Jennifer knitted her brows, the old wound in her chest feeling freshly form
open.
“What are you doing here?
Did Alexander send you to drag me back?”
She quickly turned her face away, refusing to meet her eyes.
“Alexander told me not to come, but I had to.
Jennifer… I failed you as a mother.”
“I shouldn’t have pressured you into those things for fame and money.
Nor should I’ve blamed you for sending the Exotic Fruit, shifting responsibility onto you.
But please believe me–it was never intentional.
I hope you won’t hold this grudge.”
These hollow displays of affection had scarred her long ago.
So when her mother spoke, Jennifer’s heart remained numb.
“Did you ever truly see me as your daughter in the Smith Family?
To you, I was always a useless burden. Yet I did nothing wrong–I simply couldn’t be your stepping stone.
That’s why you resented me… enough to hurt me.”
“If you despised me so much, why did you ever give birth to me?
You’re my own mother, yet you watched them humiliate me without blinking.”
Jennifer hadn’t burst out like this in years, but facing her birth mother, the dam broke.
Months of pent–up anguish flooded out.
Before she finished, her mother choked with tears.
They stood frozen at the entryway. Jennifer studied this woman–a stranger wearing her mother’s face.
The woman clutched her hand, speechless.
Then Tina hugged Jennifer from behind, murmuring she was hungry.
Jennifer looked up and wrenched her hand free.
“I won’t return. Take care of yourself.
But…
I’ll send money monthly. Consider it… my duty.”
Jennifer closed the door.
Leaving her mother like a flickering candle in the wind.
Jennifer cast one last detached glance through the door.
This wound from her birth mother would never heal.
She wouldn’t go back. New beginnings awaited.
When Dylan Green arrived, Jennifer was teaching Tina English in the shop.
“Thanks for watching her alone today.”
“No trouble. Tina’s been good.”
Jennifer stroked the girl’s hair, warmth softening her tone.
“What shall we play today?
I’ll cook anything.”
“Anything you make is perfect.”
Dylan handed Tina milk before turning to Jennifer. “Parent–teacher conference this afternoon. Free to join?”
Jennifer’s eyes lit up. “Absolutely!”
Tina bounced with glee.
By cleanup time, Dylan and Tina waited in the car.
Jennifer fidgeted restlessly during her first school visit as Tina’s guardian.
Before reaching the classroom, sly–eyed children pointed at Tina, sneering:
“Motherless brat.
Fatherless brat.”
Their scorn included Jennifer and Dylan.
“I’ll park. Go ahead with Tina.”
Chapter 23
Dylan signaled Jennifer. She understood, gripping Tina’s hand as they stepped out.
Seeing Tina shrink back in resistance.
Jennifer leaned close to her ear, whispering gently, “Your aunt’s here, no need to be scared.”
She finally understood why Dylan had called her over.
As a man, he must’ve found this situation tricky–after all, he couldn’t just beat up those kids. So he’d summoned Jennifer.
Holding Tina’s hand, Jennifer glared haughtily at the group of children.
When their eyes met hers, her expression turned fierce instantly. She pointed at one boy. “Was it you who called her ‘motherless kid“?”
The boy stammered, his face falling. After a moment, he muttered weakly, “So what if I did? I wasn’t wrong.
To his surprise, Jennifer pulled out her phone–recording already active.
“Apologize to Tina now, unless you want this recording sent to your teacher.”
Her tone left no room for argument.
“No! I wasn’t wrong! Why should I apologize?”
Seeing his stubbornness, Jennifer clenched her fists, suppressing her fury.
“Last chance. Apologize or not?”
The boy stayed silent, occasionally sneering.
Chapter 23
“Ah!”
Jennifer shoved him hard. He crashed backward with a piercing shriek.
His friends stared, frozen. “Since you’re this unreasonable, you leave me no choice. You’ll face consequences.
And this recording? It’ll reach your teacher within the hour. I’ll have her play it for the whole class.”
The boy flushed crimson with rage.
Scrambling backward on the ground, he watched his friends scatter.
Jennifer wasn’t done. She chased him down, grabbed his collar, and spoke with icy wrath: “Apologize.”
Tears suddenly welled in the boy’s eyes. He sobbed an apology before slinking away.
Beside them, Tina finally loosened her grip on her clothes.
“Don’t worry, Tina. Auntie won’t let anyone bully you ever again.”
