Chapter 3

Eloise's body trembled as she stared at Benjamin and Elijah in disbelief. Both boys were looking at her with anger and disgust. "How could we have a mother like you? It's humiliating!" Benjamin exclaimed. "Dad, I don't want her to be my mom anymore," Elijah chimed in. "Having a mom like her is just disgraceful!" Sebastian stood beside Eloise, exuding a chilling pressure. His gaze was cold as he asked in a deep voice, "Do you have anything else to say?" Judging from the look in their eyes, the three of them were already convinced that she had done it. Eloise clenched her fists as anger coursed through her. She wanted to question them, to defend herself. But in the end, she only squeezed out three words, "It wasn't me." Suddenly, Iris grabbed Sebastian's sleeve and said, "Sebastian, just forget it. It's fine now. I've found my bracelet. I'm sure Ms. Windsor hadn't done it on purpose…" The more Iris pleaded on Eloise's behalf, the angrier Sebastian became. His chest heaved as he suddenly raised his voice. "Eloise, how are you supposed to set an example for the kids if you keep lying after being caught red-handed? You need to understand your mistakes today!" Benjamin and Elijah had already retrieved a wooden paddle and handed it to Sebastian. Their eyes sparkled as one of them exclaimed, "Dad, punish her like we'd normally do in our family!" Sebastian took the paddle and slowly walked toward Eloise. Eloise instinctively took a step back, ready to flee. However, when Benjamin and Elijah suddenly rushed forward to grab her arms, she felt her strength being drained away. A strong sense of helplessness had washed over her. She extended her hand obediently, letting the paddle strike her palm with full force. The sting was instant and searing. When Eloise saw Iris' triumphant and satisfied smile, she turned and met Sebastian's cold and merciless gaze. At that moment, Eloise couldn't help but remember a time when her mother, Catherine Lewis, had passed away in her previous life. Catherine had left her a pink diamond ring. One day, after Iris visited, she realized that the ring was missing. Back then, Catherine had just passed away, and her hatred toward Iris had reached its peak. She had made a huge scene over it and searched Iris' bag despite Sebastian's and the twins' disapproval. She had indeed found the ring in Iris' bag, but she was the one who ended up being punished instead. Her husband and kids claimed she had purposely put the ring in the bag to frame Iris. They warned her not to do as she wished just because Catherine had passed away. Eloise's eyes reddened at the memory. She had thought that her heart had already gone numb, but her heart couldn't help but throb in pain. At that moment, Benjamin and Elijah said at the same time, "Dad, I want to hit her too! Since Mom did something wrong, we'd also like to help her understand her mistakes!" Sebastian paused momentarily before handing the paddle to Benjamin. "Alright then. Let today's incident serve as a warning. Don't be morally corrupt or break the law!" His words were like a slap to Eloise's face. With a surge of strength, Eloise smacked the paddle out of Benjamin's hands. Her entire body trembled as she met his infuriated gaze. Her eyes were filled with stubbornness and shame as she coldly said, "I'll say this one more time, I didn't steal her bracelet! The one that's truly morally corrupt is Iris and you, Sebastian!" Sebastian's gaze was ice cold. "What nonsense are you spewing? Since you refuse to admit your mistake, you might as well just stay in the basement and reflect on your actions!" He grabbed Eloise's wrist and dragged her toward the basement. Benjamin and Elijah stood beside Iris. "Ms. Jones, why don't you come and live with us!" "Yeah! Why don't you be our mom instead, Ms. Jones? I'm sure you'll be the best mom in the whole wide world!" Eloise trembled. She gasped for breath as Sebastian pushed her into the basement. As soon as the door closed, she heard Sebastian say gently, "Iris, can I trouble you to take care of the kids for a few days?" Darkness enveloped Eloise. She curled herself in a corner, holding her trembling body tightly as tears began to fall. The basement was her biggest nightmare. Back when she had first married Sebastian, she had been attacked and knocked out from the back when she was running errands. When she woke up, she realized she was locked in a basement. The place was damp, dark, and moldy. There was also a grotesque man with calloused hands in there with her. That was the most terrifying moment of her life. However, Sebastian had broken down the door and charged in just in the nick of time. Sebastian's hands, which were usually meant to hold a pen, picked up a rock and smashed it cruelly on the man's head. The man's eerie and horrific screams, accompanied by the stench of blood, had strangely comforted her. That day, Sebastian had been extremely gentle as he held and soothed her. The memory alone had fueled her will to spend the next 60 years with him, to live out her life with him. However, that gentle Sebastian who had carried her out of the basement was already gone.