Joanna hadn''t expected to run into them at the hospital.


    Jerome must have been there for surgery, and Wendy was visiting him.


    Now, she lived alone in that small, old, rundown apartment, but judging by herplexion, she was doing quite well.


    Meanwhile, her own father and mother, the family she had once longed for, were gone. The happiness she had anticipated never materialized.


    This wasn''t the oue she wanted. Everything had been ruined.


    She was still an illegitimate daughter.


    She shot a vicious re at Natalie and Wendy. "Wendy, no matter what you do, you''ve broken Natalie''s heart. She will never acknowledge you as her mother."


    "Do you know why?" Joanna''s smile was malicious as she stared intently at Wendy''s pained expression.


    Wendy stared back at her, silent.


    The reason was simple: she had brought it on herself.


    Her feelings at the time had been so conflicted.


    Seeing her silence, Joanna continued, "Do you think she refuses to acknowledge you all just because of what I did? Are you meless? You knew she was your biological daughter, you knew she came from the countryside, and you, her own mother, were ashamed of her. Who was going to give her any respect?"


    "With Sebastian''s status, why would he ever look twice at a girl from the country?"


    "Wendy, the situation you''re in today isn''t just my fault. It was your own choice. We''re all adults, and everyone has to pay the price for their choices. You traded your own flesh and blood for me, Wendy. Don''t act so pious now-you made your choice, and you enjoyed the life I gave you."


    "So why are you pushing all the me onto me in the end? You were the ones who made a habit of spoiling me."


    "Can you deny that you looked down on her when you found out she was your daughter from the countryside?"


    "You didn''t just look down on her; you deliberately humiliated her. The clothes I didn''t like, the clothes I had worn and discarded, you took them and gave them to her."


    "You bought me five-million-dor couture gowns while getting her a two-hundred-dor down jacket. And still Natalie was good to your family. Wendy the moment you did that, you had already pushed you daughter into an abyss."


    "Did I make you do those things? Every single one of them, wasn''t it your own


    doing? On what grounds do you me everything on me?"


    Joanna demanded furiously. She was vicious, yes, but were Wendy and Jerome any less despicable?


    Wendy froze. Every word was true. It was under Joanna''s influence that she had done those unforgivable things to Natalie.


    Her eyes reddened, and she lowered her gaze, unable to look at Natalie.


    Natalie hadn''t even nced at them, focusing on eating her breakfast.


    Jerome was also filled with regret. Why had he treated his own sister that way?


    By now, Natalie had finished the pastry in her hand.


    f


    She folded the pastry wrapper with clinical precision, tossed it into the bin, and finally deigned to acknowledge the chaos outside. "This is a hospital. If you want to argue, do it outside. Don''t chisturb the patients."


    Her voice was cold and merciless.


    Only then did Wendy look at Natalie. "Natalie..... I....."


    She wanted to exin, but it was all true. Any exnation would just be an excuse.


    In the beginning, she truly hadn''t wanted Natalie toe back. Her return had


    shattered all of her happiness.


    Natalie waved a hand dismissively.


    Her gaze was indifferent. This was the family that had abandoned her


    long ago. Even if they knelt and begged for forgiveness, she would never forgive them.


    "Mrs. Scott, I believe I''ve made it clear that I have no desire to see you. Please, respect my boundaries."