Winnie continued.
"I don't lack security. I've forgotten what security is since my parents left."
"And I have no grievance because no one is obligated to do anything to me unconditionally."
"I'm not out studying or enjoying this career. It's just an excuse to go out for a break because I'm too
bored at home."
Winnie explained, then withdrew her eyes and continued cooking.
If Brian said these words before, Winnie would be moved, but now no matter how beautiful his words
were, she did not believe it.
Otherwise, she would be hurtful again.
"Winwin, if you want to go out for a break, I'll take a leave. I'll accompany you, but if you leave in such a
way, I'll worry."
Brian didn't know what he could say to keep Winnie around, he really couldn't stand the fact that
Winnie was gone for two months, and he couldn't accept that Winnie and Finn were going out together.
"Thank you for your worry, but people I'm going out with are police officers, so there's no need for you
to worry."
"Your time is valuable, every second is money, and if I wasted two months of your time, I probably
wouldn't be able to pay it back with all my money."
"Go talk to them, the kitchen isn't for you."
Winnie finished what she wanted to say and told Brian to go away.
He just said meaningless words around her that were distracting and confusing.
"Winwin ......"
"Get out."
Brian had no choice but to go out.
He was always rejected, so he did not know what to do.
This afternoon, Winnie was busy in the kitchen, but she was still quite relaxed without Maria's
contempt.
Dinner finally started, and everyone sat around and had a good time.
"Ewwww ...... what a dirty thing it is?"
As she was eating, Maria suddenly screamed.
Her voice drew everyone's attention to her.
"What's all the fuss about?"
Thomas asked, disgruntled.
"Hair, I wonder who's hair fell into the soup."
"Winnie, you made this soup, didn't you? Did you throw your hair in on purpose?"
Maria pointed the finger directly at Winnie, and her eyes were even more indignant as she stared at
Winnie.
"I ......"
"What? Why are you so vicious? You made us stay for dinner just to give us a hard time and make us
sick, didn't you?"
"You really have evil intentions, how you can think of such an underhanded way?"
Maria shouted accusations and curses as if she had no mercy, not giving Winnie a chance to explain,
nor giving everyone a chance to interject and speak.
She decided it was Winnie, and she had to make it big.
"Aunt Maria ......"
"Are you finished, Aunt Maria?"
Winnie was about to open her mouth to explain, but Brian spoke, perfectly covering Winnie's voice.
"Let me say a few words. Don't say nonsense until you know what's going on, and you'll be ashamed if
this hair isn't Winwin’s."
"Aunt Maria, it's thanksgiving, so I don't want to say any harsh words. Even if there's hair in the soup,
you can just throw it away and not drink it, without everyone getting in a bad mood because of you."
Brian was indeed reining in his temper, if it wasn't at his house, if it wasn't thanksgiving, if it wasn't for
Winnie not allowing him to cause trouble, he would have made his words clearer.
"Brian, you can't talk like that. A hair is so disgusting into the bowl, don't you think it's a big deal? And
what's wrong of me saying a few words about her? If she doesn’t want to be blamed, don't do
something wrong."
Maria didn't care about Brian's tolerance, the more he protected Winnie, the more she was going to
make a fuss.
"She can do something wrong, but you have no right to blame her. She cooked this table and has been
tired all afternoon, and no one can blame her."
Brian's voice went cold, sounding the gloom before the storm.
"Look, she has nothing to do with you, but you still protect her. You don't even respect your elders for a
woman."
"Brother, how can your son do this to his elders, don't you think it's too much?"
Maria was afraid of Brian's cold voice and his cold eyes, but she couldn't let it go like that, so she
pointed the finger at Rufus.
This was Rufus’ house and he would be angry with her.
"Maria, you are an elder, don't bother with the younger generation. Winwin has been busy all afternoon
for this meal, even if there is a mistake, it is normal, in no way she threw the hair in the soup on
purpose. You, as an elder, don't make a fuss. You are eating the meal cooked by Winwin and you
should be grateful."
"Also, Winwin did not ask you to stay for dinner, so don't slander her who's been tired all afternoon."
Rufus gave a very serious answer.
Winnie had no premeditation nor did she want to give anyone a hard time, she just simply wanted to
cook a delicious meal for everyone. She shouldn't be falsely accused and abused by Maria.
Besides, what happened last time made the two sisters sad, if this time he was indulgent, Winnie and
Vanessa would never step into this house again.
"Brother, why are you being unreasonable? How can you say harsh words? Am I deserved to have the
hair swallowed?"
Maria was very dissatisfied with Rufus' words.
"She has been busy in the kitchen all afternoon, but who can guarantee that she doesn't have bad
intentions?"
"Who's to say she won't hold a grudge since Dad doesn't grant her access to marry into the Bennet
family? Isn't it all her plot for us to come here for the festival today? Every year we spend the festival at
the old house, and this year I don't know what kind of witchcraft she has cast on you all, and you don't
even go to the old house anymore."
Maria's dissatisfaction had been pent up for a long time, and coupled with Brian and Rufus' siding, it
angered her. She then turned to Winnie and began to blame her sternly.
"Winnie, how can you let a ninety-something year old come and cater to you? Are you happy that your
ploy worked?"
"You are sinister ......"
"Mom, stop, it's just a hair, why hold on to it like that?"
Someone finally spoke up to dissuade Maria, and that person was Jack.
While he didn't know if the hair was a conspiracy or an accident, he didn't think either was a big deal,
not one that could affect the family reunion.
His mother was making a big deal out of it, Brian was overly sensitive, and Rufus was taking sides with
Winnie. If he didn't say anything, they would keep arguing.
"The hair is trivial, what's hidden behind it is not. What I found was a hair, but who knows if the soup
was drugged by her?"
Maria made up the plot.
"If she poisons your grandfather to death, no one will be able to stop her from marrying into the family.
Winnie is more sinister than Penny, can't you see that all these people have been bribed by her?"
"These people don't protect your grandfather, but I have to. I can't ......"
Maria continued to make a scene.
Winnie and Vanessa could not listen, but Winnie's hand under the dining table controlled Vanessa,
signaling her not to say a word.
Today, Brian and Rufus had spoken up for her, and it was enough these people believed her. As for
Maria, she wasn't going to argue.
Maria was the one who was premeditated and came over with a script. If Winnie fought with such a
mad woman, she would be mad too.
Yet it was Jack who couldn't endure, his mother's words were getting more harsh and he had to stop
her.
"Mom, don't be exaggerate, okay? Director Chambers isn't as vicious as you think. We all had soup, we
are all fine, so please stop."
"If you don't like it, I'll take you to eat out."
Jack felt that his mother was getting more and more unreasonable, Winnie wasn't at all the kind of
person as she said. And his mother had to think of Winnie as sinister.
As it was, he had no choice but to take his mother away and not let her fool around anymore.
Jack came to his mother, wanting to take her away. But Maria was not going to just leave, she was
insulted by Rufus and Brian, she would not give up until she got justice.
"What do you know? Go away."
"Winnie, I an telling, what happened today ......"
"Can you stop?"
Aa Maria was about to continue, she was curbed by a furious roar from Brian.
Brian was like a lion that was going to rage at this moment, like a tiger that was staring at its prey with
blood in its eyes. He locked his eyes on to his prey, and once it resisted, he would bite its neck hard
until it died.
There was silence at the table, even throughout the villa, and none dared to make a sound.
Seeing that Brian couldn't control his emotions, Winnie took Brian's hand under the table, telling him to
try to control himself and not make a big deal out of it.
But Brian couldn't help it, how could he possibly control himself for Winnie, who had been busying
cooking for a whole afternoon, carried so many charges for just a moment?
"Aunt Maria, you have to take responsibility for what you just said. I can't just let it go, I can't let you
falsely accuse Winwin for no reason."
Brian warned Maria angrily, and just as his words fell, a small, warm hand held the large hand that he
had angrily slapped the table.
"Dad, don't get angry and don't talk so loudly to Grandma Maira, it makes you look rude."
The one who spoke was Luke, not in a hurry, not arrogant, not impatient, but calm and introverted.
An ordinary child in such a situation would have been scared and crying. But Luke was not an ordinary
child, not only did he not get scared, but he was also so introverted and steady.
At the moment, he was like a king presiding over the big picture, with an extraordinary air of
sophistication and shrewdness.
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