Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 998

Camila looked at her mother in surprise. "How did you know?" Jerry Davis decided not to hide it from his daughter any longer. "We've been getting some harassing messages from the Smiths," he admitted, handing her his phone. "Take a look." Camila saw that the messages were from Mason Smith. He was trying to persuade her parents to talk her into helping Jordan. She had to admit, Mason, as the former head of the Smith family, was skillful with his words. His tone was proper, a far cry from Barbara Jones's arrogant and condescending attitude. The entire message was a carefully crafted emotional appeal. He had written at length: "No matter what, Jordan is still Lillian's biological father. His health may be failing, but he still has a responsibility to her. I know you resent him for how he treated Camila and Lillian in the past, but that's all over now. Today, he is just Lillian's father. If he remains like this, people might mock Lillian for having a disabled father..." He likely knew the Davis family didn't care about Jordan's health, so he continued, "Our families were brought together by fate once. I hope you can consider our past connection and lend a hand..." Jerry hadn't replied to any of Mason's messages, so Mason had even resorted to bringing up the late Mrs. Smith. "We know we didn't do right by Camila in the past. But my mother was always very good to her; she loved Camila like her own granddaughter. She also respected you both very much, always preparing special gifts for you during the holidays. Jordan was her beloved grandson, the one she worried about most. For her sake, could you please help him...?" After reading Mason Smith's texts, Camila's face darkened. The Smiths had crossed a line by harassing her parents! She and Jordan had been over for a long time. Why were they so shamelessly clinging to her? Besides, she felt she had more than repaid her debt to the elder Mrs. Smith during those miserable years of her marriage. It was Jordan's own fault for cheating at the most critical point in his treatment. What right did they have to bring this up now? Upset, Camila told her parents, "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Her tone was a bit harsh. Realizing this, she took a deep breath and softened her voice. "From now on, if he messages you again, just ignore him, or better yet, block his number." Jerry nodded. "We did. We treated them like spam." Melissa added, also displeased, "There's nothing to say. The elder Mrs. Smith's kindness is one thing, and we would gladly repay it to her. But we're not willing to extend that to the rest of that family." They had already decided. At most, they would burn some extra offerings for the elder Mrs. Smith on All Souls' Day. But the rest of the Smith family deserved nothing more from their daughter. Completely fed up, Camila helped her parents block the Smiths' numbers. Later that night in her room, Dennis Williams saw she was still tense. He gently pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek. Then, he pinched her face playfully. "Don't be upset," he comforted her. "They're probably just desperate, so they're trying anything. If you let them affect you, you're letting them win. My Camila shouldn't be unhappy because of insignificant people."