NovelEnglishWhen Sylvia cback to the table, her eyes were rimmed red-you'd have to be blind not to realize she'd been
crying.
Reese immediately set down her fork and handed Sylvia a napkin. "Hey, Sylvia, are you alright?"
Sylvia clutched the napkin, trying to keep it together. "I'm fine. Just got ssoap in my eyes, that's all."
At that, Kay shot Sylvia a quick glance, her eyes lingering on the swollen redness, then gave an awkward little
laugh. She took a sip of her chowder and, over the rim of her spoon, exchanged a silent look with Mrs. Hanson.
Mrs. Hanson, wrapped in her thick fur stole, set down her knife and fork. There was a look in her eyes-kind of
generous, but in that condescending way. "Sylvia, we've already talked to Mr. Rupert and the others. The
wedding's set for next week. We'll keep it simple."
Sylvia looked up, shooting Rupert a cold glance. "Don't need my opinion, | guess."
"Good girl. That's the way. A woman should follow her husband's lead-that's how it's always been. These days,
women are too pampered for their own good. Someone needs to set them straight."
Mrs. Hanson smiled sweetly at Sylvia, but it felt sharp, like there were thorns behind it. "Once you're married, I'll
make sure you learn how things are done around here. You're young-having five, six, seven kids won't be any
trouble at all."
Sylvia didn't reply. She didn't argue either. She just glanced down at Mrs. Hanson's waist, almost absentmindedly.
Suddenly, Mrs. Hanson's superior smile faltered, and she tugged her fur tighter around her midsection. "I... | was
just busy with work when | was younger. Didn't have tfor kids, that's all."
"Sure," Sylvia replied quietly, barely bothering to hide her amusement.
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No wonder the Hanson family only ever had one kid per generation, she thought. Mrs. Hanson never seemed to
realize that while she treated other women like livestock, she was a woman herself. Of course, she only had the
guts to say those things because someone always backed her up.
The more humble Sylvia acted, the more pleased Rupert and Kay looked.
"Sylvia, after the wedding, you'll quit your job and focus on being a mom. First one should be a boy, of course.
After that, it doesn't matter much if it's a boy or a girl. By the third-"
Before Mrs. Hanson could finish, Rupert set his wine glass down with a gentle but decisive clink. His fingers,
decorated with a ruby ring, traced the rim, leaving a hint of red behind.
Mrs. Hanson swallowed the rest of her words, her face paling.
Sylvia blinked, confused by Rupert's sudden displeasure. What's his deal?
Before she could dwell on it, Kay cleared her throat and offered an explanation. Mrs. Hanson, you know Reese is
stiltrecovering and all this talk about babies just puts extra pressure on her." s
Sylvia glanced at Reese, whose face had gone a little pale, clearly rattled by the conversation. No wonder Rupert
had been so quick to shut his mother up. s
Mrs. Hanson hurried to clarify, "Ms. Sanford isn't the same, that's all—"
Reese frowned. "Sylvia's a woman, you're a woman, Mrs. Hanson. | don't see the difference."
"She's right, Mom," Kay agreed. "Let's drop it and eat. Ms. Sanford, you have to try this-it's the house specialty."
Yves, who'd been silent the whole
time, looked up Ads Resse
aly op of hisGvhy 0 serve her
sroast beef with extra gravy.
Mrs. Hanson, embarrassed, gave a weak smile. She didn't even try to argue with her son.
Sylvia caught Yves's eye, feeling a strange discomfort, but before she could look away, Reese misread the
situation.
Reese reached over, blocking Yves' fork. "Yves, don't fuss over me. Don't forget about Sylvia."
Sylvia was still in a daze when Yves,
a little annoyed, plopped a heap of
potatoes and gravy into her bain
right on gps had
fikishe . The broth splashed up,
spilling onto her light sweater. s The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
"I'd appreciate it if you remembered how to treat guests," Yves said coldly. "This isn't the place for you to throw a
tantrum."
Sylvia pursed her lips and quietly
dabbed at her Shee tTanaRlin
rig aea fon € seemed to
satisfy everyone at the table. The
content is on novelenglish.net! Read
the latest chapter there!
Everyone except for one pair of eyes, which lingered on her a little too long.
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