Sophia found herself thinking about her parents in a way that she never had before, and it was infuriating.
Lost in her thoughts, she became more and more annoyed.
Thaddeus, oblivious to the turmoil in his eldest daughter, walked past her with his youngest daughter, Lea, by his side. Only then did he notice the emptiness beside Sophia.
After noticing that Sophia was all by herself, Thaddeus frowned in displeasure. "What's going on here? Sophia, did you come alone? Where are that man and the child?"
Sophia came back to her senses and explained to her father. "Dad, Marcus has trouble with his leg, so I didn't ask him to come. The child is at home with him."
Thaddeus grunted. "Can't he use a wheelchair? His in-laws are here, and he couldn't even bother to come greet them. What a thoughtless man!"
Sophia didn't like her father talking about Marcus like that. She frowned and said, "Dad, don't talk about Marcus like that. Don't forget how his leg ended up that way. He didn't choose this."
This made Thaddeus feel a twinge of guilt. Not towards Marcus, but towards his own daughter.
Regardless, it was his responsibility as a father that her daughter's chosen man ended up disabled. He had let his anger get the best of him, and now his daughter had to live with the consequences.
Thaddeus remained silent, but Lea, who had been brought over by Thaddeus, spoke up. "Sophia, you're wrong to blame Dad. I think you should be thanking him. Why are you blaming him instead?"
Sophia was instinctively annoyed by Lea, but she controlled her emotions and asked her calmly, "Lea, what do you mean? I don't understand what you're saying. If Dad were to cripple your future husband, would you thank him?"
The truth could be sharp and painful sometimes. Sophia was incensed by Lea's harsh reality check.
"Who taught you to talk to me like this? Was it your mother?"
Lea shook her head earnestly. "No one taught me. I said what I saw. My mom wouldn't waste her time teaching me something like that."
Sophia's face turned pale with anger, and she pointed accusingly at Lea, then at Bertha beside her. "It was you! You taught her! Bertha, what are you trying to do?"
Bertha shook her head innocently. "No, Sophia, I'm sorry. Lea is just a kid and doesn't know what she's saying. I'll ask her to apologize to you. Lea, apologize to your sister."
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