Chapter 488 The Revelation of Patricia’s Heritage
Shane felt the weight of his years bearing down on him, his recent discharge from the hospital leaving him far from his peak. As Gavin shoved him to the ground, the ache in his left chest surged once more. Grasping at his heart, Shane struggled to rise, only to find Gavin's cane swinging menacingly toward him.
In the nick of time, a sudden gust of wind intervened, halting the cane mid-swing.
Patricia and Ariel's voices filled his ears with concern, rushing to his aid and lifting him from the ground.
Patricia checked him over from head to toe, her voice laced with anxiety as she asked, "Grandpa, did he hurt you? Do you feel any pain anywhere? How's your wound? Did it open up?"
Feeling the warmth of her concern, Shane shook his head and held her hand. "I'm fine, just took a little spill. No harm done."
Relieved that he seemed genuinely alright, Patricia's tension dissolved.
When Jeremy saw his grandpa get hit, he balled his fists, ready to charge, but Ariel restrained him. Martin, still holding the cane, exuded a chilling aura, his presence dark and intimidating.
Gavin, a man who flouted rules without hesitation, harbored genuine fear for only two individuals, and Martin was one of them. Despite Martin being his junior, Gavin feared him. Just the sight of him made him uneasy.
Gavin's grip on his cane involuntarily slackened, and he forced a smile as he said, "Martin, my son-in-law, what brings you here? Nobody informed me you were coming."
Martin raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "Without catching you off guard, how could I witness your filthier side? I thought you were just blatantly favoring Debbie, but now it's clear your mistreatment of Patricia stems from a complete absence of humanity. You don't even hesitate to raise a hand against an elderly."
"What do you mean?" Gavin complained. "I'm the one who got hit! Look..."
He turned his face left and right for Martin to inspect.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Manda, initially prepared for extra sleep, was roused by the commotion below. She swiftly changed and descended, casting a disdainful glance at Patricia and Martin upon arrival. "Well, isn't this a big day, blowing in Mr. and Mrs. Langley. Our simple home surely can't accommodate such esteemed guests."
Gavin was wary of Martin, but Manda sure wasn't. Since Debbie's death, her fear had evaporated completely. She'd speak her mind and curse if she felt like it.
Seeing this brash woman burst onto the scene, Shane immediately understood who she was. "It's you, isn't it? You're the one who stole my daughter's husband, driving her into depression and eventually to her death."
Whether it was her looks, her demeanor, or her upbringing, she couldn't hold a candle to Elise. How could Gavin fall for her and betray Shane's daughter?
Manda only seemed to notice Shane then, looking him up and down with disdain before bluntly saying, "You're Isabella’s father, right?"
Shane asserted, "It's Elise! Her name was Elise."
Manda, impatient, waved her hand dismissively. "I don't care if she's Isabella or Elise! This is my house, and I want you out of here, now."
Patricia couldn't tolerate Manda's disrespectful tone towards Shane. She positioned herself protectively in front of him, and said with a cold tone, "Manda, is this how you talk to an elder?"
Manda retorted, "I'm an elder to you as well. How dare you speak to me like that?"
Patricia's frustration reached its boiling point, bewildered by the family dynamics she found herself in.
Manda, losing patience, ushered them towards the door, "Enough! Leave now. You've no place here anymore. Isabella's been gone for ages, yet her shadow lingers."
Enraged, Patricia grabbed Manda by the wrist. "My mother may be gone, but I won't stand for your insults. Apologize to her now."
Manda, fueled by anger, refused to back down, saying, "Why should I apologize? It's her who should be sorry. She took my husband. Wasn't Gavin's support enough for her? She was nothing but dirty, tainted goods. Like mother, like daughter, you're no different – a homewrecker just like her—"
Her rant was abruptly cut short by a slap from Patricia, leaving the room in a stunned silence.
Shane, previously shielded by Patricia, now trembled with suppressed rage, his grief and anger palpable.
Manda paused briefly, her mind quickly catching up, and was about to charge at Shane, ready to start a fight, but Patricia blocked her way.
Struggling without care for her appearance, Manda kept cursing, desperately trying to break free and head toward Shane. "You asshole, how dare you hit me? Who do you think you are? You'll pay for this."
Shane, reminded of his deceased daughter, was overcome with tears. "You insulted my daughter, so you deserved that hit! My precious girl was never meant to be trampled or disparaged by you. I won't forget this insult."
With that, he, along with Ariel, steadying him, turned to leave.
Manda was still in a tangle with Patricia, her mouth running unchecked, saying, "My husband's practically a saint to her, a savior! If it weren't for him, would she and her bastard kid have grown up worry-free under the Watsons' care? Taking over my daughter's position, acting like she owns the place? Who knows who fathered her child, yet she shamelessly turned to my husband to clean up her mess."
At these words, Shane's departing steps came to a halt. "Enough!"
Gavin's face turned ashen; he growled and yanked Manda over. "What nonsense are you spouting? Spew one more word of this rubbish, and you'll regret it."
Manda, intimidated by Gavin's anger, shut up immediately. However, everyone had already heard what she said.
Shane turned around, incredulous. "What did you just say?"
Manda, having held back for decades, had long seethed over this issue. At his inquiry, she was ready to unleash another tirade but then caught Gavin's warning glare and swallowed her words back down.
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