"Hmph..."
Viola Thompson suddenly chuckled.
Her smile was radiant, stealing people's hearts.
Olga frowned at Viola, "What are you laughing at?"
"I'm laughing at how well you guys have everything planned out." Viola continued, "I'm both your adopted daughter and the Thompson Clan's eldest daughter in name, so pushing me out can both maintain the Thompson Clan's reputation and not affect Elizabeth Thompson's future. It's really killing two birds with one stone."
"Don't act smug when you're benefiting from this!" Olga said angrily, "Did you forget that, without Emma's help, and without us raising you, you wouldn't even be qualified to marry into the Lentz Clan? You wouldn't even have the qualification to step foot into the Lentz Clan's doorstep!"
What an ungrateful brat!
Olga's loud voice startled the cat in Viola's arms, making it flinch and bury its fluffy head in her embrace.
"Shh," Viola put her index finger to her lips, "You're disturbing my cat."
Reg Thompson squinted his eyes, looking at Viola. This adopted daughter not only lacked manners but also showed no respect for her elders.
He wondered how the stepmother had raised her all these years, resulting in such a demeanor.
"This is the Thompson Clan of River City, and your surname is Thompson!" Reg Thompson glared at Viola, "I don't care what kind of person you were before, but once you are in the Thompson Clan, you must abide by its rules! This marriage is just a notification!"
Since it was a notification, there was no room for negotiation.
Viola didn't speak, her eyes slightly downcast. Since she had promised to fulfill the original Viola's wish, she could not go back on her word.
Being a substitute bride, huh?
Alright.
Then she would meet this legendary Terrence Lentz.
A moment later, Viola looked up at Reg Thompson, "Is there anything else?"
Without waiting for Reg's answer, Viola stood up from her chair, "If there's nothing else, I'll go back to my room."
She left with grace, leaving Reg Thompson and Olga standing where they were.
Viola walked to the door and glanced at the housekeeper who was standing at the study door, "Where's my room?"
"It's this way."
The housekeeper immediately led the way.
Once Viola was brought to her room, the housekeeper realized she shouldn't be taking orders from a rural country girl.
At that moment.
Bang.
A sudden sound of a closing door echoed through the air.
The sudden sound startled the housekeeper.
She stared at the closed room door, frowning.
After all, even Emma had never disturbed her peace before!
Viola was nothing more than a rural country girl, so who was she to do this?
The housekeeper stood outside the door, getting angrier the more she thought about it, and returned to the music room.
Elizabeth Thompson was practicing the piano.
The elegant and pleasant piano music came continuously from the room.
"Young lady."
Upon hearing Nanny Heath's voice, Elizabeth looked back, her fingertips still moving, her tone gentle, "Nanny Heath."
Nanny Heath walked over to Elizabeth, "Young lady, the girl from the countryside is here. Do you want to go over and have a look?"
Go over and have a look?
Elizabeth's eyes were filled with mockery.
Just a country girl.
Was she worth her personal attention?
As the words fell, Nanny Heath continued, "You don't know how arrogant she is, walking around with her head held high, as if she is the real lady of the house!"
"Young lady, you must be on guard against her!"
On guard?
Elizabeth chuckled lightly, a village girl was not worth paying attention to, "Nanny Heath, she is my sister, and she is indeed the lady of this house. Besides, my sister has just come back from the countryside, and her lifestyle is quite different from ours. Don't be too hard on her."
Look at that.
This is what it means to be knowledgeable and empathetic.
It's just different!
Compared to Elizabeth Thompson, Viola was nothing more than a vulgar country girl.
Nanny Heath continued, "A young lady from a prestigious family is truly incomparable! Young lady, you're so kind to even call her your sister. If it were someone else, who would even bother to glance at her?"
"She is indeed my sister." Elizabeth turned to look at Nanny Heath, "Nanny Heath, you must never say such things in the future."
Nanny Heath sighed in her heart that Elizabeth was just too kind, nodded her head, and said, "Alright."
After finishing her piano practice, Elizabeth went to her parents' bedroom.
"Mom, have you and Dad met my sister?"
It was all right if Elizabeth didn't mention it, but when she mentioned Viola, Olga became furious, "That wild brat has no manners at all! When talking to us, she's so sharp-tongued and harsh. She's not like a daughter at all. No wonder they say bad people come from bad places!"
Elizabeth poured a cup of tea for Olga and spoke softly, "Mom, have some tea. My sister has grown up in the countryside after all, and it's understandable that she might not have a sense of propriety when speaking. Why do you take it to heart?"
The saying goes that there is no point in arguing with a fool.
Olga took the cup, and the warm tea went down her throat, dissipating some of the anger in her heart.Elizabeth went on saying, "Mom, out of sight, out of mind. You don't have to worry about how my sister is acting now, how uncultured she is, and just ignore her as if she doesn't exist." After all, Viola was just a pawn in their family.
"Elizabeth is right." Reg Thompson nodded in agreement.
Though Elizabeth was young, she was very mature, intelligent, and far-sighted, with a mind for business. Despite being a girl, she was in no way inferior to men.
Many crises faced by the Thompson Group were resolved by Elizabeth.
Therefore, Reg Thompson believed that his daughter would one day achieve great things!
Reg Thompson looked at Olga, "Have you made arrangements for her schooling?"
Olga nodded, "Yes, I have arranged for her to attend the same school as Elizabeth."
"The same school as Elizabeth?" Reg Thompson looked back at Olga, "That school has bilingual education, can she understand it?"
Elizabeth was attending one of the top international high schools in River City.
Besides the language lessons, all other subjects were taught in English and French.
Could Viola manage?
Elizabeth glanced back and said, "Dad, whether she can understand or not is my sister's problem. As the eldest daughter, she should be in the same school as me. We can't play favorites."
At least they had to maintain appearances on the surface.
Reg Thompson quickly understood Elizabeth's meaning, "Elizabeth has thought it through."
**
In the evening.
Viola was called by a servant to have dinner at the restaurant downstairs.
When she arrived, Reg Thompson and Olga were already sitting at the dining table.
Seeing Viola coming, a cloud seemed to hang over Olga's face.
Viola sat down gracefully at the table.
She didn't feel out of place at all.
"Dad, Mom."
At this moment, a gentle voice appeared in the air.
Viola looked up slightly.
The newcomer was a graceful beauty with long, central-parted hair, wearing a light blue dress. She had European-style double eyelids, a high-bridge nose, and striking facial features, exuding an aristocratic air as she walked.
This was Elizabeth.
The old Viola had always admired Elizabeth, envying her features, her figure, and even her gestures.
From a young age, Elizabeth had attended various etiquette classes, learning to dance, practice tea ceremony, arrange flowers... At a glance, it was obvious that she had been born into privilege.
The original Viola felt so inferior.
In front of the dazzling Elizabeth, she felt that she couldn't even compete with an ugly duckling.
The reason the ugly duckling could transform into a white swan was because it was a swan from the start.
And she could only ever be the ugly duckling.
So, in front of Elizabeth, the original Viola always kept her head down, humbly and weakly.
Over time, a layer of gloom had formed on the original Viola, making her repulsive. She was like a completely different person compared to the current Viola.
Consequently, Elizabeth was also momentarily stunned to see Viola.
This was the first time she had taken such a serious look at Viola.
Viola was dressed in a simple black sweater and jeans, but an aura that she had never possessed before emanated from her.
Under the bright crystal chandelier, her black sweater accentuated her porcelain white skin.
Her delicate peach blossom eyes, with slightly upturned corners, were captivating and unrestrained.
Her eyelashes were long, even visible to Elizabeth's peripheral vision, as thick and fan-like as they were.
She was so beautiful.
Even the standard beauty Elizabeth was stunned to see her.
When did Viola change like this?
After just a moment of hesitation, Elizabeth picked up a glass and said to Viola, "Welcome home, sister."
"Thank you." Viola picked up her glass, the corners of her mouth curling in a shallow smile.
Elizabeth continued, "Sister, I should have picked you up in person, but you know how delicate my constitution is. I hope you won't mind."
"It's alright, it's the thought that counts." Viola put down her glass, looking unconcerned.
Elizabeth's eyes narrowed slightly. It seemed that her sister, who had come from the countryside, had grown a lot during the short time she was gone.
She remembered that when she came last year during the summer vacation, she didn't even have the courage to look directly at her.
Did Viola really think that Terrence Lentz was some rich and powerful heir, and that she was about to become a phoenix soaring high in the sky?
How ridiculous!
Suppressing the ridicule in her heart, Elizabeth cut a piece of goose liver for Viola, "Sister, please try this goose liver and tell me what you think."
Viola had been living in the countryside since she was little. When had she ever eaten such good goose liver?
She probably wouldn't even know how to use a knife and fork.
Olga also thought of this, and turned to look at Viola, "The Thompson's house is not like your countryside. We value etiquette at the dining table. You should first learn from Elizabeth how to use a knife and fork, to avoid embarrassing us in public in the future."
"I don't know about etiquette," Viola's mouth curled slightly, "But I know that you don't speak when eating and don't talk when sleeping."
With that, she picked up a knife and fork, skillfully cutting the steak on the plate into small pieces, and then forked a small piece into her mouth.
Her movements were as smooth as flowing water and extremely pleasing to the eye, just like the Western aristocrats depicted on television. Every move she made was an unreplicable elegance.