Chapter 88
But the women sitting by my bedside didn’t look nearly as good. Dark circles hung heavy under their eyes.}
When they saw I was awake, they rushed to check my forehead and the wounds on my body. Only after making sure everything seemed stable did they finally let out a breath of relief.}
I tried to thank them, but my throat was parched from going so long without water. Only after downing a full glass could I manage a few words.
“Tabitha, Flora, Wednesay… Can you tell me what exactly did Killian say that made my family turn on me like I’m some kind of enemy?” I had thought that asking that question would feel like a knife to the heart.
But after everything that’s happened, I didn’t feel anything at all.
Tabitha looked too conflicted. She opened her mouth several times, but the words just wouldn’t come out.
Wednesday avoided my gaze altogether, mumbling something about peeling an apple for me.”
In the end, it was Flora who took the burden upon herself. She trembled as she spoke the words out loud.
It hit me like a lightning strike. I sat there frozen, unable to come to my senses for a long time.>
When I finally processed it, a wave of grief and rage surged through me.
Uhad imagined a thousand possibilities, but never once did I think it would be this.
Just because Valeraine was their biological daughter, my brother’s real sister, they abandoned me and cast aside decades of our relationship??
How ridiculous!!
No wonder my so–called family who relied on my funds were so eager for me to give access to Valeraine–to use my money to support her and the baby she was carrying.}
They hated me. They saw me as the one standing in the way of their reunion with their “real” family.”
But they couldn’t bear to lose their walking wallet either.>
They were afraid that once I found out the truth, I’d run away.
They laid hands on me, turned me into a cripple, and then tried to push me to death–just so they could seize my assets.
So that was the truth. So simple, yet so cruel.}
I wiped my tears and turned to my friends.
“They must’ve seen a DNA report,” I said. “That’s why they believed Killian. I’m going to have a new test done. And once that’s settled, I’ll kick those parasites out of my place and cut all ties for good!“}
Hearing this, Tabitha pulled a trick out of her sleeve literally. Like magic, she produced a small bundle of hair.
“Right after Killian said that, I secretly grabbed some hair from him while pretending to clean up. I thought it might come in handy for you.”
My heart warmed. I hadn’t expected her to think that far ahead.
We rushed the samples to the lab, paid extra to expedite the process, and had the results by the afternoon.
I opened the envelope, and even though I had mentally prepared myself, I was still shocked by what I saw. “What… is this?” I stammered.}
“No way! Didn’t Killian say that Valeraine was the real daughter?” Tabitha asked. “Yeah,” Flora replied, “but DNA reports don’t lie… so that means Killian did!”
She grew more and more furious. Suddenly, like a light bulb went off in her head, she exploded.&
“I get it now! That bastard–he got caught cheating and panicked. He didn’t want to leave empty–handed, didn’t want to live broke. So he claimed you weren’t the real daughter, faked a DNA report, and fed that lie to your family! And those parasites–those people you’ve been supporting all these years they believed it! Not only did they believe it, they got scared you’d run off and stop supporting them, so they teamed up with Killian to go after you!”
Everything she said matched exactly what I’d been thinking.”
In the end, my so–called family believed him not because of love, but out of greed and selfishness.
Just as I was planning what to do next, the hospital room door burst open.@
My so–called family barged in, glaring at me with puffed–up anger. When they spoke, their tone was full of fury.
“Zadje! You better put us back on TrustPay! What, you want us to starve to death?” Mom began.
“Yeah! I still need to buy my plane ticket to Malaysia! My girls are waiting for me over there!” Grandma complained.
