Chapter 123: Chapter 123: A Twisted Face, Much Better Than Feigned Nobility

After dinner, Ms. Archer brought out an insulated container. "I heard Cedric is sick. I made some soup especially for him. You should take it to him."

No matter how you looked at it, Cedric Grant was the son Sophia Shaw had given birth to.

Ms. Archer hoped they could mend their relationship and not end up estranged for the rest of their lives.

Sophia Shaw didn’t want to waste Ms. Archer’s kindness. Besides, Cedric Grant had been looking for her nonstop; if she didn’t go, he would never let it go.

She took the container and drove straight to the hospital.

"Mama!"

Cedric Grant was overjoyed to see Sophia Shaw.

Sophia Shaw offered a faint nod.

She could see that the color had returned to Cedric Grant’s face, and he had stopped coughing.

"Are you feeling better?"

"B-Better... much better," Cedric Grant replied, still a little short of breath.

Sophia Shaw took out the soup and spoon-fed it to him in small mouthfuls.

Cedric Grant opened his mouth to accept the spoonful, his eyes crinkling with happiness.

"Mama, you haven’t made soup for me in so long. It’s still as delicious as ever."

Sophia Shaw’s hand paused.

She was surprised that Cedric Grant couldn’t even tell she hadn’t made it.

Cedric Grant savored the flavor, lost in its deliciousness.

The soup tasted different from what he’d had recently, so he naturally assumed Sophia Shaw had made it herself.

As for what Sophia Shaw’s soup actually tasted like, Cedric Grant couldn’t remember anymore.

Sophia Shaw’s expression didn’t change, and she didn’t correct him.

After finishing the soup, Cedric Grant grabbed her sleeve. "Mama, Dad and I have already moved back in."

"When is your break? You can come back home when I’m discharged, right?"

"Mama, I want to have the soup you make every day."

"And I miss you."

Sophia Shaw pulled her sleeve from his grasp. "Cedric, didn’t you and your father notice that anything in the house has changed?"

Cedric Grant thought for a long time.

He shook his head.

"No, I haven’t."

Sophia Shaw let out a resigned laugh.

All of her things had already been cleared out.

Cedric Grant kept saying he missed her, but he didn’t even notice her things were gone.

’What a way to show you miss someone.’

’He probably just misses me waiting on him hand and foot like I used to.’

Sophia Shaw wondered if she should spell it out for him.

Just then, her phone rang.

She walked out and found a quiet place to answer the call.

The call took a while. By the time Sophia Shaw returned, half an hour had passed.

Just as she reached the door, she heard someone inside talking, "Auntie Joanna, don’t worry. My mom will take care of me when I go home."

"You’re building rockets, working on your great career. My mom is different. She doesn’t do anything anyway, so taking care of me will give her something to do."

"It’ll be inconvenient to visit Stella during this time, but don’t worry, Auntie Joanna. I’ll come see you all as soon as I’m better."

Listening from outside, Sophia Shaw wanted to give him a sarcastic thumbs-up.

’He really had it all figured out, didn’t he?’

’He knew his Auntie Joanna was off building rockets, but he never once asked what I was doing.’

’His heart ached for his Auntie Joanna, yet he thought it was perfectly natural to exploit me, his mother, unconditionally.’

A moment ago, she’d felt she should be more considerate of his mood, since he’d just had surgery.

There was really no need.

Sophia Shaw strode in.

Joanna Sherman, sitting by the bed, saw her, and a flicker of something passed through her eyes.

The cheek that had been slapped immediately began to throb with a fiery ache.

Sophia Shaw paid Joanna Sherman no mind, walking straight to Cedric Grant’s bedside and yanking back the blanket.

"Mama..."

Just as Cedric Grant cried out, Sophia Shaw pulled out the insulated flask that had been hidden under the blanket.

"I won’t be bringing anything next time, so you won’t have to hide it like this." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Cedric Grant flushed beet-red as Sophia Shaw exposed him in front of Joanna Sherman.

He froze, the hand holding the soup spoon hovering, unsure what to do.

He could neither swallow the mouthful of soup in his mouth nor spit it out.

"And another thing,"

Sophia Shaw said coolly.

"Cedric Grant, I’ve moved out of our home. I’m not coming back."

"Since you two are back in the house, did you not notice that all of my things are gone?"

"I..."

Cedric Grant’s head snapped up, his lips trembling as he looked at Sophia Shaw.

He had never once noticed whether Sophia Shaw’s things were there or not!

He’d only felt that the house seemed a little emptier.

But most of his attention was focused on his studies, Joanna Sherman, and Stella Grant, so even that faint sense of unease was overlooked!

Sophia Shaw’s gaze drifted coolly to Joanna Sherman. "It’s alright that you didn’t notice. People only have so much energy, after all. From now on, you should focus on taking good care of your Auntie Joanna and helping her raise her daughter."

With that, she turned and walked out of the hospital room.

Behind her, Joanna Sherman’s face turned a ghastly shade!

’That bitch Sophia Shaw! How dare she throw shade at me!’

’Implying I’m stupid and need someone to take care of me.’

’That I can’t even take care of my own daughter!’

Joanna Sherman could barely conceal the hatred on her face as she shot up and went after Sophia Shaw.

Back in the room, Cedric Grant hung his head so low it nearly touched the blanket.

’Mom had exposed him so embarrassingly, and in front of Auntie Joanna of all people.’

’He was too mortified to face anyone!’

’Auntie Joanna will definitely think I’m petty. She’ll look down on me.’

"What’s there to be so smug about, Sophia Shaw!"

Once they were out of Cedric Grant’s earshot, Joanna Sherman shouted at Sophia Shaw.

"You’re the one who can’t hold on to your own son’s heart! What right do you have to throw shade at me!"

She saw Sophia Shaw turn to look back at her and deliberately lifted her chin, striking her usual high-and-mighty, looking-down-her-nose pose.

"Isn’t that right?"

Sophia Shaw just smiled.

"I wasn’t wrong, was I? You can’t even look after your own child. It’s Cedric Grant, a boy who’s only six, who’s helping you look after your daughter."

"And you ’looked after’ him so well that he landed in the hospital."

Sophia Shaw mimicked her tone, "Isn’t that right?"

She hadn’t said a single curse word, but her message was crystal clear: Joanna was a moron, an idiot!

Joanna Sherman raised her hand to slap her.

Once again, Sophia Shaw caught her wrist.

And twisted it, hard.

Cold sweat beaded on Joanna Sherman’s forehead from the pain. She ground out through gritted teeth, "Sophia Shaw, you dare!"

Sophia Shaw easily pushed her away,

sending her stumbling backward in a pathetic display.

"Why wouldn’t I dare?"

"So it’s okay for you to bully me our whole lives, but I’m not allowed to fight back even once?"

Joanna Sherman gritted her teeth, her pretty face pulled taut with rage.

It was a grotesque, ugly expression.

With a cool gaze, Sophia Shaw pulled out her phone, aimed it at Joanna’s face, and snapped a photo. CLICK.

"What are you doing!" Joanna Sherman shrieked again.

Sophia Shaw turned the phone screen towards her.

The face on the screen—her own—was twisted, uglier and more terrifying than a lunatic’s.

Joanna Sherman was obsessed with her appearance. To have such a photo taken of her... She was filled with enough hatred to pounce on Sophia Shaw and tear her to pieces.

"I’m warning you, delete it now!"

Sophia Shaw hummed in acknowledgement. "I wasn’t planning on keeping your picture. I’m just showing you what you really look like."

"You look much better like this than when you’re pretending to be so pure and lofty."

With that, she deliberately flashed the photo at her one more time before striding away.

"Sophia Shaw!"

"Sophia Shaw!"

Joanna Sherman was so furious she felt like her lungs would explode. She kept repeating her name, but since they were in a hospital, she didn’t dare raise her voice for fear of ruining her public image.

After being bullied by Joanna Sherman her entire life, Sophia had finally managed to make her truly furious for once.

Even if it was a petty victory, Sophia Shaw was in a great mood.

She walked away with a brisk, confident stride.

Turning a corner, she saw the tall man standing there.

Jenson Forrest.

His hands hung naturally at his sides. He had a gentle, handsome air about him.

His gaze was cast forward.

Sophia Shaw looked in the direction he was looking.

From there, one could see the exact spot where she and Joanna Sherman had been arguing.

So, he had seen the whole thing.

Knowing that Jenson Forrest was a mutual friend of both Joanna Sherman and Vincent Grant, Sophia could easily guess how angry he must be at her for provoking Joanna.