I didn't look shocked at all. After all, I knew the truth—Charlotte was Greg and Amanda's biological daughter.
"Mom, I finally found you! You're my mom!"
Charlotte's hair was dry and dull. She looked emaciated with sunken cheeks. One could tell the abuse she had endured living with Amanda over these years.
Alas, Amanda must have assumed she was abusing my daughter when, in reality, Charlotte was her child all along.
Timothy, who had first spoken up, could no longer stand this fiasco. He tapped his walking stick on the floor again, demanding answers.
"Greg, who's this girl?"
Nodding, Greg answered, "This is Rachel's daughter. She's been weak from a young age and is always sick. We can never nurse her back to health."
Silence filled the living room.
I had my doubts. Perhaps Charlotte wasn't born a sick child as they claimed; she was sick because of Amanda's deliberate neglect.
Charlotte refused to let go of my hand. Her face was streaked with tears. "Mom, I miss you so much. You're my mom, aren't you?"
She peeked at Amanda meekly. Then, she stated, "Mom told me that I will be healthy again if I call you my mother because you're rich. I'm always sick, but Mom never cares for me. I'm dying."
Charlotte earned my sympathy with her words. Whether she knew the truth or not hardly mattered; at the end of the day, she was an innocent victim.
"I—" Before I could reply, Amanda started to cry.
Looking at Charlotte through tears, she tried to persuade Jacob. "Jacob, Charlotte is Rachel's daughter. Let them be together. If not, Charlotte will die from her sickness. We don't have the money to pay for her treatments… Won't you look at Charlotte? She's the same age as you but so much shorter than you…"
Pouting pitifully, Charlotte turned to Jacob. "I won't take your mom from you, but can I ask her to help pay my medical bills? It's either that or I'll die…"
Jacob's features contorted with conflicting feelings. He was too young to make sense of the adult world, but he understood the gravity of death.
"Mom…"
I caressed Jacob's head. "Darling boy, leave it to me."
Greg came forward to convince me, saying, "Rachel, I know you're struggling to accept the truth right away, but you can't just watch Charlotte die. She's your daughter!
"I'm trying my best to get her treated, but in the worst-case scenario, her last wish is to spend time with her biological mom."
He was making an emotional appeal now. Everyone was so touched by his words that they started to try talking me into it.
"Rachel, just take Charlotte in. She's your biological daughter."
"Since Greg married into the Weiss family, Jacob is still considered a Weiss. You don't have to worry about Weiss Group falling into the hands of others…"
That was exactly Greg's logic, which explained why he had brazenly invited Amanda to Jacob's birthday party. He believed that I would succumb to public pressure and recognize Charlotte as my daughter.
If I acknowledged Charlotte as my daughter, it would be proof that Jacob was Amanda's son. Then, Greg and Amanda, with Jacob on their side, would technically wield power over Weiss Group.
Smiling, I ignored Greg's words. "Greg Morton, you're the one who cheated. Are you really going to cover up your behavior by saying it was all an accident?
"I'm not going to delve into past matters. Even if Jacob weren't my biological son, I would still see him as mine because I have raised him for ten years. My wealth and property—including my shares in Weiss Group—will go to Jacob."
With a smile, I turned to Jacob, lovingly stroking his head. "Darling, I will give everything to you. Do you want to live with me after Dad and I get a divorce? Or do you prefer to live with him?"
Jacob tilted his head. After thinking for a while, he walked up to Greg as everyone watched.
