Chapter 3 I Become Suspicious

I felt my face heat up as tears threatened to spill over.

My husband quickly stepped between us, pulling Jeffery away. "Dad, we really didn't mean it like that. We've had the camera installed for quite some time now, just as a precaution. We can't trust anyone but you."

I nodded hurriedly, afraid Jeffery wouldn't believe us.

But the next moment, Ms. Jones, who was lying on the bed, spoke up. Her voice was frail and filled with sorrow.

"You two kids, I know you trust your father. I understand that. But, dear, could you buy me a ticket and let me back to my hometown? I'd like to go back and visit."

My husband and I were completely baffled, but Jeffery grew furious. He shouted loudly, his anger so intense that it even startled the baby in my arms, causing the baby to burst into tears.

"Susan, you're not going anywhere! If you leave, what does that make of this family? As long as I'm here, you're staying!"

I was taken aback by Jeffery's unexpected outburst. In my memory, he had always been a quiet and mild-mannered man.

Clearly, today's events had pushed him to his limit, and he couldn't hold back his temper anymore.

But I could see it now-the root of the conflict was Ms. Jones.

And judging by Jeffery's reaction, I thought his heart was clearly with her. If we could make Ms. Jones happy, Jeffery would likely calm down as well.

After soothing the baby and putting him to sleep in my room, I stepped out to find it was already close to 7 p.m.

"Ms. Jones." I began, taking the initiative to speak. "I think there's been a misunderstanding between you, Jeffery and us. We're not overthinking things-it's just that we forgot to take the camera down. It's gone now, and my husband and I want to reiterate that we trust both you and Jeffery completely. Please don't take it the wrong way."

Ms. Jones wiped her tears. "That's not what I meant."

"I know." I said gently. "We just didn't communicate well earlier. But now that we've talked it out, everything's fine, right?"

I took her arm and suggested we take a walk. There was a mall near our house, and since it was the change of seasons, I bought a piece of clothing for both her and Jeffery.

Finally, the two of them managed to crack a smile.

Later that night, I collapsed onto the bed, completely worn out. My husband sat beside me, his face also clouded with worry.

I turned to him and asked, "Have you really looked into Ms. Jones' background?"