Chapter 96
“Ma’am?“&
Mabel stepped in front of the TV, smiling brightly. “Have you had breakfast yet?”
That only made Jessica more suspicious.
She gently moved Mabel aside and glanced at the screen. The camera lingered on Timothy for a moment before cutting away.
The news shifted back to the anchor, who began introducing other stories.
Timothy didn’t appear again.
Jessica checked the schedule: it was the morning news.
So Timothy had made headlines first thing in the moming.
Mabel let out a quiet sigh of relief. Jessica, meanwhile, grabbed her phone and began typing a message into her text–to–speech app.
“Mabel, did you block the TV because you saw Timothy with someone else?“}
The app’s gentle female voice rang out. Mabel, too flustered to wonder where the voice was coming from, immediately shook her head. “N–no, of course not!” Jessica shot her a skeptical look.
Trying to deflect, Mabel asked, “Wait, where did that voice just come from?“}
Jessica pointed to the ring on her finger.
Mabel recognized it instantly–it was the ring Jessica had returned to Timothy.”
She remembered the story behind it and smiled. “Ma’am, I never thought that ring could talk! With it, communication is so much easier for you. I heard Master Henry say that Timothy bought it for you at the Oakwood charity auction. He really put a lot of thought into it.“>
“Don’t change the subject, Mabel,” Jessica pressed. “What exactly was on the TV just now?“}
The ring’s gentle voice sounded again.
“Mabel, I’m telling you, it was nothing. You’re overthinking it. Look at how much Timothy cares about you. Henry was worried you’d return his gift and Timothy would be upset, so he asked me to help keep it quiet. But now the ring’s back on your finger, which means Henry must have talked to Timothy, and Timothy wasn’t angry. He gave it back to you himself. Both Timothy and Henry care about you a lot. Please, don’t let your imagination run wild.“}
Jessica’s mind was a tangled mess.
That sheet of paper, covered with Sheila’s name.
The parent–child event–Sheila had gone in her place.
Phelps and Sallie’s strong reaction to Sheila.
All these things stacked up, and Jessica simply couldn’t convince herself not to be suspicious.
Was she really just imagining things?!
1
She knew asking Mabel wouldn’t get her anywhere. There was only one person who could give her answers: Timothy.
She asked Mabel for her phone–she needed to call Timothy.
She had two phones; she could use her own to type and let the app speak to Timothy.”
Texting just wasn’t going to cut it this time.
Jessica returned to the master bedroom, settled into the sitting area, and dialed Timothy’s number.
He picked up almost immediately.
Jessica set the phone on the table, put it on speaker, and was just about to type when-
Sheila’s voice came through from Timothy’s end.
“Mabel? Did you need something? Timothy’s still asleep.”
Jessica’s phone slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor. She sat there, stunned.
Sheila heard the noise and called out, “Mabel, is everything okay? Did something happen at home?”
Jessica hastily ended the call, her hands trembling.
Sheila was with Timothy–staying with him.
Timothy was always so disciplined. He never slept in–unless he’d been up all night with her, on those rare occasions, and needed the extra rest. Jessica bit her lip hard, fighting back the sinking feeling.
Just this morning, Henry had told the nurse his mom and dad were away on a trip together.
Shed asked Henry about it, but he’d just shrugged and said he made it up.
He hadn’t known the truth either.
Her darling son was now siding with outsiders to deceive her….
