Chapter 661: Chapter 661: Eager to Admit Fault, Never Repentant
Ann Vaughn, forcibly pushed aside, slightly tugged at the corner of her lips, rubbed her aching elbow against the wall, and furrowed her delicate brows.
Old Mrs. Vaughn, initially wavering in her decision, completely lost any remaining sympathy for Brooke Ryan when she saw Ann Vaughn rubbing her wrist in pain.
Old Mrs. Vaughn sighed and said to Brooke Ryan, "Brooke, I promised your mother that I would take care of you until adulthood, but it is limited to that. Do you understand? You can visit me anytime if you miss me."
No matter how much Brooke Ryan cried and pleaded, she couldn’t change Old Mrs. Vaughn’s decision. Even Old Mr. Vaughn didn’t speak for her, effectively agreeing with Old Mrs. Vaughn’s words!
Brooke Ryan realized for the first time that she was merely an object they could discard at will!
They never truly considered her as one of their own!
In the past, their words were so comforting, encouraging her to treat the Viridian Palace as her home, and she devoted herself to taking care of them, accompanying them, and pleasing them!
But what about them!
Resentment rose unwillingly from the depths of Brooke Ryan’s heart, and she said bitterly, "You don’t want me at all, why say such grandiose words to deceive me? Isn’t it all because I am not your biological granddaughter?!"
Hearing her words, even Old Mr. Vaughn was so angered that his chest heaved, but afraid of waking Kenny in his arms, he forced himself to calm down.
Even Old Mrs. Vaughn felt a chill in her heart; this was the person she had cared for hand-in-hand for over twenty years as if she were her own granddaughter.
After venting out these words, Brooke Ryan stood up and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, Ann Vaughn, leaning against the wall to soothe her pain, stepped forward to block her, elegantly raised her slender arm, and slapped Brooke Ryan hard across the face!
"Ah—"
"I can’t stand seeing heartless people wandering in front of me. This slap is for your disrespect to the elderly."
As soon as Ann Vaughn’s voice fell, Brooke Ryan was slapped across the face again!
"This slap is for your poor manners and inability to speak properly, having a brain merely for show, impressive but useless!"
Her words were sharp and incisive, and even though not a single dirty word was uttered, she almost cursed Brooke Ryan into the ground.
Brooke Ryan held her swollen face, staring at Ann Vaughn with tear-streaked eyes, "You, you..."
Ann Vaughn looked at her with cold eyes, her lips curled sarcastically, "Still not leaving? Do you want more?"
Seeing Ann Vaughn raise her hand again, Brooke Ryan felt the pain on her face more intensely, and her heart was filled with hatred.
"Just you wait!"
Ann Vaughn laughed lightly at the empty threat again.
If grudges can’t be settled face-to-face, does overnight make it sweeter?
But when Ann Vaughn turned and saw Old Mrs. Vaughn and Old Mr. Vaughn staring at her with wide eyes.
Awkwardness silently spread.
Oops, she forgot Brooke Ryan was the Vaughn family’s adopted daughter.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I’m sorry, just now... I got carried away." Ann Vaughn obediently lowered her head to admit her mistake, silently adding in her heart.
If given another chance, she would still do the same.
This is about recognizing mistakes actively, yet never regretting them.
Brooke Ryan’s ridicule towards her is bearable, but how can she endure Brooke’s harsh words against Old Mrs. Vaughn, who raised her by hand?
Ann Vaughn can see that the reason Old Mrs. Vaughn let Brooke Ryan leave the Vaughn family is because of herself?
Ann Vaughn is not overly sensitive; a few mockeries would not hurt her.
What truly moved her was Old Mrs. Vaughn’s care and love for her.
"Both painting and Ian Vaughn are naturally quiet; when someone offends them, they just silently find ways to torture that person at the back," Old Mrs. Vaughn wasn’t angry, instead showing a hint of nostalgia as she turned to look at Old Mr. Vaughn.
"Sweetie’s temperament is quite similar to yours when you were young, always swift in seeking justice."
Old Mr. Vaughn smiled and nodded, "That sharp wit is like yours; when I argued with you during our youth, I never won."
"Wasn’t that because you intentionally let me win?" Old Mrs. Vaughn reached out to hold Ann Vaughn’s small hand, gently patting it twice, "Sweetie, the daughters of our Vaughn family always act as they please."
"Don’t worry about doing wrong or poorly; with Grandpa and Grandma, you will never be wrong."
"Grandma..." The light in Ann Vaughn’s eyes shimmered slightly, and the cold and deep face suddenly appeared in her mind, causing her mood to sink.
Those words, Cyrus Hawthorne had also said to her.
But only once.
...
Brooke Ryan did not return to Viridian Palace to pack her things but ran back to the Ryan Family, crying to her father, Ryan Rhodes.
It wasn’t until she finished crying that a woman in a modified side-slit cheongsam sitting on the sofa, applying nail polish, snorted with laughter.
"Old Mrs. Vaughn is known for her kind heart and good temper. Surely you did something to upset her, and that’s why you were kicked out, right?"
These words made Brooke Ryan’s face blush and pale, filled with embarrassment.
It’s all because of that bitch, Ann Vaughn, who somehow enchanted Grandpa and Grandma, causing her to lose face in front of this woman!
"Brooke, you’ve always been obedient and sensible; how did you lose restraint and upset Old Mrs. Vaughn?" Ryan Rhodes said, "Tomorrow you will come with me to apologize to Old Mrs. Vaughn and ensure her forgiveness."
Brooke Ryan wavered inside; she certainly didn’t want to leave the Vaughn family. Not only that, but in the future, she must marry grandly under the title of Vaughn family heiress.
"But Grandma has made up her mind and won’t change her decision easily," Brooke Ryan worried.
"Then you have to kneel and beg her, cry before her; she has a soft heart and can’t withstand that," the woman said with schadenfreude as she finished applying nail polish.
"I’ve tried everything, but Grandma still won’t retract her words." Brooke Ryan looked unhappy, glaring fiercely at the woman.
"Is the stepmother delighted that I’ve been kicked out of the Vaughn family? If I lose this strong backing, do you still expect to endlessly bring luxury bags into the house?"
If not for her, the Ryan family wouldn’t be so booming now!
It’s already generous of her not to demand their gratitude!
The woman laughed leisurely, "You’ve been useless for so long, you can’t even capture Ian Vaughn’s heart, should I rely on you?"
"You!"
"Enough, both of you shut up!" Ryan Rhodes interrupted their argument coldly, "Brooke, you will come with me to the Vaughn family tomorrow and only return when Old Mrs. Vaughn forgives you."
Brooke Ryan looked at Ryan Rhodes in shock, never imagining these words would come from the father who had always pampered her.