Chapter 48: Drop That Pretentious Act of Yours
Taking a deep breath, Gwenda turned away from the door, wanting to ignore her unexpected visitor.
But the doorbell kept ringing incessantly, followed by her phone, and the dual ringing gave Gwenda a
massive headache.
Her grip tightening on her phone, Gwenda spun around and threw the door open, yelling angrily, "Are
you done or not?"
Pauline, who was the mysterious visitor, was a tad shocked by her stepdaughter''s attitude. But she
quickly pulled on the face of a concerned parent and said, "Oh, did I disrupt your sleep, Gwenda? I
tried to call you but you never answered, and I was afraid that you didn''t want to see me, so..."
"So, why are you still here if you knew that I didn''t want to see you?"
Gwenda interrupted her impatiently.
Pauline''s smile became frozen. She did not expect Gwenda to be so disrespectful to her. "Gwenda, you
have note home for two months, I was worried about you..."
"There''s nothing about me that''s worth worrying over for you. I''m living just fine over here. Please go
back."
With that, Gwenda made to close the door, but was stopped by Pauline.
"Gwenda, we''re a family. Please don''t sulk. I came here because I wanted to tell you something."
Gwenda stared at her stepmother, knowing that she would never give up until she had gotten what she
wanted.
So, she took a deep breath and let go of the door. "Fine,e in."
No longer facing any resistance, the door fell open and nearly made Pauline fall. Forcing her anger
down, Pauline straightened her clothes and walked into the apartment.
Gwenda went straight to the sofa in the living room and sat down, crossing her arms.
Staring at Pauline coldly, Gwenda said, "Say whatever it is that you came to say."
"Gwenda, how are you doing these two months away from home?"
Pauline continued with the act of being a concerned mother as she asked after Gwenda''s wellbeing.
Being in the same space as Pauline set Gwenda on edge. A frown on her face, Gwenda said irritably,
"What the hell are you trying to say? It''s just the two of us in here, aren''t you tired of pretending?"
Her act having been seen through, Pauline barely managed to keep up her mask. With a stiff smile,
she said, "I... was just worried about you. Your dad as well. He talks about you all the time and wants
you to go home soon."
"Wants me to go home soon?"
Gwenda sneered sarcastically. "I think he doesn''t want me to go home ever! Shouldn''t an unfilial child
like me be kept as far away from the family as much as possible? Besides, even if you''re not revolted
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by my presence back home, wouldn''t Gretchen be grossed out?"
Stunned by the questions, Pauline let some anger show on her face. "How could you think that way,
Gwenda? I''ve always treated you as if you were my own daughter. You know how much I love you."
"Yes, you love me."
Gwenda cocked an eyebrow at her stepmother as she stared at her with a frigid stare.
"Ever since you married into the family, you''ve always given me the best things and let me have my
way no matter what. When I picked fights with my schoolmates, you praised me for it; when I wanted to
skip school, you helped me out. Even if I fought with Gretchen, you would still take my side. Everyone
was saying what a great stepmother you are..."
Thinking that Gwenda was being grateful to her, Pauline was about to feel proud of herself when her
stepdaughter''s words took a turn for the worse.
Her tone was sharp and filled with bitter resentment. "But it is precisely because of you that everyone
hates me! I picked fights and skipped school, I have no friends because they see me as nothing more
than a bully and the teachers hate me. Even my own father thinks I''m beyond saving!"
"It''s not..." Pauline''s expression shifted. She wanted to exin, "It''s not like that," but Gwenda cut her
off harshly. "Enough! Just drop that pretentious act of yours. Do you really think that you''re a qualified
mother?"