The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Chapter 369

They closed in on Keen, surrounding him from all sides.

Watching the scene unfold on the security monitor, Haynes's brow furrowed in concern, while Mrs. Ayers looked as if she might faint from shock.

Even through the grainy footage, it was obvious that Sheldon and his two friends weren't here for a friendly chat. The way they cornered Keen was practiced- clearly, this wasn't their first time.

Haynes's dark eyes grew colder by the second.

Then Sheldon's voice cut through the tense silence in the room.

"A few days ago, I heard my mom say your mom barely finished middle school- she can't even read properly, not like us kids at fancy private schools."

"I bet none of these other kids know just how pathetic and embarrassing your mom is, do they?"

He laughed, a sharp, cruel sound. "Well, even if they don't know now, they're about to. We'll make sure everyone hears about it."

air was suffocating. No one else dared to speak. Only Sheldon's

gaze slid to Mrs.

stare, trembling as if she wished she

behind closed doors, to look down on her in private. But saying such things

this was no isolated incident.

She had never

remarks made it painfully clear: much of

Keen had seemed withdrawn and sad. She'd asked him what was wrong, but he'd refused

had suggested Keen stay with her for a while, saying she wanted

with Keen was limited to brief dinners, and on weekends, Keen was busy with lessons and hardly saw her

realized that's when Keen's attitude toward her had started

she saw that wasn't the whole story. That must have been

happened. Marvin's outburst made sense-it was Sheldon's insults to Stella that