Chapter 52 Familial Turmoil Unveiled
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When Suzanna’s tears fell, Timothy, Carson, and Derrick rallied around her, a protective shield against the accusations.
Timothy’s gaze held condemnation, his eyes cold as he addressed Gary directly.
“Gary, do you dare once more to blame Suzie unjustly?”
His tone cut through the air like a blade. “What influence has Melody wielded upon you, leading you to betray your own kin?”
With pursed lips, Timothy’s visage was a portrait of both chill and fury.
The sting of disappointment in Melody’s actions lingered, solidifying his view of her as malicious and uncouth. Her jealousy–driven destruction of their grandmother’s birthday gift only cemented this belief.
Meanwhile, Gary’s grasp on reality seemed to be slipping.
Carson, whose features mirrored the icy chill of his words.
“Gary, you’ve suffered for Melody’s sake, yet she treats you as naught but a pawn in her games. Can you not see through her deceit?” His grip on Gary’s collar was firm, his voice cutting.
“Suzie bore the brunt of your misfortune, her back still healing from the wounds inflicted. What have you to say for yourself? How can you harbor doubts against her, against your own humanity?”
Derrick remained aloof, calm, and detached as he observed Gary with a piercing gaze.
“Gary,” he began, his tone sharp and incisive, “why do you cast doubt
upon Suzie?”
Ever the astute legal mind, Derrick understood the importance of scrutinizing even the slightest deviations in behavior.
To him, every action held the potential to reveal underlying motives or explanations.
Gary’s eyes held depths of turmoil, the pain of his injuries gnawing at his resolve. Yet, with a trembling voice, he sought to justify his doubts.
“Because Suzanna is not as innocent as she appears,” Gary countered, his voice tinged with skepticism.
“Despite her fragility and her heart condition rendering her incapable of self–care, her
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Chapter 52 Familial Turmoil Unveiled
capacity for deceit is alarming.”
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Carson’s response was a soft chuckle, dismissive of Gary’s accusations. “Pfft,” he scoffed, his amusement evident.
“You do possess a sense of humor, Gary, Carson remarked wryly. “Suzie is the epitome of honesty within our family. To suggest otherwise is akin to claiming pigs can fly!”
During their familial turmoil, the arrival of the family doctor, summoned by Mrs. Shield, provided a sudden shift in focus.
Gary, usually stalwart, now appeared frail and feverish, his normally steady steps faltering, his complexion flushed with heat.
The doctor hurried to Gary’s side, his concern evident as he assessed the young man’s. condition.
“Mr. Gary is running a high fever,” he announced gravely, his brow furrowing in concern.
Given his recent burn injury, this could lead to dangerous inflammation. We must transport him to the hospital at once!”
At that moment, realization dawned upon the brothers: Gary’s fever had clouded his. judgment, leading to his irrational accusations against Suzie.
As Christina approached, her guilt and remorse spilled forth in tears. “Gary, forgive me,” she implored, her voice choked with emotion. “I should never have subjected you to such punishment in the ancestral hall for the whole day, especially on your birthday…”
Mrs. Shield’s expression darkened at this revelation, her voice stern as she addressed her daughter–in–law. “Christina, on a cold night and Gary’s birthday, you forced him to kneel in the ancestral hall all day?”
“What were you thinking? Were you attempting to harm Gary?”
Christina’s complexion paled as she struggled to explain. “But Gary has knelt for days previously, and he was fine,” she protested weakly, her regret palpable,
How could she have been so thoughtless, especially on a night meant for celebration?
With tears in her eyes, she turned to Gary, seeking forgiveness. “Gary, I am truly sorry…
Gary’s trembling hand pushed against Christina’s shoulder, his lips cracked and quivering as he struggled to speak through his sobs. “Nanny, Mom… it wasn’t me who endured the punishment in the ancestral hall previously,” he confessed, his voice raw with anguish.
“It was Mel who bore the burden in my place. I am the one at fault!”
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Chapter 52 Familial Turmoil Unveiled
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With eyes tightly shut, Gary felt the weight of his guilt pressing down upon him, his heart shattering beneath the weight of his admission.
Stunned by this revelation, the Shield family turned their gaze towards Melody, who stood aloof, arms folded, a chilly observer of the familial turmoil. Her demeanor remained unchanged as Gary’s accusation fell upon her ears.
Her gaze remained frosty, and as all eyes fixed upon her, a chilling smile graced Melody’s lips. “He mistaken,” she declared coolly, brushing aside Gary’s accusations with a flick of her words.
She erased the countless nights she had sacrificed in Gary’s place with that simple assertion.
It was a stark declaration of her detachment from the Shield family, rendering their apologies irrelevant in her eyes.
The moment’s weight proved too much for Gary to bear, and he crumpled under the weight of it all.
.
He was swiftly carried away on a stretcher, leaving behind a shattered birthday celebration in
his wake.
As the commotion subsided, Mrs. Shield retreated into the sanctuary of her seat, clutching the torn piece of embroidery with a grim expression.
To her, this fabric was not merely a gift but a masterpiece of artistry, crafted by Master Lily’s skilled hands.
Melody’s destruction of it was not only a loss of material value but a direct insult to the Shield family’s honor, a challenge Mrs. Shield could not ignore!
Mrs. Shield’s voice rang out, demanding restitution. “Melody, you’ve defiled the embroidery gifted by Suzie. What measures will you take to rectify this?”
Despite his declining health and failing eyesight Mr. Shield maintained his faith in Melody. With a cough, he summoned the strength to speak up in her defense.
