Mrs. Winston flew into a rage.
Her entire body trembled with fury.
Chloe Evans gazed at her with feigned innocence.
"Mother, you must understand that I'm the only one in this family who truly respects you."
Nothing infuriated Chloe more than being compared unfavorably to Sophia Sullivan.
Mrs. Winston had struck a nerve.
Chloe's smile remained sweet.
But her words dripped venom.
"I've already joined Winston Group as the general manager."
"I'll manage everything properly and ensure no outsiders ruin the company."
Mrs. Winston saw black spots from anger.
This was clearly a threat.
Chloe, emboldened by having leverage, dared to challenge her authority.
Mrs. Winston scoffed coldly.
"Then you'd better perform well."
"But you're not even fit to hold a strand of Sophia's hair."
Her disdain for Chloe grew stronger by the minute.
"At least you're hardworking, despite being dim-witted."
Chloe clenched her fists.
Sophia was her Achilles' heel.
But she had to endure it.
Mrs. Winston had cultivated loyalists during her years at the company.
An open confrontation now would backfire.
Suppressing her rage, Chloe forced a smile.
"You jest, Mother. I'll learn from my sister and support Liam properly."
Mrs. Winston snorted.
"You'd better."
Her eyes fell on the brooch pinned to Chloe's chest.
"That's quite an unusual brooch."
"Young people love wasting money on flashy, impractical things."
She remembered how Sophia never squandered money.
In fact, Sophia often contributed to household expenses.
Mrs. Winston deliberately probed.
"Is this my birthday gift for next week?"
She couldn't care less about the brooch.
She simply wanted to provoke Chloe.
Previously, she'd maintained some decorum.
But now that their masks had fallen, she saw no need for pretense.
Chloe's expression darkened.
"I'll prepare your gift separately. This brooch was a gift from an elder. It wouldn't be proper to regift it."
That was exactly what Mrs. Winston wanted to hear.
Hearing footsteps outside, she suddenly clutched her chest and wailed.
"My life is so miserable!"
Chloe took two steps back.
Before she could react, Liam Winston burst through the door.
"Mother, what's wrong?"
His brows furrowed tightly.
Still upset over his recent competition loss and Sophia's mockery, he was in no mood for drama.
Mrs. Winston pretended to wipe tears.
"It's all because of your wonderful wife!"
"I merely complimented her brooch, and she assumed I wanted to steal it!"
Chloe stood dumbfounded.
She'd never encountered such shameless audacity before.