The Cherished Wife

"That's wrong, Clarisse. Charles is your son, and he will remain your son forever. No one can take him away from you, not even me. He is his own being who can think of his own free will and is an excellent person that not even I could claim control over." When Nancy realized Clarisse was going overboard, she shook her head. "I'm not the one who caused your relationship with Charles to end up the way it is, Clarisse. Similarly, since you decided to Mateo, you should stop obsessing over things that will never belong to you. Were you speaking the truth when you said I'd taken what rightfully belonged to you?"

Nancy stared at Clarisse, and her unblinking gaze somehow managed to frighten her. To be exact, she felt a sense of guilt wash over her as Nancy looked at her.

Clarisse was about to say something else when Henry walked over with a glass of water in his hands. He gave Clarisse a nonchalant glance before handing the water to Nancy. "Nancy, why don't you try and see if the water temperature is fine? I had someone bring it over."

Clarisse was exasperated at how Henry was acting like there was no one else nearby. "Hen, you..."

"Only Nancy is allowed to call me Hen, Clarisse. I'm your brother-in-law. Please know your place!" Henry spoke frostily. When it came to his attitude toward Clarisse, Henry had never been particularly warm or welcoming towards her. Clarisse bit down on her lip, tears forming in her eyes.

walked over, an odd look flitting through his eyes as he swept his gaze across the three people present. However, he still tugged the corner of his lips upward into a smile as he said, "Henry, Nancy, you're here too." "Mateo!" Henry and Nancy nodded in greeting. "Charles said that this year, things will be different

many tricks up his sleeve," Mateo said

against his coat, with Ronald and Andrew right

"Charles, you're here!"

watched, she did not think twice before she turned toward him. However, before she even had the chance

approach Charles, but the

lip in frustration as she stomped her foot. "Charles, do you

warning her