Chapter 196 A Monumental Misunderstanding

"When Mrs. Lockhart went out just now, she got into a car and met with someone…"

Upon seeing the text message, Sebastian’s expression slightly darkened. He immediately texted back: "Follow the car. Find out who that person is."

Malcolm texted: "Yes."

After setting down his phone, Sebastian gazed at the indistinct figure in the bathroom, lost in thought.

The next afternoon, the young couple finally boarded their return flight. As Madelyn looked at the clouds outside the window, she felt very content.

Four hours later, the plane touched down. It was already dark.

The driver had been waiting outside the airport for quite some time, ready to pick them up. Upon seeing the two of them, he immediately rushed over to help with their luggage.

Another half an hour passed. Finally, the two of them successfully made it back to Lockhart Villa.

However, they didn’t expect to see Marsha sitting on the living room couch when they entered the villa.

At that moment, Lydia was bringing Marsha a cup of tea. “Madam, please have some tea.”

In a fit of anger, Marsha knocked over her teacup. “Get out of my sight!”

The teacup shattered on the floor, leaving fragments scattered about. Lydia was at a loss, unsure of what had upset Marsha. Ever since Marsha arrived home in the evening, she had been in a foul mood. Lydia didn’t dare to ask what had caused it. She could only mutter an apology while she cleaned up the mess.

After picking up the shattered teacup, Lydia obediently stepped aside. As she turned around, she suddenly exclaimed, “Mr. Lockhart, Mrs. Lockhart!”

Sebastian and Madelyn stood at the door watching the scene, equally perplexed.

At that moment, Marsha abruptly turned around, catching sight of the young couple. Almost immediately, she rushed over to them.

After thoroughly examining Sebastian’s hands, Marsha anxiously asked, “Sebastian, are you all right? I heard you were hurt. Where was the injury?”

“Mom, I’m fine.” Sebastian gently pushed his mother away, unaccustomed to her affectionate demeanor.

“All’s well, all’s well.” Finally, Marsha let out a sigh of relief.

Then, Marsha suddenly fixed her gaze on Madelyn, her face instantly turning incredibly stern. “Madelyn, you’re so unreasonable! So incredibly stubborn!”

What did I do now?

Madelyn was bewildered.

"Rodunst worked hard for the company. But what about you? Did you think this was a vacation? You insisted on going, claiming you wanted to help, but I think you just caused trouble! If it wasn’t for you, would Sebastian have gotten hurt?”

After finishing her piece, Marsha still felt unsatisfied. She shot Madelyn a fierce glare, filled with such animosity that it seemed she wished Madelyn dead.

Madelyn instantly felt wronged. What on earth had she done wrong? Why should she be subjected to scolding as soon as she returned?

Unable to hold back her feelings of injustice, she asked, “Mom, what’s actually going on? Can you please explain it clearly?”

With a cold, derisive laugh, Marsha replied, “Was I not clear enough? Don’t think that just because Sebastian spoils and protects you, I am oblivious. Had you not been so willful and relentlessly meddling during this trip to Rodunst, Sebastian wouldn’t have…”

Another round of scolding ensued.

Madelyn was reeling from the constant barrage of criticism. After listening in confusion for what felt like an eternity, she finally managed to discern the reason for Marsha’s anger.

Marsha must have thought that Sebastian was injured because he was trying to protect Madelyn, which resulted in him getting hurt.

Madelyn couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on. What on earth is all this about…

Harriet was probably the one who told Marsha, because who else but her would tattle to Marsha like this?

This is a monumental misunderstanding!

After Marsha finally finished her scolding, Madelyn took a deep breath and explained, “Mom, you’ve misunderstood me. I admit that I asked Sebastian to take me to Rodunst, but I behaved the entire time and didn’t run around recklessly. Besides, Sebastian got hurt because he was protecting Harriet. I haven’t even brought that up yet, but you’re scolding me instead.”

As she spoke, Madelyn began to feel a sense of frustration.

However, Marsha didn’t believe her at all. She scoffed disdainfully and said, “Do you really think I will believe your words again? Harriet is such a good kid. She has always been Sebastian’s most reliable helper. She’ll be more likely to assist Sebastian than to hurt him. How could she possibly harm Sebastian?”

Madelyn felt helpless when she heard that.

It seemed that no matter how she tried to explain, Marsha simply wouldn’t believe her. Perhaps, deep down, she just didn’t want to believe her.

If that was the case, what more could be said?

However, Sebastian suddenly said in a calm tone, “Mom, everything Madelyn said is true.”

“What?” Upon hearing these words, Marsha was instantly taken aback. She felt as if she had been slapped in the face.

For a moment, the air seemed to stand still.

A hint of embarrassment surfaced on Marsha’s radiant face. She opened her mouth to argue, but upon seeing the unwavering look on Sebastian’s face, she could only sigh inwardly and let it be.

In the end, she cast a displeased glance at Madelyn and said, “Fine. It appears my information was incorrect. But consider this a warning. Becoming a daughter–in–law in the Lockhart family isn’t as easy as it seems. You better be careful in the future.”

After that, Marsha didn’t linger for long and quickly left.

As soon as she left, Madelyn heaved a sigh of relief. However, her mood had sunk.

Sitting silently on the sofa, Madelyn couldn’t quite put into words the mix of emotions she was feeling inside.

Sebastian’s mother had a deep–seated bias against her. No matter what was said or who said it, all it took was a minor complaint for Marsha to instantly believe it and come over to reprimand her. It was truly a headache for Madelyn.

She was set to spend her life with Sebastian. If Marsha maintained this attitude, their mother–daughter–in-law relationship probably wouldn’t be too harmonious in the future.

Sebastian also noticed Madelyn’s disappointment. He felt a pang of sympathy toward her.

He stepped forward to comfort her, saying, “Mom might have misunderstood you. It will be fine once you explain things to her. Try not to take it to heart.”

Madelyn gave a helpless, bitter smile. “Yeah, I know.”

Even if she felt wronged, she couldn’t take it to heart.

After all, Marsha was Sebastian’s mother. No matter who else she might have issues with, she couldn’t afford to be at odds with her mother–in–law.

Madelyn was simply feeling aggrieved, but after calming down a bit, she felt much better.

Seeing that she was indeed in a better state, Sebastian felt more at ease.

At that moment, Madelyn abruptly stood up and urged, “All right, it’s getting late. You should go and get some sleep. Your injury hasn’t fully healed yet.”