"Grandma, you're being too harsh," Albert interrupted, his brow furrowing as he noticed Angela getting emotional, all while being concerned for Zelda's well-being."You know about my mom's health condition. She struggled in the past few years, and the doctors have always emphasized the need for her to rest. Please don't blame her." Albert defended Zelda and did not forget the suffering his mother had endured. Then, Albert took the opportunity to address Angela's earlier statement, saying, "If Becca hadn't come back, it might have turned out just as you said. My mom might never have set foot in the Stigg family again. After all, the doctors had said that she wouldn't survive two more winters." As Albert spoke, he glanced sharply at Mary, who was standing behind them. Mary was taken aback by his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that? Albert, you just said it yourself, it's because of your mom's poor health. If she hadn't survived, it would have been a matter of fate. It can
Serena called Mary a couple of times but received no response. Hence, she couldn't help but push her."Mom, what's wrong with you?" With this push, Mary finally snapped back to reality, looking visibly panicked as if she had just woken up from a nightmare. "Wh-what's going on?" Mary’s voice was rather loud. Even those in front of her were attracted by Mary’s voice and turned to look at her. Rebecca was no exception. Rebecca’s clear gaze fell on Mary, and their eyes locked on for a brief moment before Mary let out a terrified scream, as if she had seen something unholy.The scream had been particularly ear-piercing, and it had even caused Angela to furrow her brow. "What's going on? Did you see a ghost?" But this question only made Mary react even more intensely. Mary rolled her eyes in fright and fainted on the spot, shocking everyone in the room. Serena, unable to support Mary's weight, nearly stumbled over her. Angela hurried over with a concerned expression.
Rebecca thought her point was logically sound. In the days before the car accident, the Johnson family hadn't had much interaction with Mary. They hadn't even seen each other. There was no need to get someone to cause her trouble.Besides, even if Mary was angry because of the Stigg family's issues, there was no cause to go that far. Paying for an assassin to cause this sort of accident might even have unintended consequences. There might be even more trouble for her.Mary didn't seem like that sort of person. She liked money and getting free benefits. But she was quite a coward, too. For example, when she couldn't even win against Sam in an argument when she had a meal with the Johnson family, she still didn't dare to make too much of a fuss while they ate. Obviously, she didn't have the guts, even if she had the desire to do such a thing. That was why the accident probably had nothing to do with her.But …Rebecca didn't understand why Mary looked like she'd seen a ghost wh
After Serena said these sharp words, punctuated by sobs, everyone at the table fell silent.Even though Rebecca didn't quite agree with what Serena said, there were elders at the table, and it wasn't her place to say anything about it.It was true that James and Angela had shown more care to Rebecca and Zelda, but that wasn't something out of the ordinary. After all, Zelda and Rebecca were relatives they hadn't seen in a long time. Compared to those they saw every day, it was clear that it made more sense for James and Angela to treat them more warmly. One could even say that James and Angela were treating Zelda as a guest, not family. That was why she was getting different treatment than Mary, who was always around the house.Shouldn't they treat their guests better? It was laughable for Serena to accuse James of favoritism at a time like this.If Angela really favored Zelda, why would she claim that Zelda was being stubborn for not coming home in so many years, especially w
The expressions of everyone gathered changed drastically. Then, they all rushed to James' side. Everything became a mess. Meanwhile, the perpetrator of all this stood in place, at a loss. However, no one could be bothered with her.Angela started crying, tears streaming down her face. She kept mumbling prayers as she called James' name.Zelda, Henry, and Emily were all very anxious. They kept crying about calling an ambulance, leaving the actual task to the youngsters behind them.Jimmy reacted swiftly and solemnly and called for an ambulance. "Mom, Dad, don't worry. The ambulance will be here soon. Don't move Grandpa just yet. Let him recover."At the end of the table, Rebecca and Albert were standing around James, their expressions grim. Rebecca's fingers were shaking, and she unconsciously tugged Albert.Albert patted her shoulder and comforted her in his deep voice. "Becca, didn't you learn a few things from Dr. Manson? You should go have a look.""I …" Rebecca bit her lip.
In all honesty, Angela didn't want to split the family assets. The Stigg family had never done something like this before, and neither had her birth family. In the past, everyone stayed together and did their best to get along. Nothing like this had ever happened before.Angela had wanted to act as a mediator at this family banquet. She thought she could ease things in such a way that they could all stay together and continue living in harmony.At least, she hoped that the family could stay together until after she and James were both dead and gone. She didn't want all these arguments to keep happening anymore. With how much these siblings argued, others saw them as a joke.If it didn't work, then they would split the family assets, and Henry and Emily would move out. But there were still some conditions to this so that they wouldn't sever ties completely. This included discussing who would care for her and James, mandating the family still had to meet up during the holidays, and th
"I asked you to come out here tonight because there are some things I'd like to clear up with you."Henry slowly turned back to face Serena. He maintained a smile on his face, and his gaze was warm, too. He looked like he was still treating Serena graciously since she was his niece.It was a shame then that the words sounded ruthless when they came out."According to Dad's arrangements, you and Mary should have a share in Gourmet Haven. When the branch restaurant starts running again, I hope you won't tell others that I taught you to cook if someone asks."Serena stiffened. "But … didn't you teach me?"Henry chuckled and shook his head. "I always teach my apprentices the basics of knife work first. Then, I teach them sauteing. The last thing they learn is how things should taste. In your cooking, you manage to do decently at the final stage. Your food tastes good, but you never learned any of the basic skills."How can you say then that you learned from me as my apprentice? Just
Jimmy looked up at James. "I don't think that way." He had already gotten what he wanted. Indeed, he hadn't been forced to do anything he didn't want either.Although he had been forced to move out because of Mary, living alone gave him comfort and freedom. As such, he didn't consider it neglect. He had always remained true to himself in his 20-odd years of life. Thus, he really didn't feel that his family had wronged him or anything.However, he did understand what James meant now. He didn't lack love, nor was he as greedy as Serena, who had to obtain everything she wanted. He had learned to be content with his life. After all, he had the care and affection of his parents and grandparents.With all of this, Jimmy didn't feel neglected. As for preferential treatment or playing favorites, he didn't think too much about that.One could never be completely fair when it came to emotions. One's heart wasn't a scale, after all.Mary and Serena always threw tantrums and cried while h