Aurelia didn't know how to explain to Viscount Zhou.
Should she say that she was reborn? That because she knew what happened in her previous life, she wouldn't let her life turn into tragedy again?
Rebirth isn't something just anyone can accept.
The better the friend, the less she wanted them to doubt her.
She simply skipped over it, "I'm not joking. I'm going to bring up the divorce with Mason sooner or later. You go ahead and print out the divorce papers."
Noticing that she didn't want to say more, Viscount Zhou didn't press further, "I'll help you with it, but, Aurelia…" He paused; Aurelia could tell he had something to say.
"Just say what you want to say directly."
Since she put it that way, Viscount Zhou didn't stand on ceremony. He leaned back in his chair, playing with the earring in his left ear, and soberly reminded her.
"Back then, Mason agreed to marry you not only because you clung to him. The Shaw Family is a big piece of meat, and I'm afraid Mason won't let go that easily."
Aurelia had considered what Viscount Zhou said, but, "There's another woman and her daughter in my family, and they won't let go easily either. Don't worry, I won't foolishly let anyone else take what's mine again."
Listening to her, Viscount Zhou felt something was odd, but he didn't dwell on it. After hanging up the phone, he started investigating the matter concerning "***."
——
In the afternoon, Aurelia checked out of the hospital and returned to her and Mason's residence. She had drunk quite a bit of water and needed to go to the bathroom. Conveniently, the servants were not around, so she hobbled on her crutches toward the bathroom. After finishing, she was about to return to the bedroom when she heard the door click open.
She turned around, expecting it to be Mason, but to her surprise, it was a middle-aged woman dressed in an opulent and elegant manner—Sophia Nye, Mason's mother.
"Mom?" Aurelia naturally blurted out, not realizing how casual she sounded, which displeased Sophia, causing her to frown. "What brings you here suddenly?"
"I came to my son's home; do I need your permission?" Sophia replied irritably, tossing her handbag on the sofa. Suddenly, as if remembering something, she smiled and called out to someone outside, "Isabel, come in quickly."
Eleanor Spencer?
Aurelia looked toward the door and saw Eleanor entering with an air of shy awkwardness. She offered Aurelia a gentle smile and sweetly called out, "Aurelia sister."
Aurelia raised her eyebrow, "Mom, what is this…"
"What kind of tone is that!" Sophia raised her voice unhappily, assuming the manner of the Nightshade Family matriarch. The way Aurelia called her mom frankly rubbed her the wrong way, but she understood that, while she didn't like this daughter-in-law, her identity greatly benefited her son's business.
Knowing Aurelia had her uses, Sophia held back her temper and said, "Aurelia, since your leg is injured, even though there are servants here, they might not take care of things carefully. Isabel thought of this and offered to come and look after you. Ah, tell me, where can you find a girl like Isabel—so talented in acting, beautiful, kind-hearted, and caring? Whoever has her as a daughter-in-law is lucky."
"Mom, didn't you say you didn't like girls in the entertainment industry?" Aurelia asked, raising an eyebrow, but secretly mocking in her heart.
In her past life, she gave up her beloved acting career to please Sophia and willingly became a housewife, only to find out years later that the first person to loathe her and throw her out of the Nightshade Family was also Sophia!
The reason given was that she was leeching off the Nightshade Family's resources?
But she had her own job and dreams back then, and who did she give them up for? No one even felt sorry for her.
Ah, people really shouldn't be too humble, and certain people shouldn't be treated too kindly; otherwise, they'll just take advantage.
"A daughter-in-law of the Nightshade Family entering the entertainment industry would be a joke among friends," Sophia said disdainfully. "You don't have the talent for it. Why try your hand at the entertainment business? It's not like the Nightshade Family can't support you. Quit your job and stay home as a proper housewife."
Aurelia remained unfazed and sat down on the sofa, motioning to the servant, "Bring my bag from the bedroom."
The servant quickly fetched Aurelia's bag from upstairs. Sophia looked on, mystified, as Aurelia fiddled with her bag and asked irritably, "Did you hear what I said?"
This daughter-in-law now dared to ignore her!
Aurelia pretended not to hear the dissatisfaction in Sophia's words, shaking her bag in her hand, asking, "Mom, do you know how much I spent on this bag?"
Sophia looked at her, not understanding why she was saying this.
Then Aurelia dumped the contents of her bag onto the table, announcing each brand and price to Sophia.
Sophia's face gradually turned pale as she watched Aurelia count the items, her heart bleeding with frustration—this spendthrift woman!
Aurelia's lips curved slightly, and finally, she pushed all the items onto the table. "The odds and ends in my bag alone add up to about ten million. Plus, my clothes, jewelry, skincare, and cosmetics cost about thirty million a month. Mom, are you sure you can really afford to keep me?"
"You... you're burning money, spending so much every month! How did the Shaw Family raise such a prodigal daughter? Do you want the Nightshade Family and the money Mason earns to all be squandered by you?" Sophia shouted, jumping up, exasperated. My goodness! With the Nightshade Family's current situation, how can we support a daughter-in-law who spends so extravagantly!
The more Sophia thought about it, the more she felt that this daughter-in-law must be dismissed.
She became even more certain of the purpose of her visit.