Chapter 4

Realizing this, she quickly shook off Lachlan's hand, yelling at him.

"You caused all this! If not for you, I wouldn't be in this mess. Get out! Don’t show up ever again."

She crawled to hug Adeline’s mom’s legs, crying and begging.

"Mom, I'm sorry. Please don't be mad. Don’t abandon me."

Lachlan couldn’t believe Adeline would treat him this way. For years, he obeyed her every wish, only to end up like this.

"What did you say? Weren’t you the one who said Asher was treating you badly and asked me to help? Now you're burning bridges?"

Adeline angrily retorted,

"I was just talking! Who told you to take it seriously? This is a family matter; you have no right to speak. Get out!"

Her daughter, scared, retreated to Adeline’s mom, pleading, "Grandma, don't leave us. I don't want Uncle Lachlan to be my dad anymore."

Adeline’s mom, disgusted, gave him a look and ordered him out.

"Leave now. Knowing someone has a family and still getting involved? Shame on you."

She looked at me, wanting to say something but holding back.

I knew what she wanted to say and nodded gently.

"I'm okay. Please don't hold any grudge against them because of me."

Adeline’s mom sighed in relief, then hesitantly asked,

"Is there really no chance for Adeline? Maybe she truly regrets it."

I firmly replied, "No, we can’t go back."

Leaving Adeline’s house, I slowly walked down the street alone when Lachlan caught up from behind.

"Don’t get cocky. Adeline will be mine eventually. She's just mad at me for now."

I looked at him, puzzled. I was already divorced from Adeline; what's there to be smug about?

He glared at me with malice.

"Don’t think being accepted by Adeline’s family is enough. Rosalie likes me the most. As long as I ask, she’ll listen to me. If I get her to speak well of me to her grandparents, where does that leave you?"