Queena put on a masterful performance of a woman defending her love while grieving her sister's misdeeds. But Mrs. Gonzalez wasn't buying it.
"I'm not my foolish son. Your little tricks don't work on me. Ms. Spencer, this is my birthday party, and you are not welcome here. Please leave at once."
Mrs. Gonzalez was the only one in her family with a clear head. She knew that a love forged in hardship was more precious than anything, and that a fair-weather, scheming girl like Queena couldn't be trusted.
Queena's face went pale. Looking utterly wronged, her eyes filled with tears as she turned to Matthew. He kept his lips pressed into a thin, cold line and didn't defy his mother.
"What happened?" Teresa, who had been chatting with some of her wealthy friends, finally heard about the incident and rushed over.
The moment Queena saw her, she ran into her arms, sobbing. "My sister had some kind of fit. She not only threw my necklace into the pond but also pushed Matthew into the water. Now Mrs. Gonzalez is blaming me and asking me to leave."
Teresa held Queena, her expression hardening. She knew Mrs. Gonzalez disliked Queena and decided to speak up. "Ruby, I know you're fond of Yvonne and want to protect her. But marriage is a lifelong commitment, and it should be based on Matthew's own feelings. Arranged marriages by parents are a thing of the past."
Mrs. Gonzalez just gave Teresa a flat, unimpressed look. She couldn't comprehend Teresa's logic. Why would a woman dote on an imposter instead of the child she had carried for nine months? Especially when that imposter's parents had abused her real daughter for over a decade.
"As long as I'm here, Matthew doesn't get the final say. He will marry whomever I choose. And Teresa," she said, her voice sharp, "we've known each other for years, so let me give you some friendly advice: open your eyes so you can see who's a friend and who's a snake."
Mrs. Gonzalez offered no courtesy to Teresa or Queena. Humiliated, Teresa grabbed Queena's arm and left, their departure hasty and undignified.
Mrs. Gonzalez didn't try to stop them. Instead, she turned to her own daughter. "Verna, take Yvonne to your room to change."
"You—" Before Verna could continue, Mrs. Gonzalez cut her off.
"Enough!" She glared at Verna, suppressing her anger, and ordered the driver to take Yvonne home.
Yvonne left in the Gonzalez family's car. By the time she got back to the Spencer house, Teresa and Queena were already in their rooms. It seemed their previous failed attempts to confront her had made them wary of starting another fight.
Yvonne walked up the hardwood staircase, went to her room, stripped off her wet dress, and took a long, hot shower. Then, she climbed into bed and fell asleep.
She didn't wake until morning. By the time she got up, everyone else in the Spencer family had already left for the day. No one had said a word to her. In this house, she was an unwelcome, invisible presence.

Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Sorry for Your Loss, It's Me, I'm the Loss
Hi ... Could you please publish another novel .. The mocked missed hidden crowns.. thank you 🙏🏻...
Oh wow, definitely hooked on this. Great story. Thank you....
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