Chapter 41

One time, I overheard Yvonne saying to Roxanne, her tone filled with sheer disdain and scorn, "Joanne has been utterly ruined after spending years living outside. No matter how we dress her up or teach her, she'll never be respectable enough to bring to public events. "Even when wearing a dress, she doesn't look anything like a daughter of the Miller family. Sure enough, Roxanne is the most beautiful! As expected of the daughter I spent years grooming!" Humiliation and embarrassment washed over me, and my face flushed red. I didn't dare approach them and could only peek out from behind the corner. I watched as Roxanne nuzzled into Yvonne and promised sweetly, "Mom, don't worry. I'll never bring shame on you." Yvonne responded, "Good. In the future, I'll only take you along with me. Let's not bring Joanne along." By the time I extricated myself from my memory, Roxanne had already stopped before Gabriel. "Mr. Dutton, what a coincidence! Are you also here for the birthday party?" Wh