Chapter 699 Rose’s Contemptuous Pity
Jean was rendered tongue-tied by Sonia’s words, not knowing how she should respond. Which of us matters more? While the answer was obvious to Jean herself, she was reminded of Toby’s words that she was not as important as Sonia, although she was his stepmother. Therefore, she had no idea how to reply to Sonia.
Noticing Jean’s bitter look, Sonia chuckled and said, “It looks like you know the answer yourself, so do you really think that I don’t have the courage to do that?”
While Jean shivered and glared at Sonia without saying a word, the latter snapped her fingers and calmly said, “I’m only warning you for the sake of those years that you spent raising Toby, but instead of a warning, I prefer the word, advice. I’m advising you to be more polite to me from now on. Forget about whatever monkey business you’re up to; otherwise, you’ll end up like I just told you.”
“You’re only so arrogant because you think you’re protected by Toby’s love for you.” Jean clenched her jaw. “If Toby no longer loves you, I bet you don’t even have the guts to show me any disrespect, so you’d better pray that Toby loves you forever because I’m going to come after you otherwise.”
“Thanks for the reminder.” Sonia squinted with a smiling face. “But don’t you worry about that because that day will never come. Even if Toby doesn’t love me anymore, I’ll be sure to make my move against you before you can do anything to me.”
“You…” Jean was speechless once again with a pale face. Deep down, she knew she could never win in a battle of argument or a physical fight against Sonia. Therefore, she stomped the ground and left, thinking she had had enough of Sonia’s haughty attitude.
In the meantime, Sonia kept her eyes on Jean as the latter walked away, stroking her chin with a pair of smiling eyes on her face.
Well, I have to admit that playing a bad girl to warn someone feels especially satisfying. No wonder everyone likes to give others a stuck-up attitude nowadays.
Soon, she responded with a grunt and made her way back to the ward as soon as Jean disappeared from sight in the elevator.
On the other hand, Rose was reading a magazine when she happened to hear footsteps coming closer. Without even looking up, she asked, “Did you manage to say goodbye to her?”
“Yes, I did,” Sonia replied with an affirmative hum.
Rose looked up from her magazine, smiling ambiguously at her. “I didn’t think there would be a day that you had to play a goody two-shoes just to take on your enemy.” The old lady was referring to the moment when Sonia feigned her sympathy to pit Rose against Jean.
Rendered awkward by Rose’s words, Sonia froze and stiffened unnaturally. “Y-You noticed, Grandma?”
“Well, that was way too obvious for me not to notice. I’m not what you young people call… a nerd. Instead, I’m also a woman, so do you think I can’t tell when a woman was up to some of her shenanigans?” Rose smiled and asked Sonia.
Sonia guiltily fiddled with her fingers. “I’m sorry for using you, Grandma.” Oh no, Grandma just saw through me. Damn it. She is probably not going to think that I’m as kind as I used to be. She is going to hate me from now on.
At the same time, Rose was able to see through the anxiety within Sonia and said with a smile, “Don’t let your wild imagination upset you because I’m not trying to blame you. Instead, I’m pretty happy about it.”
Sonia was caught in a trance, staring at Rose with a bewildered look. “Did you just say you’re happy about it?”
“Yeah.” Rose nodded.
“Why?” Sonia was confused as she sat down on the bed.
“Because I feel gratified?”
“Gratified?”
“Yeah.” Rose seized her hand, gently patting it. “I know Jean had been keeping you under her thumb for the past six years, and I wasn’t happy about that, yet you wouldn’t let me stand up for you despite my intention to do something. For that, I felt especially helpless about your situation.”
Sonia was overwhelmed by a pang of bitterness, her face turning red when she heard what Rose said because the things that the latter said were indeed true.
Soon, Rose let out a sigh and said, “You kept me from helping you, but Jean wouldn’t stop her bullying; then I tried to help you again, only to be turned down by you once again. As the process went on and on, I eventually gave up the intention to stand up for you. Thus, you shouldn’t feel sorry for me but for yourself.”
“No, Grandma. I also owe you an apology for having turned you away despite your kind intentions to help me.”
Rose responded by ruffling Sonia’s hair. “Yeah, you were like a puppet back then. You wouldn’t talk back, and neither would you accept someone else’s help. As much as I was pissed back then, I’m glad that you’ve changed and become a better person. Right now, you seem to be in high spirits as you know how to fight back or get someone else to do that for you, which is why I said I’m gratified.”
“Oh, I see.” Sonia nodded with a smile. “I thought you would hate me for using you.”
“Why would I?” Rose smiled and added, “I won’t hate you as long as you’re not using me for any evil intentions. Furthermore, I could understand your aim to protect yourself and hence condone your action of using me to do so. In fact, I did something similar as well when I was younger.”
“Seriously?” Sonia blinked in surprise, finding it hard to believe that Rose had also played a goody two-shoes when she was younger.
“Yeah, would you like to hear some of my stories?” Rose asked.
“Yeah, of course I do.” Sonia nodded.
“Alright, I’ll go ahead and tell you my story.”
Not long after the two ladies began to recount their pasts, Toby happened to return with their meals when he saw Sonia and Rose happily chatting with each other. Thus, he grinned brightly and asked, “What are you ladies talking about? You both seem exhilarated.”
“You’re back.” Sonia stood up from her seat and approached Toby, taking the food from his hands. “Grandma and I were sharing stories about our pasts. She told me a lot about her own stories, which I found pretty interesting.”
“Really?” Toby rubbed her head, but Sonia took it off her.
“Stop patting my head. I’m getting shorter and shorter because you won’t stop doing that. By the way, what took you so long?”
Toby seized Sonia’s hand and walked toward the table with her. “I received a conference call on my way back, and that took a bit of my time.”
“Oh, I see.” Sonia nodded without asking any further.
Soon, the two of them got closer to the table and began to dig in. At the same time, Rose was seen with a bright and grateful smile on her face when she saw the heartwarming interaction between the couple.
This is awesome! It looks like I’m the one who’s been overthinking.
In spite of her concern about the impact and discomfort their checkered pasts might bring to their current relationship, she realized she had nothing to worry about because the two of them were getting along with each other just fine.
“Eat up, Grandma.” Sonia brought Rose’s meal closer to the latter, ready to feed her just when the old lady was preoccupied with her thoughts.
Despite sensing her kind intention, Rose waved her hand and said, “No need for that. I may be old, but I’m not handicapped, so I can take care of it myself. Anyway, you should start eating, Sonia. Toby, please see that Sonia finishes her meal.”
Upon hearing Rose’s instruction, Toby replied with an affirmative hum and stopped preparing the dishes before he walked toward the bed. After all, he had just told Sonia to let his grandmother take care of herself, but to no avail, as the latter insisted on feeding Rose and told him to go on without her.
Unable to convince Sonia, Toby could only place more dishes in her meal box so that he could feed her when she was feeding Rose. Nonetheless, Sonia was summoned by Rose before he could do so.
In fact, Toby believed it would be better to let Rose eat by herself so that she would still feel a sense of worth in her old age. After all, he knew his grandmother was too prideful to accept her inability to take care of herself.
