Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 132

Camila Davis straightened up, her resolve hardening.

Relying on Jordan Smith? Yeah, that ship had sailed.

All her hopes now rested on the man across from her. “Mr. Williams, I’m counting on you to look after Lillian! As soon as we get back to Harrisburg, you have to let me take you out to dinner—my treat, no excuses!”

Dennis Williams paused, his voice lightening just a little. “Alright. Deal.”

Hearing his agreement, Camila finally let out the breath she’d been holding and hung up the phone.

As Aaron handed her phone back, he couldn’t help but chuckle. “Is Ms. Davis’s hobby just buying people dinner or what?”

He’d been standing close enough to hear her—every conversation, dinner always came up.

Dennis stood, a barely-there smile flickering in his eyes. Truth was… she really did like taking people out to eat.

If he didn’t let her, she’d probably never let him hear the end of it.

—

Over the next few days, Camila stopped by the Adams family mansion every afternoon to help Helen Adams with her treatment.

Meanwhile, at the Smith estate, Barbara Jones had fallen sick.

After that disastrous dinner party, the gossip mill in high society was working overtime, dragging the Smith family’s name through the mud. Naturally, Barbara—infamous as the “wicked mother-in-law”—became the star of every nasty rumor.

The constant slander had her fuming. She was so angry, her cough wouldn’t stop.

Sandra Taylor showed up, arms full of get-well baskets—fruit, muffins, the works—and patted Barbara’s back, her face full of concern. “Barbara, you have to take care of yourself. Don’t pay attention to what people are saying. You’re Mrs. Smith, for heaven’s sake. Gossip comes and goes—give it a week, and they’ll be bowing and scraping again.”

She smiled warmly. “No point ruining your health over a bunch of busybodies.”

Barbara, however, was in no mood to let it go. “They’re infuriating! But what makes me the angriest is that witch, Camila Davis. If it weren’t for her, our reputation wouldn’t be in the gutter right now! She’s done nothing but stir up trouble since the day Jordan’s grandmother forced him to marry her. I should have stopped it—I knew she’d be nothing but trouble!”

Sandra, who had her own grudge against Camila, said quietly, “Well… she’s not the same Camila anymore. She’s got a whole crowd of men in her corner now.”

Barbara’s rage only grew, her cough racking her body even harder.

That’s when Lucas Smith walked in, just in time to see Barbara struggling for breath. He snorted. “If you ask me, we should just throw her out of the Smith family! She doesn’t care about us at all. She ruined that dinner, let her dog attack Daniel—she’s gotten way too bold!”

“And the water’s out, too!”

Camila frowned. The house had never had this problem before—and if there was maintenance, the property manager always called ahead.

As she was puzzling over it, the emergency generator kicked on. The butler and a couple of staff hurried over.

“Mrs. Smith, Lillian—sorry about the blackout. Hope it didn’t scare you.”

Camila shook her head. Lillian and Lightning had been right at her side—they were fine.

She said, “Find out what’s going on with the utilities, please.”

The butler nodded and reached for his phone—only to be interrupted by the front door slamming open.

“No need to call!” barked Lucas Smith, striding in with all the subtlety of a marching band. His eyes were cold, his voice sharp with mockery. “Camila Davis, weren’t you the tough one who announced your divorce in front of everyone? If you’re so eager to leave, why are you still living here? Don’t you have any shame? Get out!”

Camila narrowed her eyes, immediately catching on. “You cut off the water and electricity, didn’t you?”

“So what if I did? You ruined our dinner party and humiliated Jordan in front of all our guests. If you want a divorce, then get lost already! How dare you keep eating our food and staying in our house? You’ve got a lot of nerve!”