Chapter 343: Chapter 343: Poor Soundproofing

In that instant, all he had left was fear. Rose Kenway’s harsh face replayed in his mind over and over. He hated her constant self-righteousness, hated her pitying gaze, hated the way she was always so high and mighty!

Rose Kenway loved him, yet she looked down on him. But what could he do? He was already trying his hardest, but no matter what, he could never surpass her. She stood on a pedestal so high that he couldn’t even see her feet when he looked up. He, a grown man, could only serve as her escort to banquets.

’And then… what happened after that?’

Jackson Kensington couldn’t quite remember. All he could recall was warm blood spraying onto his face, just like a fountain.

Lorraine Warren noticed he was lost in thought and asked with concern, “Jackson, is your head hurting again? Let me give you a massage.”

Jackson Kensington snapped out of it. He sighed and sat down in a chair, letting Lorraine Warren massage his temples.

Lorraine Warren’s voice was soft. “What’s wrong, Jackson? Why so gloomy all of a sudden? Tell me what’s on your mind. Let me help you carry the burden, okay?”

Jackson Kensington frowned, his gaze fixed on the family photo on his desk, his thoughts a mystery.

“I just keep thinking about those troubling things from the past…”

Lorraine understood. Her voice was still very soft. “You’re thinking about Rose Kenway, aren’t you?”

Jackson Kensington stiffened.

There wasn’t a hint of anger in Lorraine Warren’s voice. In fact, it held a trace of smug satisfaction. “What happened years ago is long in the past. As long as we don’t say a word, no one will ever know. Rose Kenway always acted so high and mighty, always looking down on people. Now her ashes are sitting in a cemetery, and our good life is just getting started. It just goes to show you, the tables do turn.”

She let out a satisfied laugh, her tone laced with admiration. “Jackson, Rose Kenway always looked down on you. It broke my heart. But look at you now! My Jackson is so capable. You’re running the company splendidly even without her.”

Her words struck a chord with Jackson Kensington. He instinctively lifted his head, a smile touching his lips. “You’re right. Rose Kenway should take a good look from up in heaven. I’m living just as freely and happily without her. But about what happened a few years ago…”

His smile tightened, his expression turning cold and irritable. “Let’s not mention what happened a few years ago ever again.”

Lorraine Warren smiled and nodded. “Our lives are only going to get better from here on out. Of course, such an unpleasant piece of the past isn’t worth bringing up.”

Jackson Kensington took Lorraine Warren’s hand, and the two shared a laugh.

“Caleb, what are you doing?”

In the hallway, Jeanette Kensington walked over with light steps and gently tapped Caleb Bishop’s shoulder. She tilted her head and smiled. “Why are you just standing at the door? My parents are in the study. I’ve told you before, my home is your home. Why are you acting so formal?”

Caleb Bishop turned around, a faint smile on his lips. “I heard your parents having a nice chat in there, so I didn’t want to interrupt.”

Jeanette leaned close to the study door to listen and grumbled, “The soundproofing on this study is pretty terrible. You can hear everything if you get close.”

Caleb Bishop smiled but said nothing.

Jeanette Kensington continued, mostly to herself, “I wonder when my parents will get over being so frugal. They’re always reluctant to spend money on this or that. This study door has needed replacing for years now.”

“People from their generation are all like that. They’re used to being thrifty. But your parents have never been stingy when it comes to taking care of you. I’m really grateful to them for raising you so well.”

A smile played on Jeanette Kensington’s lips. “That’s true. I’m their only daughter, so they spoil me like a princess. I remember when I was little and our family wasn’t very wealthy. My dad was always busy with work and rarely came home, but they’d take me to an amusement park every holiday and buy me lots of expensive toys…”

A nostalgic look filled Jeanette Kensington’s eyes. When she finished, she realized Caleb Bishop hadn’t reacted. He seemed to be lost in thought again. She waved a hand in front of his face, annoyed. “Am I that boring? How can you be spacing out right now?”

Caleb Bishop snapped out of it. “Sorry.”

Jeanette Kensington pouted, her normally serene face taking on the playful pout of a girl in love. “You’re always doing this. Don’t let it happen again, okay?”

Suddenly, she seemed to realize something. An apologetic expression crossed her face, and she took Caleb Bishop’s arm. “I’m sorry, honey. Did what I said remind you of what you went through during your childhood?”

Jeanette Kensington knew Caleb Bishop came from a difficult background and had suffered a great deal. He grew up in an orphanage and was later adopted by a childless couple who wanted someone to support them in their old age. But in a cruel twist of fate, the supposedly infertile couple conceived a son of their own just a year after adopting Caleb. From that point on, Caleb became an outsider in his own home. His standing in the family plummeted, and he had to walk on eggshells every day. From a young age, he was forced to help with farm chores. Even while juggling school and feeding the sheep, he was still subjected to constant beatings and verbal abuse. When it was time for him to go to college, his adoptive parents nearly tore up his acceptance letter, wanting him to find a job instead to save money for his younger brother to build a house and get married…

Every time Jeanette Kensington thought about it, her chest would tighten with indignation. How could such a malicious family exist, scheming to squeeze every last drop of value out of Caleb Bishop?

“No,” Caleb Bishop said, his expression flat. “I’ve already forgotten what happened when I was a kid. It’s not important. I’m doing well now, and that’s all that matters.”

“Then what were you thinking about just now?”

For once, Caleb Bishop seemed impatient. “Is it really that important?”

His voice wasn’t loud; there wasn’t even a hint of anger in it. Yet tears welled in Jeanette Kensington’s eyes. She sniffled. “How could you be like this? I just say a few words and you’re already annoyed. Do you even love me anymore? Do you really think I’m that curious about what you’re thinking? I just want to know why you’re always spacing out! I’m standing right here in front of you, and you don’t even react. It makes me feel awful when you’re like this.”

She fought to hold back her tears. “Caleb Bishop, you’re going to lose me if you keep this up. Do you have any idea how many other guys are interested in me? If you push me too far, I’ll break up with you and get with someone else. And don’t think you’ll get a second chance.”

“Admirers?”

For some reason, Jeanette Kensington felt that Caleb Bishop’s gaze was full of sarcasm and ridicule.

“What’s wrong with admirers?”

“Are they still just ’admirers’? What I mean is, haven’t you taken things to the next level with any of them?”

Jeanette Kensington’s face flushed crimson, but not from shyness. Her voice trembled with a mixture of nervousness and fear. “W-what are you trying to say? Caleb Bishop, is this how you treat your girlfriend? You’re just going to make wild accusations about me like that?”

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