The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 235: What’s With the Act?

Naomi Kenway waited at the coffee shop they had arranged to meet at. The gentle music filling the room soothed her weary body as the hands on the wall clock crept along.

Naomi took a sip of her coffee and unlocked her phone. Still no word from Chloe Murray.

Chloe was already ten minutes late.

’She’s never late. Could there have been an emergency?’

As if on cue, just as Naomi was about to call, her phone rang with Chloe’s name on the screen.

"Hey, where are you, Kara?"

Chloe Murray’s voice sounded weak on the other end. "I... I’m at the hospital... COUGH..."

*

Naomi rushed over frantically, finding the VIP room Chloe had directed her to.

Pushing the door open, she saw Chloe Murray lying on the hospital bed. Her right leg was in a cast, wrapped in thick layers of gauze; the injury was clearly serious.

When she spotted Naomi, Chloe called out, "Hey, Nina, you made it."

Naomi walked over, her brow deeply furrowed. "What happened? How did your leg get like this all of a sudden?"

"Come on, sit down, honey. Don’t worry, just listen. This leg is nothing, just a minor injury. It looks worse than it is, but it’s really nothing to worry about!" She then added apologetically, "It’s all my fault for being careless. I wanted to call you sooner so you wouldn’t have to wait, but the doctor wouldn’t let me have my phone. Thanks for rushing all the way over here to see me, Nina."

"Careless walking? You didn’t get this from a simple fall, did you?"

"Some car came out of nowhere and almost hit me. Good thing I have quick reflexes, or you wouldn’t be seeing me at all, Nina. But even with my fast reaction... COUGH COUGH... I still got a little banged up."

Naomi’s expression sharpened. "Did you call the police? What’s the report?"

"The police investigation found out the driver was drunk. It’s unbelievable, how did he even make it downtown? Speaking of which, my luck has been terrible lately—the kind where you’d choke on water. No major catastrophes, but an endless string of minor mishaps. This is the third car accident I’ve been in this month. I was just lucky the first two times."

Chloe’s eyes darted behind Naomi, but she didn’t see the little guy who was usually stuck to Naomi’s side. "Where’s your little rascal?" she asked, puzzled. "You know, the little brat with the big, round eyes? Oh, right, it’s not the weekend. He’s still at preschool."

"The third time?!" Naomi couldn’t contain her anger, her teeth clenched. "How can you be so nonchalant about this? You were lucky the first two times, but what if you hadn’t been? Would you still call this a ’minor mishap’?"

Naomi tried to rein in her harsh tone. "I’m sorry, Kara. I just got a little worked up..."

"How could I ever blame you, Nina?" Chloe, eager to make her point, almost jumped out of bed. "I would never, ever blame you! You’re my best friend, my... this!" She stuck out her thumb. "Know what this means? You’re my number one!"

Naomi didn’t know whether to be angry or to laugh. "How are you always so laid-back about everything?"

"I’m pretty relaxed about life and death. If I live, I live. If I’m unlucky enough to die, well, that’s just bad luck," Chloe said with a shrug.

"No. You have to protect yourself," Naomi insisted. "At first, I thought this was just an accident, too. But then you mentioned it’s the third time. Do you really think that’s a coincidence? This is clearly attempted murder!"

Chloe grew thoughtful. "But I get along well with people. I can have fun with just about anyone. I haven’t offended anybody..."

Naomi sighed. "Do you remember when I told you to be careful of those twins in your family?"

"Of course I remember," Chloe said. "But my father and grandfather are very protective of them, so I can’t just kick them out right now. I’ve had people keeping a close eye on their movements, though, and there’s been nothing unusual..."

"The lack of anything unusual *is* what’s most unusual. Your mother is a kind woman for agreeing to take the twins in, but she had zero tolerance for their mother, the mistress. In the end, the woman couldn’t handle the gossip and killed herself with gas poisoning. Don’t you find that strange? Normal people in that situation would probably hate you and your mother’s guts. But on the surface, those two are so obedient and humble, almost spineless. Don’t you see how terrifying that is?"

"I shouldn’t speak ill of your mother, but what she did was like welcoming a wolf into her home."

Chloe froze. Her casual expression vanished, replaced by a solemn one. "You have a point."

Naomi said, "These car accidents are definitely connected to them. You need to gather more evidence so you can take them down once and for all."

"Okay," Chloe said.

A knock sounded at the door, and a group of people carrying flowers came in to visit Chloe. Naomi stood up. "I’m relieved to see you’re okay. I’ll get going now."

"Okay. Make sure you miss me, Nina!"

Naomi exchanged brief greetings with the group before pushing the door open and leaving the room.

She was on the sixth floor, and because it was so busy, the wait for an elevator was long. After pressing the button, Naomi stared blankly at the motionless elevator doors.

"Watch out."

Suddenly, someone pulled Naomi forward a few steps. An anxious voice came from behind her. "Excuse me, coming through, coming through!" a middle-aged man said, pushing an empty wheelchair hurriedly past.

Naomi turned to look at the person beside her. She was about to thank him but froze, then shoved his arm away in disgust.

"Caleb Bishop, how dare you show your face in front of me?!"

"A friend of mine sprained his ankle, so I came to visit. I didn’t expect to run into you," Caleb Bishop said, his handsome face showing no sign of anger. He wore a white shirt, his slightly long hair tied back. His slender frame was as straight and tall as a bamboo stalk.

’He looks decent enough on the outside,’ Naomi thought, but she couldn’t stand him. The very sight of his face made her feel sick with disgust.

"That man with the wheelchair seemed to be in a real hurry," Caleb said. "Let me see, did you get hurt?"

The familiar way he acted, as if nothing had ever happened between them, only disgusted Naomi further. She shoved him impatiently. "Get away from me. What are you even pretending at? I’m not your meal ticket anymore."

"I haven’t seen you in years. Have you been doing well?" His eyes held a look of lingering affection.

"Don’t stand there and make me sick. Why are you pretending to be so sentimental? Don’t you know exactly what kind of person you are?" Naomi sneered. "I’m doing great. My husband is handsome and caring, and my son is smart and well-behaved. I’m living a life that’s practically heaven. In fact, I should thank you. If you hadn’t deliberately been so vile to me back then, I wouldn’t be living this well today."

As she spoke, she patted her chest in relief. "I really do have you to thank for all of this. Thank you for not making me live a miserable life with you, eating scraps while having to support an ungrateful leach like you."