I Was His Wife, Then His Widow, Then No One's But My Own novel Chapter 131

No one expected Nora Newman, who had always been a pushover, to suddenly show her claws.

Lance Fletcher's expression darkened, his voice laced with the annoyance of a man deeply offended. "Nora, don't push your luck! Letting you cook is doing you a favor. It's a chance to make amends, but just listen to yourself! Since when does a senior member of this family cook for you?!"

Nora met his gaze with absolute composure, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Alastair isn't even angry, so why are you losing your temper, Lance? Are you just uncomfortable because the woman you all used to walk all over is finally standing up for herself? Besides, you aren't my senior. We're from the same generation."

The words struck a nerve. Lance's frown deepened, and his voice rose an octave. "I never meant anything like that, so stop spouting nonsense!"

Nora's smile lingered, her tone steady and unhurried. "Since you didn't mean it like that, why not have everyone prepare a dish to show the Fletcher family's unity? If I can do it but the rest of you can't, then we all know exactly how you view me."

She had anticipated this dinner would be a trap before she even arrived. But she came anyway, not for the meal, but to make it crystal clear to everyone that she was done being their punching bag.

Finnegan Fletcher's face clouded over. He set down his wine glass and finally looked up at Nora, his voice dripping with unmistakable reproach. "Nora, what are you doing? This is a family dinner. Are you going to keep going until you've ruined the night for everyone?"

Hearing his words, a familiar wave of bitterness washed over her.

When everyone else was taking turns making her life miserable just moments ago, this man hadn't uttered a single word. He hadn't even bothered to look up.

Now that she was finally standing up for herself, he was quick to accuse her of ruining the evening.

Seraphina Shaw also stood up. She circled the table and moved to block Nora's path, her voice oozing with a sickly-sweet, understanding warmth.

"Nora, please don't get so emotional. It's rare for all of us to get together, and now everything is a mess. Just take a step back and think about it—is this really the right way to act?"

Nora turned to look at them, her eyes betraying a brief flash of red. To these people, she would always be an outsider. The second she did something that didn't align with their desires, they lost their minds.

For ten years, she hadn't put up a fight, so they assumed she was an easy target. Today, the moment she finally grew a spine, they acted like the sky was falling.

She let out a self-deprecating laugh, her voice turning even colder. "Fred, Seraphina, you're both missing the point. If the goal of tonight's dinner is to enjoy ourselves, then there shouldn't be any talk of punishments in the first place. I was late, and I apologized the moment I walked in. I don't know why Lance refuses to let it go. By acting like he runs the show on such a formal occasion, he's completely disrespecting Alastair's authority."