Considering the maid's testimony and Sandra's hesitation just now, Matilda weighed the pros and cons and came to a decision. She turned to Noelle and barked, "Noelle Swanson!"
She would have slapped Noelle right there if Hendrix weren't present. She continued berating Noelle, "Sandy is your younger sister, and we Swansons see her as our daughter! Who do you think you are? And what do you take the family as?"
Noelle did not reply. After looking at the tearful Sandra, she turned to Hendrix, who stared at her glumly.
Of course, he was upset to learn about his wife making such crass comments about others. He must have hated for his childhood friend to be insulted in that way.
Noelle was most devastated by Hendrix's unconditional trust in Sandra. He believed Sandra had a good reason to lash out against others. However, he never cared enough to inquire about the reason behind Noelle's fight with Ruth at the mall—it simply wasn't worth his attention.
Hendrix would never defend her. All h
