"Of course, it's no problem. You go wash up and eat first. Leave your mother to me." Ivy White flashed a smile and walked right past Caleb Forrest into the room.
The moment she stepped inside, she couldn't help but frown.
The room reeked.
It was a mix of urine and feces, an overpowering and disgusting stench.
The old woman was taken aback when she saw Ivy White.
She recognized her.
Ivy White had dated Caleb Forrest years ago. Back then, most people assumed she would marry him.
But Ivy's family had looked down on the Forrests for being poor and married her off to someone else.
The two families had cut all ties after that.
She hadn't seen Ivy White in years.
'To think she'd suddenly pop up again.'
The old woman was instantly on guard. "What are you doing in my house?"
"Grace isn't sick, is she? You drove her away."
"Instead of being a decent person, you want to be a homewrecker? You want to destroy my son's family?"
"Let me tell you, Ivy White, my son may be stupid enough for you to fool, but I'm not! Don't even try. You must have seen that my son is successful now, that he's a deputy factory director, and that's why you've come crawling back to seduce him!"
"I may not think much of Grace, but I think even less of you!"
"Used goods!"
The old woman's words were incredibly harsh.
Ivy White's expression soured.
But she was determined to put on a good show for Caleb Forrest, so she just forced an awkward smile. "Ma'am, you've misunderstood me. I really don't have any ulterior motives concerning Caleb. I... I just didn't have anywhere else to go, so that's why I'm staying here."
"I'll leave at first light tomorrow."
"Caleb said you needed someone to look after you, and I came to help."
The old woman was very resistant.
She felt her current condition was humiliating.
She didn't care when it was Grace, her daughter-in-law. Grace wouldn't dare say anything and would just dutifully care for her day in and day out.
But Ivy White was different.
Ivy White was an outsider.
Just as she opened her mouth to shout, Ivy, with lightning-fast reflexes, grabbed a nearby cloth and stuffed it into the old woman's mouth.
"Ma'am, I'd advise you not to scream. If you're that loud, do you want everyone to know that Caleb brought a woman home with him?"
"You know how serious the crime of hooliganism is right now. It could earn him a bullet. Do you want something to happen to Caleb?"
"If I were you, I'd just behave. I'll change your clothes, you sleep quietly, and we can all avoid any trouble. That would be for the best."
"What do you think?"
Ivy White leaned close to the old woman's ear, her voice laced with menace.
The old woman's eyes went wide.
But Ivy had no desire to waste any more time on her. "Ma'am, just cooperate. It's better for both of us."
With deft movements, Ivy White changed the old woman's clothes, stripped the bed and put on fresh sheets, then fetched a basin of hot water to give her a sponge bath.
She was busy for over an hour before everything was finally done.
As expected, the old woman didn't dare to make another peep.
She detested Grace, and she detested Ivy White, but she didn't dare jeopardize Caleb Forrest's future. She was afraid that if she screamed and shouted, she would attract the neighbors, they would discover Ivy here, and the situation would become impossible to explain.
Caleb Forrest was on his way to becoming the factory director; he couldn't let Ivy White ruin him.
As Caleb Forrest watched Ivy White working so hard to care for his mother, a complex look entered his eyes.
Remembering the sweet times they had shared in their youth, his heart began to pound.
After dinner and a quick shower, he subconsciously headed back to the master bedroom. The moment he walked in, he was met with a sight that made his blood run hot.