Free Web NovelChapter 494: Chapter 494: A Woman of Fortune
Mitchell Sheffield and Lana Grant’s eyes widened in disbelief at Mrs. Sheffield’s words.
’Has the old woman gone senile? Why else would she agree to let Winston marry Sylvia Lancaster?’
The couple quickly began talking over each other, trying to get Mrs. Sheffield to change her mind.
"Mom! You must not know! That Sylvia Lancaster has been married before. She even had an abortion for her ex-husband! Our Winston is so young, and this would be his first marriage. How can you let him marry a divorcée!"
"That’s right, Mom. Not only has her family gone bankrupt, but she’s also rumored to have ties to that infamous Hayes Family. If you let a woman like that into our home, won’t she just be a liability to Winston’s career?"
"Mom, you can’t just spoil Winston like this! He’s young and naive, blinded by some woman. Have you gone senile too? Even if he doesn’t marry Nina Summers, we should at least find him a nice girl from a family of equal standing!"
"Yes, Mom. You can’t be confused about this. Marriage is no trivial matter..."
"That’s enough!" Mrs. Sheffield cut off her son and daughter-in-law’s incessant nagging, her voice edged with impatience. With a mysterious look, she said, "The two of you stay out of it. I have my own plans!"
As Mitchell Sheffield and Lana Grant watched in confusion, Mrs. Sheffield lowered her voice. "I’ll be honest with you. Mr. Felix Ford has already done a reading. He said that girl, Sylvia, has a noble destiny. She’s a rare woman of great fortune! Her fate is compatible with Winston’s. As long as Winston marries her, our family’s prosperity will reach a whole new level!"
Remembering Mr. Felix Ford’s words, Mrs. Sheffield couldn’t suppress the smile forming on her lips. She couldn’t help but say to her son and daughter-in-law, "Don’t look down on Sylvia just because it would be her second marriage. Mr. Ford said that throughout history, the most fortunate women are always on their second marriage! That girl Sylvia is one of the fortunate ones. She will definitely bring good luck to our Sheffield Family!"
After hearing Mrs. Sheffield’s explanation, Mitchell Sheffield and Lana Grant were utterly dumbfounded, speechless for a long moment.
After a long silence, Lana Grant asked cautiously, "Mom... Don’t you think you might have been... swindled?"
Mitchell Sheffield frowned as well. "She’s right, Mom. You can’t believe the nonsense those charlatans spout. All this talk of fate and fortune... it’s just feudal superstition!"
The moment Mitchell Sheffield finished speaking, Mrs. Sheffield shot him a harsh glare. "You think I can’t tell the difference between superstition and the real thing?" she retorted, clearly displeased. "I’m not some country bumpkin! You think I can’t see through a simple trick?!"
"This came from Mr. Felix Ford! He’s a true spiritual master. How dare you compare him to some common street-corner charlatan!"
Seeing the disbelief still etched on Mitchell and Lana’s faces, Mrs. Sheffield grew anxious. "Don’t you two forget! It was Mr. Felix Ford who warned us that your father would have a sudden heart attack in a week and told us to be prepared. And what happened? Your father had one on that exact day!"
"If Mr. Ford hadn’t warned us and we hadn’t gone to the hospital early, your father might not have been saved!"
Mitchell Sheffield and Lana Grant exchanged a glance. It was true; that really had happened.
Mr. Sheffield’s illness had come on suddenly and with a vengeance. Thanks to Felix Ford’s prediction, they had been able to secure a spot at a private hospital in advance. Without that preparation, the old man might have died that very day.
For this very reason, Mrs. Sheffield had complete faith in Mr. Felix Ford’s words and would frequently invite him to their home as a guest.
Mr. Felix Ford happened to be visiting the day Winston brought Sylvia Lancaster over.
Initially, Mrs. Sheffield hadn’t thought much of Sylvia Lancaster, seeing her as the delicate, ornamental type—all looks and no substance. But Mr. Ford had quietly told her that Sylvia’s destiny was noble, that she was a rare woman of great fortune. If Winston married her, he was certain to achieve great success.
Not only that, but Mr. Ford had also told Mrs. Sheffield that if Sylvia happened to be divorced and remarrying, her fortune would be even greater. Marrying her would allow the entire Sheffield Family to ascend to new heights.
Thrilled by Mr. Ford’s words, Mrs. Sheffield had immediately gone to ask about Sylvia’s personal circumstances. As it turned out, Sylvia was indeed divorced!
That sealed the deal for Mrs. Sheffield.
She was going to have Sylvia Lancaster, this fortunate granddaughter-in-law, no matter what!
With that thought, Mrs. Sheffield warned her son and daughter-in-law, "In any case, I’ve accepted Sylvia as my granddaughter-in-law. Don’t you two even think about trying to break them up. If you do... you’ll have me to answer to!"
Seeing the stern expression on Mrs. Sheffield’s face, Mitchell Sheffield and Lana Grant looked at each other, at a complete loss.
’Logic told them that these fortune-tellers were all con artists and couldn’t be trusted. If Sylvia Lancaster were truly so fortunate, how could the Lancaster Family have gone bankrupt?’
But the couple had always been dutiful children. Seeing how insistent Mrs. Sheffield was, they didn’t know what else to say.
Mitchell and Lana’s conflicted feelings persisted through dinner. The table was laden with four dishes and a soup—a rare sight in the post-apocalyptic world.
Although Mr. Sheffield had retired two years ago, he had secured positions for his sons and grandsons within the system. With Jim Sheffield also in charge of several major supply points in the city, the Sheffield Family wanted for nothing. In an era when a simple bowl of rice was a luxury for the common person, the Sheffields’ dinner table still featured vegetables and meat.
Unfortunately, Mitchell and Lana found themselves picking at their food, unable to taste a thing.
They ate distractedly, secretly sizing up Sylvia, who sat across from them. The more they looked, the more they felt she really didn’t seem like a woman blessed with good fortune at all...
Mrs. Sheffield paid no mind to the couple’s thoughts. She placed a few pieces of meat into Sylvia’s and Winston’s bowls and said cheerfully, "Sylvia, dear, since Winston’s parents are here today, it’s the perfect time to settle the matter of your marriage!"
Mitchell Sheffield and Lana Grant both froze. They watched as Mrs. Sheffield turned to Sylvia and said, "Sylvia, find a time to go home and speak with your parents. Ask them when they’re free so our families can get together for a meal and discuss your marriage to Winston."
Winston was overjoyed. He moved all the meat from his bowl into Sylvia’s and said with a grin, "That’s wonderful, honey! I’ll go home with you tomorrow. We can bring your parents back with us!"
Sylvia’s smile stiffened at his words, but she quickly lowered her gaze to hide the panic in her eyes. "There’s no need, Winston," she said softly. "I’ll go by myself tomorrow."
Winston, completely oblivious to her strange reaction, just chuckled. "All right, then. Have your parents get their things together, and I’ll go pick them up when they’re ready!"
Thrilled at the thought of finally marrying the woman of his dreams, Winston felt a wave of satisfaction. He placed several more pieces of marbled pork belly into Sylvia’s bowl. At this point, nearly the entire platter of meat was piled in her bowl.
Mitchell and Lana watched from the side, a sour feeling growing in their stomachs.
After a moment, Mitchell cleared his throat and chose his words carefully. "Isn’t meeting tomorrow a bit too soon...?"
Lana quickly chimed in. "Yes, it’s been raining so much lately. It won’t be easy for Sylvia to get home. Why don’t we wait until the rain stops..."
Before Lana could finish, Mrs. Sheffield slammed her rice bowl down on the table with a loud THUD!
She shot her son and daughter-in-law a sidelong glance and said coldly, "What is there to wait for? The two of them aren’t getting any younger. Of course we should set a date as soon as possible!"
After saying her piece, Mrs. Sheffield glanced at Mr. Sheffield beside her. "Old man, say something!"
