Camila, worried about offending Vicky and losing her support, quickly interjected, "Maxwell, what are you saying? This is all nonsense."Maxwell smiled. "Don't take offense, Mrs. Inkling. I was just kidding! Please, enjoy your meal."Since Maxwell stood up for Jennifer, no one dared to speak ill of her, though many still harbored resentment. These socialite women had faced hardship from their mothers-in-law when they were young. Now, even if they no longer endured such challenges, they seemed eager to put others in similar situations.After lunch ended, seeing Maxwell present and unable to stir up any trouble, the women left unenthusiastically. Camila felt frustrated. She had thought her plan would go smoothly, but with Maxwell defending Jennifer at every turn, her efforts were in vain.When the others departed, the smile vanished from Maxwell's face. He turned to Camila. "Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do. If you want a peaceful life, we can put on an act of famili
Maxwell looked at Jennifer, puzzled. "What… did you mean by that?"Jennifer smiled and changed the subject. "Nothing important. Let's not bring up unpleasant things anymore, okay? Cal's coming back from Minalur tomorrow. Let's go pick him up together. I miss him already.""Alright, we'll go together with Cass," Maxwell agreed. He paused with worry. "Have you noticed that Cass's been a bit… down lately?"Jennifer nodded. "I've noticed too. It's strange. She used to chatter nonstop, and now she barely says a word and always seems down."Maxwell took a deep breath and frowned. "Could it be that she's getting bullied at school and is afraid to tell us?""How is that even possible?" Jennifer rolled her eyes at him. "You've already spoken with the principal and teachers. If anyone tried to bully Cass, the teachers would step in immediately."She stood up. "I'll go check on Cass."In Cassidy's room, she was sitting at her desk blankly. When she heard footsteps, she looked toward the do
The next day, Jennifer and Maxwell went to the airport to pick up Caleb. He happily brought out gifts he had brought back for his parents, grandma, and sister. "Here's a necklace for Mommy, a tie for Daddy, and a scarf for Grandma! By the way, where's Cass?"Jennifer and Maxwell were delighted to receive the gifts, feeling proud that their son was finally growing up. Meanwhile, Camila thought to herself that Caleb would be perfect if only he wasn't Jennifer's blood.Maxwell told Caleb, "Cass isn't home from school yet. You can put her gift in her room and surprise her when she gets back."Caleb winked at Maxwell. "Do you think she'll still be upset? I brought her the most gifts—chocolate, a doll, and a cute dress."Maxwell chuckled. "If I were Cass, I'd think I have the best brother and wouldn't be upset at all.""Really?" Caleb ran straight to Cassidy's room as soon as they got home, eager to hide the gifts in her closet.Later that evening, when Cassidy came home, she wasn't as
Cassidy put down her utensils and ran upstairs. Jennifer and Maxwell were stunned, unable to understand why their daughter was acting this way. Camila scolded them, "What's wrong with both of you? Why are you being so harsh? Poor Cassidy! She's just a little girl. How can you speak to her like that?"With that, she went upstairs, pretending to be concerned about Cassidy. Jennifer was too upset to keep eating, and Maxwell didn't know how to scold Cassidy. They wanted to check on their daughter, but Caleb needed comforting too. So, they stayed and consoled him first.…In her room, Cassidy lay on her bed, sobbing. Camila walked over. "There you go again, crying. But have your parents come to comfort you?"Cassidy sat up and leaned into Camila's arms. "Grandma, what should I do? It feels like Daddy and Mommy don't like me anymore.""Oh, Grandma worries about you too. Look at how biased your parents are," Camila said slyly. "When your mom's new baby is born, they'll probably not want you
Maxwell nodded. "Got it."After Camila left, Cassidy continued thinking about making her mom slip. Maxwell noticed her distraction and asked, "What's on your mind?""What? No… nothing." Cassidy quickly replied. "I was just thinking, will you… hit me?"Maxwell sighed. "Do you realize you made a mistake?"Cassidy suddenly felt guilty. She glanced at Maxwell, wondering if she had gone too far at dinner and if that made her parents dislike her even more. She whispered, "I know I was wrong. Daddy, I'm sorry."Maxwell patted her head in relief. "Now, why don't you apologize to Cal, too? The things you said must have hurt him. It's okay for kids to be moody sometimes. But if it keeps happening, people start to lose heart. Then, in time, no one will care for you."Cassidy nodded. "Then… I'll apologize to Cal."Maxwell held her hand and walked her to Caleb's room. Caleb was still upset about Cassidy's behavior."Cal, don't be mad anymore," Cassidy tugged his hand and apologized.Caleb
But Cassidy refused to leave. Her reluctance revealed the truth.The teacher sighed, disappointed. "Mrs. Lance, I understand that not doing homework is mainly an academic issue and could simply mean a lack of interest in learning. We can work on that. But what's more concerning is that she's lying at such a young age."Jennifer felt like she wanted to crawl into a hole. Why was there such a big difference between her two children? Caleb had skipped grades and excelled in every subject, while Cassidy seemed to be under some sort of curse. Not only was she struggling academically but she was also lying about her homework.Jennifer sternly asked Cassidy, "Why didn't you do your homework?"Cassidy kept her head down. It wasn't that she didn't want to do it. She was just so preoccupied with debating whether or not to make her mom slip that she couldn't focus at all.Out of respect for Maxwell, the teacher refrained from criticism and said instead, "Mrs. Lance, I think lying is a much m
As Cassidy thought about the fact that after her punishment, she would likely have to stay up all night catching up on homework, she felt her life was growing bleak. Standing at her room door, she felt humiliated each time a maid passed by and saw her.By noon, she rubbed her aching legs, hoping time would speed up. Just then, Camila came with a bag of snacks."My sweet granddaughter, I pity you!" Camila pulled out the snacks. "Hurry, eat up. Your mom may not care about you, but I do!"Cassidy was moved to tears. "Thank you, Grandma. But… but Mommy didn't say I could eat. She'll be angrier if Martha tells her."Camila chuckled. "No need to worry. Your mom just went out. Don't worry, I'm here. I'd like to see who dares to trouble you!"With that, Camila led Cassidy to her room, giving her snacks and drinks. Camila feigned pity. "You poor thing. In a few months, life will only get harder for you when the baby arrives."Cassidy's heart sank. Suddenly, her favorite cookies and chocol
Maxwell was likely in the study, and Jennifer should be in the bedroom. Cassidy nervously wondered if she should really do as Camila suggested and make her mother fall. Would her parents treat her as their precious princess again, instead of being so strict with her if the baby were gone?With that thought, Cassidy began to walk toward the master bedroom. She peeked inside. No one seemed to be there. She slipped into the bathroom and stared at the bottle of body wash. Her hand trembled as she reached for it, planning to pour it onto the floor.But as soon as she touched the bottle, her heart tightened and she dropped the bottle as if it were burning in her hands.No, she couldn't do it! She didn't want her mother to fall. It would hurt her.Just then, Jennifer's voice came from behind her. "Cass, why are you here? Did you finish your homework?"Cassidy quickly turned around, staring at Jennifer in shock. Her heart was pounding against her chest.Jennifer gazed at her daughter in conf