She said softly, "Vincent Grant, I never actually had any expectations for you, so I didn’t plan on having you attend my grandmother’s eightieth birthday banquet."

"You were the one who promised my grandmother. You gave her hope, and then you were the one who shattered that hope with your own hands."

"And the way you shattered it..." Sophia Shaw took a deep breath to suppress the ache in her chest. "With that video of you and Joanna Sherman, acting all lovey-dovey!"

"What on earth did she ever do to you that you had to treat her this way?"

Sophia Shaw’s voice was low and heavy, filled with sorrow.

"My grandmother has been kind her entire life. She couldn’t even bring herself to step on an ant. She feeds stray dogs and cats... Why does she deserve to be treated like this?"

"Faye," Eleanor Crawford couldn’t bear to listen anymore. She clutched her chest and sank to the ground, sobbing.

Old Mrs. Grant had been upright her entire life, but she felt deeply guilty about this matter. Wiping away a tear, she was too ashamed to face Sophia Shaw.

Miles Grant and Julian Grant both wore grave expressions.

Their heads were bowed, and they remained silent.

Joanna Sherman shot Sophia Shaw a vicious, secret glare.

’She’s doing this on purpose!’

’She’s intentionally saying these things to twist the knife, to make everyone pity Old Mrs. Shaw!’

Sophia Shaw ignored Joanna Sherman’s gaze and kept her eyes on Vincent Grant. "If you didn’t want to go, you could have just refused."

"If you had refused her in public, she would have been sad for a little while at most."

"But you didn’t refuse. You even promised her!"

"You promised her but then you didn’t show up. I called you, you didn’t answer. I texted you, you didn’t reply!"

"Vincent Grant, is it really so amusing to toy with an old woman’s feelings?"

"When you were out with *your* Joanna Sherman, did it ever cross your mind that an old woman was waiting desperately for you to take a family photo?"

"Did it ever cross your mind that you already stood her up once before, at Chloe and Bun’s 100-day celebration, leaving her disappointed?"

"Did you ever think about how awful, how disappointed she must feel when you let her down time and time again?"

"What is your heart made of? How can you be so cruel?"

In the past, Sophia Shaw would have been the last person to make a complaint.

She bottled up all her grievances.

Afraid the Grants would punish Vincent Grant, she even helped cover for him when he did something wrong.

She was done covering for him.

Bitter wife, so be it.

Jealous harpy, whatever.

Today, she was going to air every single one of her grievances!

"Vincent Grant! Vincent Grant! Vincent Grant!"

Old Mrs. Grant shouted Vincent Grant’s name, her whole body trembling.

"It’s one thing to go back on your word, but to miss your own children’s 100-day celebration? What kind of father are you?"

"You’re an animal!"

Old Mrs. Grant raised her cane to strike Vincent Grant again.

"Grandma," Sophia Shaw stopped her.

"My grandmother is still inside. She needs to rest quietly."

Fuming, Old Mrs. Grant lowered her cane. "Julian Grant, if you don’t want this son anymore, write a public notice immediately and disown him."

"If you still want him, then drag him home and teach him a lesson!"

Julian Grant’s eyes were filled with deep disgust for Vincent Grant. "Even if we’re going to disown him, he first needs to face the punishment he deserves!"

"Miles Grant, drag him back!"

"Yes."

Miles Grant gave Vincent Grant a deep look, then waved his hand to summon some men...

Old Mrs. Grant felt too ashamed to stay any longer. She patted Sophia Shaw’s shoulder heavily. "I’ll get out of your way. But Faye, you must contact me if you need anything, all right?"

"Thank you, Grandma."

’The other Grants had always been good to her, especially Grandma.’

’For things between her and Vincent Grant to have come to this... she felt she had let Grandma down the most.’

Grandma seemed to read her mind and shook her head.

Julian Grant left a man behind to handle things, then helped Old Mrs. Grant leave with Eleanor Crawford.

Joanna Sherman stood there like a forgotten dishrag, ignored by everyone for a long time.

Once Old Mrs. Grant was gone, Joanna Sherman could no longer control herself. She stomped in front of Sophia Shaw. "Sophia Shaw, there’s no way you didn’t know Vincent and I weren’t on a date! We were called in for a meeting!"

"You’re truly vicious, using a trick like this to take Vincent away from me!"

Sophia Shaw watched her quietly.

’So this is what Joanna Sherman looks like when she’s rattled—baring her fangs and claws.’

’All that posturing before—so aloof and unbothered, as tranquil as a lotus blossom—was just because she had someone protecting her.’

"Why would that be impossible? Jack Holloway works for you; he wasn’t going to tell me anything," Sophia Shaw said with utter innocence.

Joanna Sherman was left speechless.

’She never thought that ordering Jack Holloway to mess with Sophia would one day backfire on her!’

"Besides, all my grandmother saw was a video of you two on a date. If you were being called in for a meeting, why wasn’t it a video of the meeting?"

"You’re the one who left that evidence behind, aren’t you?"

Joanna Sherman was speechless once again.

’She had, in fact, intentionally used the video to provoke the Shaws, but she never imagined Sophia Shaw would turn it into a weapon and aim it at Vincent Grant!’

’The woman was audacious.’

’Recklessly so!’

Joanna Sherman’s eyes narrowed.

’This quiet little doormat she’d always trampled underfoot... when did she grow such sharp claws?’

A moment later, she sneered.

"Sophia Shaw, apart from acting like a bitter housewife and getting the Grants to back you up, what else are you capable of?"

"Without the Grants, you’re less than nothing!"

"See? The position of project lead still went to me in the end!"

Sophia Shaw nodded lightly. "Then congratulations."

Without giving Joanna Sherman another glance, she said to the man Julian Grant had left behind, "Get her out of here."

"I’ll see myself out!" Before leaving, Joanna Sherman shot Sophia Shaw one last defiant glare.

The sound of high heels faded, and the corridor fell completely silent.

Only then did Sophia Shaw slowly wrap her arms around herself, burying her head deep in her knees.

A short while later, Mrs. Sawyer rushed over.

She told her that Yancy Shaw would be released tomorrow.

Sophia Shaw knew she must have been the one to pull some strings. She said softly, "Thank you, Godmother."

"We’re all family, there’s no need for thanks." Seeing Sophia Shaw’s small face, so haggard and listless, made Mrs. Sawyer’s heart ache.

"If I had known that Grant was so unreliable, I would have tied you up and dragged you away myself back then!"

The Sophia Shaw from six years ago was so full of spirit, always so fierce and vibrant, with energy to spare.

The Grant family couldn’t show up in person for many things, but they still had someone arrange for the best doctors to come.

They did it in Vincent Grant’s name.

Old Mrs. Grant had called her personally to tell her this.

After finishing, she had sighed heavily.

"Oh, Faye, when it comes down to it, our Grant family has wronged you. We’ve made you suffer."

"Grandma, you’ve all been very good to me. It has nothing to do with you."

’The only one who treated her poorly was Vincent Grant.’

「The next day.」

Just as Mrs. Sawyer had said, Yancy Shaw was released.

The authorities hadn’t dared to be careless; in order to release Yancy Shaw sooner, they had spent all night checking the data.

When Yancy Shaw appeared at the hospital, he had dark circles under his eyes, which held a faint weariness.

Sophia Shaw had kept vigil all night and had dark circles under her eyes as well.

"Uncle," she said softly, walking over.

Yancy Shaw squeezed her arm. "How’s Grandma?"

"The Grants brought in the best doctors, but they still say she needs to be kept under observation... I’m sorry, Uncle."

"It’s not your fault."

Seeing Sophia Shaw’s haggard expression, Yancy Shaw’s heart ached for her.

"I’ll watch over things here. You should go home and get some rest."

Sophia Shaw didn’t refuse. "Uncle, I’ll come back this afternoon."

...

When Sophia Shaw walked into the Sherman residence, Sharon Sherman was in the living room with a few of her friends, chatting about handbags.