The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 175: Bringing a Wolf into the House

"Impossible! There’s no way I’m breaking up with Caleb!" Jeanette Kensington became extremely agitated. "That’s just your speculation! There’s no actual evidence that any of this is true! Caleb loves me so much, how could he possibly have ulterior motives..."

Jeanette Kensington shook her head again and again, a rare look of confusion on her face. "How could he do that to me? It’s impossible! Maybe... maybe he’s not a naturally helpful person, but he would never hurt me. He promised me countless times. He said I was different..."

Lorraine Warren pulled Jeanette into her arms and said soothingly, "I don’t think Caleb is that kind of malicious person either. Maybe your father is just overthinking things. Jan, don’t get so upset. Let me take you to your room to rest."

After Lorraine Warren took Jeanette back to her room, she carefully checked the door. Her expression was tinged with worry. "Jackson, were you serious just now? Jeanette is my only daughter. I can’t bear the thought of her being deceived..."

Jackson Kensington’s head was throbbing from Jeanette’s crying, but his voice was still gentle as he spoke to the woman he had idealized for so many years. He let out a sharp breath. "Right now, there’s no concrete evidence that Caleb Bishop has ulterior motives. And he has, in fact, helped me clean up a lot of messes recently."

He waved his hand, his head still aching. "Let’s just take it one step at a time. Given Jeanette’s state, this won’t be easy to handle."

Jackson Kensington had an uncanny knack for reading people. Back in the day, he had relied on his extraordinary acumen and perception to methodically approach and curry favor with Rose Kenway. He considered the methods he’d used to acquire the Kenway Group to be dishonorable, which was why he was naturally wary of Caleb Bishop. The Caleb of today was just too much like the Jackson of decades ago—the only difference was that Caleb’s methods were even more ruthless.

Jackson’s headache intensified. ’If I had known it would come to this, I never should have let Jeanette date whomever she wanted.’ Now it felt like he had let a wolf in the door.

He took out his phone and repeatedly instructed his assistant on the other end of the line to keep a close eye on Caleb Bishop. If Caleb made any unusual moves, the assistant was to report to him immediately.

*

At the business banquet, glasses clinked and conversations flowed. The golden liquid in tall-stemmed glasses shimmered in the bright lights.

Caleb Bishop absentmindedly swirled the wine in his glass. It was his first time attending such a banquet, an opportunity afforded to him by the Kenway Group.

When someone came over to make small talk, Caleb responded with practiced ease.

Though it was his first time attending a formal business reception, he had privately rehearsed every gesture and every word countless times.

He had grown up in abject poverty. When he first got to college, he’d been ridiculed endlessly in student clubs for his ignorance of wine tasting and business etiquette...

He glanced down at the watch on his wrist. He’d saved for a long time to buy it, but in a place like this, rife with ostentatious displays of wealth, it was still inconspicuous.

A commotion arose from the center of the room. Caleb looked over, his eyes narrowing slightly. He excused himself from the person he was talking to and quickly locked onto his target.

The woman appeared to be in her forties and was impeccably preserved. Her face was artfully made up, and the contours of her features still hinted at the beauty of her youth. She wore an expensive fur coat and had a supremely arrogant expression.

The crowd around her had just begun to disperse, addressing her as "President Chambers."

Caleb walked over, raising his glass in a small gesture. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"President... Chambers. Long time no see. I imagine you never expected to see me here, did you?" He let out a soft chuckle, but a venomous hatred was hidden deep within his eyes.

The moment Gemma Chambers saw him, her expression changed. Her arrogance was replaced by disgust, as if he reminded her of something unpleasant. "What are you doing here?" she asked coldly.

"That’s right, what am I doing here..." Caleb retorted rhetorically. "Someone like me is supposed to be abandoned in some mountain village, grow up there, and be trapped in that poor, backward place for the rest of my life. An opportunity to meet a person of your stature should be like winning the lottery..."

He laughed again, his expression twisting into a vicious sneer. "That’s what you were hoping for, isn’t it? My dear... mother."

Gemma Chambers’s face turned ashen. "Shut your mouth! I don’t know you! Are you some kind of lunatic who wandered in from God knows where? You’d be better off finding work as a waiter someplace else!"

As she spoke, she looked around, about to call someone to have him thrown out.

"I’m afraid you don’t have the authority to throw me out this time." Caleb produced his invitation. "Now, we are on equal footing, Ms. Chambers. You no longer have the right to chase me out of a coffee shop like some stray dog."

Gemma Chambers frowned in thought for a moment, then a smirk of realization spread across her face. "You look so much like your father. I should have known your personalities would be identical, too—only capable of scheming to leech money off of women."

She burst into wild laughter. "It seems I made the right decision back then. You’re both pieces of garbage, just like your father!"

Caleb laughed along with her, but his voice was laced with menace. "Sooner or later, I will make you regret this. I swear it. I will make you regret this..."

With that, he turned and walked away.

Gemma Chambers watched his retreating back with a complicated expression.

His phone rang. Caleb found a secluded spot to answer it.

The woman on the other end coughed twice. "Caleb, you should send some more money home. Your father hurt his leg harvesting corn a while back. It’s a huge gash... Also, your brother is looking to get married. He’s been doing manual labor in town and finally met a nice girl last month. He’s in his twenties now, he can’t afford to wait any longer. The house, the car, the bride price—it all costs money. You know your mother and I don’t have much saved up. You’re living a respectable life in the big city now, so you must have plenty of money. We’re not asking for much. Just send me two million."

Caleb sneered. "You’ve got a lot of nerve asking me for money."

The woman on the other end sputtered, "We still raised you all those years! Even if you’re not our real son, you have to repay us for that kindness, don’t you? Your brother came to see you, and he said your car is worth millions. You can’t even spare two million?"

"Raised me? How many times did you beat me after your son was born? You nearly tore up my university acceptance letter! You wanted me to drop out and work to earn money for your son’s wedding! I worked three jobs at once through college. Do you have any idea what I went through to survive all these years? The only reason I haven’t reported you to the authorities is because I was foolish enough to still care about our past."

The voice on the other end stammered, "B-but I didn’t tear it up, did I? How long are you going to hold that one thing against me?"

Caleb sneered and hung up the phone.

The surrounding noise of the banquet seemed to vanish, yet he felt like he was suffocating.