Yvonne spoke slowly and deliberately.


    Seeing his mother being pushed around and looking so disheveled, Andy shrieked and lunged at Yvonne.


    "You bitch, how dare you bully my mom!" he yelled in his clumsy speech, words he had probably picked up from Mrs. Thompson Sr. He threw himself at Yvonne and bit down hard on her arm.


    Yvonne winced in pain and kicked him squarely in the behind, sending him sprawling to the floor.


    She had no patience for a spoiled brat.


    Andy sat on the floor and began to wail, a dry, piercing howl that seemed to make the floorboards tremble.


    "Insolent! You have no manners at all,ying a hand on a child!" Mrs. Thompson Sr. seethed, pping the armrest of her wheelchair as she saw her great-grandson get hit.


    Yvonne just scoffed. "Ma''am, you may not know me very well. Forget a child—if a dog bit me, I''d bite it right back."


    "You!" Mrs. Thompson Sr. trembled with rage.


    "Grandma, please calm down," Eden said, stepping beside her and gently rubbing her back to soothe her.


    For a moment, the living room was a cacophony of the child''s wailing, the furious thumping of the wheelchair, and the ovepping voices of everyone else.


    "Is that enough!" A deep, stern voice suddenly cut through the chaos from the top of the stairs.


    Mr. Thompson Sr. descended, his face a grim mask. His sharp, severe gaze swept over every person in the room, and anyone he looked at immediately fell silent. Vanessa quickly pulled Andy into her arms, and even he stopped crying.


    Bet followed behind Mr. Thompson Sr., raising a slight eyebrow as he strode over to Yvonne''s side.


    "Causing trouble again?" he asked with a faint smile.


    Yvonne shrugged, a picture of helplessness.


    Bet didn''t say anything, just reached out and ruffled her hair.


    Mr. Thompson Sr.''s old but piercing eyes nced at them for a moment before moving on.


    "Grandpa," Eden said, holding Ynda''s hand as they stood beside Mrs. Thompson


    Sr.


    "Grandpa," Vanessa and Omar echoed, standing together and speaking timidly.


    "Who allowed you toe here?" Mr. Thompson Sr. asked, his cold gaze fixed on them.


    Eden and Vanessa both looked ufortable and didn''t answer.


    Mrs. Thompson Sr. coughed heavily, her face pale as she looked at her husband. "I''m not dead yet, and you''re already targeting Eden and Vanessa They are Frank''s children too."


    She was seized by another violent coughing fit, looking as if she might pass out at any moment.


    Mr. Thompson Sr.''s face remained grim, and the atmosphere grew tense.


    "Grandpa, since they are here as guests, let''s start dinner," Bet spoke up.


    With one sentence, he had defined Eden and Vanessa''s status as mere guests.


    Mr. Thompson Sr. nodded without argument and said to Lily, "Go call Tobias and Frank and his wife down.


    s time for dinner." ,


    "Yes, sir," Lily replied, hurrying upstairs.


    Therge family gathered around the table, taking their seats ording to their rank and status.


    Eden and Vanessa''s family sat awkwardly beside Mrs. Thompson Sr., clearly out of ce.


    Ynda sat next to Eden. As


    Bet''s ex-girlfriend and let


    curren


    one, her position was


    more ufortable


    And with Bet bringing his current girlfriend, Yvonne, the collision of characters


    was the epitome of awkward.