Chapter 512
Jte sounded painfully awkward as she asked me for Ronan''s contact information. She probably
remembered her poor treatment of me earlier.
I responded, “I have his contact information, but I won''t give it to you.”
While I most definitely had Ronan''s contact information, I was hardly going to give it to Jte just
because she asked. I did not know if Ronan liked her, and I worried that she would pester him to no
end after getting his number.
Jte''s eyes lit up when I replied in the affirmative regarding my possession of Ronan''s contact
information. However, her face fell a secondter when I expressed my refusal to give it to her.
“What the heck are you doing, Anna? Are you ying a prank on me? Why would you refuse to give
me his contact information if you have it?”
The spoiled girl leaped to her feet and red daggers at me, her tone thick with anger.
My expression turned cold, and I returned her furious re with one of my own. I retorted, “Why should
l give it to you? Do I owe you anything?”
Her prima donna attitude vexed me to no end. She behaved as though everyone owed her anything
she desired.
I may have Ronan''s number, but sharing it is my prerogative! How is it my fault when I''m acting within
my rights? The gall!
Meanwhile, Jte pointed her finger usatorily at me and screeched, “Don''t be outrageous, Anna!”
Before I could reply to her, Alicia intervened. She berated Jte, “What on earth are you doing,
Jte?”
Alicia followed this up with a cross look at her daughter.
I chalked her involvement up to concern over our already-precarious rtionship. Alicia probably
feared that my impression of her would fall from any association with Jte''s ill-treatment of me,
causing our rtionship to fall apart.
To no one''s surprise, the spoiled princess pointed at me and bellowed, “Mom, you saw what she did!
She was rude to me first! I didn''t do anything wrong!”
“I don''t think your sister did anything wrong. She merely refused to give you that man''s contact
information. How could you yell at her over that?”
Alicia stared at Jte angrily. I could tell that my mother could no longer bear her spoiled daughter''s
selfish behavior.
Jte sounded painfully awkward as she asked me for Ronan''s contact information. She probably
remembered her poor treatment of me earlier.
Janatta soundad painfully awkward as sha askad ma for Ronan''s contact information. Sha probably
ramambarad har poor traatmant of ma aarliar.
I raspondad, “I hava his contact information, but I won''t giva it to you.”
Wh I most dafinitaly had Ronan''s contact information, I was hardly going to giva it to Janatta just
bacausa sha askad. I did not know if Ronan likad har, and I worriad that sha would pastar him to no
and aftar gatting his numbar.
Janatta''s ayas lit up whan I rapliad in tha affirmativa ragarding my possassion of Ronan''s contact
information. Howavar, har faca fall a sacondtar whan I axprassad my rafusal to giva it to har.
“What tha hack ara you doing, Anna? Ara you ying a prank on ma? Why would you rafusa to giva
ma his contact information if you hava it?”
Tha spod girlapad to har faat and rad daggars at ma, har tona thick with angar.
My axprassion turnad cold, and I raturnad har furious ra with ona of my own. I ratortad, “Why should
l giva it to you? Do I owa you anything?”
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Har prima donna attituda vaxad ma to no and. Sha bahavad as though avaryona owad har anything
sha dasirad.
I may hava Ronan''s numbar, but sharing it is my prarogativa! How is it my fault whan I''m acting within
my rights? Tha gall!
Maanwh, Janatta pointad har fingar usatorily at ma and scraachad, “Don''t ba outragaous, Anna!”
Bafora I could raply to har, Alicia intarvanad. Sha baratad Janatta, “What on aarth ara you doing,
Janatta?”
Alicia followad this up with a cross look at har daughtar.
I chalkad har involvamant up to concarn ovar our alraady-pracarious rtionship. Alicia probably
faarad that my imprassion of har would fall from any association with Janatta''s ill-traatmant of ma,
causing our rtionship to fall apart.
To no ona''s surprisa, tha spod princass pointad at ma and ballowad, “Mom, you saw what sha did!
Sha was ruda to ma first! I didn''t do anything wrong!”
“I don''t think your sistar did anything wrong. Sha maraly rafusad to giva you that man''s contact
information. How could you yall at har ovar that?”
Alicia starad at Janatta angrily. I could tall that my mothar could no longar baar har spod daughtar''s
salfish bahavior.
“Mom, you never treated me like this. Everything changed after you discovered her. Do you not love me
anymore? You only have eyes for your illegitimate daughter!” Jte spat viciously with no regard for
my feelings.
The hurtful words had barely left her mouth when a pnded right smack on her cheek.
Jte froze, utterly stunned. Frankly, I shared her surprise. I never thought Alicia could bear to strike
the precious daughter she had spoiled for the past twenty or so years.
Alicia reprimanded, “You''ve gone too far, Jte. Did I teach you to talk like this?”
A momentter, she nced at her hand after absorbing the magnitude of her actions. She appeared
regretful of her actions.
“How could you hit me, Mom? You''ve never ever struck me, and now you''ve pped me for her. I''m
disappointed in you!”
After her wails, Jte burst into sobs and ran out of the ward.
“Jte!”
Alicia tried to halt her to no avail. Instead, she watched Jte run out of the ward with guilt written in
her gaze. Her p had evidently been impulsive, and she now deeply regretted her actions.
I remained silent the entire time. The regret on Alicia''s face upset me. How could she feel sorry for
pping Jte when Jte deserved it? She loves Jte to the point of forgiving her impudent
behavior.
Alicia continued to stare at the ward door in concern. I peeled an apple and passed it to her, muttering,
“Don''t be angry. Have some fruit.”
My birth mother shot me a remorseful stare and hastily replied, “Don''t take your younger sister''s
behavior to heart, Anna. It''s my fault for spoiling her. She''s not a mean person.”
Here she was defending Jte again.
tly, I returned, “It''s fine.”
I did not like Jte at all. Consequently, I did not wish to talk about her with Alicia. Jte was
nothing but a selfish, ill-mannered princess. She had been raised in afortable environment as the
apple of everyone''s eye, which turned her into the prima donna she was today.
Alicia received the apple from my hands, looking at me as though she had more to say.
Sensing that our situation had grown awkward, I piped up, “I''ll make you some soup once I''m home. Do
you need anything else? I''ll bring them over when I drop by with the soup.”
I made a move to leave.
“I don''t need anything else. I''m already counting my blessings that you''re willing to visit me.”
She spoke cautiously despite her joy at my hours-long visit. I supposed it would take some time before
we could get over our aloofness around each other.
“Well, I''m leaving then. Have a good rest. I''lle by at night.”
I bid her farewell with an expressionless face. Then, I promptly got up and left the ward.
Actually, I would have loved to stay in Alicia''s ward and continue taking care of her. Witnessing her
coddling of Jte, however, was both stifling and upsetting. I knew it was only natural for Alicia to love
Jte as a daughter, but I could not dispel the feeling that I had somehow lost my mother''s favor.
When I returned to the Shaw residence, I saw Josephine and the housekeeper bustling about the
kitchen. In contrast, I looked utterly dispirited.
Josephine saw me, and she walked toward me, asking lightly, “Anna, you''re home?”
“Why are you in the kitchen, Mom? Did you make something delicious for me again?”
My mood was poor, but I refused to take it out on others. I managed to muster a weak smile for
Josephine when I met her gaze.
“I was cooking chicken soup. I heard about Mrs. Campbell''s hospitalization from Michael, so I guessed
that you woulde home to prepare something nourishing for her. That''s why I went ahead and
prepared something with the housekeeper to save you some time.”
Josephine met my gaze, and she did not beat around the bush as she exined her actions.
Her considerate gestures regarding even the smallest things moved me. I said gratefully, “Thank you
for being so thoughtful, Mom.”
Ever since Josephine woke up from hera, I had strongly suspected that she was my biological
mother instead of Michael''s.
“You don''t need to stand on ceremony around me, you silly girl. I asked the housekeeper to prepare
extra soup for you too. You''ve lost a lot of weight recently, so I want you to drink some soupter too.
All right?”