Chapter 877: He shot a glare at Lila. "What is this about? Can't you explain things to him calmly? We can't afford clothes this expensive right now." Lila crossed her arms and snapped, "Why are you raising your voice? Yes, the jacket is pricey, but he hasn't had anything new in months. Our son used to wear clothes that cost thousands. Why should his standards drop now?" That made Alec's frustration spike. Lately, Lila had becimpossible to reason with. Her kind, understanding nature had vanished. Now, she either made him do housework or pushed him to earn more money. He was sick of it.
Catching the shift in Alec's expression, Seth began to panic, worried that he wouldn't get what he wanted. He pulled Alec in front of the Spider-Man down jacket. "Dad, I'm not being unreasonable. This is the cheapest one here. You can buythis. My classmates always dress better than me. They laugh atfor wearing cheap clothes. I don't want that anymore." Hearing that, Alec snapped, "Don't compete over what people wear. If you want to compete, do it with grades." Seth quickly responded, “I ranked second on my midterms! I studied hard, and you still haven't rewarded me. Can't this be my reward? Sof my classmates wear shoes that cost twenty thousand. This jacket is only seven; compared to that, it's not expensive at all." Lila gave Alec a sharp look, clearly annoyed. "He's not asking for a lot. Just one jacket. Can you really not give him even that? Is this how you should act as a father?" Her expression was full of contempt, making her displeasure crystal clear. “I should've never accepted you into my life!" Alec's anger boiled over. To him, Lila had becutterly ungrateful. For over ten years, he had supported her financially, spending millions on her each year. And now, after just a short rough patch, she dared speak to him like this? "There was a tI was a major player in business. You and the kid lived comfortably because of me. Now I'm stuck driving Uber, and even the car I drive is the one I gave you years ago. I've only been working for a month, barely made ten thousand. If I spend it on this jacket, we'll be left with nothing. So no, we're not buying it!" Alec said.
As he said that, his eyes drifted toward Brenna. She stood at a distance, watching everything unfold with a cold expression. He felt she was being heartless. He had been standing there for quite a while, and she hadn't even acknowledged his presence. Now that she knew the boy was her brother, she still didn't offer to help.
He leaned down and patted Seth on the shoulder. "Don't worry, alright? I'll try to figure something out." Then, with a smile plastered across his face, Alec walked over to Brenna. "Brenna, why haven't you said hello to me? Did you forget that I'm your father?"
Brenna had already understood the situation. The boy was Alec's illegitimate child, and the youngen woman beside him was clearly his mistress from before. Earlier, she had overheard the woman calling Alec to help buy the jacket, but judging by Alec's worn-out look, he probably couldn't afford it.