30 Days Till I Divorce My Husband

Chapter 143
At that moment, Estrella caught Jason’s gaze as he was already watching her.
Their eyes locked, and with an air of calm, Estrella said, “Answer it.”
Jason's heart skipped a beat, his nerves frayed. But faced with Estrella’s
unyielding stare, Jason reluctantly answered the call in front of her. It was the
only way to clear the air.
“Jason,” came Serene’s voice through the phone, already tinged with a sob.
It had been a while since Serene had been involved in Jason's work, and their
contact had dwindled. The unexpected call today likely meant trouble was afoot.
At the sound of her “Jason,” Jason glanced up at Estrella again. To his relief, her
expression remained mostly unchanged.
On the other end, Serene’s voice, now choked with tears, cried out, “Jason, my
mom's sick again. She trashed the house, and she hurt Vincent, Jason, I...”
“I'm just so exhausted!”
After her confession, Serene burst into tears. Soon after, her brother's voice
came through, “Jason, why has my mom become like this? She just hit me and
my sister. Jason, I miss you so much! It's been so long since I've seen you.”
Following Vincent's plea, Serene, through her tears, said, “Jason, I've been trying
to calm Vincent down for ages. He must have been scared tonight and kept
asking for you, saying he wanted to see you. I know you...”
Before Serene could finish, Jason cut her off, “I understand.”
“Jason, I'm so sorry! Really, I am!” Serene’s apology was met with silence as
Jason ended the call. When he looked back at Estrella, her gentle demeanor had
vanished.
He cleared his throat awkwardly and was unsure of how to explain the situation
to Estrella. She spoke first, “They all seem to miss you so much. Why don’t you
go?” She added, “I'll come with you.”
Jason eyed Estrella with suspicion. She simply smiled. “Don’t worry, I won't lay a
finger on the kid.”
After her reassurance, the sizzling sound of ribs cooking pulled their attention.
Seeing that the ribs needed attention, Jason hurried to tend to his dish and called
Marie to take over the kitchen. He set off for Serene’s place with Estrella in tow.
Although he was hesitant to bring Estrella along, refusing now would seem like
he had something to hide. Estrella’s insistence on joining him, as if on a mission
to catch a cheater, made Jason nervous, but at the same time, he felt valued by
her concern.
Serene lived in an old apartment block with no elevator. Jason parked the car
and led
Estrella up the stairs. He noticed the hallway lights were out. With one hand, he
guided Estrella, and with the other, he lit the way with his phone.
Estrella turned to Jason and asked, “She lives in such a rundown place. Why
haven't you offered her a house?”
Jason shot her a look. “I haven't given you a house, so why would I give her
one?”
He'd gladly pay if money could solve his obligation to Serene, but cash couldn't
settle some things.
Estrella laughed at Jason's retort, completely forgetting about the necklace he
had given Serene. She wasn’t one to dwell on the past unless pushed to her
limit.
Upon reaching the fourth floor, Jason knocked on the door. Serene opened it, her
eyes red with tears as she lunged toward Jason, “I knew you'd come, I just
knew..."
Instinctively, Jason stepped back, holding the door wide open. As the light from
inside spilled out, Serene’s eyes shifted to the figure beside Jason, her
expression turning to one of shock. The tears stopped as she stared at Estrella in
surprise. “Estrella.”
It never crossed Serene’s mind that Jason would bring Estrella, let alone that
Estrella would agree to come.
Estrella acknowledged her with a hod, then glanced around the chaotic interior.
The sparse furniture that could be smashed was indeed in ruins.
Serene shifted uncomfortably but politely offered, “Jason, Estrella, would you like
to come in?” Had Jason arrived alone, Serene would have already pulled him
inside.
Without a word from Jason, Estrella said, “We've come this far. Let's go in.”
Serene stepped aside, letting them through. As they entered, she awkwardly
said, “After my dad left, mom’s been struggling, having her moments. I apologize
for the mess, Estrella.” Her apology was directed solely at Estrella as if Jason
were already part of the family.
Estrella inquired, “Hasn't the culprit been caught yet?”
“Drew found the culprit a while back and had him sentenced,” Serene replied,
then turned to Jason, “Thanks to Jason. Otherwise, the criminal would still be at
large.”
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N / T
Estrella observed Serene’s disheveled
state. She knew that if it were up to
) S
Jason, Serene wouldn't be left in
such dire straits unless refused
helper hapslsHe VAs playing the
long game, seeking sympathy with
her pitiable situation. Once a man felt
sympathy and compassion for a
woman, it was hard to let go. That
was why Jason had kept Serene
around, not just because she
resembled Holly but also because of
her vulnerability. Visit
popsnovel.com to read the latest
chapter of this novel
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After a tour of the apartment,
) = 3
Estrella’s gaze returned to Serene,
who quickly hid the pink diatnond
NRERY unger, her@Iéthks: fn truth, if
—
i IN - 4 5 5
it adh been for her fidgeting with
her necklace, Estrella might have
completely forgotten about the piece
of jewelry, let alone even notice the
one adorning her own neck. But that
subtle gesture had jogged her
memory. Visit popsnovel.com to
read the latest chapter of this novel
Estrella couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. This woman was incredibly
perceptive.
“Jason.” The room fell into a hush until Vincent burst out from inside, a Band-Aid
stuck to his forehead.
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He scampered over and grabbed
, B
Jason's hand, the boy blurting out,
« >
Jason, I dunno what CLR Wor \
today, sheidnt ofall nuts,
smashed stuff all over the house, and
"
she ever hurt my head.” He touched
: 5 “ ;
the Band-Aid gingerly. “She hit my
sister, too. Then sis gave her some
meds, and she finally crashed.” Visit
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chapter of this novel
Only after he finished spilling his concerns did Vincent realize there was
someone else beside Jason, a lady no less. Suddenly, on high alert, he darted
behind Jason and peered out, “Big Bro Jason, who's she?”
Jason replied, “She’s my wife, Ella.”
Vincent eyed Estrella warily, not bothering with hellos or formalities.
Estrella didn’t mind.
After scrutinizing her for a moment, Vincent, still clutching Jason's hand,
ventured, “Big Bro Jason, there's a couple of math problems that’s got me
stumped. Can you help me out?”
Jason, hearing this, turned his gaze to Estrella.