Chapter 463 At the End of Patience
"Susan, now that you're hitched to our Anderson clan, you're one of us. Everything's gotta be about the Andersons first. Quit sticking your nose in the Wilson family's business! You can't let their drama mess with our stuff, got it?" Carol said, frowning.
Susan had braced herself for Carol's attitude, but those words still stung.
Trying to keep her cool, Susan shot back, "Mom, yeah, I married into the Anderson family, but that doesn't mean I cut ties with my own. My mom busted her butt raising my sister and me. I gotta handle Wilson family stuff and take care of her in her old age!"
Carol's face turned red with anger!
She jumped up, and with a swift motion, knocked the porcelain plate off the coffee table. It shattered, sending nuts flying everywhere. Pointing at Susan, Carol yelled, "How dare you talk back to me? Is this how a daughter-in-law should act towards her mother-in-law?"
Susan, who had a fiery temper herself, couldn't hold back anymore. She'd had enough of Carol's crap. No matter what she did, Carol would never be happy.
So, Susan looked Carol dead in the eye and said, "As a mother-in-law, you should at least be decent to your daughter-in-law. Only then will I respect you. If you keep tormenting me, even if I don't speak out, it's out of fear, not respect."
Susan's defiance made Carol even angrier. Just then, Kathy rushed over after hearing the ruckus and whispered to Susan, "Mrs. Susan Anderson, please apologize to Mrs. Carol Anderson."
"I didn't do anything wrong. Why should I apologize?" Susan snapped.
She'd thought if she just put up with it a bit longer, things would be peaceful. But now she knew better. Carol treated her like an enemy, and no amount of patience would change that.
Memories of past grievances flooded Susan's mind, and her desire to keep the peace vanished. Maybe backing down all the time was pointless.
Carol's face went pale with rage, and she shouted, "Fine, if you can't respect me, then get out and don't come back!"
Susan wanted to say she was the mistress of this house and could come and go as she pleased. But she bit her tongue, remembering that Carol was Seb's mom and Hayden's grandma. She didn't want to make things worse.
So, without another word, Susan grabbed her bag and walked out.
Carol's angry voice echoed behind her. "Is there any daughter-in-law in the world who defies her mother-in-law like this? Unbelievable!"
"Mrs. Carol Anderson, please calm down and have a glass of water!" Kathy said nervously.
"No, I need to call Seb and have him deal with his wife properly," Carol fumed.
Susan changed her shoes in the foyer and walked out of the villa. Let Carol complain all she wants; there was nothing she could do now.
After hitting up the sanatorium, Susan wrapped up the discharge paperwork in no time and called a cab. The three of them piled in, with their luggage stashed in the trunk, heading to Dorothy's place.
Susan snagged the front passenger seat, while Catherine and Dorothy settled in the back.
Susan kept glancing back at Dorothy, noticing her eyes seemed a bit less vacant, though she was still super quiet. Since Susan had sprung her from the sanatorium, she hadn't said a peep, her brows furrowed, and her eyes filled with sorrow. But she was way better than before, and that gave Susan some relief.
Once they got to Dorothy's house, Dorothy headed straight to her room. Susan was about to bounce, but Catherine pulled her aside for a chat.
"Susan, how's the wedding prep going?" Catherine asked, looking concerned.
Susan grinned. "Other than the wedding photos, I don't have to lift a finger. Seb's got it all covered."
Catherine nodded, satisfied. "Seb's a keeper. You're one lucky gal!"
Susan felt a mix of emotions.
She wondered what kind of story Carol had spun for Seb on the phone, probably making her defiance sound ten times worse. But there was nothing she could do now. If Seb got mad, so be it. Carol was his mom, and mother-in-law drama often messed with marriages.
"By the way, has James been bugging you?" Catherine suddenly asked.
Susan frowned. She didn't want to spill the beans, fearing Catherine would get mad. But she figured it was necessary to give her a heads-up since James would likely come around to hassle her again.
So, Susan said, "Mom, James showed up at the Andersons asking for a wedding gift."
"What? The nerve of that guy!" Catherine's face turned pale with anger.
Seeing Catherine's reaction, Susan quickly added, "Mom, you know how James is. I'm telling you this so you can be on guard. He's been losing it these past few months, not being able to find you and Dorothy. Now that you're back, he'll probably show up soon. He even told my mother-in-law he wants to remarry you."
"He's dreaming!" Catherine snapped.
"He's desperate for cash now. Seb gives him $800 a month for living expenses, but he's still not satisfied. So, you and Dorothy need to watch out," Susan warned.
Catherine nodded.
Then she said, "James went to the Andersons asking for a wedding gift. Seb's parents must be furious, right? I'll buy some gifts tomorrow morning and apologize to them in person."
Susan hesitated and said, "Mom, Seb's parents are pretty chill and know our family's situation. You don't need to make a special trip. Plus, they're often out with friends. And we're the bride's side; it's not really appropriate for you to visit them first."
Susan ended with a playful tone, hugging Catherine's arm.
In reality, Susan knew that if Catherine went, Carol wouldn't be nice and would probably mock her. So, she couldn't let Catherine face that.
It'd be better for both families to meet at the wedding, where there'd be a crowd, and Carol wouldn't dare to make a scene.
Hearing this, Catherine thought Susan made sense and nodded in agreement.
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