Love Me Or Leave Me

CHAPTER 226

After the waiter left, the private room fell into silence. Audrey wasn’t in a hurry to speak. She

uneasy Queenie became.

simply sat there calmly. However, the quieter she was, the modsn’t in a hurry to speak. She

After a while, Queenie couldn’t help but break the silence. She explained, “Mom, I was wrong in the past. I was immature back then, but I realized my mistakes now. I swear, I won’t make those mistakes again. I’ll be a good wife to Hayden and a good mother.” As Queenie spoke, her tone grew increasingly anxious.

Audrey, seated on the couch, watched her calmly. She waited until Queenie finished speaking before saying, “Queenie, do you remember what you said three

years ago?”

Queenie’s face turned pale upon hearing that. She hurriedly explained, “Mom, I–I was young and immature back then.”

Audrey nodded and hummed in response.

Queenie, feeling even more nervous, added, “Mom, I was wrong. From now on, I’ll be a good wife. Jeremy is my child, too. If Hayden and I remarry, we’ll treat Jeremy well. But if Hayden marries Becky, a stepmother can never compare to a biological mother.”

At that point, Queenie was desperate and continued, “Maybe Becky is nice to Jeremy now because she wants to marry Hayden. She might just be pretending. After all, she has her own children. Once she marries Hayden, she could change and mistreat Jeremy.”

Audrey looked at Queenie, wanting to say something, but she held back.

Tears welled up in Queenie’s eyes. She couldn’t help but whisper, “I’ll be good to Jeremy. I truly understand my mistakes and will change.”

“Change is good,” Audrey finally responded. She gazed at Queenie and added, “But once a relationship ends, it’s final. Hayden never really cared for you, and that’s something everyone is aware of.”

Queenie fidgeted, feeling a sense of dread.

Audrey went on, “Back then, Mr. Hoggard was critically ill, on the brink of death. Hayden is a filial child. He didn’t want his grandfather to pass away with regrets, so he hurriedly married you. Otherwise, with your tricks, marrying Hayden would have been impossible.”

“Mom, I–I…” Queenie stammered, trying to explain but not knowing what else to say.

Audrey replied, “If you two hadn’t divorced, I might have felt upset. After all, I’m a mother too. Now that you regret it, you should understand, right? As a mother, the greatest wish is for your child to be happy.”

Suddenly, Audrey laughed. She looked at Queenie and continued, “When you kicked up a storm to leave three years ago, I was livid. Hayden is the apple of our eye and the sole heir of the Hoggard family. You were fortunate to marry him. But you didn’t appreciate it. You caused such a scandal

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and turned Hayden into a laughingstock in the circle.”

Audrey chuckled softly, her gaze steady on Queenie. “But now, looking back, your divorce was the best thing that could have happened to him. If you two hadn’t divorced, he wouldn’t have had the chance to be with Becky. Do you know what it’s like to live with someone you truly love?”

“Oh, my apologies, I shouldn’t have mentioned this in front of you. After all, the man you were willing to risk everything for doesn’t seem to be very decent,” Audrey added, with a deliberate

pause.

Queenie’s expression grew sorrowful. “Mom, Becky isn’t right for Hayden. A second marriage can’t bring happiness. After they get married, she wouldn’t treat Jeremy well.”

Audrey smirked, her eyes filled with sarcasm as she stared at Queenie. “Queenie, if you didn’t bring up Jeremy in every conversation, I might have some respect for you. But all you do is talk about him. Ask yourself honestly – do you truly want to cherish and protect Jeremy, or is he just a tool for you to use?”

Queenie’s face went from pale to flushed, and she looked anxious. “That’s not it, Mom. You’ve misunderstood. I–I really do want what’s best for Jeremy. I’ll be good to him from now on.”

“You keep saying you’ll be good to Jeremy, but since you’ve been back, what have you done for him?” Audrey sneered and continued, “You used Jeremy to pester and guilt–trip Hay into forgiving you and getting back together. Is that what you call love for Jeremy?”

Upon hearing those words, Queenie grew anxious and stammered, “I–I didn’t. I…”

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

The two people in the private room paused, their conversation abruptly stopping.

“Come in,” Audrey said in the language of Menterra

As soon as she spoke, the door opened, and a waiter entered with dishes.

Since it was mealtime, Audrey didn’t utter a single word, eating quietly.

Queenie tried several times to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. She ate her meal absentmindedly. Once she was done eating, she couldn’t hold back any longer. “Mom, I’m not the person you think I am. I truly made a mistake. Jeremy,.. Jeremy hasn’t lived with me since he was young. He’s not close to me, which is why he doesn’t like me. But I’m his biological mother. If I live with him for a while, he’ll surely come to like me, and I’ll take good care of him!”

Audrey flashed a faint, mocking smile. “Ms. Leavey, if you had paid more attention to Jeremy in the ward rather than fixating on Becky and trying to follow her, I might have believed you.”

Queenie fell silent.

Audrey looked at her and remarked sarcastically, “Jeremy had just undergone surgery and needs care now. You keep saying you know you made a mistake, that you’ll love and take care of him

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properly. Yet, your attention is elsewhere.” A helpless smile played on her lips as she uttered softly, “Queenie, your words and actions seem to be expressing two different things.”

Anxious, Queenie hastily explained, “I’m not. Mom, I’m not like that. Earlier, I… I saw that Jeremy was in good hands with you, Dad, and Hayden all there. With so many people taking care of him, I thought it was fine for me to step away. If I had been alone, I would have stayed to look after him.”

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