Chapter 237
Don't make excuses.
I'm not from the city.
I can't get used to that outside food.
I'm your elder.
Is it too much to ask you to make breakfast?
If you refuse,
I'll go have a word with your mother-in-law!
She began to moan.
One moment complaining of a headache.
The next, saying she was starving.
The others gathered around.
All blaming Isabella.
Isabella looked at the group.
They had always ganged up to bully others.
Great-Aunt Deborah wants a home-cooked breakfast?
Fine.
I'll have David make it for you.
Just wait a moment.
No!
I want you to make it!
Not David!
Men earn money.
Women cook.
That's the natural order!
I understand.
But...
I earn more than David in this family.
I also bought this villa.
By your logic,
It's only natural for David to cook.
Nonsense—
You could afford a villa this big?!
The old woman's eyes widened.
Yes.
Auntie Melissa nudged her shoulder.
Lowered her voice.
Looked embarrassed.
I asked David yesterday.
The villa really was bought by his wife...
The old woman froze.
Isabella ignored her.
Turned and went back to her study.
No way...
How could a woman earn that much money?
And buy a big villa?!
The old woman stood there, stunned.
Auntie Melissa smirked.
If I could earn that much,
I wouldn't cook either.
I'd wait for a man to cook for me.
When you have money,
Who bothers with the kitchen?
If it were you,
Would you?
The old woman was speechless.
Right.
When you have money,
Why slave away for a man?
...
Sophia Sullivan returned with breakfast.
She sensed the tense atmosphere.
Before she could figure out what happened,
A loud smash came from the backyard!
It was where David Sullivan kept his potted plants.
Sophia's heart jumped.
A bad feeling washed over her.
She went to look.
David's prized orchid lay shattered on the ground.
Other plants were damaged too.
David was trembling.
His heart aching.
His orchid...
He had nurtured it day and night.
Filled a whole notebook with observations.
Finally waited for it to bloom.
And now it was destroyed by these brats?!
The kids had no idea what they'd done.
They grinned and asked David.
"Uncle David,
Isn't this flower pretty?
We just picked it.
For you.
Hehe..."
Sophia glanced at David's livid face.
Worried his blood pressure would spike.
Thankfully, Mr. Sullivan had years of teaching experience.
He kept his composure.
He didn't yell.
But he couldn't smile either.
"Hehe"?
No "hehe."
Sophia couldn't stand it.
She grabbed her laptop and left.
Right.
One more day.
...
Sophia could escape.
David and Isabella could not.
These were still visiting relatives.
The couple had to play host.
Otherwise, Eleanor Yuan would be furious.
That afternoon,
William Sullivan and his wife Sophia "dropped by."
They claimed they were visiting.
But really, they came to enjoy the drama.
William had some conscience.
He couldn't help his brother.
But he didn't want to rub salt in the wound.
He greeted them and tried to leave.
But Sophia Sullivan yanked him back.
Gave him a warning look.
She first toured the villa.
Smiled and greeted the relatives.
Then she crossed her arms and approached Isabella.
"Sister-in-law,
No offense,
But this place is a mess.
Don't you ever clean?"
Isabella had tried.
But within half an hour of cleaning,
It would be worse than before.
"Sophia,
People will think you're lazy.
Look at this floor.
There's mud.
And that pile on the table.
It stinks.
What is all that?"
"Ugh.
This towel is black.
Why are you keeping it?
To clean the toilet?"
Great-Aunt Deborah walked over.
Snatched it away.
"What are you doing with my face towel?"
Sophia Sullivan...
"A-Anyway, tomorrow is Mom's big eightieth birthday banquet.
We can put up with some mess among family.
But if outsiders see this,
It would be so embarrassing.
You should really put in some effort, sister-in-law!"
She turned away in disgust.
As if she couldn't bear to look.
Isabella's expression darkened.
William tugged at Sophia's clothes.
Signaling her to stop.
Sophia shook him off angrily.
"Why are you pulling me?
I'm not done!"
Isabella suddenly smiled.
"With this many people, of course it's messy.
Actually, you should thank us.
Otherwise, your house would be the dirty, messy one right now."
Sophia was speechless.
Isabella was a cultured woman, after all.
"If you've benefited,
Keep a low profile.
Don't bite the hand that feeds you."
"You—"
"If you have nothing better to do, second sister-in-law,
Why not help me clean?
You said yourself we can't embarrass the Sullivan family."
She went to get a broom.
Sophia looked horrified.
"I—I just remembered something.
I have to go!"
She dragged William away as fast as she could.
...
Finally, the birthday banquet arrived the next day.
After the feast at the hotel,
The relatives and friends all went home.
David and Isabella finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But that night,
When the family of three returned home,
They found Great-Aunt Deborah's family still there?!
David was stunned.
"...Great-Aunt,
What's this?
Didn't the bus back to the village leave this afternoon?"
"Oh.
Eleanor said,
Since it's been so long since we've seen each other,
We should stay a few more days.
The birthday girl insisted.
I couldn't refuse her, could I?"
Eleanor Yuan had just been polite.
A casual remark.
She didn't expect them to take it seriously.
But since they did,
It was at the third son's place anyway.
It didn't affect her.
An easy chance to be the good person.
No reason not to take it.
David and Isabella exchanged a look.
They felt utterly hopeless.
...
Sophia got a message from Hannah Morse.
She ignored the uninvited relatives lingering in the living room.
Went straight upstairs.
Some experimental data was incomplete.
It needed manual entry.
Sophia had the original data.
She had printed a copy when she left the lab that day.
It came in handy now.
She replied to Hannah.
Headed to her room.
She had brought some paper documents this time.
Afraid the relatives might mess with them,
She had locked her room.
She was always careful when entering and leaving.
But as soon as she pushed the door open,
Sophia knew something was wrong!
The desk had clearly been disturbed.
Her open laptop was closed.
The pen holder was knocked over.
Pens were scattered everywhere.
The chair was pushed into a corner.
But that wasn't the worst part.
The worst part was—
The documents were gone!