Dumping My Fiancé For His Uncle

"I think you've really lost it," Joyce said, exasperated. "Is this how you act when love has you all confused?"

Thea wasn't confused by love. Her acceptance of Oliver came with its own considerations. Perhaps Oliver held unexpected truths within him.

"That reminds me one thing. Teri's been screaming to find you ever since she got bailed out," Joyce continued, having been around Key Biskane long enough to catch every bit of gossip. "She was stopped by Aiden, and now the Langstaff Group is almost entirely under his control."

Joyce scoffed, clearly unimpressed. Although she had made mistakes in the past due to her overwhelming love for a man, Teri's business skills outshone Aiden's significantly.

They were accustomed to the cunning of wealthy families, knowing Mason was backing Aiden from behind.

"Really?" Thea's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "I guess I really need to meet Teri." Gaining entry into the Langstaff family was a trivial matter for Thea.

As soon as they left the apartment, the doorbell rang. Oliver set up a small stool and peered through the peephole, spotting a familiar face outside. After a moment's hesitation, he finally opened the door. "Oliver, how have you been these past few days? Has Thea been mistreating you?" Stephanie walked in, immediately sizing him up from head to toe.

Seeing him intact, even healthier than when he was with her, only fueled her displeasure. "It looks like you're really planning to treat her as your mom now. Have you forgotten everything I taught you?" "Mom..." Oliver began, but Stephanie swiftly slapped him. "I told you that no matter who's around, you're never to call me Mom."

Stephanie was clever. Her hand connected with Oliver's back, enough to hurt him through his shirt but leaving no marks.

"Do you know how hard I had to work to escape just to see you?" Nicolas had wanted to send Stephanie abroad, but she had fled just before reaching the airport to get to Silvercreek. However, what Stephanie had seen from downstairs was Oliver's deep affection for Thea. Oliver's eyes were red from the pain.

Stephanie's scolding echoed in his ears, relentless. "You've let me down. I raised you. Are you saying our bond is worth less than those few days you spent with that bitch? You've forgotten everything I taught you." Stephanie's harsh words exploded in Oliver's mind. From childhood, he had learned that no matter what it took, he must secure Nicolas's love.

Under the weight of his twisted upbringing, Oliver snapped. "I've forgotten. Mrs. Hendrix is completely different from the kind of person you told me about. She's not a bad person. She's been good to me... better than you!" His desperate scream shouldn't have come from a child whose mind wasn't fully developed.

Stephanie was taken aback. She couldn't believe it. "I'm your real mother."Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Stephanie's words, captured by the indoor surveillance, echoed in Thea's ears perfectly clear.

"What did I say? Oliver and Stephanie are cut from the same cloth. He has finally revealed himself." Joyce rubbed her hands together. "Thea, should we go back and tear apart their scheme?" u

"We're going back, Thea replied. But her goal wasn't to humiliate Stephanie. The primary reason was to prevent Oliver from enduring any more torment at the hands of his biological mother.

Thea quickly sent the recent surveillance footage to Nicolas while swiftly turning the steering wheel. With Nicolas's abilities, even though he wasn't in Silvercreek at the moment, he could arrive just in time to witness the unfolding drama. Thea returned home just to see Stephanie who was unhinged and striking Oliver's back repeatedly. "You're not listening. You can't even tell right from wrong anymore, turning your back on me and only caring about Thea.

Oliver had the strength to push Stephanie away, but instead, he simply endured the blows. His face was pale, and he didn't utter a word.

Thea felt a pang of guilt for ever calling him a troublemaker. With a mother like Stephanie, the fact that Oliver still had some redeeming qualities was nothing short of miraculous. Even Joyce couldn't stand by. "Ms. Ralap, barging into someone else's home and laying hands on a child? Isn't that a bit rude? Are you really willing to treat a kid like this?" Stephanie hadn't expected them to return so soon. Once she confirmed Nicolas wasn't around, she took a breath. "I'm disciplining my own child. Do you need to interfere? "Thea, I'm warning you... Oliver is my son with Nicolas. You have no right to dictate his upbringing."

Stephanie pulled Oliver close, eyeing the room warily as if afraid Thea might try to snatch him away. Thea had no interest in that,

"Your son with Nicolas? Ms. Ralap, if you're suffering from delusions or some mental illness, I suggest you seek help at a psychiatric hospital," Thea said with a cold laugh.

Her hatred for Stephanie had seeped deep into her bones, but she didn't act recklessly. "Oliver is innocent. From what I know, Nicolas has already completed the adoption process, making Oliver our son legally. "You're involved in child abuse and kidnapping, and the police are on their way."

Thea spoke casually. "If you're willing to let Oliver go, I might consider asking the police to go easy on you. After all, you are Oliver's biological mother."

Her words dripped with mockery, but Stephanie misinterpreted them, thinking Thea was backing down. "You're not taking Oliver from me. He's my son. Every child means the world to their mother."

Thea would never forget Stephanie's monstrous demeanor that day. Stephanie had wanted to kill both Thea and the baby she carried. So, Thea was determined to take away the thing Stephanie cared about most. Stephanie's true concern was never Oliver, but her own fame as a star and the attention from Nicolas.

She delayed it until the elevator door opened with a soft ding just as Thea finally raised her voice. "Your son with Nicolas? Ms. Ralap, would you like to see what I have here?"

Thea pulled out photos from her small bag, revealing a stunning image featuring a single subject. Stephanie's pupils dilated instantly. "Don't use those fake photos to ruin my reputation. Give me that!"

If the photos were truly forged, Stephanie wouldn't have reacted so violently. She charged at Thea, shoving Oliver aside, nearly sending him tumbling.

"Thea, are you trying to kill me?" Stephanie shouted.

Thea anticipated Stephanie's move and managed to catch Oliver before he hit the wall. As she embraced him, she felt his trembling body. "Don't be scared. I'm here. She won't dare hurt either of us."

Just then, a blinding flash from the camera went off. Thea threw the photos out, letting them cascade through the air as the shutter clicked repeatedly beside them.