The Harrington family adored Bella, seeing her as the ideal Mrs. Harrington. In their eyes, I was merely a babysitter for Gavin, deemed cowardly and deceitful. Even the younger Harringtons felt entitled to scold me openly.
I walked in, my face, a mask of emotionless resolve.
When I arrived at the lobby, I overheard Ethan's mother, Sophia, praising him. "Son, I heard that Gavin has a chance to be admitted to Stanford this year. This is all thanks to your excellent guidance. Gavin's lucky to have a father like you."
I stopped in my tracks, racing an eyebrow when I heard my husband's voice this time. "Gavin is my son, so he has to be exceptional," Ethan responded calmly.
"Gavin is indeed exceptional! Not only does he excel academically, but he also has a good character. He's sensible and polite. Everyone likes him," Bella chimed in, her voice warm and approving.
After that, another voice sounded. It was Ethan's sister, Ella Harrington, who immediately interrupted the conversation, "Since you like Gavin so much, why don't you become his stepmother?" Ella had always been close to Bella and wished she could be her sister-in-law.
Her words drew laughter from the whole family, making it clear that this was everyone's heartfelt wish. But as I walked into the lobby, their expressions changed drastically, as if they had seen an unwelcome guest.
They didn't even try to hide their disgust.
"Lila, where is Gavin?" Ethan asked coldly when he saw that I was alone.
Upon hearing his question, I stared at him with cold eyes. "Do you still care about your son?" Sarcasm laced in my voice.
Ethan's expression turned stern, and he replied angrily, "What are you talking about? I may be busy and not always there for Gavin, but he is the reason I work so hard. He is my only son and the sole heir to the Harrington family. Everything I have will be his someday. How can you say I don't care about him?"
"Everything is left for Gavin? If you hadn't said so just now, I would have thought it was all for Bella," I retorted, my voice shaking with anger.
For Bella, Ethan had cruelly left Gavin and me stranded on the way to his entrance examination. He ignored my desperate pleas and left us to tend to Bella's dog. The memory still made my heart ache.
The Harrington family looked at me as if I were a stranger. They were shocked that I, usually gentle and obedient, would dare to refute Ethan in public.