The moment the call ended, mrs Gladstone stared at her phone in disbelief.
For several seconds, she remained completely still, as though she expected Loretta to call back and apologize for the way she had spoken to her and hanged up the call.
Instead, the screen remained silent.
Her expression slowly hardened.
Then, with a sudden movement, she slammed the phone onto the table.
"How dare she?"
The sound echoed through the sitting room.Mrs Gladstone's chest rose and fell rapidly as the anger she had struggled to suppress finally erupted.
"I am her mother!" She paced across the room, unable to contain her frustration.
"So what if I made her marry in Isabella's place? Is she not alive and well?"
She stopped and scoffed bitterly.
"She married into the Goodman family. She is now Mrs. Goodman. What exactly did I do to her?"
In Mrs Gladstone's mind, the matter had never been as cruel as Loretta made it sound.
