Ashley's face flushed red and then paled, wanting to say something, but I didn't give her the chance.
"Regarding your lying about your impoverished background and deceiving Jimmy about his property, we have prepared the relevant materials. If you cooperate with the move, we will not pursue your responsibility in this matter."
"But if you refuse, we will take legal action. At that time, you will not only have to return the property, but also bear the corresponding legal responsibility."
Jimmy, suspended in mid-air, was frantic, trying to rush over to protect Ashley, but he repeatedly passed through our bodies, only able to roar at me, "Chrystal, stop! You can't do this to Ashley."
Halfway through his roar, he suddenly stopped, his soul frozen in mid-air, then a faint, fortunate smile appeared on his face.
"I almost forgot, Marci is still with you. That's my and Ashley's child. Everything in the Watts Family will belong to Marci in the future."
I stood there, rooted to the spot, unable to react for a long time.
The child Jimmy and I adopted from the orphanage, the child I doted on for five years, the child I treated like my own—was actually Jimmy and Ashley's biological son?
Countless images uncontrollably flooded my mind.
When tutoring Marci, he cried over math problems. I patiently explained them five times, but he tore up his workbook, yelling, "I don't understand what you are saying!"
When Jimmy got home, he listened to the formula once, understood it, snuggled into his arms and then looked at me, making a face, “Daddy’s a hundred times smarter than you!”
When I told Marci bedtime stories, he always woke up startled, saying, "Mommy, your voice is awful."
But when Jimmy occasionally told him a story, even if it was something he wasn't interested in, he could fall asleep peacefully.
I smiled self-deprecatingly. It turned out that all my attempts to please him, all my tolerance, were one-sided.
The child I doted on for five years, it turned out, had his own biological mother.
So no matter what I did, he always found something wrong with it.
Nothing I did pleased him.
“Ashley is smart enough to keep Marci hidden right under Chrystal’s nose,” Jimmy said smugly.
“Chrystal’s too softhearted. She’s raised Marci for five years—of course she’s attached. She’ll never abandon him.
“When she gets older, the Watts Family’s house, car and savings will all go to Marci.”
“Then Marci can bring Ashley back, mother and son reunited and I can finally rest in peace.”
He floated around, his tone becoming lighter, "So what if she takes the house back temporarily?"
"These things come later. It's all still Marci's place. Chrystal is just an outsider.”
“At most, she'll only benefit for a few more years."
Ashley's face flushed red. Her previous weak and pitiful appearance vanished, replaced by anger in her eyes, "Chrystal, do you have to be so ruthless?"
"Jimmy has only been gone a short time and you're already in a hurry to kick me out. It's just a house, why are you being so petty?"
"Aren't you afraid Marci will blame you? Last time I took Marci to buy candy, he said he liked me more. Do you, as his mother, deserve that treatment?"
Hearing her words, I didn't get angry but laughed instead.
She reminded me that the most important thing at that time was to deal with Marci's matter.
I glanced at her flushed face, ignoring her words and turned to the lawyer, saying, "Follow the procedure. If you don't see the house in three days, file a lawsuit."
Ashley was stunned, her momentum weakening slightly, but she still stubbornly shouted, "You dare! If Marci asks me, let's see what you say."
