Debbie nodded. "Will mom be disappointed in me?" she asked worried, looking at him with teary eyes.
Carlos shook his head and assured her, "No, she won't. Don't worry. Go get changed, all right?"
Debbie collected herself and changed into a clean pair of pants after Carlos had left the walk-in closet.
In her bedroom, the dressing table had been cleaned up. When Carlos saw it again, he recalled how tidy it had looked even with so many items on it before the boy messed it up.
Just that morning, when Debbie was applying the products to her face after freshening up, she had joked, "Now I see the benefits of marrying Carlos Huo. As Mrs. Huo, I can buy whatever I want. I craved these things for years! Now, I have so many of them. Mr. Huo, it seems that I'll have to be a good wife so you won't dump me one day. If you do, no one will be left to buy me expensive beauty products anymore."
After applying them to her skin, she checked them carefully and rearranged them on her table.
"They are not even premium brands. Why do you value them so much?" Carlos asked as he watched her go through her routine.
He thought about how easy it was to please her.
Holding a newly opened face cream, Debbie answered joyfully, "They're not the most expensive, but it was you who bought them for me. To me, that makes them the best."
Carlos couldn't help smiling as he played the scenario back in his mind.
He took out his phone and called Emmett. "Buy a few more sets of those beauty products Debbie bought at Shining International Plaza and have them delivered to the villa," he ordered.
"Yes, Mr. Huo," he replied dutifully.
"Also, ask our best business partner in the beauty category to develop an exclusive line of cosmetics for her as soon as possible," he added.
The moment Carlos hung up, Debbie walked out of the closet.
He stretched out his hand towards her, and she put her hand in his. The two held each other's hands tightly.
As they walked downstairs, Debbie couldn't help but ask, "Did I overreact? He is only a five-year-old boy anyway."
Carlos looked at her and answered, "I know you. I was surprised that you didn't spank him and only demanded an apology."
Debbie was disappointed to hear that. She stopped him from moving forward and asked, "Am I that hot-tempered in your eyes?"
Sensing the hint of anger in her tone, Carlos knew that he had better come up with something nice to say. "Bad or good, I love your temper," he told her with a smile.
She brightened up at his words. "Hmph, this sounds much better. Never mind. Since he is just a boy, I'll let it go," she declared.
Carlos looked at her dotingly and said, "You're such a pushover."
"Mom saw everything. What if she thinks I am too petty and doesn't like me anymore? That is a loss I can't afford," she explained. Between tens of thousands of dollars and a mother-in-law who liked her, of course, she would go for the latter.
"Relax. She won't think that of you," Carlos assured her.
When they arrived downstairs, Tabitha was chatting with Megan. The culprit Jake was watching TV while holding a bag of snacks, as if nothing had happened.
"Ah, Debbie, there you are. Come and sit next to me," Tabitha said, patting the seat next to her.
The look on her face was as amiable as it had been before the mess, which relieved Debbie a little. historical
Everything seemed calm. Debbie decided that it was best to let the whole thing go and move on. Carlos, however, thought the contrary. He sat down and immediately asked Megan, "How long is it going to take?"
"What?" Megan was confused.
Carlos threw a sideways glance at the boy who was watching a cartoon, and remained silent.
Megan realized what he meant. She was embarrassed. "Uncle Carlos, I haven't made the call yet. This is all because of some beauty products. Can we just—"
She tried to explain and make the whole thing go away. Also, she was not used to seeing Carlos all cold and firm.
All her friends knew how much the four richest young men in Y City indulged her.
However, Carlos' face darkened before she could finish her sentence. "Make the call now!" he demanded impatiently.
His unexpected anger made Megan's face turn hot. He had never been mad at her before. Mortified, she bowed her head and took out her phone from her bag.
While she was looking for the boy's mom's number from her contacts, Debbie turned to Carlos in confusion and asked, "Didn't we agree to let it go? "
Carlos looked at her and replied, "You said you would let it go. I didn't."
He wouldn't let anybody offend his dear wife, not even a boy, especially one who lacked discipline.
Debbie was rendered speechless.
Tabitha, who hadn't commented anything on the matter, finally decided to speak. "Debbie, I think Carlos is right. The boy needs discipline. Otherwise, he would keep putting others in jeopardy in the future."
Hearing Tabitha's remark, Megan turned red.
She was so ashamed that she fled to the balcony holding her phone. As soon as the phone was connected, she said hastily, "Jake is in trouble. Come to East City Villa quickly."
The person on the other end of the line said something. Megan responded after some hesitation, "You have to come. Your son angered Mr. Huo. I shouldn't have brought him here."
Jake's mom was in a meeting when she received Megan's call. Hearing about what her son did, she immediately excused herself, hopped in her car, and drove towards Carlos' villa.
Meanwhile, Jake was about to finish eating the pack of snacks he was holding. One housemaid reminded him when she noticed, "It's bad for your health to eat so many snacks." She had hardly finished her words before the boy started crying out loud. The adults tried to calm him down, but to no avail. The boy's cries resounded throughout the living room. Debbie felt as if her ears were bleeding.
Since Jake's mom hadn't arrived yet, Megan couldn't take him away. As she did not have much experience in taking care of kids, all her attempts to comfort him and quiet him down failed. She could only stand there and watch the housemaids at their likewise futile attempts.
The boy was so noisy that even Tabitha, who was the most patient, started to look sullen.
Carlos' face twisted with rage. Debbie lowered her head and propped her right hand against her forehead in frustration. Seeing how distressed his wife was getting with the relentless crying, Carlos stood up, grabbed the boy by his clothes and carried him towards the door.
Tabitha and Megan ran after him, frightened. "Carlos!" Tabitha called.
"Uncle Carlos!" Megan followed.
Noticing what was going on, Debbie stood up too. By now, Carlos had already opened the gates of the villa. He put Jake on the snow-coated ground. The boy was still crying, but it didn't affect Carlos at all. The man turned around and closed the gates behind him.
Megan wanted to open the gates, but Carlos stopped her. "Don't you dare!" he said as he glared at her.
His face was almost purple with anger. Too afraid, Megan turned to Tabitha. "Tabitha..." she pleaded.
Tabitha wasn't sure if her son would listen to her, so she looked at Debbie.
Meeting Tabitha's eyes, Debbie fell into a daze.
'Is Tabitha telling me to calm Carlos down?' she wondered. As if aware of what she was thinking, Tabitha nodded. Receiving the hint, Debbie took a deep breath and grabbed Carlos' hand. "He's naughty, but it's not our place to discipline him. Isn't his mom on the way? Why don't we leave it to her? Besides, if she sees her son thrown out of the villa and crying in the snow alone, she will feel uncomfortable," she told her husband.
Carlos was nonchalant. "I don't give a damn how she will feel. If she sucks at parenting, then she doesn't have the right to blame others for doing the job for her!" Uncomfortable? Mess with his wife again and he would hang her son flogged on a tree.
See how she would feel then!