Chapter 56: Cora’s Mother Asks for Money
“Cora… how much money do you still have?”
Her mother’s face flushed as she buried it in her hands.
That was Ravi’s order for today—get money out of Cora.
Cora froze.
All her life, she’d been the one slipping money into her mother’s hands.
No matter how hard things got, her mother had never once asked her for a cent.
So why now?
“Mom, are you short on money? I still have fifty thousand saved.”
She pulled out a bank card and handed it over. “This is what I managed to save this month. Buy whatever you need, eat what you like. If it’s not enough, I can—”
“Cora, your grandmother said the new house still needs another two hundred thousand for renovations!” her mother blurted out in one breath. “If you can give us that, she promised—once the house in town is done, she’ll stop interfering in my and your father’s affairs.”
“Mom…” Cora stood up, feeling her chest tighten. “Whose name is that house under?”
Something about this didn’t feel right.
That money had come from the Watsons. It hadn’t been explicitly stated, but everyone knew it was a gift from the son-in-law to his wife’s parents.
In any other family, it would belong to her mother.
But this was the Devs. That changed everything.
“In your grandmother’s name,” her mother admitted softly. “She said she’s just living there for now—and that someday, it’ll be ours.”
Cora pressed a hand to her forehead. She’d known it.
Her grandmother would never put the house under her parents’ names.
That biased old woman would see to it that the place never truly belonged to them.
No wonder her uncles and aunts had been so attentive today—they’d clearly been planning this.
One point two million… in a small town like this, even thirty miles out, you couldn’t find property that expensive.
That old witch really knew how to scheme.
She’d pocketed the money Cora brought home and handed it right to her favored son’s family.
“Mom! Didn’t I tell you to use that money to repay Uncle’s debt?” Cora suddenly remembered. “You didn’t, did you?”
Her mother’s face darkened. “I never even touched it. Your grandmother took it all.”
Cora felt like she might vomit blood.
“What about the money I gave you separately?” she pressed. “The one just for you?”
Those had been her own allowance from the Watson matriarch—Cora hadn’t spent a penny, saving it all for her mom. It wasn’t much, but enough to ease her burden a little.
“Your father…” her mother faltered. “He said your marriage nearly ruined Laura’s engagement. Your uncle and aunt demanded compensation, so your father took that money and gave it to them as dowry.”
Cora stood there, utterly speechless.
The Devs were unbelievable—beyond cruel.
She could barely breathe, fury pressing against her chest until her vision blurred.
Seeing her daughter’s pale face, her mother panicked, patting her back. “Cora, don’t scare me! Are you alright? Breathe, sweetheart!”
Tears welled in her mother’s eyes.
Cora finally exhaled shakily, forcing the tightness out of her lungs.
She was going to be suffocated by this family someday.
“Mom, how much do we still owe Uncle’s family?” she asked, trying to calm down. She had to get her mother out of this hellhole before her baby was even born.
“About a hundred thousand,” her mother said hesitantly.
“Then here’s what we’ll do. I’ll figure out a way to get you a hundred and fifty thousand. You can pay off the debt completely, and then come live with me in the city, alright?”
Her eyes shone with desperation. She didn’t care how hard her own life would be—she just couldn’t bear to see her mother being trampled like this anymore.
“That won’t do!” her mother protested. “Your grandmother’s old. I have to stay to take care of her—cook, wash, everything. Cora, I couldn’t give birth to a child myself; I owe the Devs too much already. I have no complaints. As long as you’re happy, I have no regrets.”
Her tone was firm. “But I’ll never leave the Dev family. The day I married into this house, I became their woman. I’ll die their woman too.”
Cora nearly choked on her own anger.
Because of her mother’s kindness and weakness, that wretched old woman had bullied her for over twenty years!
Meanwhile, her aunt hadn’t lifted a finger since she married in—every bit of housework had fallen to her mother.
This family was beyond redemption.
“Cora, I know I’ve failed you,” her mother whispered. “It’s my fault. I’m not strong. But I have no choice. I’m their daughter-in-law; no matter how hard it is, I have to endure it.”
“Mom!” Cora threw her arms around her.
Every time she’d begged her to leave, her mother had said the same thing.
“Mom, you promised—once I buy my own place, you’ll move to the city with me.”
She tightened her hug, pleading like a child. “You can’t go back on your word! And when my baby’s born, you’ll be a grandmother. You said you’d come help me with the baby!”
No. She wasn’t leaving without her.
She would not let her mother spend the rest of her life as a servant in that house.
Her mother sighed. “Cora, I understand. I really do. But if I go, what about your father and grandmother? I’ve looked after them for so many years. If I leave, who’ll cook and clean for them?”
“Mom… we can bring Dad with us! Grandma still has Uncle and Aunt, doesn’t she? Aunt’s always bragged about how filial she is—let her prove it! You’ve done it for over twenty years; it’s their turn.”
Cora kept coaxing her. “And I’ll need help with the baby, won’t I? You’re going to be a grandmother—how could you not come?”
“The Watsons are rich and powerful. Can’t they hire people to help you?” her mother hesitated.
“That’s not the same! No one can care for a baby like their own grandmother.”
Cora refused to give up, her tone soft but insistent. “Please, Mom. I’ve never done this before. I don’t even know how to hold a newborn. You have to come with me!”
“Alright, alright, you little rascal,” her mother finally gave in with a helpless smile. “Let me talk to your father first, alright?”
At least it wasn’t a refusal. That alone steadied Cora’s heart.
But where was she supposed to get a hundred and fifty thousand?
She thought hard. The only person she could possibly turn to… was Julian.
Would he agree to lend her the money?
It didn’t matter—she had to ask.
This time, she was determined to settle her parents’ debts once and for all.
She squeezed her mother’s hand and stepped out of the room.
Austin was waiting not far away, attentive as always.
“Mrs. Watson, do you need anything?” he asked immediately, reading the situation with perfect tact.
“Austin… I wanted to ask you something.” Cora bit her lip. “I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to say…”
“Please don’t hesitate, Mrs. Watson. Mr. Watson instructed us to fulfill any request you have.”
His sharp eyes flicked briefly toward her mother in the room, then back to her. “Do you need something fetched?”
Cora hesitated, cheeks flushing. “Could you… lend me some money?”
He blinked. For a man who’d followed Julian through countless crises, it took a full three seconds for him to process what she’d said.
“Mrs. Watson, you’re short on money?” he asked, incredulous. “How much do you need?”
“One hundred and fifty thousand.”
Cora wanted to disappear. How humiliating—to borrow money from her husband’s assistant.
The wife of Julian Watson, unable to scrape together a mere hundred and fifty thousand.
Austin’s expression twitched. That’s it?
“Is that too much?” Cora misread his silence and rushed to add, “It doesn’t have to be that much. Even a hundred would help.”
“Mrs. Watson,” Austin said carefully, “if you need money… why not just tell Mr. Watson himself?”