Jeffrey said with a sigh, his voice tinged with a sob.


    Yvonne didn''t know if Jeffrey was being sincere or just ying the sympathy card, but either way, she didn''t care.


    The way the Spencer family had treated her past self wasn''t something that could be erased by time.


    That poor girl had been driven to her death by her own rtives, by the Spencer family. Her body and soul were destroyed; the Spencers had no right to talk about regret or making amends.


    "When the Spencer family was thriving, the grand birthday parties were for Queena, not me. If Teresa is overflowing with motherly love, she should go find Queena. After all, Queena is the beloved daughter she doted on for nearly twenty years."


    Yvonne''s words left Jeffrey speechless, unable to form a rebuttal.


    Tired of wasting her breath on him, Yvonne ended the call.


    She was just trying to have a nice birthday, and of course, someone unpleasant had to ruin the mood. What a downer.


    Yvonne blocked and deleted Jeffrey''s number, then tossed her phone into her handbag, grabbed her purse, and walked out in her high heels.


    Bet had left a car for her in the Cherry Bay underground garage, though Yvonne rarely drove it. Today was one of those rare asions.


    Yvonne''s car moved at a steady, unhurried pace. The rare Hermès bag Sandra had given her sat on the passenger seat, and the phone inside began to ring again.


    With one hand on the steering wheel, Yvonne fished the phone out of her bag. The caller ID showed Bet''s name.


    "On your way to the Joneses?" Bet''s deep, gentle voice asked.


    “Still on the road, but I''m almost there," Yvonne replied.


    "Then I''ll head straight to the Joneses'' ce," Bet said warmly.


    "Okay," Yvonne nodded, then ended the call and put the phone back in her bag.


    Yvonne drove slowly. By the time she arrived at the Jones family home, Bet''s car was already parked in the yard.


    Yvonne parked her car next to Bet''s ck Mercedes and got out.


    "Yvonne, you''re here!" Monica called out from the house, waving at her with a smile.


    "Monica," Yvonne said, walking quickly to her side and linking her arm. "Where''s Bet?"


    Monica replied, "Bet was called upstairs to the study by Bruce. They''re I eing all secretive I have no


    what they''re discuss acl


    Yvonne said, "It''s probably about the case. It''s been so long, is there still no progress on the Riverbend case?"


    Monica shook her head. "Bruce is out from dawn till dusk and never talks to me about these things just hope the case can be solved soon, so that poor grandmother and her grandchild can rest in peace."


    Monica took Yvonne''s hand and led her inside, saying, "I bought a lot of your


    favorite dishes and snacks, and I even baked a cake..."


    Yvonne followed Monica into the


    living room. As was her custom, she first paid her respects to her own memorial portrait, bowing and lighting a stick of incense


    Having to pay respects to herself every time she came home was, Yvonne had to admit, a bit ridiculous.


    After lighting the incense for herself, Yvonne joined Monica in the kitchen, and they chatted andughed as they cooked.


    Meanwhile, in the study upstairs.


    Bet was standing by the window, watching Yvonne''s car pull into the yard.


    A lit cigarette was held between his fingers. He lightly tapped the ash away, a smile gracing his features.


    "What are you looking at?" Bruce asked from the sofa, holding a cup.


    "Nothing," Bet said, taking a drag from his cigarette and exhaling a faint trail of smoke as he turned around.