Chapter 80
"Sophia, don't get the wrong idea. We're doing this for your own good. Your mom wants you to look great at the launch event. You might even meet Mr. Right there."
"Come on, we're girls. Finding a good husband is the ultimate goal."
Veda then put on a pitiful expression.
"Sophia, did you misunderstand?"
Veda's delicate demeanor made her look so pitiful. Sophia knew that those around her were fooled by her act. She let out a cold snort and raised her voice.
"Veda, are you serious? Everyone in Emerald City knows I'm engaged to Chase from the Smith family. Why is your mom still trying to set me up at this event? Does she think I'm not good enough for the Smiths? Or is she planning to marry you off to Chase?"
Sophia didn't hold back and laid bare Hazel and her daughter's schemes.
Originally, she was engaged to Chase, but Hazel, being greedy, thought marrying into the Smith family would bring luxury. So, she had Veda compete for Sophia's fiancé.
But Sophia didn't mind. After all, everyone should find a match that suits them.
Sophia's words made Hazel extremely uncomfortable. Her face turned ashen, and she couldn't even look at the people around her.
She never expected Sophia to publicly break ties with her.
"Sophia, how can you say that? My mom is genuinely concerned for you. She thinks you might suffer if you marry into the Smith family with your simple mind. Her intentions are good. How could you twist them into something so sinister?"
Sophia pretended to understand and nodded.
"Oh, so it's out of good intentions. I thought you were just trying to hog the benefits of the Smith family. But Hazel, have you ever thought about this? If someone as simple-minded as me would suffer marrying into the Smith family, wouldn't Veda be even worse off?"
"You..."
Veda was fuming. How could Sophia's words be so infuriating?
She turned around, grabbed Hazel's hand, and said angrily, "Mom, let's not bother with her. She's just a shrew. It's ridiculous to reason with someone like her."
Hazel's eyes were icy cold.
Sophia's actions today had humiliated her. She would never let Sophia off the hook. She gently pushed Veda's hand aside.
"Veda, step back. Since Sophia's mother passed away early, as the mistress of the Brown family and her stepmother, I have the right and duty to educate her on behalf of her deceased mother."
After all, she was the mistress of the Brown family. No one had ever treated her like this. If she didn't teach Sophia a lesson in front of everyone today, how could she maintain her status in Emerald City?
Sophia acted as if she had heard a funny joke, blinking her eyes with a puzzled expression.
"Did I hear that right? Hazel, you want to educate me? Do you even have the qualifications?"
Sophia turned to the onlookers, raising her voice.
"Has anyone noticed something strange? Hazel married into the Brown family after my mom passed away, but the daughter she had with my dad is older than me."
As soon as Sophia finished speaking, the crowd erupted in whispers.
"Oh my God, I never realized. The stepmother's child is older than the legitimate wife's child. That's quite a revelation."
"Exactly. What does that imply? Does it mean Hazel and Mr. Brown were together before Sophia's mother died?"
The crowd was in an uproar.
"So, Hazel was a mistress who rose to power. Is it possible that Sophia's mother died because of her?"
"If that's the case, Sophia is truly pitiful."
"Indeed. Her own mother was driven to death by a mistress, and now that she's finally back in the Brown family, she has to face off against this mother-daughter duo."
"I agree. Listen to how sharp-tongued these two are. If you didn't know better, you'd think they were out to kill."
Veda was getting frantic. She shouted at the people around her, "You don't know anything, so stop talking nonsense, okay? My mother could never be like that!"
"Sophia never liked coming back to the Brown family from the start. Whenever she did, it was always about money, always greedy and trying to take half of my dad's estate."
"Our family of three treated her very well, but she always had ulterior motives, making Dad disappointed. Even so, my mom always tried to mediate, not wanting any Brown family child to be left out."
Veda looked pitifully at Sophia.
"Sophia, how can you be like this? Can't you see my mom's efforts? There were always people saying that you can't raise someone else's child as your own. My mom didn't believe it, thinking that sincerity would eventually touch you. But it turns out they were right. How can you be so ungrateful?"
Sophia let out a cold snort.
"Your mother rose to power as a mistress, and now you're playing the victim in front of me. And Veda, what do you mean by me trying to take the Brown family's estate? That's my mother's inheritance, which you all have been occupying."
The crowd buzzed with astonishment. They never expected to hear such explosive news today.
Hazel was trembling with anger. She stepped forward and slapped Sophia.
"Sophia, say that again if you dare."
Sophia's cheek stung, and Hazel had hit her hard, aggravating her wound.
Sophia curled her lips into a sneer.
"Hazel, can't you keep your cool? You just slapped me in front of everyone, solidifying your image as the wicked stepmother."
"If you really want to clear your name, why don't you explain how you, who married into the Brown family later, managed to have a daughter older than me?"