Salome was left fuming her anger and frustration rising with every breath.

From her perspective, Edith had nothing left to lose—when you’re already barefoot, you hardly fear losing a shoe. Picking a fight with her now would be pointless; there was every chance Salome would end up the loser, or at the very least, have to swallow more humiliation.

But Salome was not about to let this go. She had plenty of tricks up her sleeve.

She turned to Heather, face crumpling in wounded distress, clutching her abdomen as if in pain. “Mom, I can take it when Edith lies about me, or about Bet, but t just can’t bear to see her talk to you like this. It’s just too much.”

Salome knew all too well that her mother–inw prided herself on her authority. Heather was never one to let Edith off lightly–especially now, with Salome ying the victim and fanning the mes.

Now it was only a matter of how far the fire would spread.

Predictably, Heather’s eyes zed with anger as she fixed her gaze on Edith without the slightest hint of restraint.

Edith was no stranger to that look.

Back when she was still part of the Vance family, Heather would shoot her that same re whenever she felt Edith needed a lesson. Even when it wasn’t her fault,

Edith was never allowed to defend herself.

She remembered Beckett once exining that his father had died young, leaving his mother to run the family business alone. If she hadn’t been so tough, he’d said, he and his brother might never have had food on the table.

Thinking back, Edith could only find itughable now–how she’d once felt sympathy ifor /iher mother–inw.

She understood perfectly well now: resilience was a virtue, but domineering was simply a character w.

She met Heather’s re with a steady, unflinching look of her own.

This was the same woman who would stop at nothing for the sake of a grandchild.

Heather faltered for a moment, surprised. When had her second daughter–inw ever dared to meet her eyes like this? In the past, Edith had always taken her scoldings in silence, head bowed.

1509 m

“You’ve only been back with the Sumners for two days and already you bcan’t /bcontrol yourself?b” /bHeather snapped. “Look at you–what man would want a woman who bacts /blike this? No manners at all! I can see your mother did nothing to teach you proper behavior.”

Edith’s eyes narrowed, her expression icy. If Heather had left her mother out of it, Edith might have let her keep a little dignity. But Heather had gone straight for her weak spot, so why bother showing restraint?

“There are plenty of men who like me just as I am,” Edith replied coolly. “You, on the other hand–well, I doubt any man would want someone like you. And if someone does say he likes you, it’s probably just to get at your money.”

Jayne, sensing the tension, reached out as if to stop her daughter–since when had her gentle Edith ever spoken to elders like this? But then she paused. Edith had always been obedient; for her to lose herposure now, she must have suffered far too much in the Vance household.

Jayne reconsidered. Back when Edith was a Vance, she’d had to put up with all kinds of indignities. Now that she wasn’t, why should she keep swallowing her pride for this tyrannical mother–inw?

Salome’s eyes widened in disbelief. She’d never imagined Edith could say something so brazen.

She nced at Heather, whose face had turned a blotchy mix of red and green, rage simmering to the point her eyes seemed ready to pop.

Salome remembered how Edith had used her husband of harassing her at the Sumner house. Well, two could y that game.

“Oh!” Salome cried out dramatically, copsing into Heather’s arms. “Mom, how can she speak to her elders like this? I can’t take it–ah, my stomach hurts, it hurts so

much!”

Heather’s anger had barely begun to boil before Salome heaped this new crisis onto her. Edith, it seemed, brought nothing but misfortune–she was a walking jinx.

Every time her precious daughter–inw Salome crossed paths with Edith, something went wrong.

“What are you all waiting for?” Heather barked at the bodyguard hovering nearby. “Take her to the hospital–now!”

The bodyguard stepped forward, but Salome waved him off. “No, I’m not leaving! If I go, Edith will trample all over Mom. I’m calling Bet–he needs to handle this!”

b213 /b

15:09

Chem 24

Edith watched Salome’s theatrics with a cold smile. Jayne moved to help, but Edith caught her arm. “Don’t bother, Mom. If you so much as touch her, she’ll im you made things worse. You know she’ll me you for anything and everything.” Jayne nced at Salome’s over–the–top performance and stayed put. “You’re right. At my age, I can’t afford to be med for something like this–it’d be a scandal.” Watching Salome’s little spectacle, Jayne suddenly saw things with perfect rity. With a sister–inw like that, it was no wonder Edith’s days in the Vance family had been so hard.

She pulled her daughter close and turned to Heather. “Ms. Preston, our family believes in raising our children to be happy and independent, as you’ve always pointed out. If Edith’s ever been disrespectful, that’s on us, and we’ll take responsibility. But as the older generation, maybe you could let it go. From now on, the Sumners and the Vances can each go their own way. If Edith’s upbringing iscking, it’s no longer your concern.”

Edith was taken aback. When had her mother ever spoken with such sharpness beneath her polite words? Jayne had always been the picture of patience and forbearance, but today, her words were courteous on the surface and barbed beneath.

Heather, of course, would never let Edith off the hook so easily. She was the type who would make a scene over the slightest offense; to be openly contradicted by her once–docile daughter–inw was more than she could bear.

She was just about to retort when Edith cut her off, her gaze shifting to Yvonne. “Ms. Preston, Salome’s threatening to call Bet. The other night, when Bet stormed into the Sumner house, he made all kinds of wild ims about being Beckett. I was too tired to deal with him then, but today, I’d be happy to set the record straight. Of course, I can’t promise Salome’s stomach can handle the

excitement.”

Chapter b25 /b

bChapter /bb25 /b