Mr. CEO's Substitute Bride

Chapter 1351 - 1345: Julia Zabinski’s Changing Face

At the dinner table, Julia Zabinski was still complaining to Benjamin Croft, "It’s all your fault. If you hadn’t stirred things up, how would the carp have burned?"The tradition with a new daughter-in-law entering the family requires a chicken and fish dish, but the braised carp got burnt and was inedible. Reluctantly, they had to fry some scad instead. Though it was still fish, it wasn’t a whole one.

"Humph! You’re the one who messed up, yet you blame others!" Benjamin Croft retorted indignantly, then turned to Nicholas Croft and said, "Nicholas, make sure you get more food for your wife. That girl is so thin she looks malnourished."

Sophie Foster...

Instinctively glanced over at her younger brother-in-law’s family. Little Lara was only five years old, chubby and cute. However, her parents... well, their combined weight was quite substantial.

"Dad, Sophie just has one of those body types that don’t gain weight," Nicholas Croft obediently picked up a piece of chicken leg and put it in Sophie’s bowl, while Julia Zabinski added two shrimp.

"Not gaining weight is good; it saves you from dieting to keep your figure. Eat more, and if you like it, Mom will come over and cook for you every day."

"Humph! Tastes awful, yet you’re proud of it." Before Sophie could say anything, Benjamin Croft disdainfully spoke up. Ever since the "affair" incident, the old couple would throw barbs as soon as they saw each other.

"If you don’t like it, just don’t eat it!" Julia Zabinski slammed her chopsticks on the table and roared at Benjamin Croft. The sudden loud noise startled Sophie, causing the chicken leg she was bringing to her lips to drop onto the table.

Damian Croft and Lydia Zimmerman were already used to Julia Zabinski’s booming voice. Lydia peeled a shrimp and fed it to their daughter, while Damian was helping his daughter with crab.

"Mom! You scared Sophie!" Nicholas Croft complained helplessly, using a napkin to wipe Sophie’s lips in front of his parents, brother, and sister-in-law. He did it naturally, as if he were tending to a child, without any awkwardness.

Julia Zabinski...

Looked across the table, just as Benjamin Croft looked over. Their eyes met, and the old couple quickly averted their gaze, pretending to cough. Seeing their son and daughter-in-law getting along made them happy, but—

This kind of affection was a bit too much to handle.

After carefully wiping Sophie’s lips, Nicholas Croft picked up his chopsticks again, placed another piece of chicken leg in Sophie’s bowl, then continued eating.

Damian Croft and Lydia Zimmerman exchanged a glance, and Lydia snickered secretly.

"Shame on you! You’re so grown up and still have your uncle wiping your mouth, how embarrassing!"

After swallowing the shrimp, Lara puffed her cheeks at Sophie. The five-year-old said whatever came to mind without any filter.

Nicholas Croft...

Thought Sophie might be upset, worried she might get sick in anger. He frowned and was about to scold his niece when Sophie smiled and said to the little girl, "I don’t mind, your uncle likes it!"

Everyone at the dinner table...

Was impressed by Sophie’s thick skin, except Nicholas Croft who had the most subdued reaction. He smiled slightly and placed a piece of chicken on his niece’s plate, saying, "Lara, when you grow up, find a man like your uncle. It’s not embarrassing; this is what love for your wife looks like."

Benjamin Croft and Julia Zabinski...

Were both shocked.

It was their first time hearing their son say such mushy things, especially right in front of them, and it didn’t match his usual sophisticated image.

Damian Croft also helped his wife with some food, saying with a smile, "Lydia, this is what love for your wife looks like, too."

"Oh, stop it!" Lydia Zimmerman laughed, playfully pushing her husband’s shoulder.

Julia Zabinski instinctively glanced at Benjamin Croft, showing disdain. He, seemingly understanding her thoughts, placed a piece of meat in his own bowl and muttered to himself, "Looking at me won’t help; we’ve already separated!"

"Tsk, as if anyone cares!" Julia Zabinski scoffed disdainfully, and Benjamin Croft wasn’t about to be outdone, "I wasn’t planning to give you any, anyway."

"Dad, Mom, could you two act normal for once? This is Sophie’s first visit!" Damian and his wife were used to their parents bickering, but it was Sophie’s first time entering the home.

"Fine, fine, I won’t argue with your dad anymore," Julia Zabinski nodded in agreement, adding more food to Sophie’s plate. Benjamin Croft also glared at his wife and buried himself in his meal.

After dinner, Lydia Zimmerman went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Julia Zabinski held Sophie’s hand, chatting on the sofa.

"...Sophie, it’s all Mom’s fault for being so naïve and falling for that woman’s tricks. Please don’t blame me,"

Sophie forced a smile, saying nothing. Nicholas Croft lay on the sofa not far from Sophie, flipping channels with the remote.

Meanwhile, Damian Croft had been called by his father to play chess, and Lara was building blocks at the coffee table.

"Sigh, but you can’t entirely blame me," Julia Zabinski patted Sophie’s hand and sighed, "Who knew that Hannah Hargrave, looking so pretty and capable, could be so devious underneath?"

Sophie Foster...

Turned her head to look at Nicholas Croft, who disapprovingly said, "Mom, it’s all in the past. Why bring her up again?"

"I was just standing up for Sophie!" Julia Zabinski retorted unhappily, peering around Sophie to look at Nicholas Croft, "If it weren’t for her evil deeds, wouldn’t I already be holding a granddaughter by now!"

As Julia Zabinski finished speaking, the color drained from Sophie Foster’s face. Her small hands were icy, without any warmth, and she bit her lip as she looked pleadingly at Nicholas Croft, "Uncle..."

Nicholas Croft put down the remote and stood up reluctantly, "Mom, it’s getting late. We’re going back to our room to rest."

Julia Zabinski didn’t notice anything wrong with Sophie Foster and looked at her son grudgingly, "What’s the rush? I still want to chat with Lara for a while longer!"

"Uncle..." Sophie Foster’s face turned sour, and she tried to pull her hand back, but Julia Zabinski held on tightly. In her urgency, Sophie Foster raised her other hand and kept slapping her hand, "Let me go, bad person, let go..."

Nicholas Croft’s eyes widened with surprise, realizing that Sophie Foster was having an episode.

Julia Zabinski was also taken aback, looking at her son in confusion, momentarily forgetting to let go.

"Ah... bad person, let go of me..." Sophie Foster screamed, and Nicholas Croft hurriedly separated their hands, "Mom, let go quickly,"

"Ah... Mommy, I’m scared..."

On the other side, as Nicholas Croft had just calmed Sophie Foster down in his arms, a startled shout came from the child kneeling in front of the coffee table building blocks, who then dashed towards the kitchen.

Lydia Zimmerman also heard the scream and rushed out without drying her hands.

The child buried his face into his mother’s embrace, too afraid to come out, "Crazy woman, Mommy, that woman is a crazy woman! I’m scared..."

"What happened?"

"What happened? What’s going on?" Father and son, who were playing chess in the room downstairs, also rushed out, both looking shocked.

Sophie Foster, who had been somewhat calmed by Nicholas Croft, became alarmed again, covering her ears and screaming when so many people suddenly appeared.

"Ah... bad person... go away... Uncle, drive the bad person away, quickly..."

Sophie Foster jumped on the tips of her toes with her hands over her ears, while the father and son exchanged glances, at a loss of what’s happening.

At the kitchen door, Lydia covered her daughter’s ears, also looking startled at Sophie Foster, only Julia Zabinski understood what was going on with Sophie Foster.

She stood up from the sofa, her face not looking very good.

"Nicholas, who can put up with her having episodes now and then? Since you don’t have kids yet, you should split up while you can!"

Julia Zabinski’s words were loaded with information. She had been to T City, and now, her words clearly indicated that she was aware of Sophie Foster’s unstable mental state.

Benjamin Croft came over, "Julia, are you saying this child has mental issues?"

Julia Zabinski gave him an annoyed glare, "Can’t you see? Isn’t it obvious!"

Benjamin Croft turned to his son, gesturing but then withdrawing his hand, "Nicholas, is it... serious?"

Benjamin wanted to ask how severe Sophie Foster’s episodes were, but before Nicholas Croft could answer, Julia Zabinski had already spoken up for him.

"Do you think it’s not serious when a mental illness flares up? Last time at Nicholas’ house, she smashed everything to bits!"

"Ah... bad person, go away, go..." Sophie Foster continued screaming, while the child hidden in his mother’s embrace cried incessantly, "Mommy, I’m scared, I’m scared..."

"Don’t be scared, Daddy will take you back to your room." Damian Croft walked over and picked up his daughter, with Lydia following up the stairs.

"Lara, don’t be scared, she’s not a bad person, she’s Uncle’s family, don’t be scared,"

Nicholas Croft gently patted Sophie Foster’s back, his lips falling softly on top of her head. Sophie Foster’s agitated emotions began to calm a bit, but Julia Zabinski, unable to stand it, impatiently spoke again.

"Nicholas, how long are you going to keep coaxing her like this?"

In the empty and silent night, Julia Zabinski’s voice was particularly piercing, at least piercing through Sophie Foster’s eardrums in this way.

Her just-calmed emotions flared up again. She suddenly pushed Nicholas Croft away to escape but was quickly pulled back by Nicholas. He held her in a protective gesture, pressing her face against his chest, one large hand encircling her waist securely.

"Mom, could you stop talking!"

"Blame me? Can’t I speak in my own home?"

Julia Zabinski raised her voice, meanwhile, Sophie Foster seemed to have run out of energy, sliding down against Nicholas Croft’s chest, "Uncle... I want to go home, please... Lara wants to go home... Uncle..."

"Lara, behave, Uncle’s here, no one can bully you," Nicholas Croft lifted Sophie Foster, his heart aching terribly. Her helpless cries were like whips lashing his heart, each crack causing a sharp pain, yet his mother not only refused to console but kept on criticizing.

Benjamin Croft, unsure of how to handle Sophie Foster’s sudden episode, wanted to help but didn’t know how, leaving him pacing in confusion.

"Nicholas, if she wants to return, then send her away! Don’t let her go crazy here!" Julia Zabinski glared unhappily, her own mother unable to do anything about her, so Nicholas Croft could only turn to his father for help.

"Dad, can you take Mom back to her room?"