Lyle roared like an enraged cub, âGrandma, why must you force Crystal to leave? Why canât I marry Crystal?â
âI did it for your own good, you bastard!â Sharonâs face turned red with anger.
âFor my own good? Do you mean that youâre asking me to marry a person that I donât love for my own good? If it werenât for you, who told me that Yvonneâs mother owned our familyâs shares, and I would get the shares after marrying her, I would never propose to Yvonne. Now, Iâve gotten the shares. Why should I continue the marriage with her? I want to marry Crystal!â
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 momâs 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! Iâve 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 familyâs shares that my mom left for me. I didnât 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 didnât care about it anymore. I only came back to my senses when a hot liquid poured on my hand.
âAh! Iâm sorry, Mrs. Smith. Are you alright? I didnât know you were here. Iâll go get the doctor for you now.â 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, âEve, when did you arrive?â
I guessed what she really wanted to ask was, âDid you overhear our conversation?â Looking at her, I smiled bitterly and replied, âI just arrived. Iâm sorry, Grandma. I accidentally knocked over the tea that Josephine brewed for you.â
Previously, I would never express my apology over such a trivial matter. But right then, I felt estranged from Grandma.
âWhat are you doing here?â Lyleâs expression darkened upon seeing me.
âOh, Iâm just passing by, so I decided to come and visit Grandma,â I replied expressionlessly. Although my hand was scalded by boiling water, I didnât feel pain at all because my heart was aching even more at that moment.
âAre you injured?â When Grandma found the blisters on my hand, she barked, âWhat are you doing here? Yvonne is injured! Why donât you get the doctor for her? Quick, get some cold water and ice!â With that, she patted Lyleâs back, signaled for the latter to apply the ointment for me.
âNo need. Iâll do it myself!â I flung Lyleâs 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. âLet me do it!â
At that time, I didnât 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.