My Child and I Married a Billionaire

Chapter 101: Chapter 101: Not a Single One Is Reassuring

Having been passive-aggressively berated by a junior like Damien Vaughn, who then proceeded to disrespect her in front of her friends, Second Aunt was furious—so furious she lost her appetite for dinner.

The moment her daughter, Simone Vaughn, walked in the door, she was met with a scowl and a tirade.

"Out and about, always out and about! All you do is run around all day! You’re a grown woman. Can’t you find something productive to do?"

"You do poorly in your studies, you don’t want to get a job, your love life is going nowhere, and you just fool around all day. What was the point of raising you and your brother? Neither of you tries to make me proud!"

"And your brother? Why isn’t he home again today? Call him! That good-for-nothing father of yours is hopeless. If I make a small scene, it’s useless. If I make a big one, not only is it humiliating, but he threatens to divorce me. If I weren’t desperately holding on to this marriage and swallowing my pride, do you think you two could still enjoy your privileged lives? Have some sense of urgency!"

"Get your brother back here right now so we can discuss his marriage. As long as your father’s bastard out there is still young, he still pays some attention to your brother. We need to hurry up and find him a girl from a good family to marry!"

"And then there’s you! I started planning for your future happiness years ago. I went to great lengths to arrange a marriage for you, and look at your relationship with Zeke Walton! That Cecelia Archer came from nothing, yet she’s managed to latch onto Damien Vaughn at such a young age and even had his child. And you... Ugh, I can’t. If I say any more, I’ll die from anger. I must have done something to deserve this family of debt collectors!"

Her mother could be naggy, but she’d never gone on like this all at once.

The stove was cold, and with that awful look on her mother’s face, Simone Vaughn knew instantly that someone had upset her. She snuggled up to her, putting on a sweet, obedient look.

"Mom, what’s wrong today? You’re yelling at Dad, then at my brother and me. What set you off? Did some loudmouth say something to you? Don’t sink to their level. My brother and I aren’t even that old. We’re nowhere near the age where you need to be rushing us into marriage. Some people just can’t stand to see you happy, so they deliberately try to stir up trouble. You can’t fall for their tricks."

She obediently began rubbing her mother’s chest to calm her, but Second Aunt shoved her hand away.

"Enough with the sweet talk! What are you good for besides buttering me up with empty words? If you’ve got skills, go use them on Zeke Walton!"

Simone Vaughn was taken aback. "Mom, I’ve heard of mothers pushing their daughters to get married, but never to be shameless. Who did you even see today that made you this angry? You’re actually telling your own daughter to go grovel before her fiancé. You think I’m like Cecelia Archer? That I’d do anything to snag a man? Regardless of what others do, we can’t debase ourselves, right?"

Hearing her daughter bad-mouth Cecelia Archer, Second Aunt’s mood inexplicably improved, and she poked her on the forehead.

"You little rascal, you just know how to get on my good side! So, what did you do today? Out having fun all day again. When are you ever going to grow up?"

Simone Vaughn hugged her mother’s arm playfully.

"I was out having fun, but I also came back with a major scoop. Mom, guess who I ran into today?"

"Who?"

"Annabelle Young. I heard a bombshell from her. Wanna hear it?"

"You little rascal. Stop beating around the bush with your own mother. Spit it out!"

Simone Vaughn let go of her mother’s arm and sat up, her face lighting up with gossip.

"I don’t know Annabelle Young well. We’d heard of each other back in school, but we never actually spoke. Well, I ran into her at the mall today, and she not only struck up a conversation, she even bought me lunch. You know why?"

"Mom, she wants to marry Damien."

"She wants to marry Damien, not your brother. What’s there to be happy about? Do you have a brain in your head?"

She had been waiting for some juicy gossip, and this was all her daughter came up with. Furious, Second Aunt gave her another shove on the forehead.

Simone Vaughn rubbed her head. "Ow! Don’t be so quick to get angry. Let me finish."

"Do you know why she wants to marry Damien? Because her cousin, Brandon Jacobs, told her Damien was single and eager to find a girlfriend, so he introduced them. She just went on a blind date with Damien a few days ago. That’s why she was deliberately trying to get on my good side—to make a good impression on him."

Second Aunt was utterly confused.

"A blind date with Damien? How is that possible? Hasn’t he been with Cecelia Archer for a long time? Their child is a few years old, isn’t she?"

"That’s why I said it’s a major scoop! Mom, isn’t it strange? Worth looking into, don’t you think?"

"Damien has never brought a woman home in all these years. We’ve never even heard any gossip about him having a girlfriend. Then, suddenly, he shows up with a daughter that old. Just think about it..."

Second Aunt met her daughter’s eyes. After a few seconds of thought, her expression changed dramatically.

"Don’t tell me... he found out something about Grandfather’s condition, and to get on his good side before he passes, he deliberately faked a wife and child to bring home?"

Simone Vaughn clapped her hands. "That’s exactly what I was thinking! How could it be such a coincidence? A daughter that old just appearing out of thin air?"

"And think about Damien! He’s usually as cold as an iceberg. Forget him hugging and cuddling a woman, he acts disgusted if you even get too close. But on the night of Grandfather’s birthday, he was all over Cecelia. I knew something was off then!"

It wasn’t just her; Second Aunt found it strange as well.

This afternoon, he was holding Cecelia in his arms, whispering intimately with her. That wasn’t a bit like his usual self.

’That bastard. So he was deliberately putting on an act to make Grandfather happy and get a bigger piece of the family fortune!’

"My dear daughter, you need to make sure this information is accurate. If it is, you’ll have done a great service for our family!"

"Your grandfather hates being lied to more than anything. If Damien is playing games with him about something as serious as marriage and having a child, Grandfather will be absolutely furious. He’ll lose all trust in him, and then..."

She savored the delightful image of her son taking Damien’s place, but after a few seconds, Second Aunt came back to her senses.

"Are you sure what Annabelle said is true? What if it’s just wishful thinking on her part..."

Simone said, "We’ll find out if it’s true tomorrow. I’ll invite her over, and you can ask her yourself. Besides, there’s even bigger news." freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"I was shocked when she told me about the blind date with Damien, so I deliberately mentioned Cecelia. And guess what? She knows Cecelia! And not just her—she also knows that little girl, Candy!"

"According to Annabelle, Candy has leukemia. She was in the hospital a few days ago, and Annabelle went to visit. Back then, Cecelia was desperate for money and even worked for Annabelle to raise funds for her daughter’s medical bills."

"What?" Second Aunt’s expression was a sight to behold.

"You infuriating girl! Can’t you just tell me everything at once?"

"Ugh, no, this is no good. The way you’re telling it is a mess, and it’s driving me crazy. Call Annabelle right now. Tell her to come over first thing tomorrow morning. I need to question her myself!"