The warmth on my mother’s face drained instantly. Her cheerful demeanor shifted to one of quiet tension.
"Where did you hear such baseless gossip?" she retorted sharply. "Sylvia isn’t in any rush to get married, so there’s no need for your concern."
The woman’s expression faltered, her mouth twitching with barely concealed disdain. "Oh, Mrs. Hudson, don’t be so proud of your daughter," she sneered.
"When women reach a certain age, they should get married, tend to their husbands and raise children. That’s how it’s always been.
"And everyone knows by now that Sylvia was dumped by Darrel, the big-shot CEO. He’s marrying her sister Ashley instead.
“It’s even all over the internet, how Sylvia dreamed of going from a pheasant to a phoenix, only to be humiliated by the real female lead."
As she spoke, she grabbed the arm of the man beside her, puffing up with pride.
"My son is a senior engineer at a big company, earning $50,000 a year. He’s an honest, upright man with no shady business. Sylvia, you won’t regret marrying him."
"Yes, yes! I’ll treat you well!" the greasy man next to her chimed in, nodding vigorously like a pecking chicken.