CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31: ACTING LIKE SHE’S THEIR MOM

Evan gently patted the back of the woman in his arms, his voice extremely low and gentle.

"It’s okay, it’s okay, I’m here, don’t be afraid..."

"Brother..."

Stella tightly clutched the fabric of Evan’s shirt at his chest, burying her face deep into his embrace, sobbing heart-wrenchingly, her body trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind.

Evan embraced her, not pushing her away, continually soothing her in a low voice.

At this moment, the sound of an ambulance came from outside the courtyard, interrupting Stella’s sobs.

Evan frowned, "Who called the ambulance?"

"I did," Juliana stood at the guest room door, watching them coldly, "Complaining that the ambulance came too quickly, didn’t hug enough?"

Evan’s eyes darkened, his voice laced with suppressed cold anger.

"Even jealousy should have a limit. Look at what you’ve done, driving her to the brink of collapse makes you proud?"

Juliana laughed at his words, "I’m surprised by my own power too, there’s a bit to be proud of."

"Juliana!" Evan’s voice was stern and harsh, "Apologize to her!"

Juliana smiled slowly, silently mouthed to him, "fuck your mother"

Then turned and left.

Mrs. Young hurriedly draped with a coat, ran upstairs.

"President Grant, not only has the ambulance arrived, but the police have also come because someone reported that there’s been a suicide here..."

Anger surged within Evan, yet he couldn’t utter a word.

...

Ignoring the bright lights of Platinum Bay, Juliana changed clothes and left.

After walking aimlessly for a while, Juliana couldn’t resist the amplified sense of loneliness in the night and picked up the phone to dial.

It took two tries before someone answered.

Summer’s voice was indistinct, as if still in a dream.

"Grant Mistress, you’d better consciously lie back into the coffin, or else I’ll use your skull..."

"Summer," Juliana interrupted her sleep talk, "I greeted Evan’s mother, do you think he’ll kill me?"

...

Summer hurried to a spot on the coastal highway.

Saw Juliana sitting outside the guardrail, facing the sea, crouching.

Her heart lifted.

"Sister! The seawater is excessively salty and floats dead fish! If we’re going to die, we should at least choose a five-star bathtub, with a bubble bath and rose petals!"

She rushed to Juliana’s side, only then noticing a dozen cans of beer beside her.

Juliana took a sip from one, placing it at her feet.

After a moment of freezing, Summer became furious.

"Damn! I thought you were going to turn into a mermaid, and almost flew the car."

She paused.

"Wait, can you drink?"

Summer didn’t know about Juliana’s miscarriage, but she knew she had just been discharged, not suitable for drinking.

"Summer, the last time Evan went to Aldoria to guard Stella, I was hit into the sea here, nearly died. Only thought tonight, I haven’t celebrated my rebirth, would you join me for a drink?"

Summer’s throat clogged, she sat next to her, poured all the beer from Juliana’s opened can into her own stomach.

Drank too hastily, she choked, her eyes turning red but turned her head to make an exaggerated burp.

"What the heck, this crappy beer... only I’m willing to drink with you, get a different brand next time."

Juliana had been a housewife for four years, always behaved well, hadn’t even visited a bar.

She didn’t know which brands of beer tasted good.

Summer wasn’t used to this beer bitter enough to sting the tongue but didn’t critique.

While Juliana asked, "Do you also think I’m very rustic?"

Summer shook her head rapidly, "No, no, no..."

Juliana wasn’t angry, opened another can.

"Laugh if you want, my life is just a joke."

Summer took another sip from her opened can.

"If you’re a joke, then what am I? Running a failing company, still showing off in the alumni group, am I the complimentary tissue paper of a joke?"

Juliana laughed at her words, but tears poured out uncontrollably.

"Just over ten days until freedom, have to endure now, but it’s so hard holding on."

Saying this, she hugged Summer and cried.

Summer made a hiccup.

"When you get divorced, I’ll host a night market stall for you, make it a grand celebration for embracing singlehood, invite a table of handsome men, with each of their abs spelling out ’Congratulations Sister on Rebirth’."

Juliana seriously thought about it, "That’s a good idea, but could you stop stealing my beer? Open one for yourself if you want to drink."

"No, yours taste better."

They continued chatting, back and forth.

By the time Evan found the two of them, Summer had already forgotten who she was, while Juliana leaned on Summer’s shoulder, eyes full of grievances.

"My husband barges into another woman’s room in the middle of the night, tightly holds her and gently tells her, ’Don’t be afraid, I’m here,’ but what about me..."

Juliana pointed at the pitch-black sea before them.

"When my car sank to the bottom of the sea, I also hoped to hear ’Don’t be afraid, I’m here,’ but all I’m worth is apologizing."

After speaking, she started laughing.

Laughing at how pathetic she was, mocking her own failures.

Summer groggily patted her.

"It’s okay, you don’t love him anymore, they have such deep sibling bonds every day, just think of yourself as their mom, this ethical drama is worth the gossip."

Evan frowned at her words, walked over a few steps to stand in front of them, lifted Juliana up.

"How much did you drink?"

Juliana responded instantly to his voice, tears retracted instantly with an indignant look.

"Get your filthy hands off me, however much I drank is none of your business!"

Evan’s face darkened, without a word, he picked her up.

Juliana was extremely disgruntled.

"My friend is still here, let me down."

Summer was utterly drunk, though Juliana was held by Evan, she still reminded her, "Juliana, don’t stand so high, it’s dangerous, hurry down."

Evan made eye contact with Ethan Carter, who instantly understood.

"Ma’am, I’ll take your friend home, don’t worry."

Ultimately, Juliana was shoved into Evan’s car.

Even though she hadn’t drunk much, she still felt slightly tipsy due to her poor health.

Once in the car, Juliana rubbed her forehead, trying to maintain the last bit of sobriety.

"I won’t apologize to your sister, if you want to scold, do it now, soon the alcohol might make me spew filth at you."

Evan fastened her seatbelt, his gaze lingered on her unadorned face for a few seconds, deliberately asked, "How filthy?"

Juliana thought for a moment, a smile appearing at the corner of her eye, "No matter how filthy, it’s cleaner than whatever you and your sister have."

Evan’s jaw tightened, he could tell, she thought she wasn’t drunk, but she already was.

The man wouldn’t argue with a drunk, drove the car back to Platinum Bay.

By the time they arrived, dawn was breaking, and Juliana was already asleep.

Evan unfastened her seatbelt, Juliana, half-awake, still didn’t want him touching her.

"You’re filthy..."

Evan’s gaze was gloomy, yet he still picked her up.

Stella stood at the door, watching him cautiously carry someone out of the car, her fingertips unknowingly digging into her palms.

As Evan passed by her, he bowed his head, brushing away stray hair from Juliana’s cheek with his chin, the movement so familiar it was dazzling.

A cold light flashed in Stella’s eyes, quickly catching up.