The room went silent at once. Even the faint clinking of cutlery stopped.
Laurel remained seated, her posture straight, her lips parted in confused hesitation. "I greeted Grandpa and Grandma when I came."
"You should greet everyone one after the other," the woman replied without hesitation. "That is basic respect."
Laurel looked at her calmly, her soft features hardening a little. "Really?" Her tone carried an undertone of sarcasm.
Tension rippled through the room.
The woman's expression darkened slightly. "Not only did you keep us waiting for a long time, but you have the audacity to walk inside the room and select who you give respect to?" She turned to the other members of the family. "Is this how you teach your daughter-in-law? No wonder she believes she gets to make all the decisions inside this fortress."
