Chapter 55 Neither Arrogant Nor Submissive
Before Carol could get a word in, Susan jumped in, "Mom, got any more questions? Just ask 'em all now, and I'll answer everything at once."
Carol's face turned red with anger. She slammed her coffee cup on the table and snapped, "Do you even know who you're talking to? I'm still your elder, and you're being incredibly disrespectful. Where are your manners?"
Susan, unfazed, shot back, "Mom, if you're my elder, does that mean you've accepted me as your daughter-in-law?"
Carol was stunned into silence. She had planned to grill Susan, humiliate her, and then use that as an excuse to reject her. But Susan had flipped the script.
Seb, watching from the sidelines, had been ready to step in if Susan needed help. But to his surprise, Susan had managed to rile up Carol with just a few words. Carol was known for being tough, and many had crumbled under her pressure. Yet today, Susan had held her own, making Seb chuckle.
Seb's laughter only fueled Carol's anger. She snapped, "Seb, look at what you've brought home. She dares to talk back to me. Do you think it's appropriate to take such a wife to our social gatherings?"
"Mom, I know she's not suitable, so I don't plan to take her to any high-end events. But you and Dad insisted I bring her home, so here we are," Seb said with a hint of sarcasm.
Susan glanced at Seb, then at Carol's furious face. She sensed there were deeper issues between them. 'Seb's not usually rebellious, so what's the real beef between him and Carol?' she wondered.
"Then you better remember what you said today. Don't let her attend any family gatherings or company events in the future!" Carol demanded.
Seb ignored Carol and turned to Laura, "Laura, take Susan to my room upstairs to freshen up."
"Yes," Laura quickly walked over to Susan, signaling her to follow.
Susan knew Seb and Carol had things to discuss that she shouldn't hear, so she willingly followed Laura upstairs.
Laura led Susan to a large room upstairs, decorated in the same classical style as the downstairs, with antique wooden furniture.
The room had a big wooden bed, cabinets, a desk, and bookshelves, all exuding an air of grandeur. Paintings hung on the walls, which seemed out of place with Seb's personality. She hadn't expected him to grow up in such an environment.
"Mrs. Anderson, the bathroom is on the left," Laura indicated.
"You can go now," Susan said, and Laura left.
Susan looked around the room, then went to the bathroom to touch up her makeup and wash her hands. She then found herself standing at the top of the stairs, wondering when Seb would come up. Suddenly, she felt a strong urge to go home.
At that moment, she overheard Seb and Carol talking downstairs.
"Seb, are you still hung up on your last relationship? That Susan..." Carol started.
Seb cut her off. "Mom, I know what I'm doing. You don't need to worry."
"I know you're doing this to get back at me, aren't you?" Carol's voice had a sharp edge.
"You're my mother. Why would I want to get back at you? Besides, I wouldn't use my marriage as a tool for revenge," Seb's voice was icy.
Susan frowned. 'Is there really bad blood between Seb and Carol? Their conversation is so tense,' she thought.
'And what did Carol mean by the last relationship? Did Seb really love his ex that much?'
Curiosity kept Susan at the top of the stairs, eavesdropping despite knowing it was wrong. After all, their conversation did involve her.
"If it's not revenge, why would you marry someone like Susan? She has nothing to offer. Even if she's somewhat attractive, she's far from stunning. What do you see in her? Do you know what kind of family we are? How can I face anyone if people find out I have a daughter-in-law like Susan?" Carol was almost hysterical.
"Susan is pregnant with my child," Seb said, cutting through Carol's rant.
Carol was stunned for a moment before she angrily retorted, "I knew that Susan must have used some trick. So she's pregnant. Seb, how could you be so naive? So what if she's pregnant? She can have an abortion. We can give her some money to leave after the baby is born. Do you really need to marry that lowly woman?"
Susan felt a surge of anger. In the past, her fiery temper would have made her confront Carol immediately or leave with her bag. But now she was married and had to consider Seb's feelings, especially since he had been defending her.
Sure enough, Seb's voice came from downstairs. "Mom, my marriage is my own business. And please don't use such filthy words to insult Susan. She's my wife, your daughter-in-law, and the future mother of your grandchild. Whether you accept it or not, we are now a family!"
Hearing this, Susan smiled with satisfaction.
She and Seb didn't have a deep emotional connection, but his defense of her in front of Carol made her feel unprecedented happiness.
When Susan dated her ex-boyfriend Andrew in the past, his parents disapproved of their relationship due to her broken family and the responsibility of supporting Catherine and Dorothy's education. Despite this, Andrew never openly defied his parents and continued to secretly date Susan for years.
Reflecting on those painful memories, Susan thought to herself, 'No matter where my relationship with Seb ends, at least he never hurt my feelings. Seb had always taken care of me in many ways, and I was grateful for that.'
Not wanting to eavesdrop on Seb and Carol's conversation any longer, Susan turned and walked back into Seb's bedroom.
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