Chapter 979 Shameless
Susanne wagged a disapproving finger as she cut Wendy off. “Wendy, it’s inappropriate for a respectable young lady like you to call yourself one’s daughter-in-law before the actual wedding takes place. It’s a shameless act. Don’t you think so?”
Upon hearing that, Wendy turned pale.
Susanne’s abrupt change in demeanor made Wendy feel as though all the blood in her body had curdled.
If I lose Susanne’s support, there goes my chance to marry Vinson.
At the prospect of that, a fear like nothing she had ever experienced gripped her around the neck.
“Mrs. Nightshire,” she choked as she grabbed the older woman’s elbow, all dignity forgotten. “Did I do something wrong? I apologize if I had inadvertently offended you. Please don’t shut me out like that!”
“Like what?” Susanne wrenched herself free of Wendy’s grip contemptuously. “I’m simply stating it as a matter of fact. You are not involved with Vin, are you? You’re not even engaged! How could you call yourself my daughter-in-law?”
Wendy’s eyes widened in shock, and she hardly dared to believe her ears.
“Mrs. Nightshire, what are you—”
“Susanne!” Cecilia interrupted as she lost her cool. “What are you talking about? You were the one who allowed Wendy to live with you, were you not? One would assume that that gesture was approval for her to be your daughter-in-law! Lest you forget, you have made me a promise to treat her well.”
“That I did,” Susanne concurred with a gracious nod. “I didn’t speak out against her for the nasty manner in which she had conducted herself in school. I reckon that’s a testament to my promise to you. Besides, the two of you had conspired to frame Arielle, the daughter of my old friend, as a cheater. You should consider yourselves lucky that I took no action against you! How dare you accuse me of such?”
“I…” Cecilia gasped, too fearful to remain coherent. “What exactly do you mean by that?”
“I meant exactly what I said. Listen carefully. I will never allow a girl like Wendy to marry my son. Kindly never go around acting as though you are my in-laws ever again. Have some self-respect.”
Without sparing the pair another glance, Susanne turned on her heels and strode off into the auditorium.
It’s going to happen at seven, isn’t it? Not long to go.
Wendy gazed at Susanne’s departing silhouette in despair.
“What happened, Mom?” she cried, grasping at her mother’s arm like a lifeline. “What on earth happened?”
Cecilia, too, was shocked by Susanne’s abrupt change.
Brought back to her senses by Wendy’s painful clutches, Cecilia forced herself to regain her composure for her daughter’s sake. “Don’t worry about it. She’s nothing but an opportunistic woman. In fact, it was said that she had become Mrs. Nightshire through unscrupulous means by breaking apart Mr. Nightshire and his childhood sweetheart. She saw the way Arielle solved the mathematical problems and thought it was prouder to have her as a daughter-in-law instead of you, hence her treatment toward us.”
“I can’t believe it.” Wendy’s eyes were as round as saucers. “What a shallow woman she is.”
“Indeed. Not many are aware of this aside from folks of my generation. After she’d become Mrs. Nightshire, she took drastic means to censor information regarding her past on the internet and in the media. But oh, I still remember like it was yesterday how the news of it had shaken Jadeborough to its core.”
“You mustn’t give up at this point,” Cecilia added as she returned her daughter’s grasp reassuringly. “To stand a chance against Arielle, you need to show Susanne that you, too, are capable of providing her with future glory. Once she sees the potential in you, she will soon be sick of Arielle. After all, you are the legitimate daughter of the Greene family.”
