Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable

Chapter 87 After dealing with the young women in the sitting room Caleb slowly grasped the full weight of the situation. No sooner had he stepped out than his mother, Adeline, approached him. "What do you think of those young women tonight?" "What do you mean by, 'What do I think'?" Caleb asked, already knowing where this was going. Adeline's expression turned serious. "Don't play dumb. You're my son. Don't think I don't know how sharp you are." Caleb hesitated. He didn't want to provoke an argument but was no longer willing to hide how he felt either.

"Mom, you're interfering in my personal life. It would be better if you stayed out of it." His tone was cooler than usual, but Adeline didn't take offense. She replied evenly, "If you don't want me involved, then what are you planning to do?" Caleb frowned. He had no plans. Just as he had told Sydney, she was the only one he considered his wife. Although she had been difficult lately, he could admit that much of it was his fault. He understood that a young woman in love might lash out when she felt jealous or ignored. However, his silence seemed to worry Adeline.

snapped, "Are you thinking of bringing Penelope into the Hampton family as a second wife? Two of my sons married to the same woman? What do you think people will say?" The idea alone unsettled her so much that it had begun to keep her up at night. Caleb let out a soft sigh.

Something didn't sit right. "Are you hiding something from me?" "No," she said flatly. But in her heart, she had already

long, weary breath. Her nerves had been on edge all day. Now that the tension had passed, she realized she had clenched her fist so tightly that her palm was bleeding. 1/2 Chapter 87 +15 BONUS Every time she saw Victor, those old memories surged back-trauma, violation, fear-all flashing like waking nightmares. She forced herself to breathe until the panic subsided. After that numbing chill passed, she straightened