After His Sweetheart Moved In, He Came Home Every Night-Chapter 94: She’s Grown Attached to Him

"So you know everything."

The slap Alice York had just received was both heavy and vicious.

As she endured the pain, she also guessed why Mindy Vaughn had struck her.

Mindy Vaughn snorted coldly. "Didn’t expect that, did you? I know everything. If I hadn’t come here today, I never would have known you’ve had a boyfriend all this time—and that you even brought the man home to spend the night!"

Alice York’s brows furrowed. ’Boyfriend?’

’If Mindy Vaughn knew the man was Third Uncle, she would never use a word like ’boyfriend.’ This means she only knows I’m with a man, but she doesn’t know who he is...’

"Speak! Don’t just stand there playing dumb!"

The look in Mindy Vaughn’s eyes was incredibly hurtful.

Alice York asked, "What is it you want to hear?"

Mindy Vaughn demanded, "Who exactly is that man, and when did you two get together?"

Alice didn’t say how long they’d been together, only calmly probing, "If you know all about this, how can you not know who he is?"

Mindy Vaughn shot to her feet, grinding her teeth. "Hah! I really have your ’good neighbor’ to thank for this. If she hadn’t told me she saw you bring a man home, and then saw a man leaving your place this morning, I have no idea how long I would have been kept in the dark."

’A neighbor?’

Alice York instantly understood. The neighbor Mindy Vaughn was talking about had to be Mrs. Yates from next door.

She had run into her in the elevator with Wyatt Sterling, and that had been the first time Wyatt ever came to her apartment.

And now he’d been seen the second time, too.

Mindy Vaughn’s voice cut in. "I asked your neighbor if she recognized that tramp of a man, and she said she didn’t. So I went straight to check the security footage. And guess what?"

Alice’s fingers, hanging by her side, curled into fists. She held her breath.

Mindy Vaughn suddenly laughed. "Wouldn’t you know it, the security camera was broken. And only the camera on your floor was broken."

Hearing this, Alice breathed a sigh of relief.

Even though she was already certain her mother didn’t know the man was Third Uncle, she had still tensed up instinctively when she mentioned checking the footage.

’But the camera on her floor being broken... was that really just a coincidence?’

’It had to be Wyatt Sterling.’

’He was always so cautious. A nosy person could be handled by claiming not to know him, but security footage was concrete evidence.’

Mindy Vaughn sat back down, reaching up to touch her cheek, worried that her outburst might have deepened her laugh lines.

Finding none, she relaxed.

After composing herself, she tried to speak calmly. "I won’t ask about the camera. I don’t believe you have the means to pull something like that off, so we’ll call it a coincidence. As for that man, you need to break up with him. Immediately."

Alice didn’t answer, asking instead, "Can I go get an ice pack for my face first? If it’s too swollen, it might affect my work tomorrow."

Mindy Vaughn glanced at her, then closed her eyes and waved a dismissive hand. "Go."

To Alice, that face was just a pretty face. But in Mindy Vaughn’s eyes, it was her capital, her bargaining chip. She had been too angry earlier and hadn’t held back. It would be best if no mark was left.

When Alice returned, she was holding an ice pack to her face.

The slap had been truly painful.

But not as painful as the chill that had seeped into her heart.

Sitting down across from Mindy Vaughn, she said, "It’s not that easy to just end this relationship. Please give me some time."

"What do you mean, ’not that easy’?" Mindy Vaughn eyed Alice suspiciously. "Is he powerful?"

Though she asked, Mindy Vaughn didn’t actually believe it.

If her daughter really could land someone powerful, that would be fine too. It wouldn’t matter if things with Owen Sterling didn’t work out.

But she knew her daughter’s personality all too well. Alice would never pursue a powerful man; she yearned for freedom and an ordinary life, perfectly content with simple living.

Besides, if he were truly powerful, he wouldn’t be someone her daughter could handle. And such a man would never stoop so low as to spend the night in her daughter’s tiny apartment. The rich and powerful valued appearances and comfort above all else, so it was impossible.

Alice’s explanation was, "When you’ve been together for a long time, you naturally develop feelings. You can’t just break up at the drop of a hat. So, please, give me some time to handle it."

"I’ve been too easy on you, haven’t I!"

The more Mindy Vaughn listened, the more furious she became. "Bargaining with me at a time like this? Don’t even think about it. Break up with him now! And make it a clean break!"

Alice’s expression was one of strained forbearance. "Mom..."

"Don’t you ’Mom’ me. I’m telling you, Alice York, I’m already being civil." Mindy Vaughn cut her off. "If you push me any further and I do something uncivilized, don’t you dare blame your mother for being cruel."

Things having reached this point, there was no room for further negotiation.

Alice squeezed her eyes shut. "Fine. I’ll break up with him."

The moment she conceded, Mindy Vaughn held out her hand. "Give me your phone."

Alice didn’t move, showing no intention of handing over her phone.

Mindy Vaughn’s tone turned sharp. "I’ll say it one more time. Give me the phone."

’So there’s no getting out of this?’

Alice lowered the ice pack, her cheek still swollen as she stressed, "Mom, I have a right to my own privacy."

Mindy Vaughn ignored her daughter’s face. "You used to be my good, obedient girl. I never doubted you or tried to pry into your private life. But not anymore! I’m going to supervise this breakup to make sure it’s clean and complete. And I’m going to find out exactly who this man is."

Seeing that Alice still had no intention of surrendering her phone, she decided to just come over and take it.

The phone was in the pocket of Alice’s coat.

If they really started fighting over it, the scene would become ugly.

So, the instant Mindy Vaughn reached for it, Alice whipped out her phone and, without hesitation, smashed it on the floor.

She threw it with great force.

The screen shattered instantly, the lit display flickering with black and white vertical lines.

Then Alice stood up and, under Mindy Vaughn’s shocked and furious gaze, said word by word, "Now no one gets to look."

Mindy Vaughn fell silent. It was the first time she had ever seen this side of Alice—an attitude that clearly said if pushed to the brink, she was willing to drag them both down with her.

It was just a matter of who was crazier.

Mindy Vaughn reined in her emotions and tried to speak calmly and reasonably. "You are destined for a higher station in life. Don’t be distracted by the roadside scenery. Listen to your mother, break up with that man as soon as possible, and get in touch with Owen more often. I have a feeling Owen has feelings for you, too. All you two need is a chance to make it official."

The rapid rise and fall of Alice’s chest slowly subsided. After a long moment, she answered, "Okay."

Mindy Vaughn left.

The moment the door closed, Alice’s trembling body could no longer hold itself up, and she collapsed to the floor.

Her cheek throbbed with a burning pain. She picked up the ice pack and pressed it to her face for a while before scrambling to pick up her phone.

The screen was shattered into a spiderweb of cracks. She pressed a button, and it flickered erratically with black and white vertical lines. Just then, a call came in. She couldn’t see the caller ID, had no idea who it was, and when she tried to swipe the screen, it was completely unresponsive no matter what she did.

The more anxious she grew, the more frantic she became. She smacked the phone again, and suddenly, the call connected.

She stared at the phone in a daze, speechless for a long time.

Until Wyatt Sterling’s voice came through the phone: "Back in West River?"

A single tear fell silently, splashing onto the screen.