Husband With Benefits-Chapter 842: Shocked

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. No, she was beyond shock. Words failed her.

Lily sat there, eyes moving between her mother, who lay sleeping peacefully, and the phone buried in her purse. The last five days had been nothing short of a nightmare for Cai. The accusations had come fast and relentless, each one more painful than the last. He had been blamed for ’using’ her, labeled a playboy with no loyalty, branded unfaithful to her sister, and even accused of being callous and heartless. The barrage of online abuse was unyielding, and voices demanding that he step down had grown louder by the hour. The public had turned vicious, and the scrutiny had probably been suffocating for him!

And all this because of her statement, which she had thought that she’d made to her mother, but instead it had been used against him. But what shocked her was Cai’s behaviour. She could just guess what it could have looked like. That she’d sold him out and disappeared for good. MAybe even taken money to ruin him.

But through it all, Cai had never once lashed out at her, not even in the messages. They had only been full of worry for her. He could have blamed her—could have demanded that she speak up to clear his name and end the storm of condemnation. It would have been easy, even justified. Yet, instead of shifting the blame or questioning her silence, when he had found her he had only looked at her with those eyes full of quiet understanding. He hadn’t even mentioned the entire fiasco, let alone pressed her for answers.. He hadn’t demanded anything. He had simply offered his support, standing by her side when she needed him, disregarding everything else.

And later, when the tide had turned against her, and people had probably started pointing fingers at her, he’d left her side and issued a statement that threw him in the mid of the fray once again. "What I do in my personal life, does not affect my patients. So, I do not need to justify anything."

Her fingers trembled as she placed down her phone after having read all the links that Meredith shared.

She needed to call Cai. She had to tell him that she was ready to step forward and set the record straight, to take responsibility and explain everything. But a realization hit her like a punch to the gut as an icy thread of doubt wove its way into her thoughts, anchoring her in place, stopping her from making that call. Her mother. This whole ordeal—could she have been involved?

The suspicion gnawed at her, making her chest feel tight. It was possible. Her mother had been shocked to see him there and Cai had not been pleased either. In fact, she’d almost felt the waves of anger rolling off him.

But it was possible.

Her breath caught in her throat as she rose on unsteady legs. The room seemed to shrink around her, pressing in with the weight of a realization that threatened to crush her. She glanced at her mother’s serene, sleeping form—the picture of innocence—and then back at the phone resting heavily in her hand. The urge to turn away, to abandon the gnawing doubt clawing at her chest, was fierce. But she couldn’t. Not when Cai’s reputation, his career, and perhaps even his future depended on her finding the truth. She swiped through the lock screen and navigated to the messaging app. Her heart thumped erratically as she scrolled, searching for any hint, any clue. Then she found it—a thread with an unfamiliar number. The first few messages were formal.

"Mrs. Kingsley, thank you for taking the time to consider our proposal. We’d like to feature you in an exclusive interview about your experiences with Caius Frost and his involvement with your daughters. We promise to compensate you handsomely."

Lily frowned as she read the message. Her mother had actually refused the offer so could it be that her mother was not involved. "I appreciate the offer, but my family’s affairs are not for public discussion."

Yet, the tone shifted in later exchanges. Her mother’s reluctance began to wane. It was probably around the time when they had come to see her first. At the inn.

"This isn’t about gossip. I’ve already explained everything on the phone," the sender pressed. "It’s about truth. Please think of what it could mean." freēnovelkiss.com

The next message from her mother made Lily’s pulse quicken as she felt her stomach sink. "I will consider it. But my involvement must be kept discreet."

A sick feeling twisted in Lily’s stomach. She scrolled faster, her eyes darting over the messages, and then she reached the exchange from the day of her father’s heart attack.

"It’s done. I’ve managed to record your daughter’s words. And will use them well. Just make sure that you do not let her come forward to explain anything." the sender wrote.

Lily’s breath hitched. A cold shiver traced its way down her spine, and she nearly dropped the phone. It was true— her mother had been a part of this entire thing...The interview, the rumors, the whispers that had painted Cai as a villain had all been part of a calculated plan and her mother had been a key player.

All these days, the reason her mother had kept her phone with her, had made her sit in the chapel all the time, not letting her leave her for a moment, it had not been for the sake of her father or even because she’d needed her. It had been all because she needed to stop her from seeing everything and coming forward to clarify everything.

Lily’s knees threatened to buckle. She braced herself against the wall, her vision blurring with unshed tears. Every memory, every conversation with Cai, every look he’d given her filled with silent support despite what had been going on, now felt like shards of glass digging into her heart.

A sob escaped her, raw and unrestrained as she fell to her knees. How could her mother have done this? How could she have betrayed her like this?