Regret Came Too Late (Grace and Ethan)

Grace glanced at Yancey, then at Lily.

Lily smiled. "Grace, you've always spoiled Yancey. You used to make tea for him all the time."

Yancey scoffed and turned his head away.

Grace hadn't made him tea in a long time. Ever since she woke up from her accident, they hadn't even shared a peaceful meal together. Thinking about it now, it made him uneasy. They had never been in a fight for this long.

Without a word, Grace stood up and followed the housekeeper to the tea room.

Now that they were out of Lily's sight, the housekeeper's demeanor changed instantly. She lifted her chin and spoke with an air of authority.

"Mr. Henderson's favorite teas are over there, and Ms. Alice's as well. Since you used to do this in the Lambert residence anyway, you might as well make them all at once. Don't worry, I'll be sure to put in a good word for you with Mrs. Henderson."

Grace looked down, grabbed a handful of tea leaves, and dumped them into a cup filled with tap water.

She repeated the process for the other two cups, then carried them back to the living room, ignoring the housekeeper's attitude.

The housekeeper, unaware of anything unusual, only thought Grace had brewed the tea unusually fast.

Grace set the three cups down on the coffee table. "Drink up."

Yancey was the first to pick up a cup, but the moment he touched it, he frowned. The cup was cold, and the tea leaves hadn't even steeped properly.

He shot Grace a questioning look, but she simply sat on the couch, looking unusually quiet. His heart softened in an instant.

For once, she wasn't snapping back at him. Without thinking too much, he took a big sip. It was definitely cold water, and the unsteeped tea leaves got stuck all over his mouth. Setting the cup down, he glanced at Grace again.

Seeing that Yancey hadn't complained, Alice and Lily each picked up their own cups.

Lily, ever composed, took a sip and calmly set her cup down. Her expression didn't change, but inside, she was seething. She knew Grace had done this on purpose.

She was quite irritated. Grace used to be so eager to please, always bringing expensive gifts and buttering her up. Today, she was distant, indifferent.

No matter how strained her relationship with Yancey was, Grace shouldn't be taking it out on her.

In this regard, Alice was much more considerate than Grace.

Just then, Grace asked, "Yancey, how do you find the tea?"

Before Yancey could respond, Alice let out a dramatic gasp. She quickly set down her cup and started coughing exaggeratedly.

"Why is this cold?" she exclaimed. "Grace, it's one thing to be stubborn at home, but Mrs. Henderson is here. You can't just throw a tantrum like this. If you act this way after you marry Yancey, who will be able to control you? No matter what issues you have with him, you shouldn't deliberately upset his family."

She immediately grabbed Lily's cup and dumped all the tea into the trash.

"Mrs. Henderson, Yancey, I'll go brew you a fresh cup. Grace is probably just in a bad mood today. Please don't hold it against her."

Lily's expression softened at once. She waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine. Everyone has bad days. Grace just has a straightforward nature."

Alice's eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Grace wasn't straightforward; she was a fool. Who in their right mind would serve cold tea to their elders? This had to be the final nail in the coffin for her engagement to Yancey.

It served her right!

Feeling victorious, Alice turned to head for the tea room, but before she could take a step, Grace spoke.

"Mrs. Henderson, I want to break off the engagement with Yancey. That's the reason I came today. I'm not satisfied with him, and frankly, I'm not satisfied with you either."

The forced smile on Lily's face vanished instantly.

Yancey, too, thought he must have misheard. Grace had never dared to act this way in front of Lily before.

He took a sharp breath, his lips pressing into a thin line. "Grace, have you lost your mind? Do you even know where you are? Do you realize what you just said?"

He shot to his feet, agitation radiating off of him. He wasn't sure if he was furious

at Grace for being so ungrateful or if it was because of the unsettling panic creeping into his chest.

Lily snapped, "Yancey, sit down!"noveldrama

Yancey flinched but clenched his jaw. Biting his lip hard, he urged, "Mom, say something!"

Lily tugged at his sleeve. "Sit first. Don't lose your temper."

Yancey inhaled deeply, forcing himself back into his seat. His glare bore into Grace as if he were ready to tear her apart.

Grace ignored him. At that moment, her phone buzzed with a message from Ethan.

"What are you doing?"

She was in a good mood, so she immediately responded.

"I'm discussing the cancellation of my engagement."

"Good luck."

Grace smiled when she read his message. When she looked up, her gaze met Yancey's burning stare.