Curtis raised an eyebrow, leaning against the doorway with his usual nonchalance. âArenât you in surgery today? Shouldnât you be at the hospital instead of crashing our family. get-together?â
âI came to see Mary,â Suzan responded, her gaze shifting toward Leanne. âOh, Leanne, surprised to see you here.â
The tone of her voice carried an insinuation that Leanne didnât belong.
Maryâs return had prompted a family feast in the Richardson family, and Suzanâs presence suggested she was already slipping into the role of the future Richardson daughter-in-law. On the other hand, Leanne seemed the one who ought to feel out of place.
With a cold expression, Leanne replied, âIf you can be here, why canât I?â
Caught off guard, Suzan turned to Jennifer, âJenniferâ¦â
Jennifer frowned, and her voice laced with disapproval as she chastised Leanne. âIs this how Iâve taught you to behave? Youâre showing no manners at all.â
Once upon a time, dependent on the Richardson familyâs charity, Leanne bore Jenniferâs scolding without complaint.
But things had changed. No longer under anyoneâs thumb, Leanne refused to endure in silence.
âYou never taught me anything.â she retorted icily.
Curtisâ eyebrows rose further, his gaze on Leanne carrying an enigmatic message.
Taken aback by the retort, Jennifer demanded, âWhat did you just say?â
Leanne had been raised by Sarah, not Jennifer who had plenty of criticisms but had taken the time to guide her.
âIf you think Iâm the result of your teachings,â Leanne said calmly, âarenât you insulting yourself by criticizing my manners?â
The Richardson family was known for their integrity, unlike other wealthy dynasties tha only shone on the surface. Preoccupied with work, Maddox never indulged in vices, and both his sons, Phillip and Curtis, were accomplished and respectful toward Jennifer.
She had only ever taken flak from Mary, who spent most of her time at the family retreat, which left no one else daring to talk back to her.
Jenniferâs cheeks flushed with rage, but Leanneâs words left her without a comeback.
Curtis seemed to enjoy the drama, asking with a hint of mischief, âDid you learn that from 14-32 Monke me he never see Mon le ve #scorret seRLIKITE KONDIIe please as rele never talked back. Youre the unrulest of al At that moment Mary emerge from $500 by Sarah âMandâ Szans face lit up with a practiced snis. Wele missed youâ
Manâs reaction was a rome What are doing he Thaient see you in vers ming today Lever wanted to join ent stop thinking about you, sol Curts at the airport 2008/2017 8080/s16.9ht stop think Suzan knew how to ingrebate h Mary wasnt buying it. Theres nothing good about seeing you. Sice you were a kid youâve never been endearing dont want to see Suzans smile tazer00 Jennifer hurriedly tried to smooth things over. Mary, Suzan just wanted to show her respect. Sheâs still getting over her injury and dashed over the moment she could âIf sheâs injured, she should be resting. Im not a miracle cure Mary wouldnt usually Embarrass someone younger in public unless they asked for it.
Curtis watched the scene, his words laced with sarcasm. âWho are you trying to impress in front of Leanne? At your age, playing the wise elder, who are you trying to fool?â
âToday is our familyâs feast meant for us alone Mary declared sternly. âArrange for a car to take her home. Give her some of my omega-3 supplements. We donât want anyone saying our familyâs lack of manners It was clear who lacked manners, and it wasnt Leanne For Suzan, the humiliation was unbearable. She looked toward Curtis for support, but he shrugged indifferently. âNo use looking at me. I can attord to offend no one in this house. Even the neighborhood dogs have more say than I do.
In the end, Jennifer escorted Suzan out, offering a few words of comfort.
âMaryâs always been like that. Iâve taken my fair share of her temper. Itâs not personal. Sheâs been unwell and doesnât know about Curtis and Leanne yet. You really shouldnât have come today.â
Tm sorry, Jennifer. I just missed Mary so much and didnât think she would still dislike me this much,â
Suzan managed to say, smiling bitterly âUnlike Leanne, whoâs been a darling since her childhood daysâ
Leanne planned to have dinner with Mary and that the right moment to dear the air. If Mary was unaware of the situation and Suzant ut she didnât want to take the blame