Who's Crying Now, Ex-Husband? novel Chapter 469

“Hey, sis...”

“Oh? Are you going to teach me how to raise a child now?” Sophia shot him a cold look.

“I’m his uncle!” Nathaniel protested, forcing himself to stand his ground. “I’ve been raising him for six years!”

“Exactly why he’s turned out so useless!” Sophia’s patience snapped. “Day after day, he’s so fragile and weak—what use is that to anyone? If there’s a problem, you face it head on. What’s with all the running and hiding, the constant fear? I, Sophia Pembroke, will not have such a spineless son!”

She sighed, then went on bluntly, “If you can’t handle the situation at school, then I don’t need you. Don’t bother coming to see me or Julian anymore. You’ve always been like this—hesitant, forever tiptoeing around things. Every chance that comes your way just slips through your fingers.”

Suddenly, she turned and pointed down the opposite end of the alley, ripping open the secret Nathaniel had been so desperate to hide. “Don’t think I can’t see right through you and your feelings for that woman. The man by her side? He’s miles ahead of you. He fights for what he wants and takes action. And you?”

“You’re timid and indecisive, and you’ve passed that weakness on to the boy. You’re lucky I haven’t given you a piece of my mind already. If you’re too scared to do anything, then just get out of my way. Stop making things worse!”

Nathaniel’s face darkened, anger and frustration finally boiling over after being held back for so long. “And who’s kept this family afloat in the end? You, with your reckless disregard for everyone, throwing the family to the wolves just to do as you please—ending up in jail, was that the right thing to do?”

A sharp slap rang out in the empty alley. Red lines, courtesy of her long nails, appeared on Nathaniel’s cheek.

“Who taught you to speak to me that way?” Sophia’s voice was cold as ice.

He gave a dry, bitter laugh, hair tousled by the night breeze. “You know how I feel about her, and yet you still hurt her.”

Sophia’s reply was matter-of-fact. “She’s not a Pembroke. That’s all there is to it.”

“And what about me?”

—Do my feelings mean nothing?

“You’re my brother. That’s the only reason I’m letting you get away with talking back to me tonight. Nathaniel, don’t push your luck.”

She turned and strode toward the mouth of the alley, her figure slim yet unyielding. Nathaniel watched her go, a hollow smile on his face.

This was his sister.

The Pembroke family had never intended for her to inherit anything. But from an early age, she had overwhelmed him with her sheer force of will and undeniable competence. Smarter than he was, she’d risen quickly through the company, turning the family’s opinion around and earning her place as the true successor.