When the Contract Marriage Ended, He Stayed

Chapter 89: Taking Up the Mantle

"You!" Yvette Hawthorne was so furious she was rendered speechless. She knew Hazel Hawthorne was calling her an idiot.

"See? You’re speechless. Looks like you agree with me. It was only because my mother got sick that your mother was hired as our maid. And what a great job she did—great enough to sleep her way right into my father’s bed." Hazel Hawthorne’s blunt words were another vicious slap in the face to both Jessica Clarke and Yvette Hawthorne.

Furious, Yvette Hawthorne burst into tears. She hiked up her skirt and stormed upstairs. A door slammed violently. Unfazed, Hazel Hawthorne remarked coolly, "So you can do it, but you can’t stand to have anyone talk about it?"

"Hazel!" Harrison Hawthorne finally snapped, shouting his daughter’s name in a rage. "She’s your sister, and that’s your mother! How can you speak to them like that?"

"Is there a problem with how I’m speaking? You should have known what my attitude would be when you asked me to come back. The best solution would have been to keep them out of my sight. Otherwise, believe me, I have plenty more nasty things to say."

Hazel Hawthorne stared fearlessly at Harrison Hawthorne. In her heart, ever since he had married Jessica Clarke right after her mother’s passing, Harrison Hawthorne no longer deserved to be called her father.

And discovering they had a daughter together only made it that much harder to accept.

Harrison Hawthorne was helpless against Hazel. So what if she was his daughter? She was also Aiden Xavier’s wife—the Young Madam of the Xavier Family. If he offended her, he could forget about seeing a single cent from them. Harrison knew full well that he needed to depend on Hazel.

Jessica Clarke stood to the side, weeping. Harrison could only comfort her and tell her to go check on Yvette.

Once the two eyesores were gone, Hazel settled down, sitting quietly in the living room. The household staff knew how formidable she was—definitely not someone to be trifled with. Even Harrison Hawthorne didn’t dare cross her, so they were all exceedingly cautious in her presence.

Upstairs, Yvette Hawthorne was throwing a tantrum in her room. Before Jessica Clarke could even say a word, an object hurled by Yvette smashed at her feet. She bent down, picked up the stuffed doll, and quietly walked over to her daughter, placing it back where it belonged.

know Aiden is here. Why are you throwing a fit? It’s not like you don’t know Hazel’s

before Hazel every single time, Mom! You saw her attitude—it’s like she doesn’t even consider us family," Yvette raged. "Why didn’t Hazel just die along

Clarke quickly clamped a hand over Yvette’s mouth. "Use your brain before you speak! You know how protective Hazel is of her mother’s memory, yet you still say something like that? Do you actually want

I could have been the one to marry Aiden! If she hadn’t suddenly agreed, I would be the Young Madam

didn’t want me to marry Aiden, so she decided to marry him herself at

was absolutely certain. "I know Hazel has never liked me. She just has to ruin my life. She knew

a hand over Yvette’s mouth again. "You can’t say

at the doorway for who knows how long, suddenly spoke up. "What’s so unspeakable? The fact that Yvette has a

Yvette and said flatly, "I hear about someone having a crush on Aiden every single day. Do you really think I care that you’re one of

supposed to

down Yvette’s form, her eyes filled with scorn, as if to say, ’With a face like yours,

Yvette felt utterly humiliated once again. She wanted to

"Your mother was a homewrecker. Are you planning to follow in her footsteps? Though... I imagine you’ll have a hard time stealing Aiden from me. After all, he’s not my father—he doesn’t fall for just any woman who

rushed right up to

say

her wrist tightly with her right hand. Then, with lightning speed, she swung her left hand and slapped Yvette across the

Hawthorne and Aiden Xavier, drawn by the sound, arrived just in

are you doing? Why would you

just teaching her not to