He Watched Me Shine Without Him novel Chapter 125

Linda frowned. “You’re saying my Rose took a ride from Ethan? That’s impossible. She avoids him like the plague.”

Grace patted her chest, assuring, “Why would I lie about something like this?”

Then, putting on her most considerate face, she leaned in with a “friendly” warning. “Linda, I just want to give you a heads-up. Houston and Rose rushed into marriage. Have you really looked into Houston’s background? What if he’s hiding something shady and Rose found out—that’s probably why she ran off to file for divorce yesterday.”

Linda replied calmly, “Houston is a good man. He wouldn’t hide anything like that from us.”

Grace pressed on. “Linda, you know these rich types don’t actually have much cash lying around. Houston keeps bragging about buying villas in full. Sounds like talk to me. Just saying—you might want to check. What if Rose got tricked into marrying a con artist?”

Linda gave her a pointed look. “I don’t know what went down between Houston and Rose, but your imagination is certainly running wild. Instead of digging for dirt on my family, maybe worry about your own daughter. I heard you just bought that big four-bedroom, and now money’s tight. Yet the Walker family didn’t contribute a cent or lift a finger. Aren’t you worried Samantha only values boys and is unhappy Vivian gave birth to a girl?”

She added sharply, “They’re not even married yet. Aren’t you concerned they’ll back out of the engagement? Your daughter could end up a single mother with a child in tow—hardly easy to remarry.”

Grace’s face darkened. “Ethan marrying my daughter is a step up for him. If he ditches her, he’ll never find someone better. He’ll regret it.”

Linda scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself. Once a man becomes successful, he’ll have no trouble finding someone younger and prettier.”

Grace flushed with embarrassment.

At that moment, the elevator opened—and Houston and Rose stepped out together.

Immediately, four fiery gazes locked on them.

“Mom, Madam Grace,” Rose greeted with a smile.

Linda’s eyes flicked between their faces, catching the tiredness on both. Her heart sank. She asked directly, “You two have been fighting, haven’t you?”

Rose shot a glance at Grace, then looped her arm around Houston’s and said brightly, “We had a small misunderstanding, but we talked it out. Everything’s fine now.”

Grace gave Houston a quick once-over. Seeing his stiff, aloof expression, she twisted her tone into one of fake concern. “You’re still young, Rose. You know, every time a couple argues, a little more distance creeps in. You might’ve moved on quickly, but that doesn’t mean he did.”

Grace was left standing there, stunned—and bitterly jealous. They got married in a flash, yet their bond looks stronger than ever.

“Oh, but I can?” Grace’s voice rose to a sharp pitch. “She came to the hospital empty-handed, looked at the baby once, didn’t even hold her, and left before her butt warmed the seat. Just say it: your family’s disappointed the baby’s a girl, right?”

Ethan did harbor traditional views, but as a rising star in the hospital, he wouldn’t dare admit it.

He rushed to deny it. “No, of course not! My mom just had a lot of work to do back home, so she had to leave early.”

Grace’s voice cut through him like a blade. “So a newborn daughter is less important than some chores?”

Ethan said nothing.

Grace finally snapped. “I get it now. Your whole family doesn’t value my daughter. If that’s the case, you and Vivian should break up.”

Ethan had been walking on eggshells for days, terrified Ryan might blacklist him. Vivian was his last lifeline—there was no way he’d let go.

He bowed his head and begged, “Mom, I really love Vivian. I know I’ve messed up, but I’ll change. I’ll start handing over my salary every month. Vivian’s been through a lot—if she wants help with the baby, I’ll hire a nanny.”