You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 549

“You’re always preaching about morals and virtue, showing off your old teacher’s status like it means something, and you’ve spent your whole life trying to control everyone around you. The second your eldest son started thinking for himself and stopped listening, you gave up on him. Now you cling to the younger one just because he still does what you say, calling it motherly love or some big sacrifice. But let’s be real, you just want someone who’ll play the puppet for you. When Jason died, you barely cared. It was like whether he was here or not didn’t matter to you. He never gave you the validation you wanted, so his loss meant nothing. Now you’ve still got your precious youngest, and your life goes on just the same.”

“What you want isn’t a son—it’s the status a son gives you.”

“You keep talking about carrying on the family name. Did you forget you’re a woman too? Funny how you never think about yourself that way, never wonder if you’re just wasting air and should bow out early.”

“So what is this, double standards now? Is this where you start pitting women against each other?”

Grandma was shaking with rage, finger pointed at Tina. “Tina, don’t forget—you’re only standing in this house today because of me.”

“Oh really? When you lied in court to help us back then, was that for me? No, it was for your son.”

“How dare you!”

Tina’s voice was cold. “How am I out of line? Stop pretending everything was for me. If I hadn’t married Emerson, would you have done any of that for me? You’re just trying to guilt-trip me.”

Grandma turned pale and wobbled, nearly fainting. Emerson rushed over and helped her onto the couch.

He shot Tina a sharp look and said quietly, “That’s enough.”

Enough? That’s enough for you?

Tina still had plenty more she could have said.

“Shouldn’t you be the ones who’ve had enough? If all those women outside are so great, why not let one of them come home and take care of your precious mother? I’m done. I can’t do this anymore.”

“After all, I never gave you a son.”

A loud crash echoed through the house.

Grandma was old and already had health issues. After that fight, she ended up being rushed to the hospital.

Tina meant every word. She’d hired the housekeepers herself, and now she told all of them not to go to the hospital. She even called Ruby to make sure she wouldn’t go either.

“Got it.”

Marian came in then, carrying a tray of fruit, placing a plate in front of each guest.

When she got to Oliver, he was holding a cigarette between his fingers, arm resting on the edge of the table. He asked quietly, “Where is she?”

“She’s out in the garden, feeding the cat.”

A room full of company execs and all they could talk about was work, even when they were supposed to be relaxing. It was exhausting. No wonder someone would want to step out for a bit.

That night, close to eleven, the last of the guests finally left. Cloud Peak’s security team saw everyone home.

Patricia and Oliver stood in the yard, watching the cars drive off before heading inside.

Patricia kicked off her heels and slipped into a pair of khaki Hermes slides. For the first time all night, she felt like she could finally breathe. Her legs finally felt like her own again.