Chapter 15
Around 1 PM, Emily burst into the house, her face a thunderstorm of anger. James, sprawled on the couch with his game console, barely looked up. "Mom, who ticked you off this time?"
Emily tossed her bag onto the sofa and plopped down, fuming. "It's that damn Rachel's fault!"
James paused his game, now interested. "Rachel? What did she do this time? Did you see her?"
"See her? No," Emily snapped. "It's from the last time at the luxury brand plaza. She had her two boy toys with her and treated me like the bad guy! Today, when I went shopping with the ladies, security wouldn't let me in! They said I was blacklisted. Can you believe that? Blacklisted! I was humiliated in front of everyone!"
James frowned, sitting up. "Wait, you're on a blacklist? How?"
Emily's voice got louder with her anger. "I don't know what strings Rachel pulled, but when the guards turned me away in front of six of my friends, I wanted to explode! You should've seen their faces—like I was some kind of beggar. I hate that bitch Rachel!"
Her outburst was loud enough to bring Michael and Mandy downstairs. Michael was buttoning his crisp blue-gray shirt, looking sharp and composed. Mandy, in a pure white dress, looked as gentle and graceful as ever.
"What's going on?" Michael asked, his tone calm but commanding.
Emily wasted no time spilling her story. Michael's frown deepened as he listened. "I've already divorced her, Mom. There's no point in provoking her unnecessarily."
Emily bristled. "She provoked me first!"
After a pause, seeing the two were about to go out, she quickly looked at Mandy and smiled, "Mandy, where are you two headed?"
Mandy smiled slightly. "I heard Grandma Smith is sick, so we're going to visit her."
Emily's face soured. "Why bother? Her being sick doesn't exactly deserve a visit..."
Michael cut in firmly. "Mom, she is my grandmother."
Emily knew better than to argue. She forced a smile. "Fine, fine. Just come back early. I had the maid make Mandy's favorite Tapioca Pudding."
Mandy thanked her and left with Michael.
Catherine had been cared for by Rachel for years, their bond deep and undeniable. Her feelings toward Mandy, despite her status as Michael's girlfriend, were icy at best. She barely acknowledged Mandy, her indifference clear.
As they arrived, Michael immediately noticed Catherine's frosty demeanor. He was acutely aware that Catherine didn't approve of Mandy, yet he decided to bring her along regardless. His intention was for Mandy to familiarize herself with his grandmother since, ultimately, Mandy was destined to become his wife.
Mandy stepped forward, presenting a gift with a polite smile. "Grandma, I brought some nutritional supplements for you. I hope you'll accept them."
Catherine, reclining in her chair, didn't bother to hide her displeasure. "It's too early to call me Grandma. Wait until you two are married. And at my age, I can't just consume anything handed to me. You should take it back."
Mandy felt a bit embarrassed, biting her lip and looking at Michael for help.
Michael tried to persuade, "Grandma, this is Mandy's token of goodwill."
Catherine's sharp eyes met his, her tone unyielding. "Goodwill? Like the goodwill of driving my granddaughter-in-law away?"
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