While Anastasia was checking out Sandy, Sandy was also sizing up Anastasia. Before they met, Ashley had mentioned Anastasia to Sandy and Sean, her siblings, but his description was pretty one-
sided, saying she was the daughter of their dad, Tavonâs old flame.
Sandy called Anastasia âsisterâ in a gentle way. Her voice was as pleasant as wind chimes. She had a unique face and refined features. She had an oddly attractive look of having been sick, and if her spirits were a bit higher, sheâd definitely be a knockout.
Sean was a bit standoffish, only glancing at Anastasia and not bothering to say hello.
Anastasia didnât have any emotional attachment to these siblings. They were Tavonâs kids, but not by the same mom. It was good enough that she didnât have any bias against them. If Salma wasnât there, she wouldnât be caught dead in the same room with them.
Ashley helped Sandy sit down and was not exactly thrilled, but she put on a smile and said, âYou guys arenât familiar with each other yet. Youâll get to know each other better over time. Letâs eat. Anastasia, is this your first time in Willowbrook? This restaurant is one of the best in Willowbrook, and super high-
end. Bet youâve never had this dish. Give it a try,â The moment she said that she basically painted Anastasia as a country bumpkin who hadnât seen much of the world.
Anastasia didnât want to give Ashley the satisfaction and replied with a smile, âWillowbrook is indeed a beautiful place, and the people here are all very confident. Ashley, youâre particularly cocky.â
Ashleyâs smile froze instantly. Seeing their mom being mocked, Sean chimed in with a frown, âRespecting your elders is basic manners.â
Anastasia responded, âI totally agree with you. The Morton familyâs etiquette is truly impressive. My mom is here, who should be your family, too, right? How come I didnât hear you guys greet her?â
Anastasia couldnât stand the hypocrisy of this family, and she didnât shy away from calling them out.
Sean was so riled up by Anastasiaâs words that he was about to retort when Sandy gently tugged at his sleeve and then softly greeted Salma.
Ashleyâs face turned sour instantly, but what could she say when it was her daughter who spoke? If it wasnât for the hope that Anastasia could help her daughter, she wouldnât be sitting at the same table with Salma.
Salma felt a bit awkward and said, âThereâs no need to be so polite.â
Caught off guard by Anastasiaâs sharp tongue, Tavon didnât know what to say.
Sean was annoyed and unwilling to greet Salma, not even understanding Sandyâs behavior. âWhy did you speak to that womanâ¦â
Before Sean could finish, Sandy started coughing and looked quite weak. Sean immediately said with concern, âIâll take you back to the hospital.â
Sean, who was only a year older than Sandy and just returned from abroad, loved his little sister dearly.
Seeing her look so pale, his goodwill towards Anastasia dwindled. He didnât plan on acknowledging this half-sister who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Sandy shook her head and said sensibly, âItâs sister and momâs first time in Willowbrook, and we should be polite. Sit down.â
Sean didnât understand why his sister would do this, Tavon also said, âSean, sit down. Itâs time to eat.â
Ashley also gestured to Sean, who sat down with a frown.
Anastasia didnât care about what this family thought, whether they were putting on a show or whatever.
She was already digging into her meal, even serving Salma some food. âMom, eat.â
Tavon picked up his fork and said with a smile, âLetâs eat. Weâre all hère, and itâs the first time weâre all sitting down for a meal together. Letâs toast to that.â
Tavon was acting like the head of the family, but Anastasia didnât even give him a second glance, she was ignoring them and just focusing on her meal. Everyone raised their glasses, Salma saw that Anastasia made no move to do the same, so she nudged her with her elbow to give her a hint.
Anastasia smiled and said, âYou guys go ahead, Iâm good.â She didnât want to play happy families with them.
As for how Tavon was going to convince her mom to accept this reality, she couldnât care less. If they expected her to just accept them as family and bluntly acknowledge this family, that was never going to happen.
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