"In a couple of days, I'll have a matchmaker go to your house with a marriage proposal. Don't you worry about that rogue. You're one of the Thornes now, and no one will dare bully you."
As they were leaving, Phoebe Huxley pulled Kelley Xavier aside for a private word, showing her support. Before, without any official standing, she couldn't step in. But now, if that shameless stepmother dared to bully her daughter-in-law again, she'd chop that bitch in two. And that rogue with the surname Coleman, hmph!
Kelley Xavier's heart warmed. It was the first time she had ever felt the warm care of a female elder. Her own mother had passed away when she was eight, and for the past nine years, she hadn't had a motherly figure to look after her. Her paternal grandmother didn't like her, and her aunts were busy with their own children. Though Kelley Xavier was strong, she had moments of weakness and helplessness, just like now.
