Kiss the Scumbag-Chapter 23

Winston silently stared at his mother’s face. Faced with her son’s direct gaze, the anger on Madam Campbell’s face briefly dulled, replaced by a flicker of embarrassment.

"...Until you get married, I’m still the mistress of this family, aren’t I? I should know everything that goes on."

Averting her eyes, Madam Campbell muttered the excuse. Winston twisted his lips in a sneer.

"Of course you would."

She wasn’t wrong. The problem was that this reasoning was why she paid such obsessive attention to every little matter — most of all, to Winston himself.

As he evenly spread butter on his bread again, Madam Campbell cleared her throat and quickly spoke.

"Answer me first. That can’t be true, right? Cain must be mistaken."

She asked with conviction. She was prepared. Ready to hear her son firmly deny it, ready to smile in relief and say she knew it couldn’t be true.

But, unfortunately, her hopes were crushed without mercy.

"It’s true."

"What?"

Her voice rose sharply. Winston set down the bread and butter knife and looked straight at her.

"What Cain said is true. I’m going to marry Yujin."

All expression vanished from Madam Campbell’s face. She went cold instantly, but Winston didn’t react at all.

"Say that again. What did you just say?"

Her voice, usually so soft when dealing with her youngest son, was now cold enough to cut. There was even a trace of murderous intent. But Winston answered calmly.

"You heard me clearly. I said I’m going to marry Yujin."

"Are you out of your mind!"

Her fury now burned hotter than when Harold’s will had first been revealed. Naturally so. The son she cherished most had betrayed her in the most unforgivable way.

Her face flushed with rage as she shouted so loudly it echoed through the breakfast room. Winston simply stared at her expressionlessly, as if expecting ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) this. His indifferent attitude only made it harder for Madam Campbell to maintain her composure. She screamed again and again in fury.

"Marry that thing? Are you insane? Have you lost your mind because of pheromones too, just like your father? How could you even think of bringing that thing into the Campbell family! How could you do this!"

"I’m perfectly sane, Mother."

Winston was sick and tired of hearing about pheromones whenever someone couldn’t understand him. He also hated having to constantly prove he wasn’t crazy.

"Father wasn’t insane either. You may not want to hear it, but that’s the truth."

For a moment, Madam Campbell stared at him in disbelief. Her face showed what she was thinking as clearly as words.

How dare you side with Harold in front of me.

Strictly speaking, Winston wasn’t on anyone’s side. He acknowledged that his mother had suffered all her life because of Harold. But from the start, as a Beta, she had to know what marrying an Extreme Alpha entailed. Their kind couldn’t be satisfied with just a Beta. No matter how much she resented him for thinking this way, the fact remained. Only Winston, sharing the same Extreme Alpha trait, could understand his father.

Of course, Winston had made a completely different choice.

Harold, unlike him, had tried to give her most of what she wanted. Considering their marriage had been a political match, one could say he’d done his best. But Madam Campbell didn’t see it that way.

Pride made it unbearable.

Had Harold, like other Extreme Alphas, simply slept with random lovers to release pheromones, she might have let it go. But the problem was that Harold brought his lover into the house. That fact alone was intolerable. It wasn’t just pheromones anymore. No wonder she had come to hate him all her life.

And now, the son she loved most was saying he’d marry that very lover and have a child. It was only natural she was on the verge of losing her mind.

Winston fully understood her reaction. But that didn’t mean he would quietly accept being screamed at.

"Calm down, Mother."

"Calm down? Did you just tell me to calm down? You, to me?"

"Yes."

Winston interrupted her coldly.

"Think about this realistically. There’s no other way. You know the will. Do you want to end up penniless and out on the street?"

At his sharp point, Madam Campbell faltered. Of course, she knew. That was exactly why she was so frustrated. Winston, seeing this, pressed on.

"If you think about it, it’s not even a difficult condition. Just marry and have a child within a year. Once that’s done, everyone gets what they want."

There was no flaw in his words. Rationally, it was simple and wise. Emotionally, though, it was unbearable.

"But Winston, that means you’re going to sleep with that thing? That filthy thing?"

At her disgusted tone, Winston narrowed his eyes and asked calmly.

"How is that any different from sleeping with a prostitute at a pheromone party?"

It was exactly what he had told Yujin. Hearing this, Madam Campbell also lost some of her momentum — though unlike Yujin, not from humiliation.

"That’s... true, but."

Reluctantly, she backed down slightly. Winston continued slowly.

"I’ve already looked into every option regarding the will. This is the only way. Don’t worry. In just one year, it’ll all be over."

Madam Campbell gave him a doubtful look, hesitating before finally speaking.

"Is that true? Can you promise me?"

"Of course."

Winston answered without hesitation and smirked.

"Surely, Mother, you don’t think I’m doing this because I actually want to marry Yujin."

"No, of course not."

Madam Campbell calmed down slightly and fell into thought. It wasn’t the result she wanted, but it was inevitable. Still, a sense of regret lingered.

"Evelyn... what about Evelyn?"

She asked anxiously. Winston only gave a bored reply.

"I have nothing to do with Evelyn. Marrying her won’t change the terms of the will."

His blunt words left Madam Campbell speechless. Winston had already decided. There was no turning back.

"...I guess we’ll have to cancel the party."

She murmured weakly. The party had been arranged to rekindle things with Evelyn, but now it was meaningless. She reluctantly switched gears.

One year.

When she thought about it, it was a frighteningly short time. Surely nothing terrible would happen in that period.

"That thing was your father’s lover."

Determined not to leave even a sliver of possibility, Madam Campbell warned him sternly. Winston simply looked at her without any change of expression.

"Do you really think I’d forget that?"

His voice was calm, but his face was full of cold mockery. Perhaps it was self-mockery. Still, Madam Campbell, visibly displeased, spoke again.

"If you say there’s no other way, then fine... but."

"Then let’s end it here. You seem to understand now."

Winston cut her off and ended the conversation without hesitation.