Transmigrated as the Villain Boss's Precious Darling-Chapter 163: Living Only for Her Son

What Tanya Thorne didn’t know was that Jacqueline Spann had also said some vague, insidious things to Phoenix Golding. This was the real reason Phoenix had flown into a rage. Ulysses Spann had forgotten all about the incident by the afternoon; if Jacqueline hadn’t brought it up, Phoenix would have never known.

A sinister look darkened Jim Thorne’s eyes. ’I have to settle this score,’ he thought. ’My sister can’t have suffered for nothing. Phoenix Golding, Jacqueline Spann, and Ulysses Spann... they can all just wait. I’ll make them pay!’

Clayton Xavier sensed Jim’s fury and quickly tried to placate him. "Jacqueline probably didn’t know anything about it. Jim, don’t be too impulsive."

Even though he had been distancing himself from Jacqueline Spann, he still had feelings for her and didn’t want to see her get hurt. ’She can’t be that bad,’ he thought. ’There must be some kind of misunderstanding.’

"Stay out of it," Jim Thorne snapped impatiently. "And I’m warning you, you’d better stay away from Jacqueline Spann. Her mom’s a vixen who’s always trying to seduce my dad. You think the daughter is any better? Be careful, or she’ll cheat on you first chance she gets!"

Clayton Xavier’s pale face flushed beet-red. Jim Thorne had hit a nerve. He did have certain feelings for Jacqueline Spann—"budding" was probably the right word for them. He had deliberately avoided seeking her out for the past few days, but he couldn’t help but worry about her. Still, he was a rational and filial son. Since Verna Golding disliked the Spann family, it was best he kept his distance from Jacqueline.

"You’re talking nonsense,"

Clayton Xavier stammered. Verna Golding glanced over, her eyes probing. A mother knows her son best, and Clayton’s little crush couldn’t escape her notice. Her heart sank, and a touch of resentment grew within her.

’That damned Phoenix Golding,’ she thought. ’The daughter she raised is no good either, trying to corrupt my son.’

Jim Thorne just snorted, not bothering to argue. ’Nothing gets past my eagle eyes,’ he thought. ’And if there isn’t something going on between Clayton Xavier and Jacqueline Spann, I’ll eat my hat!’

"Time to get back to class," Melanie urged.

Jim Thorne walked off with Tanya on his back. Tanya waved to Clayton Xavier and his mother. "Bye, Auntie! Bye, Mr. Xavier!"

After they left, Verna Golding asked, "That little girl... her father is Felix Thorne, isn’t he?"

"Mhm, her name is Tanya," Clayton Xavier confirmed with a nod.

Verna Golding smiled. "She has such a sweet little face, and she’s so polite. People are just spreading lies. I think Tanya is a wonderful girl. The ones who speak ill of her are the ones who aren’t any good."

Clayton Xavier’s expression faltered. Jacqueline Spann had also spoken ill of Tanya. His mother was a woman of few words, but everything she said was insightful. She never said anything impractical, unlike his father, Storm Xavier, who talked from morning to night, yet rarely said anything of substance.

"Go on, get back to your books!"

After hanging the last of the laundry, Verna Golding grabbed a basket and a pair of shears, preparing for a trip up the mountain. Spring had arrived, warm and in full bloom, and the medicinal herbs were ready for harvesting. Every day, she would gather a basketful to bring home and dry. She even grew some in their own yard. Once the herbs were processed, she sold them to the purchasing station in town. Most of the money for Clayton Xavier’s books had been scraped together by Verna, little by little, in this way.

"Let me go with you."

Clayton Xavier saw the white strands at his mother’s temples and her slightly stooped back, and his heart ached. He couldn’t just sit at home while she did all the work. The entire family, young and old, relied on her to support them. ’Mom is just too tired!’

"There’s no need for that. Go on, get back to your books!"

Verna Golding pushed her son back into the house. ’How could my son do such rough work?’ she thought. As long as he could get into a university, all her suffering would be worth it. She was living her life just for him.

Clayton Xavier watched helplessly as his mother hurried off. With a sigh, he went back inside to his books, his resolve to distance himself from Jacqueline Spann now firmer than ever. ’Life is already weighing Mom down so much,’ he thought. ’I can’t give her anything else to worry about.’