Chapter 168: Chapter 168: All of This Is a Lie

Shirley Griffin stood at the door of the room, her haggard face already streaked with tears.

"Cherie!" Mrs. Griffin walked up to her daughter, her face filled with worry and unease. "Is what that girl said true?"

"I don’t know..." Shirley Griffin shook her head, her eyes vacant and dull. "I don’t know! I don’t know anything!"

’She couldn’t believe Cole would go this far for money... and that Joel Yules didn’t truly love her!’

Recalling the sweet times they had shared, Shirley Griffin suddenly found it all so ironic.

’This is all so ridiculous!’

"Cherie, don’t listen to her nonsense." Cole rushed over to Shirley Griffin, his voice gentle. "I truly love you; nothing else matters! I never did the things she accused me of. She’s just jealous and deliberately trying to slander me."

Shirley Griffin’s eyelashes trembled as a sliver of hope grew deep within her heart.

Her lips moved, and she spoke hesitantly, "Really? You didn’t do those things?"

"Never!" Cole nodded emphatically. "If you don’t believe me, I’ll swear it to the heavens!"

Shirley Griffin stared at him, silent for a long time.

Mr. Griffin strode over and asked in a low, serious voice, "Cherie, is the baby in your belly really Cole’s or not?"

He knew his daughter. She was timid and might really do something so foolish.

If Cole was truly such a manipulative person, he absolutely could not stand by and watch his daughter fly into the flame like a moth.

"Of course it’s mine!" Cole answered before anyone else could. "Sir, I truly love Cherie and want to grow old with her. Please, believe me."

Mr. Griffin shot Cole a sharp glare. "You shut up. I want to hear what Cherie has to say!"

"Cherie, tell Mom the truth." Mrs. Griffin held her daughter’s cold hand, her eyes filled with heartache. "Did Cole threaten you to marry him or not?"

"Ma’am, what you’re saying..." Cole tried to speak again but was met with a solid slap from Mr. Griffin.

"I told you to shut up!" Mr. Griffin was furious.

"How could you hit my son?" Cole’s mother was distraught.

Mr. Griffin ignored her completely and looked at his daughter with concern. "What exactly is going on?"

Shirley Griffin’s brow furrowed tightly. After a moment’s hesitation, she looked at Renee Jennings with red-rimmed eyes and said in a low voice, "C-can I talk to you alone?"

"No!" Cole and his mother said in unison.

Renee Jennings smiled and nodded. "If they say ’no,’ it means ’yes’."

Hearing this, Cole’s mother immediately blurted out, "Yes, you can!"

"See? She said ’yes,’ so it means ’yes’," Renee Jennings said, stepping out from behind Rhea Dempsey.

Cole’s mother exploded in anger. "You damn brat, are you playing me?"

Rhea Dempsey shot her a cold look. "I was wondering how such a nice girl could fall for your son. Turns out she was forced."

When Cole saw Renee Jennings approaching, he reached out to push her, but a sudden pain shot through his knee. He lost his balance and fell uncontrollably to the ground.

Renee Jennings glanced at Mr. Griffin, who had kicked him, and gave him a thumbs-up. "Nice move."

With that, she and Shirley Griffin went into the room.

Just before the door closed, Juniper snuck in, nearly getting its tail caught in the doorway.

"Phew! That was close!" Juniper sighed in relief.

Renee Jennings crouched down and rubbed its round head, amused. "Silly kitty, you could have given me a heads-up. I didn’t even know you wanted to come in."

Juniper rubbed against her affectionately. "Hehe, I’m here to help! To make sure Cherie doesn’t marry Cole."

Seeing this, Shirley Griffin murmured, "Juniper really likes you."

"What did you want to ask me?" Renee Jennings looked up at her, a faint smile in her eyes.

Shirley Griffin bit her lip, an uncontrollable hesitation and struggle raging within her.

Renee Jennings didn’t rush her, simply lowering her head to continue playing with Juniper.

About five minutes later, Shirley Griffin’s lips moved, and she asked softly, "I heard everything you said earlier. I want to ask... how did you know?"

"I just found out myself." Renee Jennings picked Juniper up and held the cat out to Shirley Griffin. "It told me."

Shirley Griffin frowned in confusion. "Who told you?"

"It did," Renee Jennings said, holding up Juniper.

Shirley Griffin’s gaze fell on her own kitten, and she asked in astonishment, "You mean... Juniper?"

Renee Jennings nodded. "Yes. It doesn’t want you to be threatened by Cole."

Shirley Griffin looked incredulous. "What does Juniper know? It’s just a cat."

"Cats are very smart," Renee Jennings said with a smile, holding Juniper in her arms. "Don’t underestimate them."

Hearing this answer, Shirley Griffin’s heavy heart suddenly felt a little lighter.

"Did you just make all that up earlier?" she asked tentatively.

"Do you think I did?" Renee Jennings didn’t answer, instead turning the question back on her. "Isn’t it a fact that Cole is using those photos to threaten you into marrying him?"

Shirley Griffin’s eyelashes fluttered, her face turning pale and strained as she bit down hard on her lip.

Renee Jennings stared straight at her with bright, clear eyes and said slowly, "Is it that you’re unwilling to believe Joel Yules only got close to you because Cole told him to?"

Shirley Griffin didn’t seem to dare meet her gaze. Her eyes flickered, and she lowered her head slightly. "I..."

Renee Jennings said, "You’re unwilling to believe that Joel Yules’s love for you was fake."

"You’re right," Shirley Griffin said softly. "This is the first time I’ve ever really loved someone. I always thought the love between Joel and me was so pure..."

"I suggest you call Joel Yules, get the facts straight, and give yourself some closure." As an outsider, Renee Jennings saw things very clearly. "Neither he nor Cole is right for you."

Shirley Griffin stared at her phone screen but couldn’t bring herself to dial the number. Her mind was flooded with sweet memories of her time with Joel Yules.

When she was preparing her lessons, he would sit beside her and even feed her strawberries—always the little pointy tips.

When she said her feet were tired from standing all day, he would prepare a basin of hot water for her to soak them in and give her a foot massage.

When she playfully refused to get out of bed, he, fearing she’d be late, would laugh and lift her out of bed, then give her a kiss...

Shirley Griffin really didn’t want to believe that it was all a lie.

"I’m sorry, I still don’t have the courage to call him..."

The words had barely left her lips when her phone started to ring.

Seeing the caller ID on the screen, Shirley Griffin’s head snapped up to look at Renee Jennings. "It’s... it’s Joel Yules..."

"Perfect timing." Renee Jennings gestured for her to answer the phone while stroking Juniper’s fur. "Pick it up, get your answers, and then let yourself off the hook."

Shirley Griffin closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and pressed the answer button with a trembling finger. "Joel."

"Cherie..." A young man’s crisp voice came through the receiver. "I need to confess something to you."

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