“Are you asking me to stay away from Howard?” Caitlin forced herself to ask, holding back the pain in her heart.
“Exactly! Starting tonight, Howard will move to my grandmother’s building. There’s no need for you to visit him anymore,” Sebastian said coldly.
He was only doing this to prevent his son from becoming too dependent on Caitlin. After all, Camellia, Howard’s biological mother, would eventually return, and his son would have to recognize her as his true mother.
Caitlin was silent for a moment, then nodded, “Okay, okay. I understand.”
Without saying another word, she turned and walked out of the main hall. Her back exuded a sense of loneliness and desolation.
Walking alone in the dark, her tears fell quietly.
She felt that not revealing her true identity was the right decision. Even if The Vanderbilt Family knew she was Howard’s biological mother, they would probably have separated her from Howard long ago. They would have feared she might try to take custody of him and stop her from seeing him again.
This was the reality of the wealthy elite!
The cold and heartless elite!
The words Sebastian had said felt like a blade cutting through her heart-so painful, it hurt even to breathe.
After a long while, she wiped away her tears. Her eyes regained a cold, determined look.
No one would tear her away from her son!
Thankfully, she had switched Bruce and Howard’s identities beforehand, so she could still be with Howard. She didn’t have to worry about Bruce getting hurt-he was capable of protecting himself.
—
Back in the main hall, after Caitlin left, Sebastian was bombarded with criticism.
Molly jumped up and yelled, “What the hell is wrong with you? Don’t you see how good Caitlin is to Howard? Where are you going to find a stepmother like her for Howard?”
Beatrice chimed in, “Honestly, the whole school thing isn’t a big deal. Caitlin can handle the kid just fine. If you saw how Howard was today, you wouldn’t say that!”
“Exactly,” Megan added, “It’s not like Kyle and Quinton, from the The Xenos Family, haven’t been to that same kindergarten. They’ve turned Kyle into a little genius. The Xenos family never complained about the school!”
The women all teamed up against Sebastian, but Caitlin didn’t lose her composure. She patiently explained her reasoning to Beatrice and the others.
“I understand, but that school is for healthy children. Howard can’t speak, and that creates communication problems. The teachers can’t treat him the same as the other kids. There will always be a gap.”
Grace shook her head in disagreement. “Caitlin, you’re saying the best kindergarten in New York has bad teachers? Are you hearing yourself? Their facilities, their teachers-everything is top-tier!”
Megan added, “Yeah, we’ve all seen the results. The Xenos Family hasn’t complained. What makes you think you know better?”
They all attacked Caitlin, but she remained calm and continued explaining.
“I’m not saying the teachers are bad, but for Howard, the gap will be huge. He’s not like the other kids. He’s special, and I just think it’s better for him.”
Grace frowned. “Caitlin, even if that’s the case, does that mean you just pull him out of school? You can’t do that without thinking about his future. The Vanderbilt Family decided to send Howard to school to help him integrate with other kids. Now you’re pulling him out. What happens next?”
Megan added, “A kid that young, just sitting at home all day? Is that your solution? And you’re not even his legal guardian, you know?”
Caitlin almost retorted, but she stopped herself. She *was* Howard’s biological mother, which meant she *was* his legal guardian, but she didn’t want to get into that argument now.
Before she could speak, Sebastian interrupted, his voice hard. “Enough. Howard’s situation is complicated, but pulling him out of school isn’t the end of the world. I can hire the best teachers to teach him at home. And as for you, Caitlin, from now on, stay out of Howard’s business.”
“What?” Caitlin’s chest tightened. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Sebastian said, his tone icy, “you’re just here to lift my spirits. Once I’m better, you’ll leave The Vanderbilt Family. Howard is my son. I don’t want him to get too attached to you. I want you to stay away from him.”
—
Caitlin’s heart sank, but she didn’t react. She had expected this, after all.
—
Back in the Vanderbilt mansion, Caitlin had already arranged with Bruce for Howard to temporarily stay apart from her, to avoid complications while she stayed in The Vanderbilt Family.
Sebastian called to Howard, “Howard, you’re staying with Beatrice tonight. Understand?”
Bruce, already aware of what had happened, was furious. His mother had clearly been upset. Her eyes were red, and she’d been crying. He hated that his father couldn’t see how wonderful his mother was.
Marcus turned to Bruce and said, “Come on, Howard. Let’s go.”
“Go ahead,” Caitlin urged softly.
Bruce walked past Sebastian and, as he did, kicked him sharply in the leg.
Sebastian grunted in pain. His leg was still healing, and that kick made his face twist in agony.
“Hey, you little brat…” Sebastian growled, but Bruce was already out the door.
Marcus shook his head. “Only Howard would dare defy Mr. Vanderbilt like that.”
—
Back in the room, only Sebastian and Caitlin remained. The tension in the air was palpable.
After a while, Sebastian finally spoke. “I need a bath.”
Caitlin was planning to take one first, but since he insisted, she pushed him toward the bathroom. She set the water in the tub and asked, “Do you need me to carry you in?”
“Carry me?” Sebastian glared at her coldly. “No! Get out! Don’t come in unless I call for you.”
Caitlin didn’t reply. She turned and left, closing the bathroom door behind her.
A few minutes later, there was a loud crash and Sebastian’s pained yell. She didn’t need to guess-he’d probably fallen into the tub.
Good riddance.
Caitlin wasn’t rushing to help him. She wanted to teach him a lesson for his bad attitude.
—
Sebastian had indeed fallen into the tub. Without anyone to assist him, he couldn’t even get his pants off. His head hit the edge of the tub, and he had no choice but to bathe as best as he could. After a while, he yelled, “Caitlin! Come here!”
No one answered.
He yelled again, but still no response.
Frustrated, Sebastian grabbed the bottle of shower gel and threw it against the door, hoping the noise would catch her attention.
The bottle shattered with a loud *clink*, but no one came.
He threw several other things, but still, Caitlin didn’t respond.
Finally, in desperation, he tried to crawl out himself. The tub was slippery, and his legs were still too weak. He finally managed to pull himself out but fell again, landing hard on the floor with a loud thud.
“Ouch!” He groaned in pain, and when he tried to crawl forward, he accidentally placed his arm on the broken pieces of the shower gel bottle. The shards dug into his skin.
“Ah!” Sebastian gritted his teeth in pain and screamed, “Caitlin! Caitlin…!”
Finally, the bathroom door opened. Caitlin stood in the doorway, looking down at the scene before her, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
“Oh, Mr. Vanderbilt, what’s this? A little accident before the new year? So polite!”
She had been standing outside the whole time, listening to him, but she hadn’t helped. This was her revenge.
Caitlin wasn’t someone who would forget or forgive easily. You annoy her, and she’ll make sure you suffer too.
“Did you do this on purpose?” Sebastian gritted his teeth, furious. “Did you hear me calling you?”
Caitlin squatted down, looking at him coldly. “Sorry, I was on the phone. What do you need?”
“Help me up!” He ordered, frustration evident in his voice.
Caitlin’s beautiful eyes flashed with a cold light. “You want me to help you? Sure. You can *ask* me!”