Caitlin’s sudden mention of events from 18 years ago hit a nerve with Sebastian. That was the one thing he never wanted to talk about-the painful memories he couldn’t erase.
“Who told you to bring it up? Who asked you to mention it again? What does this have to do with you? Don’t think just because we have that agreement, you can meddle in the matters of the Vanderbilt family!” Sebastian yelled, his anger bubbling to the surface, his chest heaving as he spoke.
Seeing him lose his temper, Caitlin realized she’d triggered his anger again. “Alright, I’ll keep my mouth shut. Forget I said anything.”
Caitlin pushed Sebastian’s wheelchair through the Vanderbilt family’s garden, and after a while, Sebastian broke the silence, asking, “Who’s coming?”
Though he couldn’t see, his ears were sharp. He could hear footsteps approaching. Caitlin also heard the sound of footsteps and turned to see Marcus walking toward them, followed by some others. They quickly caught up.
Marcus seemed surprised to see Sebastian out of the house, and asked, “Mr. Vanderbilt, you’re downstairs? Caitlin, did you help Mr. Vanderbilt remove his cast?”
“Marcus! I did it myself. Why are you here so late?” Sebastian responded with annoyance.
“Oh, Beatrice asked me to come and check if Caitlin helped Howard withdraw from school,” Marcus replied.
“Yes, I did,” Caitlin answered calmly.
Sebastian frowned. “Caitlin? Why would you withdraw Howard from school? What are you trying to do?”
He was furious-since Caitlin arrived at the Vanderbilt family, it felt like she was turning everything upside down. And now, without any notice, she had withdrawn his son from school? This was outrageous!
“I have my reasons,” Caitlin replied simply.
“What reasons? You’re not Howard’s real mother, nor his guardian. What right do you have to withdraw him from school?” Sebastian snapped, nearly losing his temper over Caitlin’s unpredictable actions.
Seeing the argument escalating, Marcus stepped in. “How about Caitlin goes and explains things to Beatrice in person?”
“Sure, Marcus,” Caitlin agreed.
Sebastian’s frown deepened. He was furious-this woman was only a temporary caretaker, yet she was meddling with his family matters. “Marcus! You push me!”
Marcus didn’t dare disobey and began pushing the wheelchair. Caitlin watched him, feeling her temper rise but trying to keep calm. She reminded herself that she was just here to repay a debt, not to live with him. He had never treated her as an equal, always viewing her as a temporary caregiver. She didn’t need to let his behavior affect her mood.
However, Caitlin came to an important realization-never be too proactive as a woman, or else you’ll end up being worthless in a man’s eyes.
In the Vanderbilt family’s main hall, Beatrice and the others were still awake, all discussing Howard’s withdrawal from school. The news had come from Megan and Xylia, who had learned it from Grace. Grace had passed the information to Beatrice, so now Beatrice wanted to know what was going on.
Marcus pushed Sebastian into the room, and everyone was taken aback when they saw him.
“Oh my god, where did my brother come from?” Molly exclaimed, stunned.
Grace, seeing Sebastian with the cast off and sitting in a wheelchair, his face cold and serious, couldn’t hide her surprise. “No way, Sebastian is already healed, and the cast is off?”
Megan, equally surprised, stared at him. “Sebastian recovered so quickly?”
Beatrice was delighted. “Sebastian has removed the cast? Looks like he’s recovering well.”
Sebastian wasn’t here to show off his leg, though. He got straight to the point. “Beatrice, what exactly happened with Howard’s withdrawal from school?”
“Oh, we just heard about it today. We didn’t know anything about it, so I came to ask Caitlin,” Beatrice answered.
Grace immediately spoke up, “Caitlin, there are some things you should handle, but there are also things you shouldn’t. Your main responsibility is to take care of Sebastian. Howard’s schooling isn’t something you should be involved in.”
Megan added fuel to the fire. “The Center Kindergarten is the best in all of New York. How can you just withdraw him without any reason? It’s a joke, isn’t it?”
Everyone turned to look at Caitlin. Molly also wanted to know what was going on. “Caitlin, what happened? Is there some hidden reason behind this?”
Caitlin remained calm and explained, “There’s no hidden reason. I simply think that school isn’t right for Howard. The teaching quality is poor. At that school, Howard won’t learn anything, and it might even harm his mental well-being.”
Grace couldn’t agree. “Caitlin, are you serious? You’re saying the Center Kindergarten is bad? It’s the best in all of New York! The teachers, facilities, everything is top-notch. How can you say it’s bad? What makes you think it’s not suitable?”
Megan jumped in, “Exactly! Our Kyle and Quinton go there, and look how well Kyle turned out! Even The Xenos Family has never said the school was bad.”
As the women piled on, Caitlin stayed patient and calmly explained her reasoning to Beatrice and the others. “I know, but that school is good for healthy children. Howard can’t speak, and communication is a big issue. The teachers can’t treat him the same as other kids, and that’s bound to cause some imbalances.”
Grace still wasn’t convinced. “I understand your point, but that doesn’t mean you can just withdraw him from school! The Vanderbilt family decided to send Howard to school to help him integrate with others. After all, he can’t stay home forever. What happens now that you’ve withdrawn him? What is he supposed to do? What about his future?”
Caitlin almost argued back that she *was* Howard’s mother, his biological mother, and she had every right to make decisions for him, including being his legal guardian. But before she could speak, Sebastian interrupted.
“Alright, enough arguing. Howard’s situation makes it hard for him to integrate into school, so withdrawing him might not be a bad thing. From now on, I’ll hire the best tutors to teach him at home. As for you, Caitlin, from this moment on, stop getting involved with Howard’s matters.”
“What do you mean?” Caitlin asked, her chest tightening, a pang of pain shooting through her.
“I mean,” Sebastian continued, “you’re here for a temporary role, to keep me company and take care of me while I recover. Once I’m better, you’ll leave the Vanderbilt family. Howard is my son, and I don’t want him becoming too attached to you. I don’t want him relying on you. So, from now on, I expect you to keep your distance from him. Understand?”