Free Web NovelChapter 62: Chapter 62: Direct Crushing
Mrs. Preston was backing Sonia Quincy up.
Even a fool could see it.
"Thank you, Mom." She thanked Mrs. Preston in a trembling voice, then turned to look straight into Ethan Lockwood’s stunned eyes, her tone mocking. "Mr. Lockwood, I seem to recall already showing you some courtesy, didn’t I?"
"Sonia Quincy, what do you mean by that?" Cecilia Quincy took two steps forward, positioning herself protectively in front of Ethan Lockwood.
With Mrs. Preston’s support, Sonia was brimming with confidence. "It means I’m insulting you, of course. Miss Cecilia, with your high-and-mighty education, surely you can understand a little passive-aggression, right?"
Cecilia Quincy’s face paled, and she bit her lip, looking wronged. "You..."
Sonia placed one hand on her hip and nonchalantly flicked her hair with the other, her posture casual but her words sharp. "You two psychos really have something wrong with your heads. I just let you in to see the house. I never said I was going to sell it to you. What are you two getting so worked up about?"
"And that ’I’ll accept any price you name’... Sorry, I’m not naming a price. Because I don’t want to sell my house to you. So what if you have money? What does that have to do with me not selling?"
"Sonia Quincy, don’t be so shameless!" The insults finally got to Ethan Lockwood. Fury visibly clouded his exceptionally handsome face.
Sonia scoffed, her face full of disdain. "Mr. Lockwood, who do you think you are? The scrap of ’face’ you think you’re giving me isn’t worth a damn fart. I’d have to be an idiot to want your charity."
"You two can go take a hike. I’d rather give this house away for free than sell it to you!"
"Don’t say that..."
Sonia’s words had provoked Ethan Lockwood, but the two agents on the side weren’t spared either.
Lawrence wrung his hands anxiously and tried to mediate. "Miss Sonia, Mr. Lockwood, let’s all talk this out calmly. Let’s not ruin the friendly atmosphere. Selling a house is hard—it’s not easy for the owner to sell, and it’s not easy for a buyer to buy. We’ve gone through so much to find a suitable buyer. Let’s not let a small disagreement ruin the deal."
"You shut up." Sonia launched an indiscriminate attack, shooting Lawrence a fierce glare. "This is my house. I’ll sell it if I say so, and I won’t if I say so. If you two dare interfere with my decision, believe me, I’ll pull the listing and give it to another agency in a heartbeat."
"No!" Store Manager Lewis yanked Lawrence back, wisely withdrawing from the battlefield.
"Miss Sonia, please don’t be angry. We won’t interfere, we won’t interfere."
Sonia shot them a glare before turning her attention back to Cecilia Quincy and Ethan Lockwood.
"Take your charity and your fake sympathy and shove it. I, Sonia Quincy, look down on your money. My husband, Felix Preston, is a capable man. Even if he were broke and down on his luck, he could still earn enough to support me and our child. Our life isn’t difficult. On the contrary, we’re very happy."
"My family wants for nothing. We’re happy and complete. We don’t need outsiders like you worrying about us for no reason. Get the hell away from me. If you have nothing better to do, go till a field or something. Stop trying to make a scene in front of me."
"Lawrence, blacklist these two psychos. They’re not allowed to view my house ever again!"
"..." Lawrence cowered, not daring to make a sound.
"Sonia Quincy!" Ethan Lockwood gritted his teeth in anger. "I think you’ve really lost your mind!"
Sonia retorted, "You’re the one who’s lost his mind! Mr. Lockwood, do I look like someone who’s easy to mess with? You dug up some random Ms. Armstrong to harass me all day, thinking you could disrupt my life and stop me from selling my house?"
"Wh-what nonsense are you talking about?" Ethan Lockwood’s stammer only confirmed Sonia’s suspicions.
Sonia grabbed a water glass from a nearby cabinet and, with a CRASH, smashed it at Ethan Lockwood’s feet.
"AH!" Cecilia Quincy shrieked as shattered fragments flew at her, and she leaped behind Ethan Lockwood.
Sonia, despite her pregnant belly, took a step forward. Her gaze was ice-cold as she stared into Ethan Lockwood’s eyes, speaking each word with deliberate force, "Ethan Lockwood, get the hell out of my sight! I would sell this house for a pittance to a stranger before I would ever sell it to you!"
"Get out the same way you came in! This is my home!"
With someone backing her, she had all the confidence in the world. Standing before Ethan Lockwood, Sonia’s earlier restraint and hesitation were gone, replaced by an intimidating aura and arrogant disdain.
"Sonia Quincy..." Cecilia Quincy’s expression darkened, and she opened her mouth to say more.
"Out!" Sonia shut her down with a single word.
Cecilia Quincy’s expression froze. Defiantly, she lunged forward. "You—"
"Cecilia." Ethan Lockwood reached out, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind him.
"Ethan!" Cecilia couldn’t swallow her anger, her elegant brows furrowing deeply. "Did you hear the things Sonia just said? We were kind enough to offer to buy her house to help her out, and what does she do? She bites the hand that feeds her! If she doesn’t want to sell, fine, but does she have to be so nasty and insulting?"
"She’s fallen this low and still hasn’t learned her lesson. She should take a look around Aethelburg and see who else is even willing to talk to her besides us... She’s reaping what she sowed, ending up like this, but she doesn’t reflect on her own actions at all. Just full of disgusting habits..."
Cecilia was deeply resentful. Hiding behind Ethan Lockwood’s protection, she continued to mutter insults endlessly. Sonia listened silently until she was finished, then casually pulled a size 8 slipper from the shoe cabinet.
"Cecilia Quincy, are you done yet?" She walked up to Cecilia, brandishing the slipper menacingly. "I believe I already showed you some courtesy. If you don’t want it, I can always take it back."
"Wh-what do you think you’re doing?" Terrified by her fierce demeanor, Cecilia flinched and tried to hide in Ethan Lockwood’s arms.
Sonia sneered. "Stop the act. You think you can wear that innocent little flower disguise forever? Your dear Ethan might not know the real you, but I do. Do you need me to rip that mask off for you?"
"...Wh-what are you talking about..." Her nerve was struck, and Cecilia’s confidence vanished in an instant.
Sonia glanced at the bewildered Ethan Lockwood and scoffed. "Cecilia Quincy, why was I kicked out of the Quincy Family? Why was I driven mad? I think you know the answers better than I do, don’t you?"
"..." Cecilia bit her lip, her eyes darting about, unable to meet Sonia’s gaze.
Sonia continued, "Did I really steal your mother’s necklace? Did I really sell your father’s watch? Were all those mysterious injuries on your body really my fault?"
"Cecilia Quincy, do you dare to swear that I did all those things?"
Cecilia clutched at Ethan Lockwood’s sleeve, her voice barely a whisper. "I... why wouldn’t I dare?"
Sonia pressed on. "If you dare, then swear. Swear that I did all of it. If you lie, may you and your dear Ethan both die a horrible death. And even if you get lucky with an easy death, may one of you be buried in the Arctic and the other in the Antarctic!"
"Go on, swear it!"
