Zoey sighed.


    "Vi wasn''t invited to this banquet. She insisted oning along. When she married into the Farrell family, after your son died in battle, you returned all the dowry and even gave her Thomas'' pension. You even gave her two more shops. Now, everything has been moved to the Warren family. On her wedding day, she evenpared her dowry to Lady Carissa''s.


    "This isn''t something I should be telling you, but I couldn''t bear to see you worrying about her. You shouldn''t concern yourself with her matters. It''s more important to take care of your own health. If Thomas'' spirit sees you constantly unhappy, he might not rest in peace."This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.


    Alice was shocked beyond measure upon hearing this.


    Vi wasn''t someone Alice would have imagined being like this. She understood propriety and respected her elders, but how had she be this way?


    Had Vi always been hypocritical, or had she changed?


    Zoey looked at Alice, a phrase stuck in her throat but left unsaid.


    "Thank you for informing me, Zoey," Alice said, her voice tinged with bitterness. "I once considered her like a daughter, and wasn''t willing to let her live as a widow in my family. Actually, she hasn''t visited me even once over the past few years. I should have known then. Well, since she has made her choice, whether it''s fortune or misfortune, it''s for her to bear."


    Zoey bowed. "Please take care, Madam Alice."


    There was nothing more to say. If she continued, she might end up revealing things that were meant to be kept hidden.


    Alice was too distressed!


    Opal, who had been apanying Alice, remained silent throughout. She sensed Zoey was hiding something, but felt it inappropriate to press further since the matter concerned Vi herself. What good would it do to ask more?


    Alice said to Opal, "Go apany them for the flower viewing. I want to stay here alone for a while. The bougainvillea here is truly beautiful."


    The bougainvillea in the corner was blooming vibrantly, contrasting with the pallor in her heart.


    Alice needed some time to calm down. With the banquet still to begin, leaving the scene would seem like a slight to Helen and Carissa. However, it was hard for her topose herself quickly.


    She understood Zoey''s intentions


    and Carissa''s kindness. She


    epted them all, and realized that Vi had no connection to the Farrell family anymore. Now that


    Vi had a husband, any fur hate


    conversation with her might lead to réproach from her husband''s family if others saw.


    After calming down for a while, as Alice was about to return to the theater area, she saw Vi approaching her alone. Vi moved quickly and then swiftly hid behind a tree, as if afraid of being seen. Vi hesitantly called out, her voice barely above a whisper, "Mother."


    Alice said quietly, "At this point, calling me ''madam'' would be more appropriate. It''s not right to call me that anymore."


    Vi had just seen Zoey talking to Alice and was concerned about what might have been said, so she came over. Seeing Alice''s attitude so aloof and distant, she felt a pang of anxiety and asked, "What did my sister-inw say to you?"


    "Nothing much. She just advised me not to worry about you anymore," Alice said, her heart aching as she looked at Vi''s face.


    It felt like her heart was breaking inside her. In the letters Thomas had written from the battlefield, he had always reminded Alice to take good care of Vi and not to make things difficult for her.


    Knowing her son''s deep affection for


    Vi, Alice had never imposed the strict rules that other mothers-inw might. She had always considered Vi like a daughter, but how could she have fallen for someone like Barrett, who had abandoned his legitimate wife?


    "Is that all she said?" Vi asked, looking at Alice.


    "That''s all."


    Alice didn''t want to say more. She was already deeply disappointed. The term "mother" had been inappropriate; it should not have been used. Vi shouldn''t have said it, and if she did, it shouldn''t have been so subtle that it was barely heard.


    "Madam Alice, actually, my husband is not as people say. He is a righteous gentleman, just like Thomas. They''re both..."


    "Be quiet!" Alice''s expression


    changed abruptly. "Don''t you darepare Mr. Warren to my son! Every letter from the battlefield was about how much Thomas cared for you. After he married you, you didn''t give birth to any children, but he didn''t take any concubines because he promised he wouldn''t How can youpare my son to Mr. Warren?"