“Stephen, you used to never talk back to me like this. Did Tessa say something to drive a wedge between us? Every time we talk about anything related to Tessa, your entire demeanor changes,” said Rowena.

Stephen barked out a laugh as a flash of loneliness flickered in his eyes. “Drive a wedge between us? You’re overthinking it. I haven’t spoken to her in a long time.”

The stern tone that Rowena used made it clear that there was no room for discussion. “In that case, be good and attend the matchmaking.”

“No,” was Stephen’s callous response as he turned on his heel and made his way to the staircase.

“You’re behaving ridiculously!” Rowena yelled at Stephen’s retreating back.

Jacqueline ran a soothing hand down Rowena’s back to calm her. “Don’t be angry, Grandma.”

Rowena calmed her breathing before she began ranting, “Jacqueline, look how unreasonable your brother is being. He refuses to be serious when he’s talking to me. He wasn’t like this in the past.”

“You’re right. Ever since he got together with Tessa, it’s like he transformed into a new person. He never used to talk back to you in the past. I bet Tessa must have said something to drive a wedge between the two of you,” Jacqueline agreed.

“Do you also think that Tessa’s the cause?” Rowena asked.

“Yes, Grandma. Any time the topic of conversation is related to Tessa, Stephen changes into another person. I can’t think of any other reason for this change if Tessa wasn’t trying to ruin your relationship with Stephen.”

“You can’t be so sure, Jacqueline,” Nancy chimed in as she snacked on some nuts. “When Tessa and Stephen were still together, were you hiding under their bed to learn that she was ruining Stephen and Mrs. Jacobson Senior’s relationship?”

Jacqueline shot Nancy an irritated look. “I wasn’t. But-”

Nancy didn’t let her finish her sentence. She continued, “Then, did Tessa personally tell you anything that suggested she was trying to drive a wedge in their relationship?”

Jaqueline’s face darkened. She hissed through gritted teeth, “No.”

Nancy smiled at her. “That’s quite strange, then. You didn’t hear it from her, yet you’re insisting that she tried to drive a wedge between them. Maybe you’re the one who’s trying to drive a wedge between Stephen and Mrs. Jacobson Senior, hmm?”

Nancy was the heiress of the Lloyd family, so she was someone who came from true wealth and power. Besides, she was also a top female celebrity in the entertainment industry.

Outsiders feared the authority the Jacobsons wielded, so they were afraid of offending Jacqueline, who was the adopted daughter of the Jacobsons.

Nancy, on the other hand, had no such fears. She never considered Jacqueline a threat, and she had never liked her since they were children. She always thought that Jacqueline behaved strangely, especially after she turned 17. She would do all sorts of things to catch Stephen’s attention.

Stephen never thought too deeply about her bizarre actions since he had a big heart, but Nancy was able to see right through Jacqueline She had labeled Jacqueline a bitch a long time ago, and reality had proven that Nancy was correct in her assessment.

Jacqueline was a professional at being a bitch.

Nancy didn’t hide the hostility in her tone, so Jacqueline also dropped her act. She

glared at Nancy and asked, “What are you trying to say?”

Nancy was all smiles as she answered, “It’s as I said, Jacqueline.”

Jacqueline was about to lose her temper when she suddenly remembered that Rowena was still seated next to her. She hurriedly plastered a pathetic expression on her face and softened her tone when she said, “Nancy, do you have something to say to me?

“Yeah, I do. You must be blind since you didn’t notice it even though it was staring you right in the face.” Nancy scoffed as she rolled her eyes. “I hate bitches the most.”

“Did I wrong you somehow, Nancy? Why are you so hostile toward me?”

Nancy smiled. “So not only are you blind, but you’re also deaf,” she said before raising her voice and emphasizing each word that came next. “I said, I hate bitches the most!”

Nancy shot Jacqueline a bright smile. She pitched her tone higher and asked, “Were you able to hear me clearly, Jacqueline?”