Vivian Quinn quickly turned her head away, avoiding his intense gaze.
"Vivian," Jett Sterling said, refusing to let it go. "You haven’t really talked to in a long ti."
"I have nothing to say to you," Vivian Quinn said coldly.
"If you don’t want to talk, then don’t. The priority right now is Joy Chase. I just hope you don’t worry about her too much."
"I know what I’m doing." Vivian Quinn stood up. "I’m going to check on Joy."
The hospital quickly ran the compatibility tests for Holly Jenner and her daughter, but unfortunately, neither was a match.
Vivian Quinn’s heart plunged into panic again. She couldn’t eat or sleep.
"Vivian, don’t worry. Isn’t Joy’s father still an option? Maybe he’ll be a match." Holly Jenner brought her a steaming bowl of sweet potato noodles. "You’re married to such a rich husband now. What is there to worry about?"
Vivian Quinn’s brow furrowed slightly as she slowly turned to look at her.
Oblivious to Vivian Quinn’s displeasure, Holly Jenner continued, "Vivian, Mom wants to discuss sothing with you. You’re living so well now, so you have to help Chloe out. She’s going to school in our small county town, where she can’t learn anything or see the world. Can you ask your husband to arrange for her to co study in Aethelgard? She can live with you."
Vivian Quinn just laughed. "Are you kidding ?"
"Why would Mom joke with you?" Holly Jenner said with a straight face. "I’m being very serious."
Vivian Quinn was speechless. She massaged her throbbing temples before slowly speaking, "Joy is your biological daughter too. She’s lying in the ICU right now, her life hanging in the balance, yet you’re here nonchalantly ignoring her to pave the way for your younger daughter?"
Holly Jenner looked a little awkward. "Vivian, you can’t put it like that. I haven’t seen Joy in so many years. Naturally, my feelings for her aren’t as deep as they are for Chloe..."
"So you *do* know you haven’t seen Joy in years?" Vivian Quinn was seething. "In all these years, have you fulfilled your duty as a mother for even a single day? Have you ever co to see Joy, even once? You gave birth to her and ran off! Do you have any idea how many tis she has hovered at Death’s Door just to survive until today?!"
"Do you know that when she was suffering in agony from her illness, she would cry out for her mother? But where were you then?" Vivian Quinn tried to control her emotions, but it was impossible. "You ca this ti for the compatibility test, and even though it was for money, I still felt a sliver of gratitude toward you. I was hoping you could give Joy a little warmth. But I was wrong. You haven’t changed at all. You’re still the sa selfish person!"
Holly Jenner’s face flushed with anger. "Vivian, I’m your mother, after all. How can you talk to like that?"
"Who told you that you’re my mother?" Vivian Quinn said icily. "I am not your daughter, nor do I want to be. The only connection between us is Joy. Since you don’t want her, I have nothing to do with you. Take your money and get out!"
Holly Jenner froze for a second. The next mont, her entire deanor changed. "Vivian, I was wrong. Please don’t make leave. I’ll dote on Joy, okay?"
Vivian Quinn sneered. "It seems you can’t bear to lose your al ticket, thinking you can get more money by flattering ."
Holly Jenner: "..."
A flash of embarrassnt at being exposed crossed her face. "Vivian, it’s not like that. Mom wanted to co see you, but I just couldn’t. I’m always working just to make ends et. Where would I find the ti or energy to look for you, right?"
"I already said, you’re not my mom." Vivian Quinn stared at her, her expression blank. "And you don’t need to be so servile. The one giving you money isn’t , it’s my husband. We’re in the middle of a divorce settlent, and I’ll be leaving with nothing. So I don’t have any money."
Holly Jenner’s brow twitched. She stared at Vivian Quinn, scrutinizing her as if trying to determine if she was telling the truth.
Vivian Quinn saw right through her. "You don’t have to doubt it. I’m telling the truth. If you don’t believe , you can go ask Easton Rivers."
Unwilling to accept it, Holly Jenner’s chest heaved with anger. She spun around and ran out the door.
’Finally, so peace and quiet,’ Vivian Quinn thought. She sat down, took a sip of hot tea, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Before she could finish her tea, her phone rang.
It was a call from Easton Rivers.
Vivian Quinn quickly answered, "Easton, what’s wrong? Is there news about Joy?"
"No, Ma’am. You need to get down to the first floor. Holly Jenner is making a scene."
Vivian Quinn: "..." ???
"Got it. I’ll go down and see."
Vivian Quinn took the elevator to the first floor. The mont the doors opened, she heard Holly Jenner’s wailing and howling.
"Oh, I can’t go on living! What kind of daughter did I raise, to abandon her own mother! Everyone, co and be the judge..."
Vivian Quinn: "..."
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm, and walked over at an unhurried pace.
Holly Jenner was sitting on the floor in the busiest area, crying her heart out. A crowd had gathered around her, pointing and murmuring among themselves.
"Don’t cry. Let’s talk this out properly."
"Parents are never in the wrong. This daughter is going too far!"
"She’s at the hospital. Could it be that she’s sick and needs money, but her daughter refuses to pay and is abandoning her?"
"..."
Holly Jenner’s crying grew more intense. "A grown daughter won’t listen to her mother anymore! She married a rich husband and won’t even think about helping out. And after I worked so hard to raise her, feeding her bite by bite..."
"Say that again, and this ti, search your conscience," a cool voice said slowly.
The onlookers turned to see a young woman approaching.
Although she wore a mask, her visible eyes and brow were so exquisite that one couldn’t help but imagine the stunning face hidden behind it.
Seeing Vivian Quinn, Holly Jenner grew bolder. "You’re just in ti. In front of all these people, give a straight answer. Are you going to support or not? Are you going to help your little sister or not?!"
Vivian Quinn crossed her arms, walked up to her, and looked down imperiously. "Should I call the police? I think only they can sort out our relationship in the quickest way possible."
Holly Jenner was taken aback for a mont, but her eyes darted around, and she quickly ca up with an idea. "Go ahead and call them! Even if the police co, you still can’t abandon !"
Vivian Quinn: "..."
Holly Jenner stood up, leaned close to Vivian Quinn’s ear, and lowered her voice. "You’d better think this through. If the police co and investigate, they’ll find out about our relationship, which ans your past will be exposed."
"Do you want everyone to know you grew up in such a squalid family? That you have a father who’s in prison?"
Vivian Quinn: "..." ’Is this woman threatening ?’
Seeing Vivian look stunned, Holly Jenner thought she had successfully intimidated her and continued, "If you don’t want these ugly secrets getting out, that’s fine. Give another ten million, and we’ll cut ties for good!"
Reviews
All reviews (0)