Chapter 254

I held Kelly's hand tightly.

"I thought my failed marriage would make you ashamed of me."

Thinking back to the divorce, the hardest part was how it affected my parents.

Anyone with eyes could see I had chosen the wrong person, but there were plenty of jealous neighbors spreading rumors that my strong personality had driven Brandon to cheat.

The first time I came home after the divorce, Kelly hugged me and cried her heart out. I knew she had been holding it in too.

Kelly ruffled my hair and said, "Caroline, you've always been my pride and joy. There's nothing for me to be ashamed of."

"A failed marriage is just a bump in the road. I've come to terms with it. Sure, some people have gossiped about your marriage, but I just cut ties with them."

"Don't judge others without knowing their struggles."

Kelly understood this better than I did.

I silently shed tears and hugged Kelly, acting spoiled. "Mom, I'll let you take care of my kids in the future. You'll be the best grandma."

"How old are you, still acting like a child?" Kelly pulled me to sit on the couch with her.

"Speaking of which, Caroline, I know your last marriage hurt you, but have you thought about remarrying?"

Hearing Kelly bring this up, I knew she must have seen Royce come over earlier.

I shook my head. "Mom, I really don't want to think about that right now."

"Caroline, I think Royce is a good guy. So what if he's younger? As long as he treats you well, that's what matters. We thought Brandon was a good match because he was your age, but look how that turned out."

Kelly's words were sincere, and I understood them.

But the messages from Yvonne were something I couldn't ignore.

"Mom, he's different from me. We can be friends, but I'm not suited for marriage with him."

I decided to share my thoughts with Kelly. After all, she's family, and if she understood, it would be easier to handle Royce in the future.

"First, I already have kids and don't plan to have more. Royce is still young. He might say he doesn't want kids now, but what if he changes his mind in a few years? Even if I wanted to, I'd be a high-risk pregnancy and might not be able to have more."

Kelly looked a bit taken aback. "Caroline, I didn't realize you had thought about all this."

I knew she was listening.

These were real issues, and no one could ignore them.

"That's one thing. Another is that I'll age faster than him. In today's society, men are still valued more as they age. How could I compete with younger women? Brandon is a perfect example."

I said a lot, and Kelly listened intently.

She patted my hand and pinched my cheek from time to time.

Finally, I whispered, "And Mom, I don't even know if I still have the right to pursue happiness."

"Especially after seeing so many husbands cheat."

Kelly was silent for a moment, then patted my back. "Caroline, you've grown up."

No more words were needed. I knew she chose to respect my decision.

That night, I slept well.

But in my dreams, someone was always chasing me.

He held a bouquet of roses but kept his distance.

In the dream, I felt calm. When I woke up, I saw a new message on my phone.

"I bought you flowers."

It was from Royce.

Thinking about my dream, I smiled bitterly and didn't reply.

Later that morning, I met Kathy at a coffee shop.

"Caroline, over here."

She waved at me.

I ordered a sugar-free coffee and asked, "Weren't we supposed to meet at the hospital today? Why here?"

Kathy waved her hand dismissively. "A client stood me up."

"Such bad luck. This client already stood me up once before, apologized profusely, and I didn't think much of it. She contacted me again yesterday, and I agreed."

"But today, she canceled again and asked for a refund. If she weren't a struggling student, I wouldn't give her the money back."

Hearing this, I asked instinctively, "A student? From a nearby school?"

"Probably. I can't see her personal info; she contacted me through WhatsApp."

I hadn't planned to think much of it, but something clicked, and I remembered the messages I received.

I grabbed Kathy's hand. "I remember you can see the name when transferring money on WhatsApp. Try it."

Kathy frowned, not understanding my insistence. "What's going on?"

"Just check. Or search by phone number."

I handed her the number I saved yesterday. "Just try it."

I suspected Yvonne was retaliating for what happened that day.

After all, I hadn't said anything directly; it was Kathy and the others who confronted her.

Seeing those messages, I knew Yvonne held grudges and might target Kathy.

Kathy tried it and found the client on WhatsApp.

Her eyes widened. "It's really her."

"Who is she?"

I smiled bitterly. "Remember Royce's classmate, Yvonne?"

Kathy finally recalled. "Oh, right..."

She reacted quickly, slamming the table.

People around us looked over, surprised. I quickly said, "Calm down."

"Is Yvonne crazy?"

Kathy had a shorter fuse than I did and was ready to curse her out on WhatsApp.

I stopped her. "Don't talk to her."

For some reason, competing with Yvonne made me feel ashamed.

It felt like fighting with a young girl over a man, and I didn't like it.

I had promised myself never to be insecure over a man again.

Kathy blinked. "Fine, I'll let it go for now. But I'll come up with a way to embarrass her. Don't stop me then."

I sighed. "Do what you want. I just don't want to compete with anyone."

I showed her the messages I received.

Kathy was even angrier, gritting her teeth. "I thought Royce was good to you, but if Yvonne is sending these messages, he must have given her some signal."

"He's not worth it."

Hearing this, I instinctively wanted to defend Royce.

I knew how easy it was for Yvonne to create misunderstandings.