"If you can''t speak like a decent human being, then don''t speak at all," she said coldly. "Tell the Smith family I''ll see them in court."


    "You insolent whelp!" George roared, pounding his fist on the table.


    Yvonne ignored him and stood to leave, but Teresa blocked her path.


    Teresa''s approach was much softer than George''s. The two of them were ying good cop, bad cop, turning their family drama into a full-blown performance.


    "Yvonne," Teresa began, "you may not know this, but Daisy''s father is a senior executive at Vivid Channel. Our family runs a talent agency. We can''t afford to make enemies of them."


    "Whether you can afford it or not has nothing to do with me," Yvonne replied, casually picking at her nails.


    "Yvonne, how can you say that? We are a family. We rise and fall together," Teresa pleaded.


    So now, when they needed her to back down, they were a family. How amusing. Yvonne let out a short, sharpugh. “Well, that''s a new one. I didn''t realize we were a family. In that case, since we''re family, let me be direct.”


    “Everything Queena has—the clothes, the jewelry, the designer bags, and the fifty- thousand-dor monthly allowance—I want it all too," Yvonne stated,ying out her


    terms.


    In the five years since the original Yvonne had returned to this family, she had lived with less than even the maids, while the fake heiress, Queena, continued to live in thep of luxury.


    Yvonne refused to tolerate such an injustice.


    “Fine, fine,” Teresa conceded. "You and Queena are both my daughters. You should be treated equally."


    "And one more thing. I want to switch rooms with Queena," Yvonne added.


    "Yvonne, don''t push your luck!" Jeffrey, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up.


    "If Yvonne likes my room, she can have it. I don''t want to make things difficult for Mom and Dad," Queena said, tugging on Jeffrey''s sleeve and biting her lip in a show of self-sacrifice.


    "You''ve lived in that room your whole life! Why should you have to give it up for her?" Jeffrey protested.


    "I''m allergic to my current room," Yvonne stated tly. "I can only live in Queena''s."


    "Allergic to what?" Jeffrey demanded, ring at her.


    "I''m allergic to not living in Queena''s room," Yvonne shot back with a defiant arch of her eyebrow. "Queena herself has already agreed. Why are your making such a fuss? Or do you know she''s lying and doesn''t actually want to give me the room?"


    Jeffrey was so angry he was speechless.


    The fake smile on Queena''s face was beginning to crack. "No, that''s not it. I mean it.


    I''m the older sister; I should give way to Yvonne."


    "Good," Yvonne said with a satisfied nod.


    While the evidence she had could


    prove Daisy''s bullying, awsuit would be expensive and


    time-consuming, with no guarantee


    of a favorable oue. For now, securing tangible benefits was


    Yvonne''s priority.


    "You have half an hour to move your things out," Yvonne told Queena. Then she turned and went upstairs.


    It was clear the Spencer family was desperate to avoid offending the Smiths. They swallowed their pride, forced Queena to concede, and moved all of her belongings out of therge, sun-filled master bedroom.


    Queena had an astonishing amount of stuff. The contents of her walk-in closet alone-clothes, jewelry, shoes, and bags overflowed from Yvonne''s small room. The Spencers had to clear out two guest rooms just to store it all.


    Inparison, Yvonne''s possessions were pitifully few.