Love me or leave me (Rebecca and Theodore)
Chapter 254

The news of the Edwards Group's bankruptcy made headlines, causing quite a stir. Stacey was initially surprised when she saw it, but after delving into more detailed reports and realizing it was all connected to Jenny, the shock diminished. Nevertheless, Stacey felt a bit melancholic. After all, the Edwards Group had once been an impressive company to her, and she found it hard to believe that under Theodore's management, it had gone bankrupt in less than two years. However, all Stacey could do was sigh. Every path in life was the result of one's choices - hers and Theodore's included. No one had the right to judge another's life.

After absorbing the news, Stacey turned it off and refocused on planning the company's annual holiday break. Time had flown by, and another year had passed, bringing Christmas closer. The entire country was gearing up for the holiday season, and Carter's Jewel was no exception. All employees, except for those in frontline sales positions, were scheduled to take their usual holidays.

However, before the official holiday, certain arrangements at Carter's Jewel had to be made to ensure smooth operations during the break. In the days leading up to the holiday, Stacey's workload increased significantly, leaving her with little time for Hayden and Jeremy. Fortunately, they were understanding and did not get upset or cause trouble.

On the contrary, while she was working, Hayden would take the kids to the supermarket every day to buy groceries. Each evening, when Stacey returned home, she was greeted with meals lovingly prepared by Hayden. In just a few days, Hayden's culinary efforts raised Lillian and Kevin's expectations. Now, they insisted on having their meals beautifully plated and prepared to look exceptional.

The housekeeper at Carter Villa found herself unintentionally caught up in the friendly competition. Although she was not responsible for cooking during this period, she felt uneasy seeing how delicious and beautifully presented Hayden's dishes were. Eventually, after carefully asking for Hayden's permission, she began learning to cook and plate dishes from him.

Debbie and Patrick found the situation amusing and reassured the housekeeper that the Carter family would not fire her for not cooking as well as Hayden. But after a day of learning from him, the housekeeper felt inspired and happily embraced the challenge of improving her plating and cooking skills.

Hayden, with his great temper and patience, never grew impatient with the housekeeper's questions. Whenever she sought his guidance, he would kindly explain everything he knew. Within a few days, the housekeeper's skills had noticeably improved. Her dishes were now not only beautifully plated but also tasted significantly better.

After tasting the housekeeper's improved cooking, Debbie and Patrick could not help but joke with Hayden about how he had "upgraded" the housekeeper's skills, making meals for the Carter family even better. The whole family, including the housekeeper, found this amusing.

A few days later, Isabella visited with Damian. Knowing Damian was the young master of the Carter family, the housekeeper put extra effort into making cute and attractive dishes for him. Damian, who usually clung to Isabella in unfamiliar environments, was so mesmerized by the beautiful food that he forgot all about his mother, staring wide-eyed at the table in sheer fascination.

Isabella was equally shocked. She

knew the Carter family was wealthy

and high-class, but seeing it firsthand, she realized that even the food prepared by the housekeeper at Carter Villa looked like gourmet cuisine from a top restaurant However, she soon discovered she had been mistaken. It was not just her who was surprised; even Adrian was astonished. After asking around, they learned the truth.

When Isabella discovered that the housekeeper at Carter Villa had been inspired by Hayden to make the food look this good, she could not help but laugh. The life of rich families seemed pretty interesting indeed.

Meanwhile, Theodore and Wyatt drove to Hivalis themselves. The journey by car was much longer compared to flying, and it took them several days to finally arrive. They ended up outside the residential area of Carter Villa.

However, they only stopped at the entrance and did not go in. First, they could not get in without permission. Second, they did not want to. Theodore did not know how he could face Rebecca now, or maybe he just did not have the nerve to see her again in this lifetime. Yet, he could not help wanting to catch a glimpse of her and their children.

Thinking of Lillian and Kevin brought another stab of pain to Theodore's heart. As he stood there, the security guard seemed to recognize him. After watching him stand at the gate for a while, the guard finally approached, but it was not to invite him in; it was to make him leave. Theodore had never been treated like this before. In the past, he would have been furious, but now, all he could do was smile bitterly at his situation.

Wyatt, sensing the depth of Theodore's despair, silently took out 60 dollars and discreetly handed it to the guard. The guard quickly refused, but Wyatt insisted, assuring the guard they would not enter, only stand at the gate for a while, and asked that they not be disturbed. The guard, after repeatedly confirming they would not enter, reluctantly accepted the money and left them alone.

They stood at the gate for a long time, until the afternoon, or rather, the evening, when the Carter family's car returned and went inside. Standing at the gate, they could not see what was happening inside or even be sure whether Rebecca was in that car. Their stomachs growled, and Wyatt finally suggested, "Let's go."

Wyatt thought Theodore would not

leave, but to his surprise, he got up

after Wyatt spoke. Wyatt hesitated,

then took Theodore to get something to eat. But during the meal, Theodore suddenly broke down, crying uncontrollably like a

child having an emotional meltdown. Wyatt felt awful and silently ordered several bottles of alcohol. That night, he stayed with Theodore,

drinking for a long time. When

Theodore was drunk, Wyatt quietly returned the remaining bottles, paid the bill, and took Theodore to a hotel.

In the following days, Theodore went to the entrance of Carter Villa almost every day. He watched the Carter family's car leave in the morning and then left himself, returning in the afternoon to wait for the car to come back home. Wyatt, observing Theodore's repetitive actions, was deeply worried but did not know how to comfort him.

Then, one evening, while Theodore and Wyatt were shopping at a supermarket near Carter Villa, they unexpectedly saw Rebecca with another man. To be precise, they were not alone but with three children, shopping together. The most shocking part was that Lillian and Kevin called the man "Daddy."