I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 30

Mr. Sean Lancaster bore a striking resemblance to Steven, even dressing in the same style of immaculate suit. His expression was perpetually serious, giving him an intimidating air. He shot a single, sharp glance at Thomas, who immediately flinched and retracted his hand.

Mary quickly composed her sour expression, forcing a weak smile. “I was just disciplining her. It’s bad enough that she can’t give us an heir, but now she won’t even cook a simple meal. She has no regard for my reputation.”

I crossed my arms and watched coldly. Clearly, not a single word I’d said to her last time had sunk in. She still thought the problem was me.

Mr. Sean Lancaster threw his wife a cold look. “If she doesn’t want to cook, she doesn’t have to. We have a house full of staff. Are they just for decoration?”

Rebuked, Mary’s face paled, then flushed. “Fine,” she muttered.

I subtly lowered my head to hide the smile spreading across my face. Mary cared about her reputation above all else. In my past life, I had always been submissive, enduring her absurd and unreasonable demands without complaint, so she had never lost face. Now, her precious reputation was in tatters.

As I struggled to contain my amusement, I happened to catch Steven’s eye. He was staring at me, his face a thundercloud. I met his glare without flinching, even giving him a triumphant, defiant look.

Steven’s jaw tightened.

The tense atmosphere was brief. Under Mr. Sean Lancaster’s lead, the room soon returned to the light chatter of a dinner party. Before long, everyone was seated at the table.

My expression must have been terrifying, and I made no effort to hide it. I stared at Mary, my voice barely more than a hiss. “As the wife of the Lancaster Group’s chairman, it’s one thing to be cruel to your own daughter-in-law. But is it really appropriate to speak so ill of the dead?”

“How dare you speak to me like that? Is that any way to address an elder?” Mary snapped, her eyes flashing with anger.

My face was grim. “You get what you give. We should all try to leave each other a little dignity.”

Mary’s mouth opened and closed, clearly wanting to unleash a tirade, but with everyone watching and no one backing her up, she swallowed her anger and changed the subject. “You all don’t know. Steven and she have been married for over a year, and there’s still no sign of a baby. I’m just worried she’s like her mother, with a weak constitution. That’s why I nag her a little. I care about my daughter-in-law. I’ve been searching everywhere for doctors and remedies for her, but she’s not grateful at all. She yelled at me, said I was meddling. In this day and age…”