After Elowen’s sharp and humiliating rebuke, even Quentin’s thick skin couldn’t save him from the embarrassment. He hurriedly left the hospital.

As a department manager at a small media company, Quentin was considered a somewhat reputable figure by ordinary standards.

Before Margaret fell ill, Quentin always presented himself as a polite, respectable son-in-law in front of Elowen and Margaret. But now, that image was completely shattered.

Until today, Elowen had always tried to see things from Quentin’s perspective.

It was true that Margaret hadn’t raised him, so he wasn’t obligated to pay for her treatment.

Iris and Quentin had fallen in love during college and had a strong emotional foundation. Elowen never wanted their relationship to suffer because of her mother’s medical issues, nor did she want Iris to be caught in the middle.

Even though she knew Quentin was unwilling to contribute to her mother’s medical expenses, Elowen still maintained a polite relationship with him, secretly determined to shoulder the costs herself.

But after what just happened...

She never imagined that her family meant so little to Quentin’s family.

Nor did she expect Quentin to be so heartless--not only distrusting Iris but also openly disrespecting their mother while degrading Iris to the lowest level.

She remembered that she and Iris had both attended college on student loans. Iris had been an excellent student, winning scholarships every year and receiving multiple job offers upon graduation.

But the moment she graduated, Quentin proposed, urging Iris to stay home, get pregnant, and care for their child. He promised to support her and love her forever.

In the end, Iris chose to trust him, choosing family over career because she had always longed for a warm home.

And now, the man who had once promised to take care of her was calling her a lazy leech!

What kind of family had her sister married into?

People often say that love reveals its true nature in adversity, and a son-in-law is like half a son. But with Quentin, all that was nonsense!

Elowen held her niece, watching Quentin leave the hospital. Her chest heaved with anger, her face flushed, and tears of rage welled up in her big eyes.

She was utterly disappointed in her brother-in-law!

After calming down, Elowen realized that by tearing down the facade with Quentin, he might become enraged, cut off Iris’s already meager allowance, or even bring up divorce!

Now, the entire family depended on her, and she had to be strong.

Elowen quickly composed herself, wiping away her tears. She carried her niece and helped Iris and her mother back into the hospital room.

It took Iris a while to recover from the shock of what had just happened.

She often posted pictures of her "happy life" on social media, not wanting to worry her sister and mother. She was also a bit vain, believing herself to be the luckiest woman in the world when she married Quentin with everyone’s blessings.

But only she knew the cold reality. Shortly after the wedding, Quentin began to resent her.

Sweet words had turned into poison. She had been ruined by his promise of "Don’t work; I’ll support you," losing her dignity.

Moments ago, the ugly truth beneath the facade of happiness was revealed to her sister. Iris had panicked, but she was now regaining her composure.

Elowen helped their mother lie down and gave her niece an apple to calm her. After a while, she looked up at Iris.

"Sis, what do you want to do next?"

She was asking about Iris’s plans regarding Quentin--whether to continue the marriage or end it. Whatever Iris decided, Elowen would support her.

Iris stared at her daughter, who was nestled in Elowen’s arms, happily nibbling on her apple.

Two-year-old Emma Westbrook had never experienced such a terrifying scene. Despite being held by Elowen, her big black eyes never left her mother.

Having cried too much earlier, she was hiccupping and struggling to breathe, her face streaked with snot and tears.

Iris didn’t find it funny; she felt only heartache.

After a moment, Iris wiped the tears from her cheeks and forced a weak smile at Elowen. "I’ll think it over myself, don’t worry. But you... how could you not tell us about getting married? And when did you even find a partner? You never mentioned it to us."

Margaret, who had raised two children on her own, was no stranger to hardship. Although Quentin’s words were cruel and rude, she had long seen the worst in people. This incident was just a small wave in her sea of experiences.

Compared to Quentin’s family, her own in-laws were far worse.

Such was human nature.

Now, she regretted only that her shortcomings had burdened her daughters.

Hearing Iris’s questions for Elowen, Margaret propped herself up on the bed and pulled her younger daughter’s hand. "Elowen, I’m not a fool. No one would just hand over 300,000 dollars to treat their mother-in-law right after getting married. Be honest with me--where did the money really come from?"

She had seen too much darkness in people to believe that kindness still existed in the world.

Elowen had been so focused on putting Quentin in his place that she impulsively claimed the money was from bride price and even revealed her marriage. Now, faced with questions from both her sister and mother, she felt a wave of regret.

After all, one lie always leads to more lies.

But at this moment, she had no other choice.

"The money really is from my fiancé. Mom, Sis, look--this is my marriage certificate. It’s official, issued by the state, absolutely genuine!"

She couldn’t tell the truth.

Her mother was gravely ill and needed emotional stability. If she admitted that she hastily married someone just to pay for her mother’s surgery...

Margaret would never be able to accept it, and it wouldn’t help her condition.

Margaret stared at the handsome man beside Elowen in the marriage certificate and ran her fingers over the official seal. After examining it for a while, she began to believe it.

Iris also leaned in to inspect it, afraid that her sister might be deceiving her and their mother.

After all, it was hard to accept that someone who was single the last time they met was suddenly married.

"Elowen, how did you two meet?"

Iris thought the man in the photo was genuinely handsome, no less so than TV stars. But his expression was cold. Even without meeting him in person, just looking at his picture sent a chill down her spine.

Elowen recited the story she had just made up. "He came to my clinic as a dental patient. He’s a manager at a company. Because dental treatment required several visits, we had to communicate frequently through WhatsApp for aftercare instructions, and over time, we got to know each other."

"Later, he asked me out for dinner, shopping, and movies, and I agreed. Then, one day, he suddenly confessed his feelings. I thought he seemed reliable and treated me well, so I accepted."

She then looked at her mother. "When he found out you were sick, he insisted on helping out. He had just received a bonus, and he proposed to me with that money, insisting that it be used for your treatment."

Elowen elaborated on the story, and the sincerity in her voice was almost enough to convince even herself.

Margaret knew her daughter’s nature--Elowen wasn’t one to lie easily. But some things need to be seen to be believed.

Smiling, Margaret probed further. "Elowen, I’m relieved you’ve married someone like that... But when will you bring him over to meet me?"

Elowen was stunned. "..."

She had overlooked this!

A lie could cover another lie, but her mother wanting to meet Dylan...

They had just blocked each other, so how was she supposed to bring him over?