When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 263

She nodded toward the hospital room, her voice barely above a whisper. “Let’s keep it down. If Mr. Garland wakes up, I doubt he’ll be happy about it.”

Brody’s name made Tina tense up a little. Her stepson was always polite to her face, but she knew he didn’t actually see her as his mother. Lately, things had only gotten worse. He’d started snapping at her, almost like he was a different person, and all because of Nelly.

When Tina finally quieted down, Jessie wasted no time and slipped away.

After checking in on Brody, Tina left for home. Alan and a nurse were still there, taking turns watching over him. Alan promised to call as soon as Brody woke up, so Tina could rest easy for a little while. But the further she got from the hospital, the more frustrated she felt. She was constantly worrying about the Garland family, yet all she got in return was stress and attitude. Not a single person in that house made life easy for her.

Her mind wandered to Sheila. Brody had been out of town for the past few days and left Carrie in Tina’s care. Sheila had asked if she could take Carrie on a short trip, so Tina agreed and sent Carrie with her. She knew Brody would never have allowed it. With all the drama Nelly had been causing, Brody had even banned Sheila from tutoring Carrie. Tina was still annoyed at Nelly, so she agreed to Sheila’s request right away, just to get under Nelly’s skin. Besides, Sheila really knew how to win people over. She’d sent Tina a few exclusive designer bags as a thank you, things you couldn’t just buy anywhere.

Sheila’s career was going strong too. Tina had heard she’d opened her own art studio, and it was getting rave reviews. Sheila had even invited her to come visit someday. The Olson family had always been cultured and respected, almost like local celebrities. If Sheila was this capable, maybe she would make a much better daughter-in-law after all.

With her mind made up, Tina grabbed her phone and called Sheila.

At that moment, Sheila was abroad at an art exhibit with Carrie, who was completely captivated by the colorful lights all around her. Tina’s calls kept coming, one after another. Sheila didn’t want to answer at first, but she sensed something was off. She leaned down to whisper something to Carrie, then stepped outside to take the call.

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