"The Lunar New Year is coming. Your grandmother has been asking to see you, so I'm going to take you to visit her. Go change into some nicer clothes. I'll see Ian out." May Sutton had already decided to put a stop to the marriage between Cecilia Adler and Ian Quincy. Without waiting for Ian to speak, she put on a fake smile and dictated Cecilia's schedule with absolute authority.
Once outside, she said to Ian Quincy, "That girl, Cecilia, was born to my husband and some local woman when he was sent to the countryside. She never went to school. She's completely illiterate and has no idea how things work in the city.
"She's nothing like Vivian, who graduated from high school and has a respectable job. The engagement with your family was originally meant for Vivian. But she insisted, saying that since Cecilia is the older sister and had a hard life in the countryside, any good potential husband should be offered to her first. What are your thoughts on the matter?"
Ian Quincy sneered back, "Are the daughters of your family that unmarriageable, that you're so desperate for me to choose one? Fine. In that case, Cecilia will be the wife, and the one born from a cruel stepmother can be the mistress."
May Sutton's smile gradually faded, replaced by a towering rage. "You..." The insult she was about to hurl died on her lips.
She was interrupted by a voice.
"Vivian's mom, who is this handsome young man?" a neighbor asked, her eyes filled with admiration.
"Hello, ma'am. I'm Ian Quincy, Cecilia's fiancé. I have to run, so I'll be on my way. You have a good day." And with that, Ian Quincy left.
The neighbor clicked her tongue. "Vivian's mom, no wonder people say you're so generous. A fiancé that handsome and polite, and you don't keep him for your own daughter, giving him to an outsider instead. You're a true living saint."
May Sutton clutched her chest, feeling so aggrieved she could hardly breathe. She went home and unleashed her fury on Cecilia Adler. "I tell you to wash the clothes, and you only wash the shirts, not the pants? Who were you expecting to clean the dirty dishes you left soaking in the kitchen sink? You can't do a single simple thing right, but you're more eager than anyone when it comes to hooking a man! It's the first time you've met him, and you're already sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. You're like a dung beetle on a door, pretending to be a fancy stud. Take a good look at yourself and see if you're even worthy!"
'Cecilia Adler is the child of some wretched woman. My agreeing to let her into this house was already an act of immense charity.'
'How dare she try to steal my daughter's man?'
'I will never allow the little bitch born of a seductress to marry better than my own daughter.'
A cunning glint flashed in her eyes as she snapped, "Grab the presents and come with me to your grandmother's house!"
Cecilia Adler's eyes grew red with humiliation. She hadn't had a moment's peace since arriving in this home, yet this woman was still unsatisfied. She desperately wanted to resist, but the knowledge that she was living on their charity forced her to swallow her tears. "Okay," she answered, her voice choked.
May Sutton shot her a look of disgust. 'So meek and weak. Utterly uncouth.'
'What on earth does that Quillan boy see in her?'
'And he had the nerve to suggest my daughter be a mistress. I'll make sure he's a cuckold before he even gets married. Let's see if he still wants Cecilia Adler then.'
......
Cecilia Adler followed May Sutton to the Sutton home. From a distance, she could hear Vivian Lee's playfully sweet voice:
"Grandma, I want to spend the New Year with you this year~"
"You're all grown up and still so clingy."
The moment Cecilia Adler stepped through the door, she saw Vivian Lee swaying Old Mrs. Sutton's arm back and forth, and couldn't suppress a pang of envy.
"Vivian, what are you doing here?" May Sutton asked in surprise.
"What a thing to say. Is Vivian not allowed to visit me?" Old Mrs. Sutton's expression soured.
A frightened May Sutton quickly backpedaled. "I was just worried her constant chattering would disturb your rest."
Old Mrs. Sutton scoffed, her eyes raking Cecilia Adler up and down. "So this must be that Cecilia girl?"
Cecilia Adler hated the way Old Mrs. Sutton was looking at her, as if she were a piece of merchandise waiting to be priced and sold.
"Yes. Cecilia, call her Grandma," May Sutton said.