Chapter 573

Tveden, Zoey, and I discussed a matter of moderately ancient history. Zoey insisted Viola didn't need to use her winnings to repay the money once her family's property was sold. Viola hesitantly agreed after brief consideration.

Zoey didn't require Viola to appear in person, as she was now a member of the Warren family. Instead, she wrote a letter to Alice, signing it "Mrs. Warren." The letter only requested Viola wire a smaller sum, indicating the amount she owed.

After writing the letter, Viola handed it to Zoey. "Is it really necessary to go through all this?" she asked. "I feel my remarriage was inappropriate." She returned the pension documents and said grudgingly, "It seems like my remarriage…"

Zoey replied, "When you married Barrett, you did so as the third lady of the Earl of Silverstone's family. No one criticized your remarriage. I'll be straightforward—this is to prevent any further speculation."

Viola laughed, her anger evident. "What do you think I want? Do you really believe I'd want to divorce Barrett and run back to Thomas? Do you think you know me?"

"It's good if you haven't thought of it. Trust me, I know exactly how you are," Zoey said.

Viola was furious. "Zoey, everyone makes mistakes! I don't know if you've ever made a mistake, but I haven't caught you in one. So stop throwing my past in my face. Although life in the Warren family isn't ideal, at least my husband respects and loves me. I haven't considered a divorce. Also, let's not forget this marriage was arranged with my brother's best interests in mind, and Mrs. Murray acted as the matchmaker. Instead of being grateful, you continue to blame me. Aren't you being ungrateful?"

Zoey calmly folded the letter, her expression unchanged. "Don't flatter yourself. I don't owe you any gratitude. When Mrs. Murray arranged the marriage, it was a negotiation. If the offers had been different, she could have simply issued a marriage edict. Why would anyone marry someone like Barrett more than once?"

"You had the chance to understand what kind of person he was before agreeing to the marriage. Since that was the case, the marriage wasn't forced upon you, and you could have refused it."

"Mom!" Viola turned to Evelyn, her face full of grievance. "Is there no reason for not offending Mrs. Murray because of my brother? I wasn't even keen on the marriage in the beginning."

Evelyn sighed. "What's the point of discussing this now?"

Viola choked back tears, wiping her eyes. "I just want some fairness! Since that incident happened, Zoey has always targeted me. Do you even see me as family anymore?"

"Of course, we consider you part of the family. Aren't we doing this for your own good? If you return the pension and the money from the shops, you'll have nothing hanging over your head. You can live your life as a proper member of the Warren family without worry."

Viola wanted to argue that once she repaid everything, she wouldn't owe the Farrell family anything. But what about Thomas? Did he owe them? The thought hung in the air, but she didn't voice it, fearing Zoey would bring up that painful topic again.

Both her in-laws and her family were a constant source of stress, and she was fed up. "Do whatever you want. You've written the letter, you have my assets, and I'm done with this." With that, she stood up and left.

Evelyn, reluctant to see her daughter distressed, wanted to go after her to offer comfort. However, Zoey said, "Mother, let her go."

Evelyn frowned. "Honestly, I don't think she would have gone back to Thomas. There was really no need to push her so hard."

Bonus:

Zoey responded calmly, "Mother, my husband commands troops. With his limited abilities, he naturally attracts jealousy and discontent. We have to be cautious and ensure everything is handled properly to avoid criticism. You can't only sympathize with Viola's feelings and ignore the interests of everyone in our family."

"How can you speak of your husband like that?" Evelyn said with a frown, clearly displeased.

"I'm only being honest, Mother. You know better than I do what my husband is capable of. Right now, the Southern Frontier is at peace. Do you really think the king would appoint him as a marshal if there were any real conflict?"

Evelyn was momentarily speechless.