Chapter 7 Shut Your Mouth

Amanda couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless as she watched the little guy gloat mischievously.

Everything was going just as she’d planned. The ones at the door—no doubt—had to be Barry’s mother, Delphine Monroe.

The Schmidt family was a century-old aristocratic clan. In recent years, under Benjamin, it had risen to even greater power.

Benjamin had clawed his way to the top through bloody internal strife and ruthless scheming, eventually becoming the family’s ruler.

He was now the legendary Mr.Ben of Cindale’s business empire.

Although the Lowe, Sanchez, and Monroe families were also prominent in Cindale, compared to the Schmidt family, they were worlds apart.

The car accident that had nearly taken Benjamin’s life—there was definitely more to it. The most likely suspect was Barry.

That man had terrifying ambition.

Everything Amanda had done earlier in the day had been for this very moment.

BANG BANG BANG!

Amanda opened the door and saw three elegantly dressed women standing outside.

Leading them was none other than Delphine, Barry’s mother.

She wore a peach-colored dress, beautiful and poisonous, graceful and arrogant—like a queen from a bygone era.

Amanda had seen Delphine years ago. A calculating, venomous woman.

Standing in the doorway now, Amanda’s face was frosty, her eyes cold and sharp as blades. Internally, she was fully on guard.

Delphine narrowed her eyes haughtily at her. This face—it resembled Amanda, but wasn’t quite Amanda.

“You’re called Amanda?” Her cold voice held a commanding air.

Amanda nodded slightly, lips curled in a faint, indifferent smile. “Yes. I am Amanda.”

Her tone was calm and composed—neither humble nor arrogant.

Delphine narrowed her eyes further, scrutinizing her for a long moment. Her temperament… indeed resembled the real Amanda—naturally proud, unyielding even in death.

“You made my grandson and granddaughter eat dirt. How do you plan to resolve this?”

Her voice was aggressive, her gaze sweeping disdainfully across Amanda.

A sharp gleam lit up Amanda’s peach blossom eyes.

“They fed dirt to Mark. Three kids bullying one—shouldn’t I be the one asking you how to resolve this?”

The air instantly became tense and hostile.

“You little b*tch, how dare you talk back to my mother?”

Cecilia, Delphine’s daughter, glared at Amanda with growing arrogance.

Amanda smiled faintly at her. “They say the Schmidt family is full of cultured, well-mannered elites. I just married in, and I must say—this is truly eye-opening.”

Cecilia sneered, looking her up and down. “People like you don’t deserve manners.”

Before Amanda could reply, Charlie’s shrill voice cut in, filled with fury.

“Grandma! Kick her out! Didn’t you say stepmothers are the worst? And that blind brat Mark is about to die anyway. Once he’s gone, I’m next in line to inherit everything!”

Spoiled rotten, Charlie had never learned proper restraint and didn’t care about timing or propriety.

He was three years older than Mark and constantly threw his weight around.

Hearing this, Delphine was livid. She shot a deadly glare at her grandson.

That wretched woman—how did she raise a child like this? Saying such things out loud in front of everyone?

Among the visitors was also Benjamin’s second sister-in-law.

She raised a mocking eyebrow. No wonder. No wonder Charlie was so brazen.

“Eldest Sister-in-law, what a bold kid you’ve raised,” she quipped sarcastically.

“Shut your mouth! You better not say a word about what you heard,” Delphine hissed at her, eyes sharp as daggers.

If word got out, her terrifying father-in-law would cause a huge scene.

Just then, a little girl standing in the back chimed in urgently, “Mommy, this woman fed me mud! Hit her, Mommy!”

That was Debbie, Cecilia’s daughter. Cecilia had brought both her children with her today on a visit home.

Seeing Amanda’s beautiful, refined face, Cecilia felt a pang of jealousy.

She glanced at the servant holding a bowl of mud behind her, and smiled maliciously.

“Amanda, I brought a whole bowl of mud just for you. Eat it, and I’ll let this go.”

Amanda raised her eyebrows, her tone light and unhurried.

“It was your children who went to the west wing to bully Mark. Why should I eat dirt? If anyone’s eating mud today, it should be the undisciplined kids you raised.”

The atmosphere instantly turned icy.

Cecilia hadn’t expected this powerless, status-less woman to have such a spine.

Not only did she talk back, but her calm and composed demeanor made Cecilia feel humiliated.

Erin, sensing things were getting out of hand, stepped forward to smooth things over.

She smiled at Amanda, “Amanda, Cecilia… this isn’t going anywhere. Let’s bring this before Father and let him decide what’s right.”

That was exactly what Amanda had been waiting for.

In the current Schmidt family, the old man’s word was law.

“Fine. Let’s go see the old master,” Amanda agreed crisply, then turned and picked up her son, walking straight out the door.