Chapter 3

The ward was completely silent.

After a long pause, Simon looked at me, flustered, and said:

"Mom, what are you saying? We're all one family—how can we split it up?"

As he spoke, his gaze turned sharp and grim as he looked at Jeanette and her daughter.

"Stop trying to sow discord here! Whatever my mother says goes! Get out!"

Jeanette was so angry she was trembling all over.

Hailey was even more worked up than her mother. She stepped in front of Jeanette and rounded on Simon:

"Dad! How can you treat Mom like this! She's only looking out for you!"

I watched coldly from the sidelines and mocked Simon.

"You really are something—letting a complete outsider with no blood relation tell you how to run things!"

Simon flew into a rage and glared at Hailey, snapping at her.

"Shut up! We don't need your mother standing here telling my mother what to do!"

Hailey felt utterly wronged and ran out crying.

Simon then dragged Jeanette off with him.

I called out to him before they reached the door.

"You listen to me. I don't care who you want to marry, but your daughter can only be Althea."

"Anyone who dares take Althea's place, I'll skin her and you both alive!"

Back when my mother-in-law was in good health, she had Simon completely under her thumb.

Now, ten years later, Simon still doesn't dare go against his mother's wishes.

"Mom, you just got over your illness, so you shouldn't eat anything too greasy. Althea has a delicate stomach too, so I made something light—give it a try."

I didn't eat it. Instead, I pushed the bowl over to Althea.

"Good girl, look how thin you've gotten. Eat something."

Althea obediently agreed and lowered her head to pick up some food.

Her movements were shaky and a little cautious, but you could still tell she was wolfing it down—she must have been starving.

Thinking about the suffering my daughter had endured these past few days, my heart ached terribly, and I glared at Simon with red eyes.

"Look what you've done! Althea's so hungry she can't even hold her chopsticks steady!"

"Thank goodness I woke up. If I hadn't, the child could have starved to death out there and you wouldn't even have known!"

Simon gave an awkward, apologetic smile.

"How could that be, Mom? Althea has two hands and two feet—if she got hungry, she could surely find a job herself!"

"I just... I just wanted to toughen her up a little! Hahaha..."

I didn't laugh. I questioned him with a cold face.

"Quit grinning and trying to change the subject!"

"Tell me! Why exactly did you let that Hailey inherit the family fortune?"

"She has absolutely no blood relation to you—have you lost your mind?"

Simon lowered his head and let me scold him, explaining carefully.

"It's because the master said—"

"Shut up! If you say one more word about that master, I'll beat you to death!"

"Anyway, the company's been having some financial trouble lately, and someone said Hailey could help me get through the crisis..."

I was so angry I slapped him across the face.

"Anyone can see this is a scheme by Jeanette and her daughter. And you fell for it?!"

"Now! Announce publicly that Althea is your only heir!"

"Otherwise, I'll kick you out of that chairman's seat!"