“So it really is you!” Andrea sneered. “I didn’t expect that after leaving the Scott family, you’d end up running a tiny clinic in the mountains, hiding away in this shabby little hut. How pathetic!”
Sophia glanced at them and chuckled coldly.
“And I didn’t expect that you’d end up coming to my so-called shabby little clinic for treatment. What happened? The hospitals couldn’t cure your illness? Your complexion looks terrible. If I’m not mistaken, your b****t cancer has flared up again, hasn’t it? Perhaps you even had surgery? But it must have been discovered too late, and the treatment results aren’t great, are they?”
“You—” Andrea clutched her chest in rage.
“I warned you before—people should be kind and tolerant. Someone like you, who is always scheming and harming others, was bound to attract illness sooner or later. Oh, and don’t bother feeling sorry for me. This place may be small, but at least the land is mine. If I wanted to develop a housing estate here, I could sell it for at least ten to twenty million. I really don’t need your pity.”
Andrea was so furious that she felt stomach pains. Olivia, cradling her large belly, sneered.
“Sophia, there’s no need to get mad at my mom. You know exactly how your life is going. By the way, my due date is coming up soon. Make sure to attend my baby’s one-month banquet.”
“A banquet? How do you know you’re having a son?” Sophia smirked.
“What do you mean?!” Olivia’s brows knitted together in panic. “Don’t talk nonsense! I’ve had multiple scans—it’s definitely a boy! If your bad omen causes something to happen to my son, I won’t let you off!”
Sophia shook her head. When would Olivia finally realize that she had never been afraid of her?
She was busy—many patients were waiting for treatment—so she couldn’t be bothered to argue with these two lunatics. She simply called for the next patient.
But Olivia snapped, “What do you mean by that?! I’m talking to you! Are you deaf? I haven’t had my consultation yet!”
“Who does this woman think she is?”
“Exactly! Who does she think she is, daring to cause trouble for Dr. Sophia?”
“Get lost now, or I’ll call the police!”
Olivia hesitated, then saw other patients throwing things at her—bottles, cabbages, small stones—forcing her to shield her head and flee in embarrassment.
“Wasn’t that woman a celebrity?” someone asked.
“Who knows? With a face like that, she must not be very famous.”
—
“Dad, don’t you think she’s too much? She actually spoke to me so disrespectfully!” Andrea complained about Sophia’s behavior at the dinner table.
The old master was visibly displeased. After wiping his mouth, he said sternly, “Andrea, Sophia is no longer your daughter-in-law. Your divorce was messy and ugly. What, do you still expect her to respect you as a mother-in-law? You should be grateful she didn’t hit you with a shovel. Don’t be too greedy.”
“I… No, Dad, even if she’s divorced, she shouldn’t be so rude to her elders! She has no upbringing!”
“Enough!” The old master impatiently stood up, leaning on his cane. “Every meal turns into a scene with you!”
After he left, the old madam calmly sipped her soup and gave Andrea a meaningful smile.
“Andrea, you should be more forgiving. If you had been more tolerant, you wouldn’t have gotten b****t cancer from all your anger. To be honest, Sophia never really did anything to you.”
“Mother, you—” Andrea trembled with fury.
“Oh, and by the way,” the old madam continued, casually fiddling with her prayer beads, “remind Richard to bring Miss Emily home. It’s not safe for her to be outside. She’s about to give birth, and since the child is of the Scott family’s bloodline, how can we let her stay out there?”
Andrea’s face turned red with rage as she shot up from her seat. “Mom! What do you mean by this?!”
“What do I mean?” The old madam smiled. “Andrea, all mothers love their grandchildren. You should understand that. Look at yourself—you chased Sophia away and brought Olivia in when she was pregnant, didn’t you? It’s the same logic. Since Miss Emily is also carrying my grandchild, I see no reason to leave her outside. Besides, childbirth is unpredictable. After careful consideration, I think it’s safer to keep her under my watch.”
Andrea felt like she was going to explode! Her scalp tingled, her vision darkened, and she nearly fainted.
The old madam was ruthless.
Andrea had been married into the Scott family for decades. Though she and the old madam had never seen eye to eye, things had never gotten this ugly before. She had driven Sophia away and welcomed Olivia into the family all for the sake of the Scott family’s lineage. Yet now, the old madam was openly humiliating her by bringing another woman into the house.
Was this a power play? Or had the old madam simply lost patience with her, thinking that Miss Emily—young and healthy—was a better fit for Richard?
Andrea had been stalling on signing the divorce papers, but that didn’t mean Richard would compromise.
His attitude was exactly the same as when Henry got divorced—completely indifferent.
Suddenly, Andrea felt exhausted. She had spent her entire life scheming, only to open her hands at the end and find them empty.
True to her word, the old madam made arrangements the very next day, and Richard brought Miss Emily home.
