Chapter 112: Exposure
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Josh was stubborn and felt that he must uncover the truth behind anything that seemed unreasonable.
That was the case with Keira before.
And now, it was the same with Isla.
Keira smiled, thinking it was for the best to let it all come out, lest Isla really believed she was some kind of self-proclaimed hero.
No sooner had she put away her phone than she heard Isla’s falsely sympathetic voice. “Auntie, it’s not that Keira is ignoring you, it’s just her personality. Please don’t take it to heart…”
Keira was perplexed.
She turned her head to find Melissa’s face darkened, retorting upon hearing those words. “Miss Olsen, didn’t your mother teach you to be polite when visiting someone’s home? It’s disrespectful to ignore someone when they’re speaking to you.”
Opposite them, Lewis glanced over with a frown. He was about to speak when that dazzling woman looked up languidly and said, “What did you just say?”
Melissa simply sneered. “I said, Isla should sit next to Mrs. Horton. She has a lot to tell her after all. You don’t mind, do you?”
At that, Keira just shook her head.
Melissa thought she meant she didn’t mind and was about to say more when she heard Keira say, “Sorry, I do mind.”
Melissa was taken aback, “You!”
Keira spread her hands. “I have no manners, right? So of course, I wouldn’t know what politeness is.”
Melissa found herself speechless, stunned by the response.
In a world where high society placed immense value on dignity and appearances, why was Keira not playing by the rules?
Keira calmly corrected her crooked cutlery, which Melissa had pushed aside.
Isla then chimed in. “Auntie, please don’t take offense at Keira, it’s my fault. Her mother’s background is special. She didn’t teach Keira well from the start, and as her sister, I failed to supervise her properly…”
Melissa scoffed. “What does it have to do with you? An illegitimate daughter simply can’t be seen in public!”
At these words, Lewis abruptly turned to her, his deep eyes flashing a coldness. “Is what you just said appropriate for the public? To malign a guest to their face, is that the Knight family’s teaching?”
Melissa choked, then looked pitifully at Nathan, “Dad…”
The sixty-something-year-old Nathan slapped the table hard. “Lewis, who taught you to talk to your sister-in-law like that?”
Lewis’s expression remained indifferent, and he said nothing.
But Old Mrs. Horton, nearly eighty-five, smacked her hands on the table. “Enough! Did you all come here to eat, or to pick fights? Keira is Lewis’s wife, and she’s the master of this household! You all will show her the respect she deserves!”
Everybody was taken aback, looking at Keira in unison, “Wife?”
Isla quickly explained, “Great-grandma mistook Keira for Mr. Horton’s wife…”
And then, it dawned on everyone.
Melissa spoke in a sardonic tone. “I was wondering why you were suddenly so nice to a stranger, but some people should have some self-awareness and know exactly what their status is… Lewis, you just silently allow old Mrs. Horton to mistake her identity. How are you going to explain it to your wife when she returns to the country?”
Lewis glanced at Keira and said indifferently, “She won’t mind.”
Melissa wanted to say something more when old Mrs. Horton turned to her. “I see you’re clearly not here for the meal. Speak up. What’s your real purpose for coming here? Spit it out quickly and leave. Don’t ruin the mood for me and my granddaughter – in-law!”
Melissa immediately smiled sheepishly, looking toward Oliver.
Oliver cleared his throat and said, “Grandma, here’s the thing. Isla is an excellent graduate of Oceanion University, and now she has made a great impact online. You’re unaware that the internet is full of praise for our family’s good values, claiming that we pick our wives for their character, and Isla’s assistance with the police case has spread far and wide. Shouldn’t such an outstanding great-granddaughter-in-law be rewarded somewhat?”
Old Mrs. Horton frowned. “You reward her, then!”
Oliver’s mouth twitched, and he said nothing, once again looking at Melissa.
Melissa felt exasperated at how difficult it was to get her husband to speak, but she had to resume the conversation. “Grandma, we have given her a reward, but shouldn’t you also show some gesture?”
Old Mrs. Horton didn’t understand. “What kind of gesture should I show?”
“When Lewis married his wife, you gave her three percent of the shares. Now it’s Isla’s turn. Didn’t you say last time that you wanted to give her two percent?”
Old Mrs. Horton took a deep breath and glanced at Isla. “I’m not giving her any.”
Melissa was stunned, “Why not?”
Old Mrs. Horton said, “I don’t like her.”
Isla suddenly bit her lip and bowed her head, a hint of hatred showing in her eyes.
The old hag!
With a sense of being wronged, she pleaded. “Great-grandma, I know I made mistakes before, but I’ve changed… How am I supposed to establish myself in the Horton family after this?”
She bowed her head, wiping away tears.
Jake frowned. “Great-grandma, you…”
Before he could finish, Lewis’s stern glance came sweeping over, scaring him into shutting his mouth.
It was actually Melissa who spoke out recklessly, “Grandma, you can’t be so partial! You’ve always favored Lewis since he was young, and we understood because of his age, but what about now? The wives all married into the family from the outside. With such favoritism, are you holding a grudge against our first branch?”
After that, she started crying and turned to Nathan. “Dad, I didn’t get any shares when I married Oliver. Now that you’ve set a precedent with Lewis, it was agreed that Jake would get two percent upon marriage. Isla is so excellent, so gifting her the shares would sound so good when mentioned! Why are you so biased, Grandma? Does the first branch still have any standing in this family? Or is it that to you, only Lewis is your grandson, and we from the first branch aren’t?”
Upon hearing this, Nathan turned to old Mrs. Horton, “Mom, as the head of the family, you can’t show such favoritism! Previously, you said you disliked Isla and didn’t give her any; that’s fine. But now that Isla has shown excellence and everyone outside is praising her, as the matriarch of the family, if you don’t make a gesture, it’s utterly inappropriate! Even for the sake of the Horton family, you should symbolically offer some reward!”
Seeing an opportunity, Isla immediately approached old Mrs. Horton. “Great-grandma, I know I’ve made a mistake. If you’re still angry, then punish me… I’ll do anything as long as you’re no longer upset. Should I continue kneeling in the ancestral hall?”
At these words, Melissa blurted out, “You’re seen as a hero in the public eye; if news of you kneeling in the ancestral hall comes out, what face will the Horton family have left? Is this how you treat a hero who is about to be honored by the police and greatly acknowledged by society? What will we do if the media writes something about it? Grandma, can’t you consider the Horton family’s reputation a bit more?”
Just as the group of people were berating old Mrs. Horton, Keira’s phone rang again.
She picked it up and saw a Twitter message from Josh, and it read #Miss Olsen has never provided any evidence; she deceived everyone!#
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