Although Liz found William’s face attractive, she had never seriously thought about being with him.
Mrs. Smith Sr. took another sip of soup, her expression calm as she said, “<b>If </b>you’re not interested, you still have plenty of cousins who don’t have boyfriends. I can introduce them to Dr. Sanders. Maybe one of<b>. </b>them will be a good match.”
Liz fell silent.
When Liz didn’t respond, Mrs. Smith Sr. let the subject drop and went back to drinking her soup at a
leisurely pace.
Having her granddaughter by her side really was different. The soup Liz made was no worse than anything prepared by a professional chef.
Once she finished, Mrs. Smith Sr. was about to lie down for a rest when the door swung open.
Kimberly and Michael walked in carrying gift baskets. The moment Kimberly saw Liz, her brows furrowed and a sh of disgust crossed her eyes.
“What are you doing here?”
She still hadn’t forgotten the sharp words Liz had thrown at her outside thew office that day. Just the memory was enough to rekindle her anger.
Liz’s face stayed cool. “I came to take care of Grandma.”
She picked up the empty bowl, intending to walk past Kimberly to the kitchen, but Kimberly let out a coldugh. “Didn’t <b>you </b>say you cut ties with the Smith family? And now here you are, pretending to y the dutiful granddaughter?<b>” </b>
Before she could finish, Mrs. Smith Sr. snapped impatiently, “I asked Liz to take care of me. If you have a problem with that, take it up with me.”
Kimberly’s expression darkened. She turned toward Mrs. Smith Sr. “Mom, if you need a caretaker, we can hire someone. Why bring her here? Do you really think she knows how to take care of anyone?”
Mrs. Smith Sr. fixed her with an icy re. “And you do? If you don’t want Liz here, then you can stay and take care of me yourself. You’re my daughter–inw. It’s your duty.”
Kimberly froze, her face stiff. Then she forced out an awkward smile. “Mom, you know me. I’ve never been good at caregiving.”
“Then keep your mouth shut. My business is not yours to run.”
Kimberly bit her lip, herplexion turning pale, then red, then pale again. She said nothing more.
Michael stayed out of it. He sat down by the bed and asked, “Mom, how are you feeling now? Any better<b>?</b><b>” </b>
She shot him a re. “Not dead yet.”
He knew she was furious at Kimberly and was simply venting it on him as well. Helplessly, he said, ” Mom, you just had surgery. You really shouldn’t let yourself get upset. It’s bad for your recovery<b>.</b>”
But Mrs. Smith Sr. wasn’t having it. <b>“</b><b>If </b>you and your wife stayed away, I wouldn’t be upset.”
The room fell silent after that.
When Liz came back from the kitchen with the washed bowl, she saw no one speaking. She walked to the bedside. “Grandma, would you like some fruit?”
Mrs. Smith Sr.’s face brightened immediately at the sight of her. “Yes, I’d love an orange. Peel me two.”
“One is enough. You can’t eat too much,” Liz replied, picking up an orange and starting to peel it. Shepletely ignored Michael and Kimberly, treating them like they weren’t even there.
Kimberly frowned, her dislike of Liz deepening. But she hadn’te to pick a fight today. She had
another purpose.
She stepped forward and said to Mrs. Smith Sr., “Mom, Mandy will be back next week. Michael and I are nning to hold a wee party for her, and we’d like to borrow the Harmony estate-”
Before she could finish, Mrs. Smith Sr. cut her off coldly. “So you’re nning a wee party for Mandy’s return. And what about Liz? I’m bringing her back into the family. What kind of wee party are you nning for her? She’s your biological daughter too. Surely you don’t intend to treat her as less than
Mandy.<b>” </b>
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continue reading tomorrow, everyone!