Chapter 247 A Date
AU Pebris
“I’ve got things to do. I’m leaving.” Without giving Ruth a chance to speak again, Maia turned and walked off quickly.
Ruth was stunned. She stood there like a statue, trying to process what Maia had just said.
She didn’t know the exact age one had to be to retire, but she figured it must be somewhere past 50.
That meant ten more years–at least.
What did that brat mean by that?
Was she saying she wouldn’t be giving me any more money for the next ten years?
How am I supposed to survive?
By the time Ruth snapped out of her thoughts, Maia had already disappeared down the street.
When Maia got home, Caroline had just stepped out of the bathroom.
Her hair was still wet, clinging to her shoulders, and the light sheen of water on her skin showed she’d just taken a shower.
She caught sight of the bright red handprint across Maia’s cheek and instantly narrowed her eyes. “Did your mom hit you again?”
Maia gave a breezy smile. “Just a slap. It’s nothing.”
Caroline frowned. “Nothing? You didn’t do anything wrong–what gives her the right to hit you like that?”
As she spoke, she stepped closer, inspecting the mark.
It looked pretty bad. Swollen, even.
“I’ll go get some cream,” she said, tossing her dirty laundry into the basket on the balcony before quickly heading into her room.
“Sit on the couch. I’ll help you with it.”
Maia shook her head. “It’s fine. Just a little bruise.”
She made it sound casual, like it didn’t matter, and Caroline had a feeling this wasn’t the first time. It wasn’t hard to imagine she’d taken slaps like that many times before.
Honestly, Maia probably had it even worse than she did back at home.
She pitied her. “Come on, if we’ve got medicine, use it. It’ll heal faster.”
Seeing Maia finally nod, Caroline went ahead and applied the cream for her.
Maia didn’t flinch once–not even a twitch. It was as if she really didn’t feel any pain.
But Caroline knew better.
Her cheek was swelling. No way that didn’t hurt.
Chapter 247 A Date
ve Feads
As she gently dabbed the cream on the wound, Caroline muttered, “Your mom is vicious. She doesn’t treat you like a daughter. That slap was way too harsh.”
“Compared to the past, this one was pretty mild.” Maia sighed. “I guess in another life I must’ve done something terrible to her. Maybe that’s why she’s always hated me in this one. No matter what I do, I never get so much as a smile from her.”
Caroline’s heart sank. “You poor thing. But you’re an adult now. She doesn’t get to lay a hand on you anymore–unless you let her. Don’t just stand there and take it next time,” Then something else occurred to her. “Hey, what about your dad?”
It was something Caroline had never really thought to ask before. Maia never talked about him.
But still–how could her father let Ruth hit their daughter like this?
Surely he wasn’t just as cruel?
Having a mother that cruel was already bad enough–surely her father couldn’t have been just as heartless?
Maia shook her head, her eyes suddenly dim. “I’ve never met him. I don’t even know his name.”
“What?” Caroline looked at her in shock. “You mean you’ve never asked your mom or your grandma?”
If she hadn’t heard it from Maia herself, she wouldn’t have believed such a thing was even possible.
Not meeting your father was already painful enough–but not even knowing his name? That doesn’t make
sense.
Maia let out a bitter laugh. “Of course I asked. But they never told me. Every time I brought it up, they’d either ignore me or scold me.”
She had asked more times than she could count since she was a kid.
Not only did she never get an answer, but she often ended up getting yelled at. Sometimes, she even got hit for asking.
Over time, she stopped bringing him up.
She could only guess–maybe her father had done something unforgivable to her mother, something that left behind deep resentment.
Caroline looked at her struggling to hold a smile, and her chest ached.
Maia must’ve been carrying all that hurt for years. Sure, Caroline had her own problems, but compared to Maia’s life, hers felt like a walk in the park.
At least her parents had loved her. And even though they were gone now, someone new had come into her life–someone who genuinely cared.
Blake …
He had been quietly helping her all this time. Blake’d truly been kind to her.
She used to hold back, afraid to get close to anyone, especially after how her brothers had treated her like she didn’t matter. She had built walls, not wanting to be tied down again.
15:04 Thu, 19 Jun
Chapter 247 A Date
But now, seeing Maia’s situation, she realized she still had something to be grateful for.
+8 Pearls
As for those brothers who had pushed her aside, ignored her, and treated her like she wasn’t part of the family–well, if they didn’t care about her, she didn’t need to care about them either.
Having figured things out in her heart, Caroline immediately sent Blake a message. “I heard there’s a new fondue place that opened near your office. Want to check it out with me after work tomorrow?”
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After the New Year’s Eve Tragedy. Her loy Return
