Tessa was very good at slipping through the cracks and taking advantage of them.She especially knew how to manipulate others’ sympathy.That was exactly why Grace’s view of Aurora had gradually worsened—it was all influenced by Tessa’s meddling.Back in her room, after showering, Grace sat on the bed and the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.No matter how things had ended between her and William, that was something between their generation.It had long been over.Why did she have to carry that resentment over to Aurora?It had nothing to do with her.To be blunt, back then, Aurora probably hadn’t even been born yet.She didn’t even get to choose who her parents were.So why did she have to bear the consequences of it all alone?William was gone—shouldn’t she let it go too?With that thought, Grace felt more and more guilty.All these years, because of Tessa, she had truly neglected so much when it came to Aurora, especially in those years when William was still aliv
There was another important reason.At that thought, Grace’s hand around Tessa’s shoulder unconsciously tightened.Tessa looked up at her, puzzled. "Mom, what’s wrong?"Grace didn’t answer. She just lowered her head and stared at the face that bore no resemblance to her own.Her heart felt uncertain and conflicted.But she quickly caught herself and shook her head with a smile. "Nothing, Mom’s just a little tired."Tessa responded sweetly, "Then go rest, Mom. I’ve got class tomorrow too—let’s both get some sleep.""Alright, you’re right. We should rest early."Grace rubbed her brow, unable to hold back the fatigue. It had been a long, exhausting day.It felt like she’d just fought a battle.However, she still couldn’t tell whether she’d won or lost.The only thing she could say with certainty was that she didn’t hate Aurora.It was just…Grace lowered her gaze. She simply didn’t know how to face her, especially when looking at that face that mirrored her own so closely—she didn’t eve
Those involved were often blinded, while onlookers saw the truth.Tessa had already seen right through Grace and couldn’t help but feel curious.Why did Grace clearly care about Aurora, yet always pretend not to?No matter how closely she observed, Tessa couldn’t figure out what Grace was truly thinking.She had considered many possibilities—for example, maybe Aurora wasn’t actually Grace’s biological daughter.But the moment that thought entered her mind, it was dismissed immediately.After all, Aurora looked far too much like Grace and had perfectly inherited all of Grace’s best features—even more than that.She looked as delicate and flawless as a Barbie doll.Since childhood, Tessa had always been jealous of Aurora’s looks.She never understood how the genes had worked out—looking like Grace was one thing, but Aurora had only inherited the most beautiful parts.To this day, Tessa still couldn’t understand it.They were both Grace’s biological daughters, yet she looked nothing like
So much time had passed that she couldn’t remember it clearly anymore.But now that she had returned to the past, Grace’s expression and reaction were crystal clear in her mind.It turned out that when someone didn’t like her, they just didn’t—no matter how hard she tried, they still treated her the same.Watching young Aurora use her homework as a way to numb herself left Aurora with a bitter ache in her chest.But there was nothing she could do now; she could only stand there and watch.She wanted to know what happened next, how things played out after this.But it was painfully obvious that Grace and Tessa were always on the same side, and no one cared about how she felt.Because even when the night grew late, no one came to comfort her.After finishing her homework, young Aurora washed up and went to bed by herself.Watching that small figure curl into a tight ball under the covers made Aurora’s heart ache even more.So much time had passed that she had forgotten what that kind of
Shouldn’t those words have come out without hesitation?Or rather, shouldn’t she have just said them directly?But on Grace’s side, she still couldn’t say it, even after all this time.Aurora truly couldn’t understand that.Was saying she loved her such a difficult thing to admit?Young Aurora’s heart grew colder by the second.And the more Grace hesitated, the more delighted Tessa became.Wasn’t it obvious?Grace’s hesitation was a clear sign she didn’t love Aurora.The longer it dragged on, the more their patience would be worn down.No one here was stupid.This kind of thing was painfully easy to see.Grace opened her mouth, just about to speak, but Aurora cut her off."That’s enough, Mom. You don’t need to answer anymore."She lowered her eyes. "I already have the answer. I understand now."Hearing that, Grace’s heart gave a jolt.She didn’t know why, but she hated the feeling of being seen through.And perhaps to cover up her emotions, her voice suddenly rose again. "You silly gir
Those words were already cruel enough.Even Grace froze for a second after saying them.This was her own daughter—how could she speak to her like that?Aurora looked completely stunned.She couldn’t even tell if the furious woman in front of her was truly her mother.And if she was, what unforgivable sin had Aurora committed to disappoint her this much?However, Aurora lowered her head slightly, tears brimming in her eyes.Based on everything she’d experienced over the years, she hadn’t done anything wrong.In fact, when she was younger, she used to go out of her way to win Grace’s affection.It was only in these last two years—after her father passed—that she began to realize Grace simply didn’t like her.Still, after all this time, Aurora couldn’t help but question if she was really Grace’s daughter.Why did there have to be such obvious favoritism?The room fell silent for a moment.None of the three spoke.Only heaven knew how hard it was for Tessa to hold herself back.She kept di