John’s mother swept into the house with the kind of imposing presence that made everyone around her aware of just how important she believed she was. Her eyes scanned the room, and when they landed on Jayne, she gave a brief, overly polite smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. It was a practiced gesture, the type one makes when trying to feign cordiality, even when inwardly simmering. But when her gaze turned to John, there was no hiding the cool detachment, the judgment that lingered in her expression. The type of look she reserved for when he wasn’t living up to her impossible expectations.

  “Oh, John, it’s been so long,” she said in a saccharine voice, stepping into the living room with the grace of someone accustomed to being the center of attention. “And this must be your new… what? Flavor of the month?”

  Her hand extended towards Dawn, though her smile had already dropped into something more condescending. Dawn hesitated for just a second before shaking it, her polite smile barely hiding the tension in the air. She wasn’t intimidated, but it was hard to ignore the forceful nature of John’s mother. “I’m Dawn,” she said, keeping her voice even, aware that John’s mother wasn’t exactly known for her warmth.

  John’s mother made a noise that was a mix between a laugh and a scoff. “Charming,” she murmured, dismissing Dawn with little more than a glance. Her attention shifted back to John, her voice turning sharp. “I’m just so tired, you know. I’ve been searching for Jason day and night. Haven’t slept, haven’t eaten. It’s exhausting.” The words dripped with forced vulnerability, the kind of performance she could pull off when she needed to get sympathy.

  Dawn gave a sympathetic look, though she wasn’t entirely sure whether she believed her. “I’m really sorry to hear that. I hope he’s found soon.”

  Jayne, ever the peacekeeper, immediately tried to defuse the situation. “Let me make you something to eat,” she offered, flashing a warm smile as she moved to the kitchen.

  But John could already see the cracks in his mother’s story. It wasn’t just her behavior that gave her away—it was the way she operated, always keeping something hidden behind that charming front. And John wasn’t in the mood to entertain her games. He’d already checked Jason’s financials, and he knew that Jason’s absence wasn’t the only thing at play here. But for now, he kept those thoughts to himself.

  Instead, he simply nodded. “I’m sure you’re exhausted,” he said. His voice was polite, but there was something beneath it—something weary. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep pretending to care about her manufactured distress.

  His mother let out a dramatic sigh and placed a hand over her chest, her eyes turning glassy for a moment. “Yes, it’s just so hard. I’ve been so worried about him, you know? I don’t know what I’ll do if we don’t find him.”

  John’s patience thinned as she continued to lay it on thick, but he said nothing. Dawn, always the one to offer a kind word, was quick to offer sympathy again, but John’s mind was elsewhere.

  His mother didn’t miss the way his attention wavered, and she took full advantage. “Well, you’ve been here for two days already, haven’t you?” She leaned in, her gaze sharp. “What’s the progress?”

  John blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the accusation. “I—”

  Before he could respond, his mother’s eyes flicked to Dawn, then back to him, a slight smirk pulling at the corner of her lips. “Perhaps you should have been more focused, don’t you think? Time’s ticking, John. How much longer are we going to wait around?”

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  John clenched his jaw, his eyes narrowing. He didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, he kept his voice measured. “No, we haven’t found anything yet. But we’ll let you know when we do.” His tone wasn’t cold, but there was an edge to it. He didn’t need her pushing him.

  His mother’s gaze flickered, scrutinizing him, before she let out a laugh that was more mocking than genuine. “Two days, and that’s all? You’ve really been slacking off, haven’t you?” Her words stung with a hidden insult. “Maybe it’s time you focus on something other than whatever distractions you have going on.”

  John opened his mouth to retort, but before he could, Jayne returned with a tray of snacks, offering a small distraction from the increasingly tense conversation. “Have you seen Gill?” she asked, her tone casual but with an undercurrent of concern.

  John’s mother didn’t seem interested in the question, her eyes still lingering on John. “No,” John answered shortly, his gaze unwavering.

  “Well, I suppose I should leave,” his mother said suddenly, standing up with a huff as if the whole situation was beneath her. “This place is too chaotic. I’ll come back when it’s quieter.”

  She looked pointedly at Dawn, her disdain barely veiled. “Perhaps you two need more time to focus, hm?”

  Jayne, ever trying to maintain civility, urged, “Please, have something to eat. You look like you could use a rest.”

  “I’ve lost my appetite,” his mother replied curtly, her voice flat. She turned back to John, her gaze hardening once more. “Walk me out, will you?”

  John’s heart clenched, but he kept his composure. “No, I won’t walk you out.” His voice was steady, but there was a finality to it that made his mother pause.

  A flash of irritation crossed her face. “You wouldn’t want to look bad in front of your little friend, would you?”

  John gritted his teeth but didn’t respond, his eyes still on her. He didn’t care anymore about her opinions. With a sigh, his mother turned and headed toward the door, expecting him to follow.

  They walked in silence, the weight of the unresolved tension hanging between them. When they reached her car, John opened the door for her, his movements deliberate and stiff. He slammed the door shut as soon as she was inside, the sound echoing in the quiet yard.

  But his mother wasn’t done. She rolled down the window, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Unbelievable. You really are ungrateful, you know that?” she said, narrowing her eyes at him. “After everything I’ve done for you, and this is how you repay me?”

  John’s patience snapped. His eyes locked onto hers, his voice low but filled with all the years of resentment he had held back. “Don’t talk about Dawn like that,” he spat, his anger rising. “You’ve spent your entire life manipulating everyone around you. I’m done playing your games. I don’t care anymore.”

  Her eyes widened in shock, but he didn’t back down. “I don’t care if people know about what you’ve done with all the family money. You’ve made your bed, now lie in it. If you want to keep up whatever facade you’ve got going on in this town, I suggest you leave.”

  Her face contorted with fury, but John was done. He turned his back on her and walked away, his hands clenched at his sides.

  As her driver pulled away and the house faded in the distance, his mother sat in the back of the car, seething. Her fingers gripped the seat, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, but her mind was elsewhere—on the cruel words her son had spoken, and how they had pierced through the thin shell of her carefully constructed image.

  She muttered to herself, her voice shaking with barely-contained rage. “Ungrateful. How dare he. After everything I’ve done… everything.” The words tumbled out, filled with bitterness and self-pity. “No one treats me like this. Not after everything I’ve done for them.”

  Her mind swirled with a mixture of frustration and disbelief. “He thinks he can just walk away from me, but he’ll regret it. I’ll find out everything he’s been hiding. He can’t escape me.”

  Her thoughts spiraled deeper into self-pity and rage as the car moved further away from the house, but no matter how far she got, the words John had said still echoed in her ears. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized: he wasn’t the only one who had crossed a line.

  And now, she would make sure he paid for it.