Lyle roared like an enraged cub, “Grandma, why must you force Crystal to leave? Why can’t I marry Crystal?”
“I did it for your own good, you bastard!” Sharon’s face turned red with anger.
“For my own good? Do you mean that you’re asking me to marry a person that I don’t love for my own good? If it weren’t for you, who told me that Yvonne’s mother owned our family’s shares, and I would get the shares after marrying her, I would never propose to Yvonne. Now, I’ve gotten the shares. Why should I continue the marriage with her? I want to marry Crystal!”
Upon hearing that, I felt like I had lost all the strength in my body, and I felt a wave of dizziness. It turned out that Sharon broke Lyle and Crystal up and wanted Lyle to marry me because of my mom’s shares.
At that moment, I felt like an idiot being played in their palms. My marriage was nothing but a tool for the Smiths to reclaim their shares.
Alas! I’ve fallen to their schemes again! I trusted Sharon so much, and I was respectful and grateful to her, but in the end, she was the one who tricked me.
No one would understand the eagerness in me to succeed while painting Autumnal Panorama. I used to wish that I could leave Avenport and go overseas. No matter how tough my life would be, at least I could have my dream job.
But in the end, my dream was shattered because of the Smith family’s shares that my mom left for me. I didn’t even know about that, and it was transferred to others without my knowledge.
I staggered away after hearing their conversation. I was in total despair at that time. The person whom I trusted the most tricked me. There was nothing else in that house that I cared for.
The argument in the room was ongoing, but I didn’t care about it anymore. I only came back to my senses when a hot liquid poured on my hand.
“Ah! I’m sorry, Mrs. Smith. Are you alright? I didn’t know you were here. I’ll go get the doctor for you now.” Standing in the corridor, I stared at the scalded wounds on the back of my hand expressionlessly. The porcelain teapot was shattered into pieces while the tea was spilled on the floor.
Suddenly, someone opened the door of the greenhouse. Sharon walked up to me and asked softly, “Eve, when did you arrive?”
I guessed what she really wanted to ask was, “Did you overhear our conversation?” Looking at her, I smiled bitterly and replied, “I just arrived. I’m sorry, Grandma. I accidentally knocked over the tea that Josephine brewed for you.”
Previously, I would never express my apology over such a trivial matter. But right then, I felt estranged from Grandma.
“What are you doing here?” Lyle’s expression darkened upon seeing me.
“Oh, I’m just passing by, so I decided to come and visit Grandma,” I replied expressionlessly. Although my hand was scalded by boiling water, I didn’t feel pain at all because my heart was aching even more at that moment.
“Are you injured?” When Grandma found the blisters on my hand, she barked, “What are you doing here? Yvonne is injured! Why don’t you get the doctor for her? Quick, get some cold water and ice!” With that, she patted Lyle’s back, signaled for the latter to apply the ointment for me.
“No need. I’ll do it myself!” I flung Lyle’s hand away and went to the sink. I began to feel the pain when I ran cold water over my wound.
When Josephine returned with the medical kit and was about to apply the medication for me, Lyle pushed her away and took the kit from her. “Let me do it!”
At that time, I didn’t push him away and allowed him to apply the ointment on my wound. He gently blew at the wound and said that the pain would go away after applying medication. At that, I said nothing and only put on a cold smile on my face.
