The smug look on Jacqueline Spann’s face instantly vanished. She was so mortified she wished she could find a hole to crawl into, and she forced an awkward smile. "I’ve already eaten."

"Mm."

Verna Golding’s expression was cold; she didn’t even spare Jacqueline Spann a proper glance. Instead, she smiled gently at Tang Xiaonan and asked in a soft voice, "Have you eaten yet, Xiaonan?"

"I ate at Grandpa’s," Tang Xiaonan replied sweetly, though her mind was filled with questions.

’Verna Golding’s attitude toward Jacqueline Spann was odd. Grandma and Auntie both had a great impression of Verna, praising her for being kind and decent, a quick worker, and a good homemaker. Besides, Verna Golding and Phoenix Golding were cousins from a close branch of the family, which meant Jacqueline Spann should be calling her Auntie.’

But Verna Golding seemed to loathe Jacqueline Spann, not even bothering with basic courtesy. This didn’t fit Verna’s simple and kind-hearted nature. Tang Xiaonan wasn’t puzzled for long, however. The reason wasn’t hard to guess—it was definitely because of Phoenix Golding.

Everyone in Xavier Village knew Phoenix Golding and Sean Xavier were having an affair, so there was no way Verna Golding was in the dark. Her husband was hooking up with her own cousin; she had to be furious. It would be a miracle if she could show a pleasant face to Jacqueline Spann!

"I’m heading back to school."

Jacqueline Spann’s face soured. The sense of superiority she’d gained from Sean was utterly shattered by Verna Golding. Not wanting to stay a second longer, she hurried back to school.

"Auntie Verna, I’m going to school now too!" Tang Xiaonan called out.

"Go on, be careful on your way!"

Verna Golding smiled and waved. Once Tang Xiaonan and Armstrong Huxley were a good distance away, she went inside to prepare lunch, ignoring a scowling Sean. The two of them had long since become more distant than strangers. They exchanged fewer than ten sentences all year; even a single glance felt superfluous.

"Why are you taking your anger out on a little kid? All those years of living, and for what!" Sean was simmering with rage. He had seen the hurt and disappointment on Jacqueline’s face, and it made him furious with Verna.

’This woman is ugly, stupid, and petty,’ he thought. ’Hmph. She should take a good look at herself and see what she really is. How could that ugly face of hers ever compare to Phoenix?’

’Besides, with his status, it would’ve been perfectly normal to have multiple wives and concubines back in the day. This ugly hag wouldn’t even be fit to be a serving girl. If it weren’t for this goddamned era, would he ever have married such an ugly woman?’

The mere sight of this ugly woman made him lose his appetite, to say nothing of sharing a room with her. The more Sean thought about it, the angrier he became. He glared viciously at Verna Golding and raised his hand. ’I have to teach this hag a lesson today. She doesn’t give me any face at all. She’s just asking for a beating!’

"Father!"

Clayton Xavier’s face fell. He stepped in front of Verna Golding, staring gravely at Sean.

When he was a child and Sean beat his mother, he had been powerless to protect her. But he was older now, and he could.

Though he only came up to Sean’s shoulder, Clayton’s sheer presence made his father flinch. The raised hand froze in mid-air, and for a long moment, Sean didn’t dare to swing it down.

"You... So the two of you, mother and son, are ganging up on me now, is that it? Fine... you’ve gotten bold, haven’t you!"

Sean cursed under his breath, his expression vicious, but he still showed some restraint toward his son. His hand finally dropped. Clayton said in a low, steady voice, "Father, if you have energy to spare, go earn work points with it. Don’t use it on your family."

"Since when is it your place to tell me what to do? Don’t think I won’t hit you. Meddle in my affairs again, and I’ll beat you senseless along with her!"

Sean exploded with thunderous rage, his face twisting with fury. His son’s disdain was a humiliating blow, and the fact that he was living off his wife filled him with both shame and anger. But he simply refused to work. He’d already fallen so far, so he might as well embrace being worthless. His temper grew even more volatile than before.

"Get up here, now!" a hoarse voice called from the second floor. It was the old madam. Sean’s rage was instantly extinguished, and he trudged upstairs resentfully.