Chapter 350
Chapter 350
"Are you lecturing your son, or are you lashing out on him because you dare not take it out on me?" As a father-in-law, it was inappropriate of him to slap Penny. As such, he hurled another teacup at her. "Justin may be your son, but he's also my grandson, not your whipping boy!"
Penny felt humiliated after being repeatedly reprimanded by Eddie in front of everyone.
To make things worse, she was sullied and drenched in warm liquid, for the teacups Eddie hurled at her still had tea in them.
She was feisty and prideful, but on this day, she had been utterly humiliated.
Her hatred had incited her to kill at this point; she wanted to kill the old man who had humiliated her. However, she only dared to think about it.
She wasn't as competent as Jennifer, who rose above all no matter where she went. Jennifer was revered by people, and she also had an influential family to back her up.
Alas, what someone lacked would make them want to prove to others that they, in fact, possessed it.
Because Penny and her family were insignificant, she was always a sucker for pride, leading to her love of flaunting her status as the Penham Family's senior branch matriarch.
Although she wasn't as competent as Jennifer and her family wasn't as powerful as the latter's, she wanted everyone to know that she was the matriarch of the Penham Family's senior branch, not Jennifer!
She was married to Bryson, thus making her more senior than Brandon and Jennifer. Even if she and her family were beneath Jennifer and her family, the couple still had to be deferential toward her!
Lo and behold, the respect she had gathered over the years had now turned to dust. But there was nothing she could do at all, for she was a paper tiger.
With her and her family's incompetency, she could put on airs and feign prominence when people showed her respect. But as soon as they refused to do so, she was nothing.
Though she was beyond furious and wanted to skin those who humiliated her, she dared not do so and only sucked it up.
Back to reality, Eddie glared daggers at her, commanding, "I'm warning you, Penny. If you dare lay a finger on Austin or Justin without my permission, I will exile you from our family!"
Penny dropped her head and clenched her fists tightly as her body shuddered in anger, falling into deep thought.
"Do you hear me?!" Eddie thundered, causing Penny to shudder and stammer, "Y-Yes… Father."
With that, the elder turned to his eldest son. "You listen to me. If she dares to treat Austin or Justin cruelly, divorce her. If you refuse to do so, you can leave with her as well!"
Humiliated, Bryson's face flushed crimson in shame. "Yes, Dad. I understand…"
He'd be lying if he said he never regretted his decision over the years, and it became even more
apparent after his brother married Jennifer.
Back then, his father strongly opposed his wish to marry Penny, who was drop-dead gorgeous. It was love at first sight, and as though he had been enchanted, he insisted on marrying only Penny no matter what his father said.
Unable to dissuade him, Eddie gave up in the end and let Bryson have his way.
There was a time when he and Penny were inseparable.
She was a beauty, so he naturally grew fond of her. He had loved Penny deeply in the past, but with time, he got to know her better, and he gradually realized one thing—she had nothing but her looks.
In other words, apart from her beauty, she was as average as the next guy. In fact, she was so average that it was even difficult to point out an obvious strength.
However, her flaws were evident—egoistic, advantageous, feisty, and she wanted everyone to flatter and please her.
When he was still young, he tolerated her because of her beauty, but as he grew older, he became more appreciative toward inner beauty and thus grew more regretful of his decision. This was especially so when he saw Brandon and Jennifer more and more in love with each other while he and Penny grew further and further apart, living a dull married life.
Who wouldn't be ruled by the rudder must be ruled by the rock. Too bad he understood the proverb a little too late.
Eddie pulled a straight face and lectured Justin, "And you, Justin—" Don't just stand there and allow anyone to beat you up. Before he could finish his words, the butler went up to Eddie and reported, "Old Master, Mr. Hart has arrived."
"Mr. Hart?" Eddie frowned and wondered. "Sebastian?"
"Yes, sir." The butler nodded in affirmation.
"What brings him here? Show him in!" Eddie ordered.
The butler nodded in acknowledgment and turned to invite the guest in. Meanwhile, Eddie ordered his subordinates to tidy up the space. Just like that, Ava had been forcibly taken away despite her howling cries of pain, the bench had been put away, and the floor had been cleaned.
Eddie then turned to Austin. "Go and get some rest."
"Grandpa…" Austin lowered his head. "I should stay instead. Mr. Hart has probably come for Ava."
Humiliated, Bryson's face flushed crimson in shame. "Yes, Dad. I understand…"
With that, he recounted concisely how Ava called Sebastian's sons b*stards in her drunken state. "I think he has come to seek justice…"
"Ava Penham, you wench!" Eddie turned beyond grim after hearing his granddaughter's 'glorious' feat.
He was Philip's subordinate for over twenty years in the past, and Philip had practically taken him under his wing that whole time.
Even now, Philip had a higher status than him.
Personally, he was grateful for Philip. Socially, he was beneath Philip.
But to think his granddaughter actually called the boys b*stards in front of their mother and aunt!
Just what does she keep inside her head?! Rotten flesh?!
Though it could be possible that the boys were love children, Philip denied the saying.
As of late, Philip would brag about his precious grandsons to almost everyone, and his saying to the public was that the children were conceived when Sebastian and the children's mother were abroad. The couple got married but didn't hold a wedding while they were there. However, the children's mother and Sebastian fell out when she was pregnant with the boys, so the two separated for some time before reconciling and getting back together lately.
Probably no one but the Harts knew the authenticity of the story. Regardless, it was the family's private issue.
Sebastian was a bachelor, so when Philip said the boys' mother was Sebastian's one and only wife, it wasn't at the expense of anyone's benefit. As such, no one had the right to interfere.
It could be said that whatever Philip said went. If he said the boy's mother was Sebastian's one and only wife, then it was what it was.
Since even Philip had accepted the boys and their mother, wouldn't Ava only be asking for trouble when she called the boys b*stards in front of their mother?!
Just how did our family end up having such an incompetent moron?!
He was so livid that he was on the verge of breaking down.
Bryson and Brandon noticed so, and they quickly brought their father to the living room couch. "Come, Dad. Have a seat."
Very quickly, Sebastian was escorted to the living room.
He wasn't alone, though. His left arm was around a bombshell's waist while his right was holding an adorable little boy's hand, and the little boy was holding the hand of another little boy that looked nearly identical but was a few inches taller than him.