In the Lap of Luxury by Unsweetened Chestnuts

Chapter 149

Chapter 148 | Treat Her Like My Own Daughter “That's right. | heard that your daughter-in-law has opened a boutique with unique clothing styles, and the business is booming. Many people are lining up to shop there.” “Mrs. Hawkins, we’re so close to each other. Why don’t you inform your daughter-in-law, and we can go to her store to pick out a few outfits?” Without a word, Susan listened to the wealthy ladies praise Grace about anything and everything. Instantly, her face turned somewhat unpleasant. She had used to think that Grace was just an orphan from the countryside. So she had done many outrageous things to Grace and even pressured her to divorce Benjamin. Now that it had been revealed that Grace was the daughter of the Lewis family, Susan deeply regretted her past behavior. If she had been kinder to Grace, she wouldn’t be this embarrassed now. “Why don’t you say something, Mrs. Hawkins? Can you make it happen? If you can, I'll ask my girlfriends to come along, and we can help support your daughter—in—law’s business.” Susan cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment. “Well, | don’t usually get involved in the younger generation’s affairs,” “Oh, Mrs. Hawkins, you're being too modest. We're talking about your daughter-in-law. It will just be a matter of your word.” “She should pay you some respect, right? Or do you have no influence at all as a mother-—in- law?” The wealthy lady’s comment was a direct challenge to Susan’s pride. But as someone who valued her reputation, she knew it would be hard for her to remain in this social circle if she were to offend these wealthy ladies. With a smile, Susan said, “What are you talking about? I’m her mother-in-law, so of course she listens to me. You want to go to her store to shop, right? No problem. I'll take you there some other day.” “Mrs. Hawkins, I’ve heard that your daughter-in-law is a skilled designer. Can she design a custom outfit for me?” Susan responded confidently, “Of course, | will have her personally design it for you.” “You're so nice, Mrs. Hawkins. You must have a great relationship with your daughter-in-law, right?” This question made Susan feel awkward. +15 BONUS Back then, she had often criticized Grace in front of her friends, saying the latter was of a lowly background and didn’t deserve Benjamin or the Hawkins family. Since Grace wasn’t present, Susan acted and shamelessly stated, “Of course! My relationship with Grace has always been good. I've always treated her like my own daughter.” Hearing this next door, Emily couldn’t hold back anymore. “How can someone be so shameless? She treated you so badly before. “But now that she knows your true identity, she’s shamelessly flapping her mouth. Isn’t she afraid of karma?” Grace was equally disgusted. “Treated me like her own daughter? How ridiculous!” she thought. In the past, Grace had endured a lot and made many compromises for Benjamin's sake, only to be constantly bullied and exploited. She didn’t have to endure anymore. “Mrs. Hawkins, do you treat me like your own daughter? Why am | not aware of it?” Grace disrupted the wealthy ladies‘ conversation, leaving Susan stunned and dumbfounded. Being caught in such a situation made the latter feel extremely embarrassed. She looked at Grace and noticed that her appearance remained unchanged, but her demeanor had undergone a profound transformation. Before, Susan could proudly assert herself in front of Grace. But now, Grace exuded an intangible aura that made her instinctively feel inferior.