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Clara felt like her world was crumbling around her. She couldn't believe that her son and his wife had been deceiving her for so long. She thought she knew them, but now she realized she didn't know them at all.

"Why?" she asked, her voice shaking with emotion. "Why would you do this to me? Why would you lie to me and make a fool out of me?"

Fred took a deep breath and tried to explain. "Mom, I know this is hard to understand, but I did it for the company. I did it to protect our family's legacy. And Zara. she was in a difficult situation, and I wanted to help her."

"I was pregnant, Clara. I didn't know what to do. Fred offered to help me, and I took the offer. I know it was wrong, fooling you like that, but I was desperate."

Clara followed it all. Anger, sadness, disappointment—all of them mixed in her face. She didn't know what to say or do.

Up to this time, Bella was silent. "You see, Clara, I told you they were lying to you. I told you they were using you."

Clara wheeled around to