Thorns Grow After Betrayal (Celeste and Chester) novel Chapter 148

Chester's face remained unreadable.

Barely hesitating, he made his decision. "Call the police."

Joanna hesitated, words catching in her throat, but in the heavy silence that followed Chester's order, she could only dial emergency services, her movements slow and resigned.

Whatever hope she'd nursed evaporated in that moment.

Chester would rather send Celestine to the police—would rather have a Mrs. Fordham tainted with scandal—than even consider divorcing her!

After all her careful scheming, after all the effort she'd poured into this, she'd been so close—so close to getting what she wanted!

If only Celestine had been a little more ruthless—if only she'd let Raymond drown in that pool, if only the Fordham family had lost an heir—Joanna's plan would have played out perfectly.

This woman—what a calculating, manipulative piece of work!

With the Fordham Group's battery of lawyers, even if the police took Celestine away tonight, they'd ensure no charges would ever stick.

But Joanna wasn't about to let Celestine walk away clean. She'd see to it that "murderer" stuck to her name forever, that her reputation would be ruined beyond repair.

Head bowed over her phone, Joanna dialed, her face hidden but twisted with malice and cold calculation.

Raymond stood frozen, stunned.

How had a single lie spiraled this far? Why was his family reacting like this—why were they calling the police to arrest his mother?

But he was fine. He was right here. Nothing had happened to him.

If his mother went to jail, everyone would laugh at him for the rest of his life.

He didn't want a mother like that.

Tears streaming down his face, he ran to Dahlia, desperate.

Whenever he cried, Dahlia's heart always softened. But not this time. Her voice was firm, almost cold: "Raymond, your mother did something terrible and refuses to admit it. She nearly cost you your life. If we don't call the police, who knows who she'll hurt next? Maybe next time, you won't be so lucky. I don't want to live to see my own grandson buried before me."

Raymond shook his head, sobbing, wanting to protest—to shout that it wasn't true. The lie was his. He was the one refusing to own up.

He hadn't hurt anyone.

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