I Woke Up and the Dream Was Over

"Robbie, from now on, you must listen to your mother. Don't cling to Aunt Maisie anymore."

Jeremy Scott looked at me. His expression was complicated and unreadable, but there wasn't the slightest trace of guilt or shame to be found.

My son, Robert Scott, peeked out from Amber Liddell's arms, stealing a cautious glance at me. Then, in a clear, childish voice, he called out, "Aunt Maisie."

Two words, spoken in such an innocent tone, pierced straight through my heart. A sharp pain spread through my chest.

Amber walked over to my bedside, her tone reproachful. "Maisie, Jeremy and I are constantly busy. We only asked you to look after Robbie for one day, and you couldn't even manage something that simple?

"Thankfully, he's fine. Otherwise, could you bear the responsibility? Honestly, I don't know what else you're even capable of!"

The moment she finished speaking, the woman I had spent my whole life trying to please, my very own biological mother, immediately agreed.

"Amber, don't be too harsh on her. After all, she isn't of the Liddell blood. She's not like you, intelligent and exceptional in everything since childhood. I suppose that's just fate."

As she spoke, she let out a soft sigh and reached for Amber's hand, her eyes filled with affection.

My heart turned cold. I was the Liddell family's real daughter. And Amber was the daughter of the nanny who had stolen more than 20 years of my life.

Back then, that woman had switched us at birth so her own daughter could live in wealth and privilege. And I grew up at her side, enduring her constant beatings and scoldings.

She used to always say, "Look at the Liddell family's daughter. That's a real princess. You're not even worthy of cleaning her shoes. Know your place!"

When the truth finally came to light, I was brought back into the Liddell family. I thought my suffering had ended. But I never imagined that once my biological mother, Christine Roth, became convinced I had lost my memory, she would discard me so easily.

"Maisie Walter, are you even listening?" Jeremy's cold voice snapped me back to the present. "Robbie already said it himself. When the carriage went out of control, you only cared about saving yourself and completely ignored him. If he hadn't been incredibly lucky, how would you take responsibility?"

I stared at Robert in disbelief.

The instant the carriage went out of control, I had instinctively pulled him tightly into my arms. My forehead slammed into the wooden frame, and splinters cut into my arm. He hadn't suffered even a scratch.

"That's not true!" I struggled to sit up, but the movement tugged at my wounds. The immense pain caused me to suck in a sharp breath.

"Would a child lie?" Jeremy's voice rose abruptly, the disgust in his eyes threatening to drown me. "Maisie, how did I never realize you were this shameless? You can lie so easily without even blinking."

I forced a bleak smile. "Why wouldn't he? He's so good at lying."

Amber gasped in shock. "Maisie, how can you say that about Robbie? He's just a child! Did you deliberately put him in danger so you could take over both the Liddell and Scott families' fortunes?"

What an absurd accusation.

Christine's face darkened instantly. She pointed at me, her tone sharp. "Maisie Walter! I'm warning you. You'd better stop dreaming. Remember who you are, and know your place!"