Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Heather stood there, looking utterly fearless-she was here for one reason: to stir up trouble.
She’d picked the perfect moment, too, with all the Sumner family’s guests gathered. The bigger the scene, the better. Edith, that little brat, had really started to think she could walk all over her. Well, today would remind her just how wrong she was.
If Heather didn’t make Edith pay for what happened, she wouldn’t deserve her own name.
With a cold, mocking laugh, Heather turned to Jayne. “Funny, isn’t it? When your daughter was running wild, you didn’t seem the least bit ashamed. Now, suddenly, you’re embarrassed? If it weren’t for the Vance family taking her in and knocking some sense into her, I can’t imagine how out of control she’d be.”
Edith stood tall, her eyes fixed on Heather, barely able to contain her anger. Was it really possible for someone to be this unreasonable, this
brazen?
Jayne’s face flushed red, then blanched pale. She’d always known Heather was forceful, but this was the Sumner family’s celebration. To cause such a scene now-Heather was clearly here to humiliate them.
Jayne was about to try reasoning again when Edith stepped forward, coming to stand by her mother’s side. Edith glanced back at her with a reassuring smile. “Mom, go take care of the guests. It’s the last round of the reception, and everyone should feel welcome, right?”
Jayne let out a weary sigh, but understood. She turned and went to see to the guests.
As soon as Jayne was gone, Edith faced Heather directly, her voice steady. “You clearly have no intention of apologizing. Fine, I won’t force you. But I am calling the police.”
What happened at the police station would be Heather’s problem. But
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Edith would do what she could.
Heather didn’t bat an eye at the threat-she wasn’t afraid of a police report. She’d come with a purpose, and she’d see it through, no matter where the chaos led.
As Edith pulled out her phone to dial, Heather’s voice rose, pitch perfect for drawing attention. “You really are ruthless, aren’t you!”
The moment the call connected, Heather’s performance began in earnest. Edith spoke quietly into her phone, “Hello, we have a disturbance at our house. Could you please send someone to handle it?”
While Edith relayed the situation, Heather’s voice rang out, trembling with feigned emotion. “You spent three years in the Vance family and never had a child. We put up with it, never pushed you to see a doctor. I just don’t know what more we could have done to appease you! Even after Beckett passed and you remarried in a heartbeat, we said nothing. But Salome-she was once your sister-in-law! How could you treat her this way? All because you were jealous she managed to get pregnant?”
The guests began to turn, their faces a mix of curiosity and shock. Exactly as Heather wanted. In a single outburst, she’d told the entire room that
Edith was infertile.
Tears glistened on Heather’s cheeks, but the triumphant gleam in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
“Salome’s pregnancy didn’t come easily. She’s carrying the Vance family’s only hope for a child, and you tried to sabotage that? If it hadn’t been for Dr. White stepping in, our family line might have ended with us!”
Edith was shaking with anger. Now she understood why Heather had left the hospital just to show up here-this was nothing but cold-blooded revenge. Heather wanted every Sumner guest to know about her infertility, and for the rumor to reach Edith’s future husband.
Jayne nearly fainted from rage, and would have fallen if not for a nearby guest who caught her, asking kindly, “Mrs. Sumner, are you alright?”
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Jayne could only glare hatefully at Heather, speechless. They’d once lived under the same roof-how could Heather be so heartless, burning
bridges so thoroughly?
There’s an old saying: sometimes you spare someone for the sake of the
people they care about. But Heather clearly didn’t care about anyone.
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.