Chapter 225: Horrible Mother-in-Law
"Me," Soleia replied flatly, looking no less pleased to see Elisa than she was to see her.
The once proud matriarch of the Elsher family had fallen on tough times― her red hair that was once peppered with gray was now completely ash gray, and tough lines decorated her face. Her cheeks were sunken, and the dark circles under her eyes were highlighted by her dark gray dress. It seemed to resemble a sack more than any proper outfit, as though she had simply picked it off the ground and fashioned it into an outfit out of a lack of options.
It was such a far cry from what she was used to wearing that Soleia was stunned.
Elisa noticed Soleia’s eyes scrutinizing her outfit, and her cheeks reddened in humiliation and anger.
"What are you looking at? Are you here to gloat? We’re in this state because of you! You and your foolish insistence on being my son’s wife that resulted in the accursed wedding that ruined our lives―"
"She’s not the one to blame for this," Orion said firmly, cutting off his mother’s tirade while Soleia merely let Elisa’s words enter through one ear and out the other, as though she was nothing more than a buzzing fly. He pulled Lucinda up with his hand, and Lucinda let out a soft cry of pain.
"Mother, this mess was entirely my own doing. I was hoodwinked by Elinora― I mean Elowyn, and I ended up hurting Soleia and all of you with my own incompetence."
Elisa stomped her foot, outraged at her son’s apology.
"Orion, you did nothing wrong. It’s this woman’s fault! If you had just married Elowyn from the very beginning in the palace like it was planned, our entire family wouldn’t be in such a state! Living in a slum! We’re worse off now than when we were commoners!"