Kiera Olsen's rented house was neatly and cozily decorated by her.
She looked at the old lady, who had already drunk three glasses of water at the dining table, and said earnestly, "I really am not your granddaughter-in-law."
"You are."
The little old lady was very stubborn, hugging her cup and guzzling down another glass.
Kiera Olsen knew that she would not be able to talk sense into her and took out her phone to dial the number from last time.
It rang once and was promptly answered: "Hello."
Kiera Olsen faintly felt that the man's voice was somewhat familiar; just as she was about to say something, the old lady suddenly snatched away the phone.
At that moment, Lewis Horton was searching nearby with a group of people.
He appeared calm on the surface but felt somewhat anxious inside.
The grandma didn't just have Alzheimer's; at eighty-seven years old, her body's organs had long begun to degenerate, posing a risk to her life at any moment.
The moment the phone rang, he immediately answered, and then he heard his grandma's robust voice from inside:
"Brat, don't come to pick me up; I'm with my granddaughter-in-law."
Granddaughter-in-law...
The number was that of the girl from last time; so was grandma with her again?
Lewis Horton's face darkened as he asked, "Where are you?"
"I won't tell you."
"You think I can't find you if you don't say?"
"...You mustn't come to me or send people to check on me!"
Lewis Horton rubbed his temples and quietly asked his primary care doctor while covering the phone: "Can we forcefully bring old Mrs. Horton back?"
The doctor shook his head and softly replied, "Old Mrs. Horton should not be subjected to any stress right now. It's best to go along with her wishes. The girl from last time doesn't seem like a bad person either..."
Lewis Horton clenched his jaw and then coaxed into the phone, "Grandma, I still need to bring you your medicine."
"No need for medicine, I brought it with me; just rest easy, dear, I'll wait until I can take my granddaughter-in-law back home!"
The little old lady hung up the phone after saying that.
She handed the phone back to Kiera Olsen, "Granddaughter-in-law, all settled!"
Kiera Olsen: "..."
What kind of unreliable relatives are these, leaving an older person with a stranger?
Just as she was about to call back, her WhatsApp notification tone chimed once. Someone had sent a friend request using the phone number, with the message: grandson.
Kiera Olsen accepted his friend request and input the remark: Grandson.
"Grandson" quickly sent a message: [Please take care of my grandma for a while, her health has been bad recently, and she can't be agitated.]
Kiera Olsen snorted and typed coolly into her phone, "It's inconvenient for me; my place isn't a charity organization..."
Before she could finish typing, a noise suddenly came from the kitchen.
She quickly went to check and found the old lady cooking eggs.
Kiera Olsen casually asked, "Hungry? Just eating eggs won't do."
"Not that." The little old lady turned around, her wrinkled face lit with a kind smile: "Granddaughter-in-law, if you apply egg on your face, it will reduce the swelling."
Kiera Olsen was stunned.
Perhaps she hadn't even realized that after being hit by her own mother today, she seemed outwardly unbothered, but actually, a layer of indifference enveloped her, distancing her from the world.
At that moment, the old lady's words melted the coldness surrounding her, and warmth returned to the depths of her eyes...
She pursed her lips and looked at her phone again.
But saw an orange alert suddenly appear on the interface:
[You have received a transfer of 300,000 yuan from your grandson.]
Jake: [This is your living expenses for one week. Let me know if it's not enough.]
Keira looked at her input field, deleted the words she had just typed, and composed a new message instead: [Alright then.]
She couldn't understand why she suddenly started to meddle—it must have been because the amount of money was too much!
*
The Olsen Family.
Isla Olsen's cheeks were swollen on both sides, with clear slap marks. Her eyes were red and swollen as she sat on the living room couch, silently weeping.
Poppy Hill lowered her head: "Isla, that little slut must be jealous you're getting married into the Horton Family and that's why she lashed out. Don't cry. Wait for your dad to come back, and let Lewis teach her a lesson!"
Mrs. Olsen, Jodie South, dragged her ill body down the stairs; her voice was weak, but her tone was firm: "Cough cough, Keira isn't that kind of person. You must have done something first to anger her..."
Isla clenched her fingers and said with a lowered head and a grievance: "It's my fault. I shouldn't have accepted Jake's proposal. She likes Jake so much, she must have gotten involved with Mr. Horton because of this..."
Mrs. Olsen's face was pale, sickly: "How could that be? Keira knew manners and morals when she was a child."
Otherwise, she wouldn't have stubbornly moved out of the house.
Poppy Hill said with hatred: "She must have been led astray by others over the past few years! Her heart is black. Not only did she hit Isla today, but she even wanted to hit me, her own mother!"
Mrs. Olsen still didn't believe it.
Isla's eyes flickered and suddenly said: "Mom, it's us who have neglected her over the years..."
These words struck Poppy Hill: "It's also because she never comes home! Mrs. Olsen, you were so good to her before. But she never comes to see you; she's truly an ungrateful wretch! She doesn't remember your kindness at all, just a cold-hearted person at her core!"
Mrs. Olsen was stunned.
She had no prejudice against Keira Olsen, having raised her with her own hands, there were feelings involved.
When that child left, she did tell her to come back and visit when she could.
But for so many years, Keira never returned home.
Had the child really become cold and detached as she grew up?
Isla was satisfied seeing her hesitation.
She changed the subject and said coyly: "Mom, could you invite Dr. South to take a teaching position at Oceanion University?"
Mrs. Olsen immediately refused sternly: "Isla, you mustn't use favors to seek recompense. Besides, Dr. South has done enough for the family's company over these years!"
Isla wasn't surprised by her response and smiled saying: "Mom, that's not what I meant. Oceanion University is the best university around here, and maybe Dr. South wants to go there himself? We could just help him make connections with the school, it would be a way to thank Dr. South for all the help over the years."
Mrs. Olsen thought there was logic to this, took out her phone, and opened WhatsApp: "Then I'll ask him."
Isla sat next to Mrs. Olsen and blinked: "Dr. South has done so much for our family, any debt of gratitude is long repaid. Shouldn't the family hold a banquet to treat him? Would it not be better to ask him in person then?"
Dr. South always responded to Mrs. Olsen's requests.
As long as he came, if she then expressed her desire to become his graduate student, Dr. South would certainly not refuse.
Mrs. Olsen was persuaded. She messaged Dr. South on WhatsApp: [South, do you have time to come over to the house?]
When Keira saw the message, her heart immediately leapt.
Why would Mrs. Olsen suddenly want to meet?
Could it be that her health was failing?
Thinking of Mrs. Olsen's coughing...
Keira got up to leave: [I'm free. Shall I come over now?]