Chapter 3
*Really?” Linda’s lips curved into a half–smile as she glanced at the demure Elaine. “Grandma, you sure the Vaughns would want a fake?”
In her last life, Jasper hadn’t even spared a glance at Elaine.
Elaine bit her lip, eyes dropping. Her wounded expression could melt hearts.
Edith’s face softened, and her heart ached.
She patted Elaine’s hand, then shot Linda a glare.
She patted Elaine’s hand, then shot Linda a glare. She yelled, her voice shrieking, “Who are you calling ‘fake?‘ Elaine’s my real granddaughter! Anyone who says she’s not a Preston will answer to me.”
Linda’s lips twitched, barely hiding a grin.
‘Same as last life, she thought. ‘Edith treats Elaine like gold and me like dirt.
But that doesn’t matter to her now.
She had her parents‘ love, and that was more than enough.
Everyone else? Irrelevant.
Edith pressed on. “Since Linda knows she’s not good enough for Jasper, Elaine stays his fiancée.”
Linda didn’t even blink.
Jasper can marry whoever, she thought. ‘Even a cow. I don’t care.’
Eleanor frowned. “Edith, Jasper’s engaged to Linda. You can’t just swap them around.”
Edith kept saying Linda wasn’t good enough, and Eleanor was fed up.
If Edith weren’t her mother–in–law, she’d have lost it already.
‘Not good enough?‘ she thought to herself, ‘Linda could marry the president if she wanted!‘
Edith shrugged, unfazed. “She’s the one who called it off.”
Charles’s voice was cold as steel. “Mom, we’ll discuss this later. And-”
His tone grew even sharper as he warned, “You can dote on Elaine all you want, but say Linda’s not good enough for Jasper again, and I’ll be mad.”
“Oh, sure, your precious daughter’s perfect,” Edith shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Have a kid and suddenly your mom’s nothing. Elaine, let’s go!”
She hadn’t expected her usually compliant son to embarrass her like that.
Furious, she grabbed Elaine’s arm and stormed out.
Elaine glanced back at Linda, her fingers clenching into fists at her sides.
She didn’t believe Linda was really canceling the engagement.
She thought to herself, “That manipulator. Acting pitiful to win Mom and Dad’s sympathy, just to steal Jasper.‘
She gritted her teeth. ‘Why should Linda get everything once she was back? Dad, Mom, and now Jasper!‘
Her Dad and Mom? She could let go, but Jasper? No a chance.
She’d been smitten with that him since she was a child. No one was taking him from her.
Linda caught Elaine’s glare, her lips curling into a taunting smile.
‘What a world, she thought. ‘People are fighting over that loser!
“Sweetie, tell Mom what’s going on,” Eleanor said softly, her voice full of concern.
“Linda, don’t take your grandma’s words too seriously,” Charles added gently. “Jasper’s a good guy. I can see you like him. It’s a great match.”
1/2
9:26 AM J
Chapter 3
The living room was now just the three of them. Eleanor and Charles wanted to have an earnest conversation with Linda.
“Dad, Mom,” Linda said, pulling them into a warm hug.
She was so happy she was back.
This time, she’d stay close, their little girl forever.
She almost cried.
Seeing her eyes well up, her parents‘ hearts sank.
“Linda, don’t cry,” Charles said, his voice heavy with emotion. “I know you’ve had a tough time. But don’t worry, Dad’s here for you. You’ll marry into the Vaughn family, no trouble at all.”
The man who dominated boardrooms for decades was a wreck, flustered at the sight of his daughter’s tears.
AD
