Chapter 235
"Okay, Mom will get better soon and won't let Jessica worry."
Jessica nodded hard and kept me company while I ate.
She's been talking more and more these days.
While I was eating, she chattered away about things at home.
When mentioning Coco, Jessica couldn't help but exclaim, "Mom, you have no idea how amazing Coco is at math! She's a total genius. Even the teacher said Coco is a natural-born math genius!"
I was really surprised.
You have to understand that Jessica's tutors are all top-tier international educators.
For a teacher to say something like that means Coco must be really exceptional.
"See, I told you! How could anyone in this world not be good at anything? They just haven't discovered what they're good at yet!"
Jessica looked so proud, "I'm the one who showed Coco the way!"
I was amused by Jessica's playful manner and kept nodding, "Yes, yes, yes, Jessica is the best."
On the day I was discharged, I almost jumped out of bed to cheer.
God!
If I had to lie there any longer, I felt like I would just die!
Jason held my hand tightly, stopping me from bouncing around.
His expression was tense, "Calm down, don't move around."
I stared at him resentfully, "Why don't you try lying in bed for ten days or half a month?"
Jason raised an eyebrow, "I wouldn't let myself get injured like that."
He paused, then added, "And I won't let you get hurt again either."
"I believe you."
Jessica came over holding a big bouquet of flowers, "Mom, congratulations on getting discharged!"
"Thank you, Jessica."
Getting in the car, Jason said, "To celebrate your discharge, let's go out for a nice meal."
Jessica cheered from the back seat, "Great! Can I have fried chicken?"
"No."
Jason refused without hesitation.
"Today is to celebrate Mom's discharge, so Mom can eat whatever she wants."
Jessica pouted unhappily, "Dad, you're playing favorites. When I was discharged before, you didn't take me out for a nice meal. I want to make up for it!"
Jason kept his eyes on the road, "Ask my wife, I'll listen to my wife."
"Mom."
I shook my head with a laugh, "Why are you arguing with a child?"
Through the rearview mirror, meeting Jessica's hopeful eyes, I thought about it and gave in.
"Just this once this week."
Jessica is still young and shouldn't eat too much fried food—it's not good for her health.
Jessica nodded repeatedly, not forgetting to add, "Mom is the best! I love Mom the most!"
We took Jessica to eat the fried chicken she'd been craving.
She looked completely satisfied, saying it was so good.
I wasn't that interested in it, but seeing Jessica happy made me feel content too.
Coming out of the fast food place, I didn't really want to go straight home.
I'd been cooped up in the hospital too long—I was going stir-crazy.
"Honey, let's go shopping for a bit."
"Okay."
Ten minutes later, I regretted my suggestion.
Looking at the man standing in front of me, I frowned, my voice turning cold without control.
"Mr. Miller, what do you want?"
Tyler stood before me in a suit, his face showing some flattery and awkwardness.
"Sue, there's no need for you to be so distant with our relationship."
"Besides that tiny bit of blood relation between us, is there anything else?"
I asked back.
Tyler's expression froze for a moment.
His gaze swept over Jason before he forced out a smile and continued, "Dad didn't do well enough before and made you suffer. I heard you were injured—how are you now? Are you better?"
"If I had died, at least I wouldn't have to see you."
I rolled my eyes without holding back.
"Sue..."
Tyler was choked by my words.
He opened his mouth, "How can you talk to Dad like that? Dad is just concerned about you."
I nodded, humoring him, "Right, right, right, thank you for your concern. I'm fine, I'm great. Anything else?"
If Tyler really cared about me, why didn't he come see me when I was in the hospital?
There's no way Tyler couldn't find out which hospital I was in.
Now he shows up in front of me saying all this—he's such a hypocrite.
A flash of anger crossed Tyler's eyes, then quickly disappeared.
He pulled out a gift bag from behind him, "This is a discharge gift from Dad. I was too busy before and didn't have time to visit you. Dad was originally planning to send the gift to your home, but since we ran into each other today, I'll give it to you now."
My gaze swept over the gift bag.
I knew this brand.
It specialized in jewelry for middle-aged wealthy women.
Obviously this was something Tyler bought to give to Ember, but now that he's run into me, he just wants to score some points with me.
Perfunctory and thoughtless.
Just like how he keeps saying he cares about me, his illegitimate daughter.
Jason put his arm around my waist and spoke before I could, "My wife is young and beautiful. This kind of thing suitable for old ladies—Mr. Miller should take it back home."
Tyler's expression completely froze.
He didn't dare confront Jason, so he could only look at me with a helpless expression, as if condemning me for treating my biological father this way.
I met his gaze expressionlessly.
"I won't accept the gift, and I don't intend to accept the sentiment either. Please leave."
"Sue..."
Tyler wanted to say more when Ember walked over.
"Honey, who are you talking to?"
Tyler immediately shut his mouth, turned around and pulled Ember's hand ingratiatingly, leading her away.
"Nothing, honey. I got the necklace you wanted. Let's go home."
I curled my lip and pulled Jason in the opposite direction.
What I didn't know was that after we left, Ember shook off Tyler's hand.
Ember's face was ugly as she questioned Tyler coldly, "Tyler, what do you mean? Don't think I didn't see just now—you were trying to please that illegitimate daughter, weren't you? And you wanted to give her my things? Do you know how long I've been waiting for that necklace?"
Having been embarrassed in public, Tyler's expression wasn't great either.
He frowned, "Honey, don't make a scene. Sue didn't take it, did she?"
Seeing Ember about to explode, Tyler quickly added, "I wasn't really going to give it to her. I just happened to run into her today, and she was injured and hospitalized before."
"I knew it! You still have feelings for that illegitimate daughter! She and her mother are both the same—sluts! Bitches!"
Ember immediately shrieked, "Do you want to be with those mother and daughter and abandon our family? Then let's divorce! Let's go get divorced right now!"
Tyler's temples throbbed. He raised his voice and scolded sharply, "Enough! Just shut up!"
Ember's voice stopped abruptly.
She stared at Tyler with bloodshot eyes full of resentment.
Tyler shivered and quickly softened his tone, "Honey, honey, don't be angry. That's not what I meant. What happened before is long past—I've never thought that way."
"You know our company hasn't been doing well lately. Now that Sue has latched onto the Cooper family, if we could get some projects from the Cooper family..."