The Queen's Back

"Mona, what were you thinking, getting engaged to Maxwell so suddenly?" Jane asked. During the engagement ceremony, Jane kept her thoughts to herself since it was Mona's choice. But she was also set on teaching Teddy a lesson. He shouldn't think her precious granddaughter is easy to push around. Bernard, with his life experience, saw that Maxwell was clearly no ordinary guy. He decided to stay neutral about the engagement but planned to keep a close watch on how things unfolded. Mona sat next to Jane and said, "Grandma, Maxwell is such a great guy. I don't feel like I'm losing out at all by being with him."

Jane agreed to some extent. Maxwell was now the CEO of Carter Group, good-looking, and well-regarded in Nathontown. But since Mona and Maxwell didn't know each other well, she couldn't shake the feeling that there might be more to this engagement than met the eye. "Áren't you two a bit unfamiliar with each other? I'm just worried he might not treat you well later on," Jane said.

Jane had always been protective of Mona and found it hard to accept the idea of her getting married. But she was getting older, and Mona's father, Jeremy, seemed too timid and unreliable. Mona needed someone who could stand up for her.

Jane had considered getting Mona a live-in son-in-law, but with Jeremy already in that role, finding another wouldn't look right. She thought it might be better for Mona to marry someone from a slightly lower background, so he wouldn't dare mistreat her. However, with the Carter family's power growing, Jane worried that Mona might face challenges if things didn't go well. "Grandma, Maxwell's a really great guy. We knew each other back in high school. Just trust my judgment, okay?" Mona said with a playful smile.

She and Maxwell were high school classmates-he was a senior and she was a freshman. Back then, Maxwell was always teasing her, pulling her pigtails and pinching her cheeks. Mona ended up scared of him and tried to avoid him as much as possible. "Alright, let's head out. People outside must be getting impatient," Jane said. As Mona helped her grandparents out, she noticed Albert carefully applying ointment to Barbara's face. His concern was clear in his gentle touch. Mona remembered that Albert wasn't her biological brother, just a half-brother. She almost forgot that the man on the sofa wasn't her real father either.

"Sorry, Mona. Please forgive me. I was drunk that night, and by the time I realized what happened, it was too late. I was scared and didn't want to tell anyone at home. I'll never talk to Teddy again. I know I messed up," Barbara whimpered, clinging to Mona's arm. "Yeah, Mona, give Barbara a break this time. She got tricked by that jerk Teddy." Albert jumped in to support Barbara.

Mona had mixed feelings about Albert. Since they were kids, he always seemed to favor Barbara over her. Even now, with Mona being the one betrayed by her fiancé, Albert was comforting Barbara. But in her past life, when she died, Albert, who had just come of age, was so overwhelmed with grief that he cried as if the world was ending.

Maxwell later told her that Albert didn't end up well, either. Always under Barbara's thumb, he eventually fell into drug addiction. In the end, it was Maxwell who put him into rehab, where he spent his last days.

"Morra, Albert's right. We're family, and you've already slapped Barbara. Just look at her swollen face. Isn't that enough?" Jeremy said, clearly unhappy.

In Mona's past life, Jeremy always took Barbara's side, leaving Mona feeling hurt and confused since she was supposed to be his biological daughter. Now she knew the truth-Barbara was his real daughter. Strangely, this revelation didn't sting as much as it used to. Beatrice sighed and said, "Mona, it's my fault for not keeping an eye on Barbara. If you're upset, go ahead and slap me if it

III

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helps. Just don't let this come between you two as sisters."

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"Mona, this is all my fault. I messed up big time. If you want to blame me, go ahead-hit me, yell at me, whatever. Just don't shut me out," Barbara begged, tears in her eyes as if she'd been deeply wronged.

Mona smiled, though her eyes were cold, and gently took Barbara's hand. "Does it still hurt? I was just so angry before. Let me see-it's really swollen. Poor thing.

"Look, Dad, Aunt Beatrice, Albert, you're all acting like I'm the bad guy here. It's just a man, right? If Barbara wants him, she can have him. But today's my engagement day, and after all this, none of you thought to comfort me?" Mona's voice grew more aggrieved as she spoke, and tears began to well up in her eyes.

Everyone was taken aback. Mona had always been strong-willed and rarely showed her emotions. Seeing her like this, looking genuinely hurt, made Beatrice realize she'd misspoken. She quickly moved to comfort Mona, but by the time she got close, Mona had already snuggled up to Jane, whispering, "Grandma, I'm so upset."

Jane gently stroked Mona's head and said, "What's wrong with you all? Can't you see Mona's having a tough day? Instead of cheering her up, you're making things worse. And Barbara, you were asking for it after getting involved with Teddy. Stop with the pity party. "Jeremy, can't you see your daughter's been wronged, and you're taking someone else's side? What kind of father does that?"

Jane's words left everyone quiet. Barbara realized she was in deep trouble and started thinking about who might have leaked those photos and videos. They were all saved on her computer. If she ever found out who did it, they'd be in for a serious payback. "Enough with the drama! Barbara, this whole mess is mostly on you. So, you're grounded-no allowance for six months, and it goes to Mona instead. Apologize to her, and none of you are to have any contact with the Powers family. Jeremy, cut all business ties with them. How dare they mess with my granddaughter? I'll make sure the entire Powers family regrets it."

Bernard's words brought a smile to Mona's face. Six months of allowance wasn't a small sum-let's see how Barbara keeps showing off now.