Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Viola choked up, and wiped her eyes. “I just want some fairness! Ever since that incident happened, Zoey has always targeted me. Do you even see me as family anymore?”
“Of course, we consider you part of gel the family. Aren’t we doing this for your own good? If you return the pension and the money from the shops, you’ll have nothing left hanging over your head. You can live your life as a proud member of the Jaffe family without worry.”
Viola wanted to argue that once she paid everything back, she wouldn’t owe the Farrell family anything. But what about Thomas? Didn’t he owe her? The thought hung in the air, but she didn’t dare voice it, fearing Zoey would bring up that painful topic again.
Both her in-laws and her family were a constant source of stress, and Viola was fed up. “Do whatever you want. I’ve written the letter you asked for, and I’m done with this.” With that, she stood up and left.
Evelyn was reluctant to see her daughter distressed, and wanted to call her back to offer some comfort.
However, Zoey said, “Mother, let her go.”
Evelyn frowned. “Honestly, I don’t think she would have clung to Thomas. There was really no need to push her too hard.”
Zoey responded calmly, “Mother, my husband commands troops. With his limited abilities, he naturally attracts jealousy and discontent from many people. So, we have to be cautious and ensure everything is handled properly to avoid any criticism. You can’t only sympathize with Viola’s feelings and ignore the interests of everyone in our family.”
“How can you speak of your husband like that?” Evelyn said with a frown, clearly displeased.
“I’m only being honest, Mother. You know better than I do what my husband is capable of. Right now, the Southern Frontier is at peace. Do you really think the king would appoint him as the marshal if there were any real conflict?” Evelyn was momentarily at a loss for words.
Zoey wasn’t concerned about Evelyn’s thoughts. Her concern was to resolve the matter promptly.
Since Thomas hadn’t died, the Farrell family would naturally return the pension to the court. The king might grant it again under a different reason, but that was another matter. It was improper and unseemly to keep a death pension for someone who was still alive, and it wouldn’t reflect well on anyone.
Without wasting any more time, Zoey took Luna with her to visit the Farrell family.
Upon arriving, they found Alice in a state of delirious joy. The news of Thomas’ survival had overwhelmed her so much that she fainted from excitement. Now, she was lying in bed, recovering.
When Zoey explained that they were there to return the pension and the money from the shops, the Farrell family was momentarily stunned. After all, they hadn’t expected to reclaim them from Viola.
Zoey smiled and said, “We’re all very pleased to hear that Thomas is still alive. Since he didn’t die, the pension naturally needs to be returned to the court. The Farrell family has shown great kindness by giving them to Viola. Since she has remarried, it’s inappropriate for her to keep them. That is also her own wish. She even wrote a letter to inquire about your health, Alice.”
Zoey handed the letter to Opal, who was now managing the Farrell family’s internal affairs and was thus responsible for reading the letter.
The letter offered congratulations and wished Alice a speedy recovery. It was signed “Mrs. Jaffe”.
Opal nodded slightly as she read the letter, then folded it with a smile. “Viola is very thoughtful. Thank you for your consideration, Zoey.”
Zoey replied with a smile, “Please take good care of yourselves. Once Thomas returns, life will be better.”
“Yes,” Alice said, her face showing a serene joy. “It will be better once he returns, but I wonder when that will be. I can hardly wait.”
“It should be soon. Don’t worry. Take good care of your health. There will be many things to manage once he’s back,” Zoey said with a reassuring smile.
Alice sighed softly, “You’re right, but I can’t help but wonder if he’ll resent me for letting them slip away from each other like this.”
She knew her son and Viola shared a deep bond, yet she had still taken it upon herself to grant Viola a letter of divorce.
Zoey understood what Alice meant, and replied, “If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen. Alice, don’t dwell on it. What matters is that everyone is well.”
“It’s just that she has wasted years of her life,” Alice said.
Even though she had seen a different side of Viola that day, she still felt the bond between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
“We’ll accept the pension, but there’s really no need to return those two shops. I willingly gave them to her.”
“Alice, you treated Viola like your own daughter while she was with your family. She hasn’t been wronged. We’ll also return her dowry in full, and we’ve added more gold and jewelry to it. Since the shops have officially been transferred to her name, we can only convert their value into silver coins for you. This way, Thomas’ new wife won’t feel any jealousy when he marries.”
Zoey genuinely wanted what was best for Thomas. If his future wife knew that his shops had been given to his ex-wife, it would always be a sore spot that could affect their relationship. After some back and forth, Alice finally accepted. Once Zoey left, Alice asked Opal, “What do you think of Zoey’s actions? Is she worried that Thomas will cling to Viola after he comes back?”
Opal thought for a moment and shook her head. “It doesn’t seem that way. If anything, she’s worried Viola might cling to Thomas again.” “How could that be? She’s already married.”
Opal knew that Alice didn’t pay much attention to outside matters, and wasn’t familiar with the situation in the Jaffe family.
She didn’t want to say too much to avoid causing her any worries, so she replied, “Regardless of what Zoey meant with her actions, the Prince family has returned the pension and money in exchange for the two shops. This makes it clear that there’s nothing more between Thomas and Viola. This way, it will be easier for Thomas to court someone new.”
“True, that makes sense. Zoey is a sensible woman. She genuinely wants the best for us.” Opal nodded. “Yes, she does.”
But in her heart, Opal felt a bit confused. It seemed like Zoey didn’t like her sister-in-law much. While conflicts between sisters-in-law weren’t uncommon, they usually protected each other in public. Plus, Zoey didn’t strike her as a petty person.
Why was she acting this way?
Oh well, that was a matter for the Prince family.
The news that Thomas was still alive had reached Blake, including the fact that Viola had returned Thomas’ pension and the income from the shops. However, he didn’t know that it was Viola’s family who had helped Viola repay everything.
Since the assassination attempt and Viola’s questioning of his feelings for her, there had been very little conversation between them. After hearing about Thomas’ survival, Blake hesitated for a long time before finally stepping into Grace Mansion. Viola was sitting on the couch, lost in thought. When she saw him enter with the light behind him, she froze for a moment. She almost called out the name of the person who had been on her mind constantly. When she realized it was Blake, her face darkened.
“I thought you’d forgotten where the entrance to Grace Mansion was. It’s rare to see you here,” she said coldly.
Blake dismissed the maids before sitting down. “I heard about Thomas.”
Viola’s voice remained icy. “And what of it?”
Blake continued, “I know you’re disappointed in me and unhappy with my family. Now that Thomas is back, if he doesn’t mind that you were married before and you want to get back together, I can help make that happen.”
In a fit of anger, Viola hurled a teacup at him. “Blake, you jerk! What do you take me for? Do you think I’m the kind of woman who switches loyalties at a whim?”
Blake didn’t move, letting the cup hit him. His expression turned uncertain, as if lost.
“That’s not what I meant. I just feel my family has treated you unfairly. If there’s still a bond between you and Thomas, I’m willing to step aside.”
Viola laughed bitterly, her anger flaring. “Step aside for me? It seems you’ve never seen me as your wife! If you had any sincerity at all, you wouldn’t be able to say such a thing.”
Her fury wasn’t directed entirely at Blake. If this conversation had taken place before Zoey had made her return the pension and the shops, she might have been pleased to hear Blake say he would let her go.
Lately, she had been recalling her time with Thomas. Comparing it to her current life with Blake, there was no contest.
Moreover, Valor Estate was nothing more than a facade. The Jaffe family was destitute, barely surviving while supporting two entire branches of the family. All of their savings, shops, and estates had been sold off. If not for the fact that King Augustus had bestowed the estate to the Jaffe family, they likely would have sold that too.
Blake’s prospects were bleak. And with Freya still living in the estate, there was always the looming threat of more assassins, keeping everyone on edge.
But Thomas was different. He was originally a military commander. Now that he had returned victorious, it was likely that he would be promoted and granted further honors.