Chapter 267: Chapter 267
She said, "I thought a cold-hearted person like you wouldn’t have any compassion for people or animals. But come to think of it, this cat belongs to Mrs. Acker. Even if you don’t like it, you can’t show it. Yet cats are sensitive; they know very well who truly likes them and who doesn’t."
As she spoke, she tried to coax the cat, hoping to lure it into her arms. The rıghtful source is 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁
The cat, however, stayed snuggly in Paige Sterling’s arms, looking aloof and not sparing Skylar Hughes a glance.
Skylar reached out to hold the cat, but perhaps too forcefully, and the cat got annoyed, biting down on the webbing between her thumb and index finger.
Skylar winced in pain and gave a hard shove, directly tossing the cat out of Paige’s arms.
The cat fell to the ground, letting out a piercing yelp.
Paige snapped back to reality and quickly picked up the cat.
Skylar heard footsteps approaching and immediately realized what she’d done. This was Faye Hawthorne’s favorite cat, after all. If Faye found out the cat was injured because of her, it would definitely taint her impression of Skylar.
So she immediately raised her voice, saying, "Paige, the kitten is playful; it just wanted to play with you. How could you be so cruel to a cat? Look how you’ve hurt it..."
Then she added, "You should leave swiftly; I’ll handle this. I won’t let Mrs. Acker find out the cat got hurt because of you. If she finds out, it won’t help even if I plead for you."
But just as Skylar finished speaking, Old Master Hawthorne’s voice sounded from behind, "Since when did our Hawthorne Family’s grand-daughter-in-law need an outsider to plead on her behalf?"
Skylar immediately turned to Old Master Hawthorne, "Master, that’s not what I meant, I..."
Old Master Hawthorne’s repeated mention of granddaughter-in-law clearly recognized Paige.
Skylar simply couldn’t understand; what kind of charm did Paige wield to make everyone so fond of her?
Even this old man from the Hawthorne Family protected her in every way.
"Master, I’m Skylar. Aunt Acker must’ve mentioned me to you. Earlier, I was only..."
Old Master Hawthorne snorted coldly, but as he turned to speak with Paige again, his demeanor softened.
He shifted to showing concern for Paige’s health and work.
Skylar felt completely out of place, unable to join the conversation.
Surely Paige had spoken negatively about her to the Hawthorne Family, causing Old Master Hawthorne to have a bias, thus employing such an attitude towards her.
Paige really is scheming.
After being subtly urged by Old Master Hawthorne a few times, Skylar felt uncomfortable and left the Hawthorne Family.
Soon afterward, Paige also exited the Hawthorne Family.
Skylar looked at Paige with a mix of smile and sneer, "Paige, you must have heard by now, we’re soon going to have a little brother."
Paige glanced at Skylar.
Skylar proudly stated, "Recently, there have been quite a few good things happening. Though they might be good for me, they might not be the same for you."
Paige seemed utterly puzzled.
Skylar appraised her from head to toe. Paige’s outfit was quite plain today. Often, Skylar saw Paige looking disheveled, not caring about her appearance or maintenance. No wonder Julian Hawthorne would abandon her.
Apparently, she learned her lesson. When she ends up with Julian, she can relax and focus more on looking beautiful. As for earning a livelihood, isn’t that Julian’s job?
Thinking this, Skylar’s gaze towards Paige filled with pity.
"Paige, if anything heartbreaking happens in the future, you must hang in there. Look forward, and you’ll eventually find someone suitable for you..."
Paige, "If you’re sick, see a doctor and stop jabbering at me."
After speaking, she walked away.
Soon, the day arrived for Faye Hawthorne and Yvette Hughes to meet up.
Unexpectedly, on that day, Skylar’s half-sister overheard a phone call between Skylar and Yvette, learning about her plan for a date, and informed her biological father.
As a result, when it was time to leave, her father donned a suit and tie, insisting on bringing the whole family along.
Skylar’s face turned sour. She couldn’t stand her useless father or the shallow, tacky family. Bringing them along would only embarrass her.
Seeing her displeasure, Mr. Hughes’s expression crumbled, "Then maybe dad should stay back."
The stepmother, however, encouraged, "You’re Skylar’s biological father. How could you not go? You must go."
Then she looked at Skylar, "Skylar, you wouldn’t mind if your dad and I went, causing you embarrassment, would you?"
Skylar, "..." Indeed, no good person could be a stepmother, huh!
In the end, the stepmother threatened, making it clear they were determined to go, and if Skylar didn’t let them accompany her, they’d go on their own.
What option did Skylar have?
She could only take them along, secretly gritting her teeth, determined to find a way to ditch this family in the future.
In the restaurant’s private room, Yvette Hughes had already arrived, but Faye Hawthorne was not yet present.
Skylar’s stepmother naturally eyed Yvette.
Same age, yet Yvette had fair skin, well-maintained, and looked quite affluent.
Skylar’s stepmother couldn’t help but purse her lips.
No wonder she could snag a wealthy family like the Sterling Family, truly an old vixen!
Old ones aren’t simple and honest, the young ones are little vixens too. She was curious to see which man was foolish enough to fall for someone like Skylar.
Meanwhile, Skylar sat on the chair, scrolling through her phone, seeing Paige’s Weibo updates.
At this moment, Paige was still occupied with a product launch.
Skylar sneered dismissively. What’s the point in having a flourishing career when the man beside her doesn’t love her?
Ha, Paige must not have realized that while she was busy with her career, her man was already sitting at the same table as her, planning a future together.
What a pitiful woman Paige must be.
Not long after, Faye Hawthorne arrived.
Yvette hurriedly stood up, "Mrs. Acker, you’ve arrived."
Skylar also immediately stood to greet, "Mrs. Acker."
Her stepmother, however, jokingly interrupted, "Oh, aren’t we all going to be family soon? Why still call her Mrs. Acker, so formal."
Faye looked towards Skylar’s stepmother, "And this is..."
Skylar felt embarrassed, unsure of how to introduce them, subtly shifting closer to Yvette to show she wasn’t familiar with that group.
Seeing this, Yvette introduced immediately, "This is Skylar’s biological father, and this is her... stepmother. These days, thanks to their care, Skylar has managed, so they’ve come too."
The stepmother immediately smiled warmly at Faye, "Oh, Mrs. Acker, you truly have an eye. Our Skylar here is a good girl, gentle, considerate, understanding, and has a particularly good relationship with her siblings..."
Speaking of which, she pushed her children forward, especially the already grown-up elder daughter, saying, "Mrs. Acker, this is my eldest daughter, just as timid and gentle as her sister, haha..."
Faye’s mouth twitched slightly, turning to look at Skylar.
Skylar was present, and judging by her cheerful demeanor, she seemed keen on her nephew.
Well, they had met at a party, perhaps the two young ones had mutual interest, which would be pleasant.
Faye said, "Skylar, you shouldn’t call me Aunt Acker, it’s too distant."