Chapter 120: Chapter 120: I Have No Habit of Raising Other People’s Children

Cecilia Croft was clearly distancing herself from Jude Sheridan, making it known to everyone that she was now single and had no plus-one.

The group chat fell silent again.

Soon, Lynn Willowby sent a message in the group.

[I’ll be coming alone too, just like Cecilia. No plus-one. @Cecilia Croft, Cecilia, we can keep each other company then.]

Cecilia Croft looked at the message, a cold smile touching her lips, and quickly typed back a two-word reply.

[Sounds good.]

If she hadn’t known about the little schemes Jude Sheridan had been running behind her back, she might have actually thought Lynn Willowby was trying to get on her good side.

’Since she loves acting so much, I might as well play along.’

With Lynn Willowby’s appearance easing the tension, everyone started chatting again.

Lynn Willowby didn’t say anything more in the group chat, sending Cecilia Croft a private message instead.

[Cecilia, did you and Jude have a fight?]

Cecilia Croft: [More than a fight. We broke up.]

Lynn Willowby sent a shocked sticker.

[No way! Didn’t you and Jude just have your wedding a while ago? I had some business to discuss overseas, so I couldn’t make it back. How could you suddenly break up just like that? After all these years together, could it be some kind of misunderstanding?]

Cecilia Croft: [He cheated. Was I supposed to keep him around for the holidays?]

This time, Lynn Willowby didn’t text back. She called her directly.

Cecilia Croft raised an eyebrow, swiped the green answer key, and put the phone on speaker, setting it aside.

Lynn Willowby’s concerned voice quickly came through.

"Cecilia, is what you said true? Did Jude cheat on you? How could he cheat? He loves you so much. Are you sure you’re not mistaken?"

A glint of coldness flashed in Cecilia Croft’s eyes.

’Time for an acting showdown?’

’Well then, I’ll have to play my part.’

Cecilia Croft heaved a deep sigh, her voice full of sorrow.

"The other woman was flaunting it right in my face, how could I be mistaken? She even wrote a love diary and sent me a ton of messages just to provoke me."

"I wish it weren’t true, but she’s pregnant, and Jude Sheridan even had his mother come down to take care of her."

Lynn Willowby was silent for a long time, clearly not knowing what to say.

Cecilia Croft lamented, "Lynn, what else could I do but cut my losses? A cat that sneaks a taste of fish will do it again and again. It’s the same with a cheating man."

Lynn Willowby’s voice was much lower, clearly affected by her words.

"Cecilia, it’s also possible that woman seduced Jude. After all, Jude is so successful now, he’s bound to attract some women with bad intentions."

"He made a mistake because he couldn’t resist the temptation for a moment. Aren’t you going to give him another chance?"

Cecilia Croft scoffed. How could she not hear the probing in Lynn Willowby’s words?

"Lynn, did Jude Sheridan ask you to come and plead his case?"

Lynn Willowby quickly denied it. "Of course not. I just think it’s a shame for your relationship of so many years to end just like that. Are you really willing to just hand him over to another woman?"

Cecilia Croft’s lips curled slightly as she made her voice sound confident, trying to project an air of someone holding all the cards.

"Lynn, the breakup is just a temporary, tactical move."

After a good while, Lynn Willowby finally spoke in a soft, seemingly confused voice.

"Cecilia, I don’t quite understand what you mean."

Cecilia Croft replied nonchalantly.

"A man who cheats once will cheat a second time."

"The only way to cure him of this behavior is to let him be with that other woman. Then, once their passion fades, I’ll snatch him back. That way, not only will I get Jude Sheridan back, but that woman will also get to experience the pain of gaining something only to lose it."

Lynn Willowby fell silent.

Cecilia Croft’s lips curled. "Lynn, why aren’t you saying anything? Or do you think what I’m doing is wrong?"

Lynn Willowby’s breathing was audibly uneven on the other end. "Of course not. Cecilia, you’re so smart."

Then she couldn’t help but ask another question. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"But how can you be sure Jude will go along with your plan?"

Cecilia Croft replied softly, "Because we have a seven-year history together, and there’s also Vantage."

Lynn Willowby went completely quiet. After a moment, she made an excuse and hastily ended the call.

Cecilia Croft stared at her chat screen with Lynn Willowby, her beautiful eyes veiled with a layer of frost.

’I wonder what kind of surprise this little bomb I’ve planted in Lynn Willowby’s mind will bring Jude Sheridan in the coming days.’

Cecilia Croft exited the chat interface. The thought of Lynn Willowby going crazy over her plan, becoming wildly suspicious of Jude Sheridan, put her in a wonderful mood.

A dog thief’s biggest fear is the dog running back to its original owner, so they’ll want to keep it on a tight leash.

’I wonder if Lynn Willowby can keep that dog, Jude Sheridan, on a leash.’

「Lunch break.」

After lunch, Cecilia Croft sat in her office chair, fiddling with her phone. After some hesitation, she sent a message to Sebastian Hawthorne.

[Hop on?]

Sebastian Hawthorne hadn’t sent her a game invitation after getting home yesterday, and with so much on her mind, she had forgotten about it too.

Sebastian Hawthorne: [In a meeting.]

Cecilia Croft: [Okay, I’ll let you get back to it.]

She was about to exit the chat when another message came from Sebastian Hawthorne. It was a photo.

In the photo, Jude Sheridan sat ramrod straight on a sofa, his hands on his legs. The expression on his face was strange—as if he were trying to be deferential but couldn’t quite swallow his pride.

Cecilia Croft: [???]

Sebastian Hawthorne: [He’s here to talk about an investment.]

Cecilia Croft: [...]

「Inside Sebastian Hawthorne’s office.」

Jude Sheridan sat on the sofa, feeling bewildered as he watched Sebastian Hawthorne constantly on his phone. A moment ago, Sebastian had even blatantly taken a picture of him.

He tried his best to maintain his composure, not wanting to cheapen himself in front of Mr. Hawthorne.

But Sebastian Hawthorne remained completely engrossed in his phone, as if he had forgotten Jude was even there. So, Jude took the initiative to speak.

"Mr. Hawthorne, are you chatting with your girlfriend?"

Sebastian Hawthorne’s fingers paused over his screen. "What makes you say that?"

Jude Sheridan said with a smile, "During the honeymoon phase with my fiancée, I also had to check in with her wherever I went. Thinking back on those days now, I feel a bit nostalgic."

Sebastian Hawthorne put down his phone and looked up. "Is that so? If you’re so nostalgic, why did you cheat?"

Jude Sheridan’s expression froze. He never expected Mr. Hawthorne to be so blunt.

Guiltily, he averted his gaze, inexplicably not daring to meet his eyes.

"It was a moment of folly."

"But rest assured, Mr. Hawthorne, Vantage will absolutely not suffer any losses because of the relationship problems between me and Cecilia. Vantage is like a child to us; we both want to see it thrive."

After speaking, Jude Sheridan picked up the teacup on the table and took a small sip, trying to mask his guilt and calm his nerves.

He couldn’t show weakness in front of Mr. Hawthorne.

Jude Sheridan had already mentally prepared himself to be given a hard time by Mr. Hawthorne and had organized his arguments to persuade him.

To his surprise, however, Mr. Hawthorne just gave a meaningful smile.

"I’m not in the habit of raising other people’s children."