Chapter 3: I will leave as you wish for

Chapter 3: I will leave as you wish for

I arrived at the school, and fortunately it was only a minor dispute. The school stepped in to resolve it smoothly, and the other student’s parents were very reasonable and did not make things difficult.

The teacher shook her head and said to me helplessly.

“I don’t know why Lilya is always at odds with her classmates and keeps causing disputes like this. The semester exams are coming up, and it’s an important time, so please pay more attention and remind her more often.”

I could only lower my head and agree without being able to say anything more. Leaving the teachers’ office, I hesitated all the way out of the school.

I was only a stepmother in name without status. Lilya had never regarded me as an adult worthy of respect, so she had never taken my words to heart. I also knew my place and had never dared to overstep my boundaries or scold her harshly even once.

With Lilya’s personality, she would definitely blow things out of proportion and twist the truth when telling Leo. I had already endured enough of his indifference. If I were to be misunderstood even more, it would be unbearable.

Because of that, no matter what Lilya did that went against me, I had never dared to say a harsh word.

But she was very stubborn, always deliberately causing trouble for me with disturbances at school. I understood that she wanted to make me helpless, and then force me into doing something that would anger Leo so that he would drive me away.

I had endured everything all this time, but today alone, I could not hold it in anymore.

“Lilya, talk with me for a moment.”

Hearing me call her name in a serious tone, Lilya turned to look at me, her eyes filled with anger and disbelief at what she had just heard.

Not giving her a chance to react, I spoke first.

“Lilya, your father has spent so much money hiring tutors to teach you every detail of etiquette. Acting like this will make him very disappointed. You’re already in high school now, so why are you still causing things like this?”

Ryan looked at me, then at his sister. 

He seemed like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just remained silent as if he had heard nothing. As for Lilya, she became extremely angry and shouted.

“My matters don’t need your concern! What are you in this house to dare lecture me?”

Lilya’s attitude and words reminded me of what she had said about me to her friends last night. If it were before, I would have buried those words deep in my heart and pretended nothing had happened.

I had endured like that all this time, so it seemed she thought I would be the same this time. But I was too exhausted from the baseless contempt of everyone.

“Lilya, no matter what, I am someone your father properly married. Yesterday, in front of your friends, you said that I was just an unpaid servant, didn’t you?”

Hearing this, Lilya’s face turned pale. Her expression shifted from panic to anger. Perhaps she had not expected that the words she said had been heard by me.

But with her pride and refusal to admit fault, she brushed aside her panic and spoke to me with disdain.

“Did I say anything wrong? So what if my father married you? The two of you don’t even sleep in the same room. Ever since you married into this house, my father always finds excuses to avoid you. He feeds and clothes you, and you do housework and cook for my family. If that’s not a servant, then what is it? Don’t dream too much.”

“My father will never love you!”

I could only give a bitter smile at her contemptuous words. In my mind, a question echoed.

“What was I even expecting over these past ten years? After all my efforts, is this all I get in return?”

It turned out that my life was not even worthy of a child’s respect.

I had felt sad and disappointed by her harsh words over the years, but this time, it seemed I no longer felt anything at all.

Everything had lost its meaning. I no longer had any hope left. I replied in a light voice.

“You don’t need to remind me. I will divorce your father. You’ll have the freedom you want and won’t have to see a face you hate anymore.”

From the very first day I stepped into the Dominic house until now, perhaps this would be the only thing I had ever done that would make Lilya happy and satisfied.

She had always wanted me to leave her father and this house.

Now, I was too tired and drained to continue hoping for such distant things. So leaving was best for both me and everyone else.

But Lilya’s reaction was the opposite of what I expected. She grabbed me and shouted.

“Who gave you permission to decide something like that on your own?”

The expression on her face was furious, but her eyes, as she looked at me, seemed both shocked and saddened by my words.

Lilya clenched tightly onto the corner of my clothes. I could see her hand trembling. She spoke to me in a very disappointed tone.

“You were the one who barged into our lives, and now you’re leaving on your own again. Who do you think you are to act so freely? I never said I would allow you to leave!”

I was still confused and did not understand anything when the sound of tires screeching on the road, along with a piercing shout and the blaring horn, struck straight into my mind. The car rushed toward us like a monster with no sign of stopping. In my head, only two words echoed.

“Be careful!”

I pulled Ryan and Lilya toward me and instinctively rushed forward to protect them.