As soon as Jessica stepped through the door, she pointed at Leo and told him to get lost.
Leo, well-prepared for such a situation, simply ignored her and headed upstairs.
This infuriated Jessica to the point where, had it not been for Martin holding her back, she might have physically confronted Leo.
In Sophia’s bedroom, Leo recounted today’s accident to her in every detail.
After hearing Leo’s account, Sophia was furious beyond measure. She never expected her own mother to stoop to such levels. Not only did Jessica refuse to take responsibility for the car accident, but she also twisted the story and even had the audacity to call Leo and ask him to take the blame.
Descending the stairs alongside Leo, Sophia glared at Jessica and said, “Mom, you’re in the wrong here. You can’t put all the blame on Leo; it’s unfair to him!”
Hearing her daughter’s reproach, Jessica sat down on the couch, started crying, and complained, “My life is so miserable! My daughter has grown up and now she chooses her husband over her own mother. I might as well die!”
Jessica’s emotional display was nothing short of professional-level acting.
In the past, Leo would have let things slide in such situations. He would usually compromise, especially when Sophia was caught in the middle. But today, after learning about Doreen’s family situation, he decided not to yield to Jessica.
Seeing Jessica cry so pitifully, Leo coldly responded, “Mom, you know what? The woman who got injured in the accident has a very difficult family situation. She’s a single mother taking care of a mildly mentally handicapped son. With her hospitalized, there’s no one to look after him, and he’s being bullied by some other kids.”
“Leo, since when did you become a saint? Why should I care about her family situation?” Jessica retorted, pausing as if she suddenly understood something. “I get it now. That woman must be poor, and with her son being a simpleton, she’s trying to pull off a scam to get money!”
Up to this point, Jessica still refused to acknowledge that their car had hit the middle-aged woman.
Sophia couldn’t stand it any longer and shouted, “Mom, even the traffic police determined that it was your and Dad’s fault. How can you still be so stubborn?”
Taken aback by her daughter’s scolding, Jessica paused for a moment, then burst into tears again.
Leo looked into Sophia’s eyes and said, “Sophia, for other matters, I can compromise with Mom, but on this issue, I can’t.”
Sophia also gazed into Leo’s eyes, showing no trace of blame. She asked, “How is that woman doing now, and where is her son?”
“I’ve arranged for her to be admitted to the intensive care unit, and I’ve brought her son to her. Everything is fine for her; don’t worry,” Leo replied.
Hearing the words “intensive care unit,” Jessica suddenly stood up from the couch and shouted at Leo, “Leo, you freeloader! Is that woman your real mother? Why are you being so good to her?”
Leo’s parents had disappeared when he was six years old, and Jessica’s words hit a vulnerable spot in his heart. He looked at Jessica with a cold expression and said, “Mom, I’m using my own money, and you have no right to say such things about me.”
Jessica, infuriated, retorted, “Leo, it seems you no longer care about me. Now that you’ve grown wings, you can fly away.”
With that, she turned to Sophia, her tone commanding, “Sophia, I’m demanding that you divorce Leo right now. Otherwise, don’t ever call me ‘Mom’ again.”
Sophia was shocked by her mother’s attempt to force her into a divorce, threatening to sever their mother-daughter relationship.
Her face turned pale, but she looked at Jessica seriously and said, “Mom, I will never divorce Leo. If you continue to be unreasonable like this, I will move out!”
Jessica, taken aback by her usually obedient daughter’s response, faltered for a moment, then pointed at Leo angrily, “Leo, you useless waste! What kind of spell did you cast on my daughter? Now, get out of my house immediately! I don’t want to see you ever again. Whether you live or die, it has nothing to do with our Henley family!”
Leo wanted to say something, but Sophia interrupted, “Mom, the Audi A8 you drive was bought by Leo, and the 300, 000 dollars you lent to your brother was Leo’s money. You can’t drive him away!”
Jessica, still in shock, mumbled, “I don’t care about the car. I’ll return it to him, and the money too!”
Leo, realizing that arguing further wouldn’t lead to a resolution, turned to Sophia and asked, “Sophia, would you be willing to move with me to our new home in a month?”
Although Sophia didn’t know where Leo’s new home was, she nodded without hesitation. “Wherever you go, I’ll go. You’ve endured silently in this house for four years; it’s time for you to be free.”
Sophia’s words were like a warm current wrapping around Leo’s heart. He looked at Jessica and said, “Mom, when I buy the new house, if you and Dad are willing to live there, I’d be happy to have you. If not, that’s fine too.”
Jessica was about to start another argument, but Sophia grabbed Leo’s arm and pulled him out of the house.
Back on the couch, Jessica seemed lost in thought. After a while, she turned to Martin and asked, “Martin, Leo said he’s buying a house. Do you believe him?”
Martin shook his head, “I don’t know.”
Jessica knew that Leo wasn’t the type to brag or exaggerate. Considering his tone and demeanor earlier, it was highly likely that he was telling the truth about buying a house.
Jessica’s angry expression turned into curiosity, “Leo mentioned the house when he was at Jeffrey’s house. Could it be that the house he’s buying is even more upscale than Golden Coast villa?”
Hearing her words, Martin’s face turned slightly red. He couldn’t help but think his wife was quite something. She had just demanded Leo leave the house, and now she was curious about the house he was buying.
“Dear, not to criticize you, but you were quite impulsive just now. What if Leo’s new house is indeed better than the Golden Coast villa? Now that you’ve had a falling out with Leo, you don’t feel embarrassed to live there?” Martin remarked.