When Lea returned to their table, she had every intention to abide by her motherâs advice to keep her mouth shut and avoid getting into an argument with Sophia.
But Sophia was testy and seemed intent on provoking her. It was downright infuriating!
Lea glared at Sophia, her irritation evident, and snapped, âItâs none of your business!â
Sophiaâs face stiffened, but she didnât retaliate against Lea. Instead, she turned her attention to Bertha.
âBertha, is this the result of your parenting? Looks like all your coddling has left you with no authority over Lea. She doesnât respect you or listen to you anymore! I think itâs high time that Dad steps in to discipline Lea properly!â
Bertha looked at Sophia. She always tried to treat Sophia like her own, hoping to win her over.
But over the years, Sophia never reciprocated this sentiment. She never respected Bertha, and only feigned politeness in front of their father, Thaddeus.
Bertha could overlook Sophiaâs attitude towards herself, but what she found hard to accept was Sophiaâs constant bickering with Lea.
She had tried to make the two half-sisters get along, always reminding Lea to respect Sophia.
But now, she didnât see the point anymore!
Since they couldnât get along, so be it. She had wrongly accused Lea once already, and she couldnât stand to see Lea mistreated again!
âSophia, what are you trying to imply with your words? Are you not satisfied until your father beats Lea up?â
Sophia was taken aback by Berthaâs sudden change in attitude. She quickly defended herself, âBertha, I didnât mean that! I was just suggesting that Dad might have a better chance of disciplining Lea. After all, he still commands some respect from her. I never said anything about him beating Leaâ¦â
With Berthaâs support, Lea suddenly felt emboldened. She rolled her eyes at Sophia, âYou just want Dad to beat me up to satisfy yourself. Stop making excuses! Youâve been trying to drive a wedge between us and Dad from the get-go! Unfortunately for you, I have utmost respect for my mom.
Whether sheâs right or wrong, Iâll listen to her. But Iâm not afraid of Dad, so you can forget about him disciplining me!â
Sophia pretended to be innocent and concerned, âLea, why must you think so poorly of me? How could you be so cynical at such a young age? Who taught you to think this way?â
! The implication of Sophiaâs words were clear. She was suggesting that someone had been poisoning Lea against her. The only adult who had access to Lea was Bertha! Bertha understood Sophiaâs implication and her face became gloomy, âSophia, I care for your father, which is why Iâve always tried to treat you as my own. But youâve never accepted me. I donât blame you. After all, I could never replace your biological mother in your heart. I respect you. If we canât be mother and daughter, I hope we could at least be friends and get along. But it seems like you donât want to get along well with me or Lea, constantly hinting to your father about our shortcomings. I genuinely donât know what weâve done to deserve your hatred. Iâm your stepmother, but Iâm not the homewrecker you seem to think I am. Your father and I got together only after your mother passed away, and Leaâs presence doesnât threaten your inheritance. Why do you hate me and Lea so much?â