Chapter 381
Maria reprimanded Mabel with a dark expression, “The adults are talking. It’s none of your business. Go back to your room.”
“I won’t.” Mabel stubbornly said, “Mom has sacrificed so much for this family. Why are you doing this to Mom? If you want to chase Mom out, then chase me out too.”
She knew very well that she and Yolanda must be together. Without Yolanda, how could she deal with Melody?
Moreover, she was certain that Maria would never chase her out. She was the Fox family’s only hope in the future.
However, in the next moment, Maria said coldly, “Do you think I won’t chase you out too? I’m just giving you this chance because you’re young and were led astray by your mother. Since you don’t want this chance, get out of the Fox family.”
Mabel’s eyes suddenly widened in fear. “Grandma?”
Yolanda had already guessed something.
Her mind was racing. She grabbed Mabel’s hand and said, “Mabel, go upstairs first. I’ll have a good talk with your grandmother.”
Even if Maria really found out about something, she could leave, but not Mabel.
As long as Mabel gained a foothold in Silverlake and married into the Swanson family, Yolanda did not have to worry that the Fox family would not invite her back.
“But…” Mabel was unwilling to go upstairs, but Yolanda’s eyes were filled with warning. Mabel could only clench her fists and say, “I understand. I’ll go upstairs first.”
However, Mabel was unwilling to leave alone. She looked at Melody and said, “Melody, I’m going upstairs. You should leave too, right?”
She did not want Melody to remain here to fan the flames.
Melody raised her eyebrows. “I’m afraid I can’t leave.”
Mabel frowned. “What do you mean? Didn’t you hear what Grandma said?”
Melody looked at Maria. “Grandma?”
Maria cleared her throat and said, “Melody is also involved in this matter. She has to stay.”
Mabel’s expression was grim.
She thought, ‘In that case, I’m the only one who needs to leave? Why?’
However, no matter how unwilling Mabel was to go upstairs, she still reluctantly left the living room under Yolanda’s orders.
Russell’s face was filled with confusion.
When he saw that Mabel was chased away by Maria but Melody could stay, he could not help but wonder if Melody had incited something in front of Maria.
Russell frowned at the thought of that and questioned Melody, “Did you instigate your grandmother? Ever since you returned to Silverlake, this family has been in a mess because of you. Every day, this or that happens. Are you only satisfied if this family is torn apart?”
“I’ve caused this family to be in a mess?” Melody laughed.
“Do you really think so? Please think about it. Since I came back, which incident have I initiated? If it weren’t for the fact that the truth was right in front of you, would you have believed me even once?
“I’ve been treating Margaret’s illness. I haven’t even finished treating her yet, but you listened to others and believed that I would implicate the entire Fox family. You locked me up in an abandoned garage and even disowned me.
“It’s the same for the bet. You didn’t even finish watching the live broadcast and were already certain that I wouldn’t win the bet. You anxiously wrote an agreement to draw a line with me so that I wouldn’t drag you down.
“Who exactly is causing this family to be in a mess?”
The more Russell listened, the uglier his expression became.
He frowned hard. He suddenly remembered that every time something happened, Yolanda and Mabel would spare no effort to tell him the worst outcome, so much so that he always thought that Melody would harm them.
However, every time, things would turn around and confirm that Melody was right.
He could not help but look at Yolanda suspiciously.
Yolanda felt Russell’s suspicion and immediately pinched her thigh. The pain made her cry instantly.
“Russell, why are you looking at me? Do you think I’m the one who caused the family to be in a mess just because of Melody’s words? When have I not been worried for the Fox family? Besides, you were the one who made the final decision.”
She wiped her tears innocently and said, “Think about it carefully. Whenever you were angry at Melody, didn’t I put in a good word for her and stop you?”
Russell recalled carefully. It seemed that Yolanda really spoke up for Melody every time.
Yolanda saw the wavering look in Russell’s eyes and cried even harder.
She looked at Melody with a hurt expression. “Melody, don’t think that all stepmothers are bad. At least I feel that I have a clear conscience towards you.”
Russell looked at Melody with a cold expression again. “Melody, don’t sow discord here. I know how well Yolanda treats you. Every time you make a mistake, she speaks up for you.”
Melody snorted. She was amused.
“That’s right. Yolanda is indeed good to me. Every time you scold me, she persuades you from the side. But every time she persuades you, you get angrier at me and scold me even more hatefully. How dare she claim to have a clear conscience!”
Russell was stunned. Before he could think about Melody’s words, Yolanda acted pitiful again.
“What you said breaks my heart, Melody. So that’s how you’ve always thought of me.”
When Russell saw how upset Yolanda was, he could not be bothered to think about what Melody had said. He criticized Melody, “Yolanda treats you no different from Mabel, but you’re an ingrate who doesn’t know how to be grateful at all.”
“Ingrate?” Melody’s eyes were filled with mockery.
She knew very well that Russell was not really blind. It was just that he was unwilling to see the truth.
She could not wake up someone who was pretending to be asleep. She finally understood that Russell was like someone pretending to be asleep.
The last trace of kinship in Melody’s heart for Russell completely disappeared at this moment.
She put away all her emotions and nodded expressionlessly. “Fine, I’m an ingrate. I don’t want to argue with you about this anymore.”
As she spoke, she looked at Maria and said, “Grandma, I’ve already said what I wanted to say, and I don’t want to continue. You may talk about your matter.”
Maria clearly saw the disappointment in Melody’s eyes.
She had not spoken because she hoped Melody could make Russell see the truth by scolding him, but the reality was that Russell’s favoritism had already blinded him to the truth.
A wave of anger rushed to her head and she asked Russell resentfully, “Melody said so much, but you didn’t listen to a single word she said. Do you really think that Melody is an ingrate? Can you wake up and not be deceived by your wife?”
“Mom!” Russell was also annoyed. “You’ve always been a sensible person. Why did you become muddle-headed after Melody came back? Before she came back, we’d never had so many problems in our family.”
Maria was so angry that she laughed and said in disappointment, “You’re a failure as a husband and father. Similarly, I’m also a failure to have raised an idiot like you.”
Russell said, “Mom?”
Maria ignored Russell and turned to Yolanda. “It’s not good for Mabel to hear what you’ve done, so I asked her to go upstairs to save you from embarrassment.”