My Dreamy Old Husband

Sophia was also beginning to understand Anne. She was nothing more than a naive little girl who saw the world through rose-colored glasses, and her delusions belied her sheltered upbringing. She’d never had to endure life’s many cruel punches, and she was clueless as to how vicious mankind could be—she didn’t know how ruthless it was out there in the real world.

Sophia hadn’t wanted to be too hard on her, but as of now, she had to be cruel to be kind. “So, Miss Osborne, it seems as if you’re set on marrying my father.”

Anne was determined. “You have no right to interfere with our plans to get married.”

With a low chuckle, Sophia cast a fleeting glance at Sandra, who was practically buzzing with anticipation, and sneered, “Anne, I think it’s time you get that brain of yours checked.”

Sophia cut her off mercilessly, ready to burst the girl’s bubbles. “Oh dear, Miss Osborne, it seems as if you’re far too naive to understand what’s going on. You speak as if you are Young Lady Yard, and I bet you’ve thought about how you’d be a princess if we were in ancient times. But think about it, Anne, what happened to the rest of the Yards? The Yards were a clan before this, and now look at what’s left of them! Have you ever wondered why they were so desperate to claim you back as their own even after you’ve taken on a different surname?”

She did not wait for Anne to respond. “Are you really that stupid, Anne? Your Aunt Anna and her sons killed off the entire clan! That was her whole family—people who shared the same blood as her—but your aunt spared none of them!”

Anne began to falter. “Shut up!” she cried, panicked.

But Sophia did not shut up in spite of Anne’s obvious distress and continued sardonically, “Didn’t you know that your aunt is renowned as a bloodthirsty tyrant? She killed off the uncles and sisters who helped her climb up the family throne, and she spared none of those who came from the branch family—that’s the reason why she and her sons are the only ones left! My dear lady, do you understand what I mean by ‘branch family’?”

the branch family consisted of those who were collateral descendants and had no rightful claim on the Yard family fortune! As far as your aunt is concerned, you are not of direct descent, and that means you’re worthless! She and her sons are lineal descendants of the Yard family, and only they have a rightful claim to the family name. You, on the other hand, are just a nobody! Do you really think your aunt brought you back so that you could be the young lady of the family? I’m sorry to say that she only sees you as a

traded around from one man to another like a wh*re! Right now, you’re just a lowly dog in the Yard family, and your aunt could just as easily get rid of you as she did with the others. What’s sadder still is that you actually believe you have far more value than that. You thought you could fit in with the rest of them, but you can’t

was sobbing by now. She covered her ears with her hands and screamed, “Go away! Stop talking!

by General.” She paused, looking at Anne with a thoughtful gaze. “Do you know who General is? He’s Anna Yard’s cat! Her cat owns 1% of the shares in Ronney Group, and how many do you hold? None! My dear Miss Osborne, you can’t even begin to compete

use trying to block out Sophia’s words. By the end of it all, Anne could feel

was a long-lost relative of the Yard family. She had

Sophia had destroyed everything she

than Anna Yard’s cat. Even General was a shareholder in Ronney Group, while Anne had nothing! She

bed as she

of the Yard family

become the powerful woman she was by eradicating the whole branch family—the

not to go after any part of the Yards’ fortune. Other than association, the Osbornes would ask for nothing

and theirs alone—you have no right to any of it. You are nothing but a

gutted. She stammered pathetically, “Stop it, stop it! I-I won’t hear any of it! I’m going to marry