A Night of Desire

Chapter 289 - 286: You Ruined Me

"You don’t have what it takes to win him back, yet here you are, blaming everyone but yourself and taking it out on your family! Instead of throwing a fit at home, you should be trying to figure out how to win back his heart!"

If Autumn Shelby had only been trying to vent her disappointment and frustration before, Evan Shelby’s words now made her completely explode.

"I’m not capable? When I insisted on coming back, who was it that was so sure Seth Quinn couldn’t get over me, that he wouldn’t be interested in any other woman, and insisted I stay in the U.S.A to fully recover before returning?"

"If I’d come back sooner, what chance would Clara Grant have ever had to get together with Seth Quinn? It was you! All of you! You ruined me! You destroyed my marriage and my happiness with Seth!"

Seeing the father and daughter start to argue, Yvette Zimmerman hurriedly tugged on her daughter’s sleeve and pleaded, "Autumn, please, that’s enough..."

Evan Shelby was utterly infuriated. The hand he pointed at her trembled slightly. "Fine, fine, fine! So we ruined you! We destroyed your marriage and your happiness! But why don’t you stop and think about what *you* did?"

"If it weren’t for your own stubbornness, would you and Seth Quinn have ended up like this? You should have been the young mistress of the Quinn Family by now, their future matriarch. And our Shelby Family would be basking in the glory! To have fallen to this state... when it comes down to it, isn’t it all because of your own foolish..."

"Evan, stop!" Seeing her husband was so livid with their daughter that he was starting to speak recklessly, Yvette Zimmerman quickly cut in. "Autumn is our daughter! Even if she’s made mistakes, at least let her keep some dignity in front of the servants!"

As she spoke, she shot a pointed glance at Cherie Rhodes, who stood to the side. Clearly, she lumped Cherie in with the servants.

Cherie Rhodes kept her head slightly bowed, maintaining a cautious and deferential posture, showing no hint of being affected.

Yvette Zimmerman’s words made Evan Shelby swallow whatever he had been about to say, though he still snorted in annoyance.

"Autumn, you must be tired. Come, let Mom help you upstairs to rest," Yvette Zimmerman said gently to Autumn Shelby.

Autumn Shelby didn’t respond, but she followed her mother upstairs.

Cherie Rhodes watched them go upstairs, then slowly walked to Evan Shelby’s side. "Evan," she said, her voice soft and consoling, "don’t be angry with Autumn. The poor girl is suffering, too."

Seeing that Cherie, despite being insulted by Autumn, was still speaking up for her, made his heart soften and his anger cool a little.

"Cherie, this must be hard on you."

Cherie Rhodes smiled faintly. "We’re all family. There’s no ’hard’ or ’not hard’ between us. Besides, Autumn has always been spoiled. She’s not like that girl Sarah, so carefree and with no sense of propriety. Even though she’s been officially recognized and is a Miss Shelby, she doesn’t carry herself like one at all. There’s a world of difference between her and Autumn. It shows how well you and Yvette raised her."

"What, and Sarah wasn’t raised by me?" Evan Shelby joked, knowing she was just trying to comfort him.

He sighed. "Still, Cherie, you and Sarah are more thoughtful and understanding."

Cherie Rhodes maintained her placid smile. "Actually, Autumn and Yvette are the ones who are truly devoted to you. Besides, if Autumn can get back together with Seth Quinn and marry into the Quinn Family, she can be a great help to you and to the entire Shelby Family.

"What can Sarah do for the Shelby Family? She’s in her twenties, and I’d already had her by that age. But she’s still like a child who refuses to grow up, just wanting to play all day."

Evan Shelby naturally understood what Cherie was getting at. ’She’s asking for control over Sarah’s marriage arrangements.’