Unmasking Mrs. Newton's Secret Identities novel Chapter 1653

Two seconds later, Abigail shoved Taylor aside and turned to face Gideon. "So, do you get it now? Do you understand how I feel?"

"You… you two…"

Gideon's mouth dropped open in disbelief, anger flashing in his eyes. Without warning, he swung his fist, landing a punch squarely on Taylor's jaw.

The blow sent Taylor's head snapping to the side. Before he could fully grasp what had just happened, his instincts kicked in, and he held the spot where he'd been hit. "What the hell?"

Turning back, he saw that Gideon had already tossed the bouquet to the ground and stormed off.

As Abigail noticed the swelling on Taylor's cheek, a pang of guilt washed over her.

But before he could say anything, she beat him to it. "Aren't you the one always trying to play peacemaker? Well, this is the cost of trying to smooth things over."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Taylor dumbfounded.

He threw his hands up and muttered to himself, "Why? Why?"

It was bad enough that his first kiss had been stolen to fool someone, but now, he'd taken a punch for no reason.

Was any of this even remotely fair?

…

Not long after Helen got home, the doorbell rang. She opened the door to find Abigail standing there, carrying a bag filled with small bottles of liquor.

"Care to join me for a drink?" Abigail asked, unable to explain why she felt compelled to open up to "Kaylee". Before she realized it, she had found herself driving straight to her house.

Helen welcomed her inside, and soon, they were sitting in the living room with drinks in hand.

Noticing Abigail nursing her drink in silence, Helen sat quietly with her for a moment before gently asking, "Is something on your mind?"

Abigail downed the rest of her drink in one go and slammed the bottle on the table. After a long pause, she slowly lifted her gaze, frustration written all over her face.

Helen adjusted her posture slightly, sensing that Abigail's feelings for Taylor ran deeper than she had been letting on.

The fear of losing someone was a sign of love, not just infatuation.

"Why are you so quiet all of a sudden?" Abigail asked, a hint of panic in her eyes. "Do you really think that could happen?"

"I mean… that's definitely a possibility," Helen said, keeping her tone neutral. "But the truth is, anything can happen. You might regret speaking up, or you might not. But if you stay silent, I can almost guarantee you'll regret it more."

Abigail paused, reflecting on Helen's words. After a moment, she cleared her throat and shifted closer, sitting beside her.

Leaning in, she asked softly, "So, do you think I have a chance with Taylor?"

Helen couldn't help but smile, realizing her instincts had been spot on.

Abigail's face turned crimson as she grabbed Helen's arm, playfully whining, "Oh, come on! Don't just smile—say something! If you keep this up, I won't tell you anything next time!"