Chapter 498
"Silence," Grandma commanded, her gaze sharp as she bore into Celeste. "You've barely returned and already you're stirring up trouble. How could I have birthed such an inept child? If any harm befalls my dear one, you will never know my forgiveness."
Celeste's foot pounded against the floor in a display of her mounting frustration. "Mom, we don't even know if she's telling the truth about the child. Have you demanded a DNA test? She had a lover before; the child might not even be Joseph's."
Cassie's eyes, devoid of emotion, lifted to meet Celeste's. "Aunt, calm yourself. Joseph is not a man to be fooled about his own offspring. Yet, as an orphan from New York, I fail to understand your constant animosity towards me. I don't recall any past grievances between us. The first time we met, you deliberately sent me to Richard's hot spring, only to bring Vera and others to catch me in a supposed scandal, tarnishing my reputation. The second time, you disfigured my face, but I forgave you. Why do you continue to bully me? What do I owe you?"
Grandma's mind flashed back to the night Cassie had vanished shortly after her arrival. She had berated Cassie for her disappearance, not realizing that her own daughter was the culprit.
"Celeste, you've grown so cruel," Grandma lamented, disappointment etched in her voice.
"Mom, don't forget, it's because of her that Joseph stripped me of my CEO title, reducing me to a mere nobody. I used to walk with my head held high, but now, people flock to Vera and barely spare me a glance," Celeste retorted, her voice laced with bitterness.
"Why Joseph removed you from the company's helm? It's because you proved yourself incapable," Grandma shot back. She recalled the stern lecture she had received from Joseph and the profound disappointment she felt towards her children. "You even manipulated the company's performance data with Vera's assistance. Were you planning to run the company into the ground?"
"Mom, are you defending her just because she's carrying a child?" Celeste spat, her anger palpable.
Grandma shook her head. "Enough! It's one thing to make mistakes, but one must also learn to repent. Instead of showing remorse, you've grown more spiteful, seeking to harm Cassie. What a wicked heart you possess! The fault lies with me for not raising you better. Cassie will remain here to give birth to her child. As for you, Celeste, you are forbidden from entering the estate without my permission."
Celeste stood rooted to the spot, her face a mask of shock. "Mom, this estate is my home."
Juliette, too, was gripped by anxiety. "Grandma, please forgive my mom, she didn't mean to..."
"I and your grandfather are growing old and yearn for a peaceful life devoid of malice. Juliette, if you share your mom's sentiments, you need not bother visiting either."
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