Chapter 2682


    “I mean, I get it, but have you seen that woman''s kid? She is out there living on her own, actually


    holding down a steady gig at New Blossom Press. I''m not saying I expect Madeline to be some kind


    of rocket scientist, but she could at least try not to be outdone, right?”


    It was only the second year since Imogen married into the Tanner family when Madeline Skinner


    took a newst name. Now, she was Madeline Tanner, and if one didn''t know any better, one would


    think she was Francis and Imogen’s own flesh and blood.


    Imogen caught a lot of k in her circles when she changed the kid''s surname and brought her into


    the Tanner fold. It''s like she was wearing a neon sign that screamed “gold digger".


    And poor, clueless Francis, still thinking she was head over heels for him. In the end, it''s all about


    getting a slice of that Tanner estate pje, isn''t it?


    Speaking of the Tanner Mansion, you can''t help but think of the real young miss of the Tanner


    family.


    Back in the day, her mother''s family was the talk of the town, high society and all. Francis marrying


    into that was like striking gold, but ever since Regina''s mom passed away, her ce at the Tanner


    table isn''t quite what it used to be.


    With a stepmom like Imogen, who had more tricks up her sleeve than a magician, poor Regina''s


    future under the Tanner roof looked anything but bright.


    Everyone would sigh when they talked about it, but let''s face it, it was not their circus, not their


    monkeys. They couldn''t just cut ties with the Tanners over a bit of family drama.


    Regina went back to her ce feeling blue, already dreading the dinner at home the next day. The


    thought of stering on a fake smile for the guests and ying happy families with her stepmom


    was exhausting before it even began.


    She knew her dad married Imogen to look after her, but everything changed once that woman


    walked in. Her dad''s world no longer revolved around her. He had a new wife and, to top it off, a


    new daughter!


    Even the memory of her mom seemed to fade in his eyes.


    At first, Imogen made a big showmemorating her mother''s death anniversary, and Regina


    couldn''t stand it. She refused to partake.


    That refusal sparked the first real fight between Regina and Francis. On the subject of her mother,


    she wouldn''t budge, no matter how much Imogen tried to curry favor with him.


    Her mother''s death had already hit Regina hard. All she wanted on the anniversary was to spend


    time alone with her memory, not to have it turned into a spectacle by Imogen. Who


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    Chapter 26112


    was that show for, anyway?


    But that fight was a wake-up call for Francis. He realized that his so-called kindness was actually


    driving a wedge between him and his daughter.


    Regina did care about her father, but she knew that as he built a new life with another woman, she,


    as his biological daughter, would naturally be sidelined


    She harbored resentment, sure, but as time went by and she grew up, that bitterness faded.


    Everyone has their own life to live, right?


    She didn''t need to chain her dad to the past. As for her mom, Regina alone was enough to honor


    her memory. She would always be her mother''s treasure.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    While Regina had slowlye to terms with Imogen and Madeline''s presence in their lives, the


    thought of being in the same room with them still made her skin crawl. Imogen’s fawning ways were


    enough to make anyone sick.


    [Daphne, youing to my family’s dinner tomorrow night?]


    Regina tapped out the text to her best friend since childhood, hoping for a bit of moral support in


    the impending domestic theater.