smug!"

With that, Scarlett stormed out of Emerald Lake Manor.

Michael could tell how angry she was from her resolute footsteps, and he couldn't help but smile.

Emily noticed his laughter.

If you're loving the book, nel5s.com is where the adventure continues. Join us for the complete experience-all for free. The next chapter is eagerly waiting for you! Seeing his smile grow, she pursed her lips and said softly, "I know you're hurting inside. Don't bottle it up."

And there it was.

This was why Michael's attitude towards Emily had changed.

He didn't know when it started, but he realized that Emily was the one who understood him the most, the one who genuinely cared for him.

He hadn't noticed it before.

"Thank you," Michael suddenly said.

Emily looked up, surprised, to see him smiling sincerely. "Didn't you say you were going to cook for me? Go ahead, I'm waiting."

Michael's attitude had shifted so quickly.

Indeed, he didn't know when it started, but now they were on the same side. It was time to call a truce and recharge.

Emily went downstairs to the kitchen.

Michael stayed upstairs, working. He gradually heard the sounds of washing and chopping vegetables, smelled the aroma from the kitchen, and heard the soup boiling. It felt like a warm current flowing into his heart.

Suddenly, he thought of Scarlett's words.

His smile froze, and he turned away, hiding in the shadows.

The pain of completely losing his mother hit him, engulfing him, leaving him with no escape.