When fate plays its hand
147

Chapter 0147

+25 BONUS

Anna watched them leave and yelled, “You ungrateful fool! You’ve let that woman lead you astray, and now you defy us! How dare you argue with me? Just go! Take her and her child and stay far away. Don’t ever come back!”

Mindy’s open defiance was a severe blow to Anna. Her frustration with Mindy reached its peak, and she even blamed Lionel for marrying her,

Of all the people he could have chosen, he had to pick someone like Mindy!

On the way home, Lionel remained silent. Mindy gently squeezed his hand. Lionel looked up and gave a reassuring smile, signaling that he was okay.

He had long grown accustomed to Anna’s favoritism. This kind of unpleasantness wasn’t new. He usually bore it, but he couldn’t tolerate the slander against Miranda.

Mindy was about to start cooking when Miranda stopped her. “Mom, let me do it.”

“You?” Mindy raised an eyebrow.

Miranda had never cooked before. Lionel had always prepared everything for her.

“Yes, I want you to try my cooking today,” Miranda said with a smile.

“Just don’t burn down the kitchen,” Lionel said with a hint of humor despite his earlier frustration. Miranda was offended by her father’s joke. “Do you really think I’m that bad at cooking?”

Mindy and Lionel both nodded in unison, and Miranda was speechless.

An hour later, Lionel and Mindy stared at the table in shock. There was a spread of roast chicken, beef stew, pasta with marinara sauce, BBQ pork ribs, potato salad, lasagna, two side dishes of sautéed vegetables, and a bowl of creamy vegetable soup.

Mindy swallowed hard and asked, “Did you make all this?”

Miranda lifted her chin proudly. “Yep.”

Lionel tried a bite, and his eyes lit up. “Wow, this tastes really good!”

Mindy asked, “Really?”

“Try it yourself.”

Mindy took a bite of the rib and gasped in surprise. “When did you learn to cook?”

Miranda replied with pride. “Did you think I was just wasting time these years? Hurry up and eat before it gets cold.”

The three of them enjoyed a hearty meal together. After eating, Miranda made Mindy and Lionel sit on the couch to watch TV while she went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Chapter 0147

+25 BONUS

When she finished and came back to the living room, she overheard Lionel’s voice, choked with emotion.” Mindy, Mimi must have suffered a lot these years…”

“Yes, from the way she cooks, it’s clear she’s done this a lot,” Mindy agreed.

Miranda’s eyes welled up with tears at her parent’s conversation.

That night, a heavy snowstorm hit. Despite the harsh winds outside, they slept soundly indoors.

The next morning. Lionel warned, “The snow last night was so heavy that it damaged the balcony door. Don’t go near the balcony for the next few days. It could be dangerous.”

The old building had stood for decades. While the structure was still sound, the interiors had grown outdated. Extreme weather made it prone to problems.

As Miranda looked around, she realized how outdated their home was. The decor hadn’t changed in over ten years.

“Why are you blaming me?” a voice shouted from outside. “What makes you think I did it? Just because you’re a so–called writer doesn’t mean you can make false accusations!”

Miranda and Lionel rushed to the yard. Mindy was standing there with reddened eyes, breathing heavily. Meanwhile, Karen stood with her hands on her hips, wearing a smug expression.