I'm Not Your Mother

I walked out leisurely only after I was done putting on my pearl earrings.

Emily seemed a little uncomfortable when she saw me coming downstairs. "Mrs. Palmer, I—"

"It's fine, Emily, just move in here. I know it takes you three hours just to commute here by bus daily." I took the shoes from the household staff before continuing, "You don't need to feel guilty. I'm happy that you're back too."

Julian was taken aback. He was aware that I would tear up whenever Yohan drunkenly called for Emily's name in the past.

It wasn't his first time seeing her when she first came to our house last month. He found a photo of her which Yohan had carefully kept in his drawer, and had heard Yohan mumbling her name whenever he was drunk.

It gave him the perfect weapon to punish me. However, he was surprised to find that this weapon had lost its effectiveness.

"I want ice cream! Get me two—no, I want 10 of them!" Julian screamed. Yet, the only reply that came back was the slam of the door.

I had been looking like a mess during my hospitalization period. Now that I was finally discharged, I need to visit the beauty salon for some skincare treatments.

The chauffeur had been waiting outside for some time.

Meanwhile, Julian's expression returned to normal as he stood in the living room.

"Your ice cream is here, Mr. Julian." A household staff had taken some ice cream out of the fridge in a hurry.

"I don't want them!" He threw the ice cream onto the ground, glaring at the door that remained shut.

Julian started to wonder if I truly had forgotten about him.

…

Cynthia Lambert, Yohan's mother, found out that Emily had returned from overseas and was now Julian's piano teacher. She then rushed over with several bags of luxury goods.

She took Emily's hand as they sat on the couch. "You've had it tough, my darling Emily. Yohan would have helped out with Walker Corporation if only you had been together with Yohan from the start. Your family wouldn't have gone bankrupt then."

Emily anxiously replied, "You shouldn't say that, Cynthia. The past is already set in stone, and I'm grateful enough that Mr. Palmer is willing to offer me a job now."

"There's nothing that can't be said. I feel completely at ease having Julian under your care now." Cynthia patted Emily's hand with satisfaction.

She then continued softly, "Do you know that Yohan is getting a divorce now? He wanted it as soon as you're back—isn't that telling enough?

"Don't worry, even Juli is very fond of you. You won't be mistreated in our family, and Yohan will help to turn things around for the Walkers."

Despite knowing that I was at home, Cynthia did not inform me when she came over. I was tactful enough to not go out and interrupt their catch-up.

Not only did Yohan and Julian like Emily, but even Cynthia was very fond of her.

Emily came from a prestigious family, and her background was a good match for the Palmers. When Yohan happened to fall for her at first sight, Cynthia was beyond overjoyed. She immediately started thinking of the arrangement for a wedding between the two families.

Unfortunately, Emily did not like him. She turned him down without hesitation and went abroad to further her music studies.

Although Cynthia found it regretful, she grew even fonder of Emily. She saw Emily as an ambitious woman with her own goals.

Meanwhile, I came from a humble background. I was vain and driven by the desire for wealth and status, and I would stop at nothing just to marry Yohan.

I could tell that Cynthia held disdain and even disgust toward me, but her good manners kept her from showing it too openly.

Sometimes I would wonder if everything would work out the best for everyone if Emily was the one who married Yohan from the start.

…

My phone vibrated, and I opened it to have a look. The message notification indicated that the accident insurance payout had come through.

I thought I would gradually forget about what happened during the car accident out of fear, but it all felt like it happened just yesterday when I closed my eyes.