James wondered if Gladys was a product of her circumstances. He nodded, saying, "Setting up a clinic is easy. However, I think we should wait. I heard the city's trade center will be looking for foreign investors. We can set up a clinic there."

Smack! Gladys smacked him on the head. "Do you know what kind of place the trade center is? It's an upscale place, designed to be the nation's busiest financial center. Are you crazy? How are we supposed to set up a clinic there? The rental fee would be sky-high, not to mention all the other expenses!"

James touched his head ruefully. Rent? He was going to buy the entire trade center. If he decided to set up a clinic there, who would demand rent from him? However, he wisely kept his mouth shut. Telling them he would buy the trade center would make him sound foolish.

As soon as David heard Gladys would fund James's clinic, he panicked. "Mom, you can't do this! You'll lose everything if you invest in this piece of trash. You promised me a new car with this money! How could you do this to me?"

"Mom, our wedding anniversary is coming up. What about the dress you promised me?"

"That's enough," Gladys scolded. "If you're poor, don't spend on what you can't afford. Do you need a new car? Why do you need a new dress? Aren't you aware of your financial situation? Besides, this money was Thea's anyway."

"Mom, you're biased! I'm your son. He's just your son-in-law."

Gladys smacked David on the head. "Look at Tommy. He's working at Eternality as a department manager. And John's son, Weston Callahan, set up his own processing plant, even though he's not with Eternality. He has an annual income exceeding ten million. What about you? What have you done?"

David glared at James with hatred, unable to argue. Thea smiled but said nothing; she was happy Gladys approved of James. Alyssa gently tugged on David, giving him a look. Immediately, she apologized. "Sorry, Mom. We'll stick to what we have. We won't be getting a new car or a dress."

Knock knock knock! Someone knocked. Gladys sat on the couch and looked at David. "Well, don't just sit there. Get the door!"

"Oh, yes!" David stood and opened the door. Several people stood outside—Lex, Howard, John, and other family members, all bearing small gifts.

Howard smiled. "Davie! Are your parents home?"

Gladys's voice rang out. "Who is it, Dave?"

"It's Grandfather and our uncles," David replied.

Gladys rose and went to the entrance. Seeing the crowd, she said sarcastically, "How rare! We've had this house for years, and this is the first time you've visited. I don't think our tiny hut will fit all of you." She pointed outside. "Get lost."

"Come on, Gladys. Please. Dad's here to apologize," Howard said. "Think about it. Old as he is, he came to apologize in person. Are you really going to not invite him in? If word gets out, everyone will say you're a terrible daughter-in-law."

"They can say whatever they want. People have insulted me plenty over the years," Gladys said disdainfully. "What are you doing here? Now that you know James has some power, are you here to suck up to him? Sorry to disappoint you, but he's just a soldier without any rank. Even though his superior can pull some strings and is familiar with the Western Border Patrol, he can only borrow the car once. He can't do it again."

Gladys knew why Lex was there. Ignoring his seniority, she snubbed him.

The final two sentences mentioning a website are promotional material and have been removed as they are not part of the story.