Chapter 40: Just the Beginning

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Just the Beginning

The moment she finished screaming insults, Rona Langdon lunged at Vera Xavier. Vera, having anticipated this, sidestepped, bent her knees, grabbed Rona’s hand, and executed a perfect shoulder throw. With a loud THUD, Rona’s hefty frame slammed onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Rona Langdon was stunned by the fall. She truly hadn’t expected Vera to actually fight back!

Vera looked down at Rona and said, "Today is just the beginning. If you dare lay a hand on me again, don’t blame me for getting rough."

’Ever since she’d learned Rona Langdon wasn’t her birth mother, she had longed to slap her. In her past life, Rona had tormented her into misery. She knew with certainty that no matter what she did, Rona would never treat her well. That being the case, she had to be the one to strike first in this life.’

’But Rona was still publicly her mother. If she, the daughter, struck first, she’d not only be in the wrong, but it would also ruin her reputation.’

’In this era, a person’s reputation was everything.’

Ever since Vera had returned to the Preston family, she had been subtly scheming to provoke Rona, finding ways to get under her skin without being too obvious.

The broken engagement with Wesley Kane, the return of the betrothal gifts, the new clothes in the morning, coming home late in the afternoon, and finally, that little bit of extra oil—it all added up to the last straw that made Rona fly into a rage.

Looking at Vera, who radiated a chilling aura, Rona felt a flicker of fear again. But it was overshadowed by her intense resentment. She began to roll on the ground and wail, "Vera Xavier, you hit your own mother! You’re a monster!"

Vera crouched in front of Rona and patted her cheek. "From the moment I returned, you haven’t treated me well for a single day. You say you gave birth to me, but you’ve never once acted like a mother. You’ve never treated me like your daughter. So why should I treat you like my mother?"

Rona was inwardly stunned by her words. Vera’s voice dropped. "And another thing. Even if you have no sense of shame, at least spare Dad the embarrassment. After what just happened, no one will believe you no matter how much hell you raise today. In fact, you’ll probably just damage Dad’s career."

It finally dawned on Rona. She scrambled up from the floor and spat viciously, "You did this on purpose!"

Vera neither confirmed nor denied it, only giving Rona a deeply unsettling smile. Then she opened the front door, crying out as she did, "Mom, you promised Director Goodman you wouldn’t hit me anymore!"

The door opened to reveal Zachary Preston standing outside, his face livid.

The moment he got back, he’d heard people whispering and pointing. Grandma Dixon had intercepted him at a fork in the road to recount the afternoon’s events. She emphasized how devoted and gentle Vera was, then described Rona’s cruelty, finally pointing to her own swollen face and saying, "Your wife did this."

Zachary hastily apologized to Grandma Dixon, but a fire was smoldering in his heart. Upon returning home, he had first heard Vera’s pleas for mercy from behind the door, and then, when it opened, he saw her covered in blood. He felt like he was about to explode with rage.

’Rona was really going too far!’

Zachary had known for some time that Rona abused Vera, but she had always been subtle about it, and Vera never complained to him. Because of that, it had been difficult for him to intervene, even when he wanted to.