Chapter 7 Is My Mom Qualified?

• Shaun's expression darkened suddenly.
• With his status and influence, wherever he went, people always treated him with respect and reverence. When had he ever been dismissed so casually?
• But what stung him the most was her cold indifference toward Bianca.
• Bianca had never anticipated anything as much as she did today.
• She had taken the initiative to be friendly, and this woman just ignored her?
• A burning anger welled up inside him. Shaun's gaze turned sharp and piercing, directed at Whitney.
• Whitney ignored him. Her entire demeanor radiated cold detachment.
• "Take care, Mr. Marshall. No need for me to see you off," she said flatly.
• A muscle in Shaun's temple twitched. Suddenly, he changed his mind.
• Leave because she wants me to? Haha, that would be too easy.
• Looking down at Whitney, his eyes narrowed, and he said coldly, "Whitney, let me remind you that you're still not fully qualified to live here."
• Whitney frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"
• "Didn't you say you'd provide the documents to prove your credentials as a doctor? Well, I want to see them now," Shaun replied, his voice demanding, each word laced with pressure.
• "Whether you can stay here depends on my review," he added with a smug edge.
• To Whitney, it was obvious—he was just looking for trouble.
• She had bruised his ego earlier. Now, he was rushing to get even with her. What a petty man!
• Suppressing an internal scoff, Whitney met his challenge without fear.
• She said coldly, "Don't worry, I remember what I said. You can wait downstairs. I'll print them out for you."
• Without waiting for a response, she turned and went to her study.
• Shaun's gaze followed her as she walked away. His expression was growing darker.
• Meanwhile, Skylar and Andy exchanged uneasy glances, their faces reflecting their discomfort.
• Even Bianca, who was nestled in her father's arms, could sense the tension between him and Whitney.
• Her father's attitude, in particular, was far from pleasant.
• Did he make the pretty lady angry?
• The little girl became anxious just thinking about it.
• She squirmed restlessly in her father's arms. She opened and closed her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but her nervousness prevented her from uttering any words.
• Shaun couldn't grasp his daughter's distress. He gently reassured her, "Don't worry, Daddy will take you home soon."
• Just as he was about to head downstairs, two childish yet firm voices interrupted him.
• Skylar and Andy were standing there, their young faces serious yet somehow filled with a sense of authority.
• "Questioning my mom's abilities is the biggest mistake of your life!" Skylar declared.
• "When you see my mom's credentials, don't be surprised if it blows up in your face!" Andy added with confidence.
• Shaun paused. He turned to face the boys who were glaring at him with defiance and challenge. His eyebrow arched slightly.
• Although the twins' boldness bordered on disrespect, he didn't take it to heart.
• He wasn't about to be offended by two young boys.
• Aside from that, they seemed to get along well with Bianca.
• He still had a vivid memory of their happy playtime from earlier. He couldn't muster any irritation towards them.
• In fact, he found it rather interesting.
• Given that they were Whitney's children from another relationship, he expected to feel some disgust toward them.
• When he learned that these two were her sons, what had he felt?
• Shock, anger, frustration ... But strangely, there was no disgust.
• Even Shaun himself found this odd. He couldn't help but study the boys a little more closely.
• The twins glared right back at him, not the least bit intimidated. One had his arms crossed, and the other stood with hands on his hips, their challenge unmistakable.
• Bianca was caught between her father and her new friends. She fiddled with her fingers, clearly distressed.
• Just as the standoff reached its peak, the door to the study creaked open.
• Whitney emerged, holding a file in her hands.
• She frowned at the man standing in the hallway and said irritatedly, "Didn't I tell you to wait downstairs?"
• Shaun finally tore his gaze away from the boys. He gave Whitney a cold glance before silently heading downstairs.
• Whitney was speechless.
• Skylar and Andy scampered over to their mom, their little fists clenched in encouragement.
• "Go, Mommy! Show him your credentials and blow him away!" Skylar cheered.
• "Yeah, how dare he question you? We should watch him eat his words!" Andy chipped in.
• Whitney's annoyance began to lift slightly at their enthusiasm.
• She ruffled their hair before following Shaun downstairs. She was calm and composed.
• The twins were like little ducklings, trailing right behind her.
• "Here, these are all my medical credentials," Whitney said, handing the file to Shaun.
• With Bianca present, Whitney didn't want to escalate the situation.
• Therefore, she refrained from throwing the documents in his face as the boys had hoped. Instead, she handed them over casually.
• She had already anticipated every possible doubt Shaun might have.
• "Let me make it clear: if you think I'm faking it, you can go ahead and have someone check if I am using a false identity."
• False identity?
• Shaun was somewhat puzzled.
• As he flipped through the documents, he began to understand.
• The file detailed Whitney's accomplishments over the past few years.
• It turned out that after their divorce, she had gone abroad to study medicine at one of the world's top universities.
• While still in school, several of her papers had been published in prominent medical journals, gaining significant influence.
• After graduation, she had thrown herself into her career and research, achieving numerous accolades.
• And every surgery she had performed was successful.
• Her reputation in the medical field had soared, making her a celebrated figure.
• Hathaway!
• So, she's the mysterious miracle doctor everyone's been talking about—Hathaway!
• Shaun was stunned. His eyes remained fixed on the papers, as if needing to confirm what he was reading.
• Hathaway was legendary. She was a symbol of success in the medical world. Her work was filled with myths, and receiving treatment from her in person was almost impossible.
• In fact, Shaun had tried numerous times to contact her to treat his grandfather but never succeeded.
• He had never imagined he'd encounter Hathaway in surprise.
• And he certainly hadn't expected Hathaway's true identity to be Whitney.
• The twins had been watching his reaction closely. Now, they couldn't hide their smug satisfaction.
• Andy crossed his arms and asked, "So, what do you think? Is my mom qualified now?"
• Shaun finally closed the file after a long time. His gaze was dark.
• "Qualified? Yes, she is," he admitted flatly.
• His tone was neutral, but his eyes gleamed coldly as they met Whitney's.
• "No wonder ... It explains why you were so heartless back then. It's because you had such a bright future ahead of you," he said, his voice low and sinister. "Whitney, you really are something. No one else is as cold-blooded as you!"
• Whitney was completely taken aback when he scolded her.
• Where was this coming from? Was he seriously calling her heartless?
• Was something wrong with him? What did he mean by abandonment?
• Who exactly had she abandoned?
• Was he sure he wasn't scolding the wrong person? Shouldn't he be the one receiving the blame?
• Whitney was completely confused; she could only stare at him. He was probably having one of his episodes again.
• She couldn't be bothered to argue with him and impatiently cut him off.
• "Mr. Marshall, enough of this nonsense. I have no idea what you're talking about, and frankly, I don't care. You've seen my credentials, so now that you know I'm qualified to stay, I'd appreciate it if you left. I really don't like being disturbed."
• With no reason to continue the conversation, Shaun's expression darkened. Without another word, he left with Bianca in his arms.
• Yet, as they stepped outside and before Shaun's frustration had a chance to fade, Bianca's mood took a sharp turn for the worse.
• The little girl huffed and turned away from him in a clear display of anger. She stubbornly turned her head back against his chest.
• It was obvious—Bianca wasn't happy. She didn't want to talk to him.
• Suppressing his irritation, Shaun asked patiently, "Bianca, what's wrong?"
• Bianca's neck was sore from turning away for a long time, yet she still refused to acknowledge him.
• Frowning, Shaun gently turned her face toward him. He used just enough force to get her attention while staying as gentle as possible.
• Looking into her eyes, he asked again, "Tell Daddy, what's wrong?"
• Bianca's frustration only grew. Her little cheeks puffed up as her eyes reddened with unshed tears.
• Tears quickly welled up in her eyes, but she held them back, refusing to let them fall. Finally, she spoke; her sweet voice was full of grievance and sadness.
• "I hate Daddy! You are mean to Whitney!"