Freda's reply lit up Brandi's big eyes.

She smiled, and her dimples showed again.

Seeing her smile, Freda couldn't help feeling relieved.

Brandi added in a sweet voice, "Grandma, you are not as scary as they said you were. I like you, Grandma!"

To cast a bone between Brandi and Freda, too many people had gossiped outside their yard about how scary Freda was.

Because of what they had said, Brandi didn't even dare to approach Freda in her previous life.

In fact, Freda knew that people talked about her behind.

But she had never taken that into her heart.

She had so many grandchildren, yet she didn't like them that much.

Therefore, if the kids were afraid of her, they wouldn't stay around and bother her, leaving her some space.

But Freda had never expected that the rumors had gone wild that her little granddaughter was frightened.

Freda narrowed her eyes at Shelia.

While the latter clenched her fists tight.

Damn, Brandi was trying to expose her and lead Freda to punish her.

But Brandi ignored her warning.

Freda said to Sophia praisingly, "You have raised her well."

Sophia hurried to respond, "I don't dare take the credit. Bran has been a good girl, and she never got me worried."

She was telling the truth.

Freda frowned again. Brandi might be a good kid, but her mother was too timid and weak. It was lucky that she had required to take Brandi home. Otherwise. Sophia's education might have ruined the kid.

Shelia felt worse to see how Sophia flattered Freda, clenching her fists harder.

Therefore, she interposed, "You should have known better. Brandi is a big girl now. It's not appropriate for her to get mud all over. You have to know that you are not in the mountain now. Getting mud on your legs would only attract laughter."

She was insulting them as some useless and indecent people.

Brandi's eyes reddened, but she nodded obediently.

All those present were aware of what Shelia was actually saying.

Freda felt bad about that as well, so she stared at Shelia coldly.

Brandi was their blood, after all, Christopher's only daughter. How could Shelia humiliate her like that?

Shelia knew that she had made a mistake, so she sat down and lowered her head, trying to make herself seem invincible at the spot.

She hadn't expected that Freda had changed right after the two came back.

Now that Shelia behaved herself, Freda shifted her gaze on Sophia and Brandi. Shelia might make it sound terrible, but she had a point, more or less.

It was inappropriate for a girl to play mud.

Brandi lowered her head, seeming depressed.

She asked in a low voice, "Grandma, don't you like my mother? Or me?"

Freda found it unbearable to see a lovely girl having that expression.

"Why do you have such doubts?"

Brandi's eyes turned red, but she held hard so that her tears wouldn't drop.

"The food here is too greasy, so my mother made some porridge for me. But Auntie Shelia and Auntie Tabitha went to our yard and said my mother was a servant."

Shelia couldn't control herself but hurried to get up.

"You naughty girl, What were you saying?"

Sophia rushed over and nudged Brandi to watch her mouth.

"Mom, Bran is too young to understand what she is talking about."

Then she turned to Brandi and said seriously, "Bran, Mom has told you to watch your mouth. Why don't you listen to me?"

Brandi seemed upset to be blamed.

But inside, she was more than delighted.

Sophia happened to confirm the story by saying so without realizing it.

Although they were telling the truth, it would work differently if she told the story instead of her mother.

Sophia was too timid and worried that Shelia would go against them afterward.

What Brandi was true, but she didn't consider the situation.

But Brandi knew better that concession wouldn't bring them peace but lead to more troubles.

As expected, Freda's eyes turned sharp at Shelia.

Shelia felt guilty, so she lowered her head, "Mom, sorry I did that."

Freda felt in a great rage. The police hadn't issued a death certificate of Christopher yet, but the rest of the family had already taken his wife and daughter as scourages.