On the Ruins of His Regret I Soar novel Chapter 126

An older woman's voice crackled through the phone. "It's almost twelve-thirty! Why aren't you back yet? The baby's hungry. Get home now!"

Emily frowned. "I left three bags of frozen breast milk in the fridge yesterday. You can just thaw one."

Jessica was surprised. Emily had the polished, confident air of a career-driven single woman; she never would have guessed she was a mother with a nursing infant.

The voice on the phone grew louder. "Frozen milk isn't healthy! What kind of mother are you?"

Emily swallowed her frustration. "I told your son yesterday that I had a busy day and wouldn't be home for lunch. Didn't he tell you? Look, I have to go."

She hung up and offered Jessica an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that."

"It's no problem," Jessica said, shaking her head. "Is your baby very young?"

Emily nodded wearily. "Six months. I was fired from my last job after I had him. It took me forever to find this one."

Jessica pursed her lips. "I have a daughter, too. She's four."

Emily's eyes widened in shock. Jessica looked like a college student; it was hard to believe she had a child that old.

"I married and had her young," Jessica explained with a small smile. "I got pregnant before I even graduated from college and have been a stay-at-home mom ever since."

Emily looked at her with a flicker of understanding. "So why come back to work now? I mean, once you choose to be a full-time mom, most women wait until their kids are in elementary school before re-entering the workforce."

At the Gates Estate, Catherine Brown was visiting Melissa.

Melissa squeezed Catherine's hand, her voice triumphant. "I had my lawyer send Jessica a legal notice. She's broke, so she can't afford a lawyer. She'll have to settle. When she does, I'm going to make her kneel all the way from the entrance of The Kensington to my front door, shouting her apology."

Catherine sighed. "That's not what's important. I just feel so bad for you. You've never been humiliated like this in your life. Jessica went way too far this time. She has no idea who she's messing with. Does she really think you're a pushover?"

Melissa's anger flared at Catherine's words. "Exactly! She got used to running wild with the Browns and the Smiths backing her up. She thinks she can still pull the same stunts, but I'm not some weakling. I'm going to make her regret this."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Daniel Gates's voice called out, "Melissa, can you come downstairs? Mr. Smith is here."