Love Me Or Leave Me

CHAPTER 221

Time flew by swiftly, and before they knew it, the day of Jeremy’s surgery was approaching. Stacey, diligent as ever, managed to delegate her responsibilities at work, secured a few days off, and flew to Strico a day earlier than planned to be there for Jeremy. Having been informed in advance of her arrival, Jeremy was

Overcome with excitement, he

awoke at the crack of dawn, rousing Hayden from sleep with his eager inquiries about when Stacey would arrive.

Hayden, though secretly sharing Jeremy’s anticipation, was overwhelmed by ant questions. I’m excited for Content protected by Nôv/el(D)rama.Org.

boy’s

Becky’s arrival too, but this kid is driving me nuts!‘ he thought. Hayden said, trying to temper Jeremy’s expectations, “She won’t be here that soon. She’s still got a flight to catch, and she won’t be here until noon at the earliest.” After repeating this numerous times, Hayden pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

Meanwhile, Jason and Sharon found the entire scenario rather amusing. Sharon couldn’t resist commenting to Hayden, “Look at how much Jeremy adores Becky. Ever since she came into his life, he’s been so much more spirited and childlike.”

Hayden, who had raised Jeremy single–handedly, was acutely aware of the transformation. Jeremy had always been a well- behaved child, but his personality was subdued, much like Hayden’s own. However, Becky’s presence had brought out a lighter, happier side in Jeremy. Though his

boisterous behavior was occasionally grating, it was clear that Jeremy had flourished, and that made Hayden genuinely happy.

“Why is Becky only arriving at noon? I miss her too,” Sharon said, prompting Jeremy to vigorously nod in agreement,

like a bobble toy, and waved him over to her side. Sharon watched Jeremy nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice. She immediately broke into laughter and waved Jeremy over to her.

missing Becky dearly. Sharon chuckled as she watched Jeremy nod, his heading

Jeremy, always obedient to Sharon, hurried over to her. Sharon took his hand and asked earnestly, “Do you really like Becky that much?”

Jeremy immediately nodded. “Mhmm.”

Sharon then extended her pinkie, suggesting, “How about we make a pinkie promise? Promise me that you’ll agree to let Becky be your mommy. You can’t break this promise, okay?”

Hearing this, Jeremy quickly lowered his head to get his writing tablet and began to write something down. Since Sharon’s eyesight and hearing were not as sharp as they used to be, Jeremy turned the tablet’s volume to the maximum and hit the play button on the reading function, which loudly proclaimed, won’t break it!” in its mechanical voice.

Jason smiled warmly at this sweet interaction. “That’s wonderful, Sharon said, her happiness tinged with nostalgia as she thought of her late best friend, Gemma. ‘How wonderful it would be if Gemma could see this,‘ she mused.

Just then, Joshua hurried into the room, his expression troubled. “Mr. Hoggard, Ms. Leavey is here,” he announced with a hint of anxiety.

At the mention of Queenie, everyone’s mood shifted. Jeremy’s face fell immediately, and he began furiously typing on his

everyone to see: [I don’t want to see her! I dont want to see that woman! I hate her!] tablet before holding it up

for

Hayden frowned deeply at this and turned to Joshua. “What is she doing here?”

Joshua sighed. “Ms. Leavey heard about Jeremy’s surgery and said she wanted to be here to support him.”

“How did she even find out about the surgery?” Jason asked, visibly upset.

Sharon’s expression was one of annoyance. “Jeremy doesn’t need her here. Tell her to leave.”

At this, Joshua looked toward Hayden. Hayden remained silent for a moment before decisively instructing, “Do what

Grandma said. Let her leave. Jeremy doesn’t need her company”

Relieved by Hayden’s decision, Jeremy quickly wrote another message on his writing tablet: [I don’t want her to accompany

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09:12 Mon, Aug 5

1. me. I want Becky!]

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Hayden read Jeremy’s words, nodded in agreement, and murmured, “Okay.” Joshua promptly relayed the family’s decision and went out to confront Queenie..

+5

At the grand entrance of Hoggard Manor, Joshua faced Queenie with an icy demeanor and unequivocally stated, “Ms. Leavey, neither Mr. Hoggard nor Jeremy wishes to see you. Jeremy has explicitly stated that he does not want your company. It would be best if you returned home.”

Queenie had braced herself for a cool reception, aware that her previous visit had left a bitter taste, and understood that Jeremy might still be wary of her. Nonetheless, she clung to the advice given by Florine. She had never really spent quality time with Jeremy; his resistance was likely due to her sudden re–entry into his life. Queenie believed that children naturally gravitate toward their mothers and that if she remained present and attentive, Jeremy would inevitably gravitate toward her.

With this thought, she addressed Joshua with a firm resolve, “Mr. Oswald, I am not here to cause any trouble for Mr. Hoggard. Jeremy is my son, and I am here simply to perform my duties as his mother. Legally, as his mother, I have every right to visit him, and not even the Hoggard family can prevent me from doing so.”

Joshua’s face remained impassive as he responded flatly, “Ms. Leavey, please spare me these explanations. I am merely an employee here and it’s not within my purview to address these issues. Mr. Hoggard and Jeremy have both made it clear they do not wish to see you. You should leave now.”

Queenie was left without words as Joshua turned and walked away. The security guard promptly closed the gate, leaving Queenie isolated on the other side. She stood there, a mix of unhappiness

and confusion clouding her expression. She had anticipated some resistance, but the outright denial, even when she explained that her intentions were solely to see her son, left her deeply perplexed and unsure of her next move. She thought, ‘What do I do now?‘

Queenie lingered at the gate of Hoggard Manor, hesitant to leave, yet finding no apparent way to gain entry. It was around H o’clock in the morning when a sleek black Phantom rolled out from the courtyard of the manor. Queenie immediately recognized it as Hayden’s vehicle; he only used this car for special outings.

A surge of nervousness washed over her as she watched the car approach. Her eyes locked onto the Phantom, tracking every movement. However, despite her anticipation, the luxury vehicle merely sped past her, disappearing down the road swiftly. A fleeting impulse to chase after it crossed Queenie’s mind, and she even took a few hasty steps in pursuit before the reality set in that she could never catch up to such a fast–moving vehicle by foot.