I asked, "Why?"Cindy pointed at me. "Because of you."I frowned. "Because of me?"Cindy nodded. "At the time, I thought Max was handsome but had no interest in him, especially since he was just a poor student with a frayed shirt collar. But after the event, I saw you. You came running, jumped into his arms, and he twirled you around. Your laughter under the trees was so picturesque. In that moment, I thought, what a perfect couple. It would be a shame not to destroy it."I was about to call Cindy a twisted, crazy person.Was she psychologically damaged, unable to see others happy?Before I could speak, Cindy's expression turned cold, and she spoke through gritted teeth. "You had a perfect family, loving parents, and an impressive academic record. Was that not enough? Why did fate also give you a perfect boyfriend? Why?""I couldn't stand such unfairness.""But soon I realized that your boyfriend seemed to have ulterior motives with you. Aaron didn't think much of him either. I
I listened attentively as Cindy described her reasons for targeting Max and her decision to involve me. I remained patient, refraining from interrupting or pressing her further. Today, I would finally uncover the truth."At that time, I grew disinterested in Max. I was taken aback by how easily he could be manipulated, lacking any backbone whatsoever. His shallow nature disgusted me, and I no longer wanted to engage with him. I believed someone like him would be better suited for you, given your fondness for him. I thought it would be amusing to witness you eventually discovering his true character."Cindy casually crossed her legs, admiring the exquisite latte art in her cup. "That morning, after breakfast at the hotel, I asked him to leave. I then proceeded to block him on all platforms and caught an afternoon flight back to the Unitedland."This marked Cindy's first breakup with Max.I looked at her intently, curiosity filling my eyes. "What happened next? If you held such disda
Cindy smugly exclaimed, "He spent his entire month's allowance to take me out for afternoon tea at a five-star hotel. He said, even though he had no money, I deserved the best in the world. He was willing to give everything to treat me well."If this had been earlier, when I first found out about Max's affair, hearing Cindy boast like this would have caused me immense pain. But now, as I faced Cindy's arrogance, I felt nothing.Well, maybe I did feel something—I realized just how foolish I had been. I never questioned Max's "thoughtfulness" when we were together. I never complained about eating street food or drinking free bottled water. He couldn't even afford a ten-dollar boba tea.Cindy was right. I had been completely deceived by Max's cheap yet romantic gestures.But was I wrong for falling for it?Even now, I don't think I was wrong. The mistake lay with the scoundrel and his tactics, not with my sincerity and genuine feelings."Max was wrong to think his tactics would work
I met her gaze calmly and replied, "I do want to know, but don't you need to finish boasting about your accomplishments before explaining why?"There was a flash of anger in Cindy's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it. She took a deep breath and looked at me intensely. "Because I was furious. I had been away for over a year, and that useless Max still hadn't dealt with you. He was still being looked down upon by Aaron Middleton as a gold digger! He was still your lapdog, and you were still happily playing princess. It sickened me to see it!"Puzzled, I frowned and was about to ask Cindy what I had done to make her hate me so much.Through gritted teeth, Cindy said, "Especially when I was in so much pain, seeing you happy made me livid."Unable to hold back any longer, I asked Cindy in confusion, "Do you have some sort of mental issue? We've never met before. What did I do to make you hate me so intensely? You even went as far as purposely rear-ending my car when I was pregnant and
Cindy sneered, "Are you sure? Don't you want to know why Max suddenly bought medication for Aaron Middleton? Or why he kept taking you on trips, trying to get you into bed?"I immediately caught the mention of my father and asked, "What do you mean? Are you saying you instructed Max?"Cindy glanced at her manicured nails and nonchalantly said, "Don't rush. I'll tell you. But I must warn you, lately I've been seeing a psychologist because of everything that happened with Max. The doctor says I have a bit of a delusional disorder. So, Jen, whatever I tell you today, you should take it with a grain of salt. I can't guarantee whether I'm speaking from delusion or if I've just watched too many TV dramas and read too many novels."My heart sank.It seemed Stephen and Taylor were right—talking to Cindy wouldn't yield anything valuable. The fact that she agreed to meet me meant she was fully prepared.I gripped my hands tighter, reminding myself to stay calm.Cindy, pleased with my react
Cindy scoffed, her expression icy and distant. "Why would he choose you and your mother over me?"I was utterly perplexed. Did she imply that my father had some sort of relationship with Cindy? But that couldn't be true. Cindy had grown up abroad, rarely returning to the country, while my father had always been here. It was impossible for such a scandalous story to exist between them.Suddenly, Cindy seized the cup in front of her and flung it to the ground. The cup shattered into pieces, startling the nearby customers and the waiter standing nearby. The waiter hesitated to clean up, sensing the tense atmosphere.Cindy's anger seemed to erupt from deep within her. "Why him!" she demanded furiously.She appeared exactly like a woman who had been abandoned.But my father? How could he be involved in something so scandalous?I would not let her defame my father like this! I slammed my hand on the table, shouting, "Are you trying to tarnish my father's reputation?"Cindy shot back,
The woman in his arms was not my mother. Naturally, I recognized my mother from her younger days.Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the woman's features bore a striking resemblance to Cindy. More accurately, Cindy resembled this woman from her younger days. The only noticeable difference was that Cindy had a small black mole on her nose, while the woman in the photo had a clear, unblemished face. Her eyes were not particularly large, but they were expressive, and her smiling gaze seemed to bring the entire photo to life.The woman was wearing jeans and a knit sweater, with a ribbon tied around her neck. Her delicate eyebrows and the way she leaned gently against my father's chest gave her a sweet, radiant look. They were standing against the backdrop of a sunrise over Eagleland Mountain, with golden clouds stretching as far as the eye could see.Who was she?A sudden realization struck me. She was Cindy's mother.I quickly turned the photo over and saw a line of delicate call
Clearly, the word "mistress" struck a nerve with Cindy. Her face twitched as she struggled to accept it, but the truth remained.Cindy clenched her fists, her eyes red with anger as she glared at me, trying to suppress her rage. "Jen, you know that's not the point.""The point you think you're making means nothing to me. I don't care about Susanne's relationship with my father, and you won't provoke me with it. But I warn you, my father's good name isn't yours to tarnish. If I hear even a whisper of you slandering him, I won't let you off easily!" I emphasized, "Do you understand?"Tears welled up in Cindy's eyes, and her voice grew hoarse. "Jen, are you threatening me?""You can take it that way," I replied coldly. "No one can clarify events from over twenty years ago. I'm not interested in how your mother disrupted my parents' relationship. If you're hung up on it, you won't find answers from me. From now on, stop bothering me with this! Or else—""Or else what?""Or else, I wo