Chapter 751: Chapter 751: Substitute
"You pampered her, gave her endless money and power, and everything she wanted after pretending to be the younger sister and coming to The Sheridan Family."
"All of it was an advance payment for her eventual sacrifice for her sister."
In this world, there is never such a thing as a free lunch.
The easier you obtain something, the greater the price it will demand of you one day.
Stanley Sheridan did not expect that all of this would be guessed by his eldest son, and guessed word for word.
"I had given Cynthia Vaughn a chance to repent, and I had hinted to her that as long as she stopped her loss in time, I would not hold her accountable," Stanley Sheridan said, "But she gave up that opportunity and firmly claimed to be the daughter of The Sheridan Family, showing a greedy and insatiable face for our Sweetie’s belongings."
From that moment on, Cynthia truly and completely became the daughter of The Sheridan Family.
She secretly delighted in manipulating The Sheridan Family at her whim, unable to tell whether their biological daughter was real or not, and took pride in it.
Little did she know that from that moment on, every moment of her indulgence and extravagance was a prelude to her tragic end.
"You initially brought Jane Sheridan back, falsely claiming she was the sister; she was actually the sacrifice from the beginning," Eli Sheridan said gently.
Stanley Sheridan hummed, "When I found Jane in the trash can, I was about to leave, but somehow the thought arose in my mind, and I brought her home, thinking... if the curse is fulfilled, Sweetie, if she’s still alive, it won’t affect her."
Speaking at this point, Stanley Sheridan extinguished the cigarette in his hand and said self-deprecatingly, "I both thank your great-grandfather for surviving back then, leading to us descendants, and yet hate him, for not valuing his daughter’s life and treating her as a tool for profit."
"I’m not a good father, but I am a ruthless businessman, which is somewhat like your great-grandfather."
The surveillance footage ended there, and Ann Vaughn stopped Wilder Sheridan, preventing him from watching further.
Wilder Sheridan didn’t ask the reason and directly shut down the computer.
The siblings remained silent for a long time, their emotions quite complex, not even knowing where to begin.
"Even I was fooled by the old man’s impeccable acting skills," Wilder Sheridan complained, "I tried so hard to change his perspective on you, and now it seems foolish."
It was clear he was joking to lighten the mood, and Ann Vaughn responded with a smile, "Who told you to be the easiest to deceive?"
Her mind felt like mush, chaotic and unable to organize her thoughts.
She had imagined many reasons, yet never expected that Stanley Sheridan had actually humiliated her and concealed his recognition of her, all to protect her.
From the moment she went missing over twenty years ago, Stanley Sheridan had prepared everything for her, even looking for a substitute to replace her to prevent her from being affected by the curse.
This method might seem cruel and cold-blooded to others, but only Ann Vaughn couldn’t think that way.
Because everything he did was to ensure she could survive.
"Sis, do you still dislike Dad?" Wilder Sheridan asked, resting his chin on his hand.
Ann Vaughn slightly shook her head, "I used to think he was calculating, smiling with hidden knives, had not a single good impression of him, and didn’t want to recognize him as a father. Now... I think I have somewhat changed."
But she couldn’t quite accept it just yet.
After chatting with Ann Vaughn for a while, Wilder Sheridan received a call and left the room.
Not long after, the door suddenly opened from outside.
"Mommy!"
A chubby Little Dumpling darted towards Ann Vaughn, expertly grabbing her by the neck, his soft and cute little face snuggling up to her.
Ann Vaughn caught the heavy little one and temporarily put aside her thoughts, smiling and asking, "Did you have fun?"
Old Mrs. Vaughn and Old Mr. Vaughn both adored Kenny, taking him everywhere, with yesterday’s lake outing followed by today’s fishing trip in the mountains.
The plan was initially to come down the mountain tomorrow, but unexpectedly they returned early.
Kenny nodded his head, instinctively squeezing Ann Vaughn’s neck with his little chubby hands, as he nervously asked in his baby voice, "Mommy, when are we going back to The Imperial Capital?"
"Aren’t you having fun here, darling? Why suddenly want to go back?" Ann Vaughn was a bit surprised, "There are still a few days left in the vacation, wouldn’t it be a pity to return now?"
"Hmm." Kenny thought about it for a moment, then nodded his head, not continuing the topic.
Ann Vaughn couldn’t help but feel that the Little Dumpling seemed to have something on his mind.
...
Dinner was held at The Sheridan Family.
After conquering everyone in the Vaughn Family, the Little Dumpling won the affection of everyone in The Sheridan Family once more.
If not for Old Mrs. Sheridan’s seniority putting a lid over Stanley Sheridan, he wouldn’t have been able to snatch the Little Dumpling from his arms, lovingly holding him to play.
Stanley Sheridan looked calm, but he watched with a coveting gaze for quite some time before saying, "The nose and mouth most resemble Sweetie; other parts resemble his father more?"
"Right, why didn’t Kenny’s father come along?"
Once this was said, the warm atmosphere at the dining table instantly froze.
Compared to Eli Sheridan’s and Wilder Sheridan’s expressions of displeasure and concern, Ann Vaughn seemed much more composed, "I’m divorced from him."
Divorced?!
Shock simultaneously appeared in the eyes of Stanley Sheridan and Old Mrs. Sheridan, clearly questioning "Is he blind?"
"Your brother will take care of you for a lifetime; it’s okay not to marry if you’re happy every day," Eli Sheridan gently promised, patting Ann Vaughn’s lowered head.
Ann Vaughn immediately raised her head, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at him.
Wilder Sheridan, feeling a tinge of jealousy, said, "I can also take care of Sis. What I have most is money and time; wherever Sis wants to travel, I can accompany her. Can you do that, brother?"
As the CEO of The Sheridan Group, Eli Sheridan is busy managing affairs every day, with less free time compared to Wilder Sheridan.
Before Eli Sheridan could respond, two chuckles were heard from the front.
"Is my daughter for you two rascals to take care of? Consider me dead?"
"Kenny can also take care of Mommy. Kenny has money and time; there’s no little darling more thoughtful than Kenny."
Eli Sheridan: "..."
Wilder Sheridan: "..."
With their antics, the discomfort that had just risen in Ann Vaughn’s heart quickly dissipated, replaced by a long-lost warmth.
"Chairman," Ethan Chaney walked in from outside the dining room and approached Stanley Sheridan, then said, "The Hawthorne Family wants to meet you and the young lady."
Instantly, the atmosphere in the dining room froze. Apart from Ann Vaughn and Kenny, everyone’s expressions turned sour.
Even the usually gentle Old Mrs. Sheridan showed a look of disgust, "What kind of mischief do they want now?"