Chapter 133

Brandon and Eugene exchanged a quick glance before looking away, like they were scared someone might catch on that they knew each other.

I watched their little act and couldn't help but smirk.

"So, Eugene, how do you know Brandon?" I asked, feigning curiosity.

The two, who had just been pretending not to know each other, froze. Eugene was the first to recover. "Mr. Jordan found me through a friend. He offered a good deal, so I came. Otherwise, I'd just be at home farming."

I nodded and looked at Brandon. "Gotta hand it to you. You did a good job. Eugene takes great care of my mom."

Kelly and I exchanged a knowing look.

Brandon cleared his throat nervously and smiled. "Of course. Your mom is like my mom. I had to find the best for her. I trust Eugene; otherwise, I wouldn't have let him take care of her."

Eugene nodded and smiled.

I pointed to an empty seat at the table. "Eugene, join us for dinner. It's rare for us all to be together like this."

Eugene quickly waved his hands. "No, no, I need to take care of Mrs. Sharp. You all eat; I'll eat later."

"That's not right," I insisted. "Eugene, you work so hard taking care of my mom. You should sit and eat with us."

Eugene hesitated, glancing at Brandon. When Brandon gave a barely noticeable nod, Eugene finally agreed and sat at the corner of the table.

I watched their interaction closely, smirking again.

Kelly looked at Briar with affection. "You must be Briar."

Briar, still a bit shy in our home, hid behind Savannah and nodded. "Hello, Grandma."

Kelly's face lit up as she reached out to ruffle Briar's hair. "This child is so different from Caroline when she was young. Caroline was always outgoing, but this quiet little girl is just as lovable."

I was taken aback and looked at my mom. "I wasn't like that. I was quiet too."

My mom laughed. "Sure, sure. You were so quiet, always climbing trees with the boys to steal bird eggs. Very quiet indeed."

Embarrassed by the old stories, I laughed awkwardly.

Savannah chuckled. "Ms. Sharp had a wild side as a kid?"

I waved my hand, not wanting to dwell on the past.

Halfway through our meal, we heard a knock at the door.

"Caroline, Mrs. Sharp, I'm here!"

I stood up, smiling. "That must be Kathy. Only she has such a loud voice."

Savannah and I went to open the door and took Kathy's luggage.

"You're late. We were about to finish eating."

Kathy rolled her eyes. "What? I told the driver to speed up so I wouldn't miss dinner. I haven't had Mrs. Sharp's cooking in years. I'm starving."

She hugged me and hurried into the living room.

"Mrs. Sharp!"

She was already shouting before she even got inside.

Kelly smiled helplessly. "Kathy, you're still as impulsive as ever."

Kathy laughed sheepishly and sat down next to Kelly without hesitation. "I've been craving Mrs. Sharp's cooking for so long. Finally, I get to eat it again."

My mom looked at Kathy lovingly. "Eat as much as you want. Eugene, get her some utensils."

Eugene got up to fetch them.

Brandon's expression soured at the sight of Kathy. They never got along.

After dinner, my mom had Eugene show us to our rooms.

She opened a pink-decorated room. "This is for Briar. I prepared it especially for her."

Briar's eyes lit up, clearly pleased.

Brett, not wasting any time, invited Briar to play hide-and-seek. We let the kids play and moved on to the next room, which was for Savannah.

"You'll stay next to Caroline. You two know each other well and can look out for each other."

Kathy followed us, eager. "What about me? Where do I stay?"

I looked at her. "Don't you have your own place in Suncrest City? Why stay here?"

Kathy rolled her eyes. "It's not the same. It's more fun here with everyone."

My mom smiled helplessly. "Kathy has always loved staying with us. Eugene, prepare a room for her."

Finally, we reached the room for Brandon and me.

My mom cleared her throat. "Brandon, you'll stay here."

Brandon, who had been silent, hesitated. "No, Mom. I'll stay with my wife."

"You should stay here. I want to sleep with the kids. I haven't seen them in so long. Just for a few days, okay?"

Seeing my determination, Brandon reluctantly agreed. "Alright, fine."

That night, we all went to our rooms. Kathy came to mine to chat.

Just then, Savannah entered with her phone, carefully closing the door behind her.

I knew she had news. She wouldn't close the door otherwise.

The kids were with Kelly and Holly, and Brandon was busy with work, so our room was safe for now.

Savannah showed us a video on her phone.

In the video, Karen was tied to a bed, screaming with her eyes closed, as if cursed. Several people were in the room, including Irene, a doctor, and Francis, who was filming.

Irene, looking annoyed, spoke to the doctor. "What's wrong with Karen? Why won't she stop? Her kids aren't here, and she's driving me crazy. Why can't she just die already?"