?<strong>Chapter 239:</strong>


    Belle stood off to the side, her difort gnawing at her. Why was her son constantly at Joelle’s beck and call? It was just a fever. Surely, Joelle could manage on her own!


    Frustration simmered beneath Belle’s surface, and eventually, she mmed the kitchen knife onto the counter. “If she’s so ill, she probably won’t even have an appetite for the food I cook. Liza, we’re leaving!”


    Rafael blinked in confusion, his brows knitting together. “Mom, what’s going on?”


    “Nothing. I’ve just finally realized that once a man gets married, he forgets all about his mother.”


    Rafael’s confusion only deepened, and he gave a helpless smile. “Mom, don’t you want me to treat Joelle well?” Everything had seemed fine just moments ago. What had gone wrong? Thest thing Rafael wanted was a rift between his wife and his mother, the two most important women in his life.


    Belle was at a loss for words, her heart heavy with regret. Joelle wasn’t at all the person she had imagined. Instead of the dutiful daughter-inw Belle had expected, Joelle seemed to be an entitled woman with delusions of grandeur.


    As a woman from a wealthy family and Joelle’s mother-inw, why was she the one rushing to cook? Shouldn’t Joelle be bending over backward to earn her approval? With this thought, Belle straightened her back, her resolve hardening.


    “Treat her well? And who exactly is she? Let’s not forget, Rafael, she’s a divorcee with two children. She’s the one who should be taking care of you, not the other way around!”


    Rafael’s eyes widened in shock. The venomous woman before him was so unlike the generous and open-hearted woman he had always known. These cutting remarks didn’t just insult Joelle; they betrayed the very values Belle had instilled in him.


    But Rafael hadn’t yet grasped just how deep a woman’s resentment could run when she felt threatened by another. It seemed Belle had forgotten the words she had used to praise Joelle.


    “Mom, how could you say something like that about Joelle?”


    Seeing her son rush to Joelle’s defense only fueled Belle’s anger. “Do you even remember yourst name? You’re a Romero, not a Watson! Even your father wouldn’t dare to speak to me like that!”


    Rafael had always been respectful to his parents, a value deeply ingrained in him since childhood. But this time, Belle had crossed a line, and he couldn’t stay silent. Liza, caught between them, tried to defuse the situation. “Mom, Rafael didn’t mean it like that. Please don’t be upset.”


    Rafael clenched his jaw, his voice steady but firm. “Mom, I know my tone wasn’t right, but you can’t talk about Joelle that way.”


    Belle maintained herposure and said nothing.


    Liza stepped in again, her tone conciliatory. “Rafael, you know Mom only wants what’s best for you. After all, you deserve someone better than Joelle.”


    “I don’t see it that way,” Rafael retorted without hesitation. “I’m with Joelle because I love her. And she deserves my love. So please, don’t say that again.”


    “Why are you raising your voice at your sister?” Belle shot back, siding with Liza. “Who do you think we’re doing this for? It’s all for your own good!”


    Rafael found himself struggling to articte his thoughts. “Mom, what on earth did Joelle do to make you think I suffered in our rtionship?” These two were utterly baffling!


    Belle was at a loss for words. She knew Rafael too well. He had adored Joelle for years, so it was inevitable that he would bend to her every whim. But Joelle’s fiery temper was something else. Belle couldn’t shake the certainty that Rafael would end up being walked over.


    They were all their parents’ precious gems; why should Rafael, just because he was a man, shoulder a heavier burden? The more Belle dwelled on it, the more injustice gnawed at her.


    “I don’t want to talk about it! Just you wait—you’ll regret this, mark my words!”


    “Regret what?” Rafael felt his patience slipping. “Mom, what exactly are you trying to say? Why are you so dead set against Joelle?”


    Belle was on the verge of replying when Kristi approached, clearing her throat. “Mr. Watson has returned.”


    The atmosphere was still charged with tension when Shawn, impably dressed in a suit, strolled in, offering them a warm smile. “Good evening.”


    A flicker of embarrassment crossed Belle’s face. She had gotten so worked up that she momentarily forgot she was still in the Watson family’s home.


    “Shawn, you’re back.”


    “Yes, I heard Joelle was running a high fever, so I came straight after work to check on her.”


    “I see,” Belle replied, her mood deting. “Well, now that you’re here, I’ll take Liza and head back.”


    “Leaving so soon?” Shawn said, his tone inviting. “Why don’t you stay and join us for dinner?”


    “No, thank you.” Belle shot a nce at Rafael. “It’s clear someone doesn’t want me around!”


    Shawn blinked in confusion, turning to Rafael and giving him a subtle nudge with his eyes as if to say, “Do something!”


    Rafael pursed his lips and said, “Mom, let me walk you out.”


    Outside, Rafael held the car door open for Belle. “Mom, we can talkter, okay?”


    “Talk about what?” Belle snapped. “Now that you’ve got a wife, why would you care about your mother’s nagging?”


    Rafael nced at Liza, silently pleading for assistance. She stepped in smoothly. “Rafael, I’ll have a word with Mom. You should go back inside and check on Shawn. We don’t want him overhearing all of this.”


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