Essie was working on her design in the garden pavilion. She was expecting Mary to come, so she
schooled her expression into one as placid as a pool without any ripples.
"I know that Zac wants to help you, but everything is clear to me. I didn't expect you to be so
unscrupulous that you would plan such a thing to harm Valery's child!" The older woman had a cold
frown on her face, and her usually gentle mask was completely shattered. In her eyes, she was able to
find a diplomatic way to settle the matter, thus making Essie feel like she was easy to deal with... it was
Essie who took advantage of her kindness and bullied her beloved daughter-in-law and her adored
grandson. 'Today, I am going to show that little bitch what the lady of the house is really like.'
With a face still devoid of expression, Essie replied, "You are already determined to burn me at the
stake anyway, no matter what I say. Say whatever you want, I don't care..." Her voice trailed off as a
smack resounded when Mary's hand made contact with her face. The slap was so hard that a red hand
print instantly appeared on her cheek.
"Let this be a small warning to you. In this family, you can't just do whatever trouble you want. If you
touch one hair on the heads of Valery and her baby, I will kill you."
She was still talking when a voice resounded from somewhere close, "Mommy, what are you doing?"
It was Walt who spoke up. Albert was standing beside him. They were strolling about the grounds,
talking about business, when they happened upon the confrontation between the two women.
There was a gloomy expression on Albert's usually pleasant face.
As Essie's mother-in-law and the matriarch of the Rong family, Mary was supposed to teach her vicious
daughter-in-law a lesson. She did not see anything wrong with what she was doing, so she remained
calm.
Essie knew how pathetic she appeared, with tears streaming from her eyes and so very weak that she
was almost weaving on her feet. Her wounded heart wept with righteous indignation because of how
unjust her mother-in-law was treating her.
Her tears fell unchecked. She turned her head and wiped them off surreptitiously with her fingers so
that the two men wouldn't see. Of course, they saw her action.
Heart bleeding with pity for Essie, Walt walked up to her and offered her a handkerchief. He then
turned to his mother and asked, "Mommy, are you angry about the crabs?"
"This is just a small punishment. If I didn't do this, then there would be no peace and order in this
family." Mary harrumphed.
"Actually, I also wanted to eat crabs yesterday, but Zac had already told the kitchen staff to cook them
before I did. Thank goodness, or else somebody would have accused me of attempting to hurt Valery,"
Walt said slowly in a half-joking tone, but his words implied that he was protecting Essie.
Mary was slightly taken aback by Walt's defense. "You are not like her! She has hated Valery's baby for
a long time. Last time, when she got Valery to catch a cold, I forgave her. This time, she actually tried to
harm Valery's baby by feeding her crabs. If I just sit idly by, she could end up killing Valery's child
sooner or later!" She said these things to deliberately discredit Essie in her father-in-law's eyes and to
reveal the true colors of that evil woman.
"It is better for the child to be gone, then, so that the family could live in peace," Albert unexpectedly
said in a low but aggressive voice.
Mary's jaw dropped in shock. She didn't expect that her husband would say something like that.
"He is our eldest grandson!" she whispered harshly.
A cold light flashed in Albert's eyes.
'Whether he is our grandson is a question!' he thought to himself.
He knew his son; he was sure that there was more to the situation than what they knew.
"You will apologize to Essie for what happened just now," he said in an imperious tone that brooked no
argument.
'What?'
Mary's head exploded. Did she hear that correctly? How could she, the mother-in-law, apologize to her
daughter-in-law?
"I see nothing inappropriate in the way I handled this problem," she responded stiffly through gritted
teeth.
"Essie did not force Valery to eat the crab or place it in Valery's bowl secretly so that she would
consume it without her knowledge. You are only blaming her because of your prejudice against her.
You are the lady of the manor, yet you have failed in your duty to uphold justice in this family." Albert's
tone was full of reproach.
"That doesn't mean she is innocent. You cannot deny that she has the motive," Mary said stubbornly.
She would never admit that she was wrong.
"You yourself have a hidden motive. Why did you bring Valery into this house? Are you afraid that the
family will be too peaceful? You used the crabs to accuse someone. If you're so tired of feeling
suspicious all the time, then just send Valery back to the Xu family so we can all live in peace." Albert
had put up with it for a long time. Mary was smart and capable, but her biggest shortcoming was that
she liked to go to extremes. Once she went too far, he had to do his best to rescue her out of the mess
of her own doing.
Mary's face turned pale out of embarrassment. Albert had once taught her an unforgettable lesson
many years ago over his first love, Luce. This time, he was doing it again for their daughter-in-law.
Beside her, Walt stayed quiet, completely not speaking to her. He had always been the sweetest and
most obedient son—the opposite of Zac, who always went his own way. Today, Walt was different. Did
he also think that she was wrong?
She glared at Essie anew, 'This woman is a femme fatale! She has seduced all the men in this family
that they all have gone mad! Now, they can't even tell right from wrong!'
She would never be swayed by that woman... and she would rather die than apologize to her.
She was her mother-in-law and the family matriarch, and she was entitled to a certain dignity that
befitted her station. Even if the bitch got slapped wrongly, it was because she was asking for it.
Albert saw her hesitate, and a small glint of anger flashed in his eyes. "Well, then... if you don't intend
to apologize, then I will do it for you..." Essie interjected in a low voice, "Daddy, it is okay. I'm fine.
Mommy was only angry at me because of a misunderstanding. If doing so would help her calm down,
then it's okay for her to slap me a few more times. I'm a junior member of the family... I should be filial
toward the elders and share their burden."
she liked to go to extremes. Once she went too far, he had to do his best to rescue her out of the mess
of her own doing.
Mary's face turned pale out of embarrassment. Albert had once taught her an unforgettable lesson
many years ago over his first love, Luce. This time, he was doing it again for their daughter-in-law.
Beside her, Walt stayed quiet, completely not speaking to her. He had always been the sweetest and
most obedient son—the opposite of Zac, who always went his own way. Today, Walt was different. Did
he also think that she was wrong?
She glared at Essie anew, ‘This woman is a femme fatale! She has seduced all the men in this family
that they all have gone mad! Now, they can't even tell right from wrong!
She would never be swayed by that woman... and she would rather die than apologize to her.
She was her mother-in-law and the family matriarch, and she was entitled to a certain dignity that
befitted her station. Even if the bitch got slapped wrongly, it was because she was asking for it.
Albert saw her hesitate, and a small glint of anger flashed in his eyes. "Well, then... if you don't intend
to apologize, then | will do it for you..." Essie interjected in a low voice, "Daddy, it is okay. I'm fine.
Mommy was only angry at me because of a misunderstanding. If doing so would help her calm down,
then it's okay for her to slap me a few more times. I'm a junior member of the family... | should be filial
toward the elders and share their burden."
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