Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Will No Longer Be Angry With Him

Jessica Keller’s face paled, but she still rubbed her cheek against Jude Sheridan’s palm.

"How could I ever compare to Cecilia? I know she can get away with being spoiled with you, but I can’t. And I’ll never try to compete with her or fight for your affection."

Jude Sheridan was pleased with Jessica Keller’s response. He raised his hand and gently stroked her head.

Seeing how completely obedient Jessica Keller was to Jude Sheridan, Mrs. Sheridan compared her to Cecilia Croft’s strong-willed and domineering nature, and her dislike for Cecilia deepened.

"If you ask me, you should just call off the wedding with Cecilia Croft. It’s perfect timing, now that Jessica is pregnant. You and Jessica can have a shotgun wedding; it’s the most logical thing to do."

In her heart, Mrs. Sheridan believed that only after Jessica Keller married Jude Sheridan would the child in her belly be a legitimate grandchild of the Sheridan Family.

Jude Sheridan’s slightly improved mood instantly soured.

"Mom, the fact that I’m marrying Cecilia is not going to change. Nothing can change that."

Mrs. Sheridan’s expression grew stiff and ugly.

Jessica Keller lowered her gaze, tactfully rising from Jude Sheridan’s side. She said softly,

"Jude, you haven’t had breakfast yet, have you? I’ll go make you something."

Jude Sheridan gave a slight nod.

When Mrs. Sheridan saw Jessica Keller go into the kitchen, she immediately sat down on the sofa where Jude Sheridan was lying and said in a hushed voice,

"Jessica is already pregnant, and you’re not planning to give her a proper status? What kind of spell has Cecilia Croft cast on you? You’d rather prevent your own child from being recognized by the family just to marry her."

Weak from the high fever, Jude Sheridan rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration and said impatiently,

"I’ll support Jessica Keller and the child on the side. I’ll make sure they want for nothing, materially or otherwise. If you like Jessica and the baby, you can visit them anytime you want, but don’t let this make you resent Cecilia."

Mrs. Sheridan had lived her whole life in Sheridan Village and was rather conservative. After Jude Sheridan’s father passed away, she chose not to remarry for the sake of her reputation, devoting herself solely to raising Jude.

She couldn’t process Jude Sheridan’s words right away.

She gritted her teeth, steeled herself, and argued with Jude Sheridan.

"Are you saying you’ll just let Jessica be with you without any proper status? What about the child? Do you think Cecilia Croft will accept a child you had with another woman?"

Jude Sheridan’s brow furrowed, his irritation palpable.

’Cecilia Croft would never accept a child he had with Jessica Keller.’

’And Cecilia could absolutely never find out about his relationship with Jessica.’

"Mom, Cecilia and I have been together for many years; our bond is deep. She’s not one to turn a blind eye to this sort of thing. She doesn’t know about my relationship with Jessica Keller, and you are not to make a scene in front of her."

Mrs. Sheridan was displeased.

"You may be afraid of her, but I’m not. You’ve been together all these years, and has she given you a child? No. If you’re going to occupy the stall, you’d better do your business. Otherwise, you should give up the spot."

Jude Sheridan was annoyed by her crude language.

’What was he?’

’A stall?’

"If you keep being this resentful toward Cecilia, I’ll send you back to the countryside."

His voice was laced with anger; he had lost his temper.

Mrs. Sheridan was still intimidated by him. With a sullen expression, she didn’t argue further, but she rose resentfully from the sofa and stormed into the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, Jessica Keller had heard every word of the conversation between Jude Sheridan and his mother.

’She thought she had used the baby to keep Jude Sheridan around these past few days, that it might have raised her status in his heart, even just a little.’

’But it turned out she still couldn’t surpass Cecilia Croft.’

She bit her lip lightly. When she saw Mrs. Sheridan enter the kitchen and start secretly wiping away tears at the sink, she walked over and said in a soft, consoling voice,

"Mrs. Sheridan, please don’t be angry. Jude is just thinking about the business. Vantage is a company that Cecilia Croft and Jude started together. If they were to separate, it would definitely have an impact on the company."

"Besides, if Cecilia Croft were to break up with Jude, she would definitely take a huge chunk of money with her. The company’s operations would be in serious trouble then."

Persuaded by Jessica Keller, Mrs. Sheridan calmed down.

"Hasn’t she already left the company to rest at home?"

She had assumed that since Cecilia Croft had left the company, Vantage belonged to Jude Sheridan alone.

Jessica Keller patiently explained the pros and cons to Mrs. Sheridan, as well as the legal aspects of asset division. Mrs. Sheridan’s face turned ashen.

"She’s just a woman who rode on our Jude’s coattails. Our Jude is the one managing the entire company. What gives her the right to take so much money?"

Jessica Keller smiled faintly, a helpless tone in her voice.

"But that’s just how the law is. Unless she commits a major transgression that harms the company, giving Jude an opportunity to bypass her, there’s nothing to be done."

Mrs. Sheridan said nothing, her face filled with anger and displeasure.

Jessica Keller glanced at her and offered a "reminder," as if sharing a piece of gossip. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"I heard about this couple once. They were in the middle of a divorce case when the husband’s lawyer discovered the wife was having an affair. They leaked the news, and in the end, the wife compromised and gave up her claim to the assets."

Mrs. Sheridan said, "Cecilia Croft would never betray Jude."

Although she disliked Cecilia Croft, she understood her attitude toward relationships.

’She would never do anything to betray Jude Sheridan.’

A flash of displeasure crossed Jessica Keller’s eyes. Suppressing her annoyance, she said with a smile,

"Later, I heard on the news that the man had actually framed her. It was all just a deliberately created misunderstanding to force her to give up the assets."

Mrs. Sheridan fell completely silent, lost in thought.

A smile on her face, Jessica Keller said with a look of perfect obedience,

"Mrs. Sheridan, I’m already so happy that Jude is willing to let me have this baby. It’s just that, in the future... out of consideration for Cecilia, I’m afraid the child won’t be able to call you ’Grandma’."

"Jude can’t leave Cecilia because of the business, so the baby and I will just have to make do. Please don’t be angry, and please don’t let this cause a rift between you and Jude."

Mrs. Sheridan nodded, her mind still elsewhere.

Satisfied, Jessica Keller carried the breakfast she had prepared for Jude Sheridan out of the kitchen.

Jude Sheridan sat down at the dining table. The sight of the plain, watery noodles instantly killed his appetite.

The egg noodles Cecilia Croft had made this morning had been a feast for the senses. Even though he hadn’t eaten them, the aroma seemed to still linger in the air.

He took a couple of perfunctory bites before going back to the bedroom and lying down on the bed.

When Mrs. Sheridan came in with water and medicine, he was irritably scrolling through his chat history with Cecilia Croft on his phone.

For the past half a month, the chat log was filled with only his one-sided messages to Cecilia Croft. She had never replied.

Jude Sheridan took the medicine in frustration and lay down. Seeing Mrs. Sheridan about to leave, he quickly called out to her.

"Mom, Cecilia and I are getting married soon. You’re my mother; you should make a gesture. Find some time to take Cecilia to a jewelry store and get the wedding gold all sorted out."

As he spoke, Jude Sheridan took a card from his wallet and handed it to Mrs. Sheridan.

"Cecilia has been giving me the cold shoulder lately. Please help me smooth things over with her."

He knew that ever since Cecilia Croft’s mother passed away, she had longed for motherly love. She even felt regretful that she couldn’t get along with his mother.

’If his mother were to make a gesture this time, Cecilia Croft would probably stop being mad at him.’