The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 2132

Louisa was crying so hard it seemed she might run out of breath.

Three lives at stake.

"How could you. Why would you do this? Why?" Louisa cried out in anguish, "What's so wrong with me as your sister-in-law? Tell me today, clear, and plain, what did I do, what did I say to make you wish me, my husband, and my children to be damned, speak up!"

This was the first time Arabella had ever seen her mother so utterly undone.

All her grievances, anger, and sorrow. were vented out in this moment.

At this moment, all Arabella could do was to wipe her tears, gently pat her on the shoulder, and then quietly step back.

Her brothers, too, passed tissues to their father, their silence speaking volumes.

"When I married into this family, you received your wedding gift a year later than I did, but yours was significantly more substantial. Even the house you got was more expensive, more luxurious," Beverly looked up with a touch of sadness and a sense of loss, "That was the first time I felt the unfairness from our parents."

Before Beverly could respond, Cornelia, clearly upset, interjected, "How can you say that? The year you got married, gold was priced at $10 per gram. I got you 999 grams, hoping your love with Lucas would last forever. The following year, when Louisa married into the family, the price of gold had risen to $13 per gram, but I still got her 999 grams—the amount was the same!"

"No, it's not the same. The total value was much more in her case!" Beverly's eyes shimmered with hurt, "You gave me gold worth $99,900; you should've given her gold at the same price to be fair! And at her wedding, she had twenty more tables of guests than I did."

"When I asked you back then, you told me any gifts would do, whether you were satisfied with the matrimonial home, and if there was anything you wanted to change. I told you not to be shy, to speak up. You said everything was fine, that you loved Lucas. At the time, I thought you were a good girl, and we didn't want to shortchange or upset you. Just the gift alone, I can say that no other family in the city gave as much as we did."

Not to mention the gold, there was also cash, a car, a store, and so much more.

"But Louisa got more." Beverly looked at Cornelia, her eyes faintly filled with grievous tears, "I know my background and Louisa's are different, she comes from a prestigious family, it makes sense to give more. But Lucas and I worked so hard after our marriage, we strove, yet you didn’t see it."

"What do you mean by we 'didn’t see it’?" Cornelia asked coldly, “Is it because we didn't hand over the family business to you to manage? Everyone knows that the Collins family business is traditionally handed down to the eldest son. Even if Louisa had five sons, Hans would still manage the company, the principle is the same."

"But Lucas and I are clearly better at business than my elder brother and his wife. Why can't we manage together? Why can't we inherit the company and let my brother and his wife take dividends?" Beverly asked grievously.