Chapter 866:
Displeasure surged across Bethel’s expression, growing sharper the instant her gaze met Yolanda’s. Her fury extended to her grandson. Worse still, she failed to reason with him. Yolanda was far from ideal for marriage; even in friendship, she possessed a dangerous influence. Yet, Brendon was blind to this, stubbornly clinging to this disastrous relationship.
Bethel exhaled heavily. Maybe the decline of the Dawson family was inevitable. If she were gone, no one in the family had the strength to keep the family business running and hold the family together.
“Good day, Bethel,” Yolanda said sweetly, her voice coated with insincerity as she wore a grin meant to charm.
Bethel scoffed, casting Yolanda a look brimming with disdain.
Yolanda stiffened under the cold response. Her fake smile faltered as she clung tighter to Brendon’s arm.
“Yolanda, please don’t let it upset you. My grandma isn’t feeling her best. She didn’t mean to treat you coldly,” Brendon reassured her softly.
Christina turned toward Bethel with a cheerful expression. “Bethel, I brought some herbal tonics for your health. The chef can prepare them whenever you’re ready.”
“Oh, that’s so thoughtful! You’re always mindful of me, always trying to lift my spirits,” Bethel replied, her face lighting up with warmth.
Her attitude toward Christina radiated fondness and love, a stark contrast to her recent behavior toward Yolanda. The tenderness in her eyes suggested she held Christina dearly.
Yolanda burned with humiliation at the obvious favoritism, certain that Bethel’s behavior was meant to make her feel small. She leaned harder into Brendon, her hand gripping him tighter, her lashes wet with calculated emotion.
Brendon noticed the seeming sorrow clouding her face and pitied her deeply. “Grandma, that’s just plain unfair. You can play favorites, sure, but at least hide it better. Treating Yolanda like that in public feels intentional.”
𝓥𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓯𝔂 𝓈𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓽 𝗀𝓪𝗅𝗇𝗈𝖛𝗲𝗅𝘀．𝚌𝗈𝗺
He stood up for Yolanda and even flashed an accusing glance at Christina, as if blaming her for inciting Bethel’s coldness toward Yolanda.
Katie, too, was seething, consumed with jealousy toward Christina. “Exactly! Grandma, this is unfair. If someone overheard you, they’d think Christina is your granddaughter instead of some outsider. And let’s not forget that Yolanda is Brendon’s fiancée. That makes her part of this household. Why did you humiliate her and be warm to an outsider?”
Katie couldn’t fathom why Bethel constantly favored Christina over her, the granddaughter related by blood. It defied all logic.
Bethel swept her eyes over her grandchildren and Yolanda with a chilly stare, curling her lips in contempt. “Christina is no outsider, and I was simply showing preference, not intentionally humiliating anyone. You’re the ones assigning blame, accusing me of trying to degrade Yolanda. What’s next? You want me to pretend to like someone I clearly don’t? If that’s the rule, why don’t you ever show Christina the same courtesy?” Pausing for breath, Bethel added, “Funny how you all excuse your own behavior but nitpick everyone else’s. If you can’t meet your own standards, stop demanding them from others.”
Katie fumed in silence. Her grandmother was being ridiculous, backing someone who wasn’t even family. And now the Dawson estate had already been handed to Christina, which made her blood boil even more.
.
.
.