“Alexa, I know you’re upset, I really do. But I only wanted to take Riley to Ashbourne for her own good. If you want to blame someone, line, blame me l can live with that. But you can’t just abandon Lillian like this!”
Valerie’s tears appeared on cue, shimmering in her eyes but refusing to fall, like she’d practiced in a mirror.
Half a year back, she could still pass for delicate and misunderstood. But not anymore.
The strain of being detained, the toll of her deteriorating health, and night after night of heavy drinking had wrecked her.
Her skin was dull and blotchy, her expression haggard, and thanks to lingering nerve damage from alcohol poisoning, half her body didn’t quite move in sync.
Now, her “poor me” routine just looked off, like a bad performance from someone out of practice.
She gave Riley’s hand a little squeeze. Riley caught the signal and launched into her part.
“Mom, please! I swear, if I can just get into a better environment, I’ll turn things around. I’ll study hard, I promise! Just don’t kick Grandma out. She already gave you her whole pension! And if that’s not enough, I’ll ask Uncle Clayt
to help pay too!”
Alexa stood motionless in front of the growing crowd, her hands folded calmly behind her back. She watched their act unfold with the detachment of someone watching strangers on stage.
Valerie being dramatic wasn’t surprising. That was her brand.
But her own daughter standing there, reciting Valerie’s script like it was gospel? That stung.
Alexa felt something cold settle in her chest. Riley was gone, completely taken in, manipulated beyond recognition.
“Valerie, don’t you have enough chaos in your own marriage? Or is it not enough running Clayton’s life, you need to meddle in mine, too? You married into this family years ago, and not once have you lifted a finger to help care for Lillian.
“That’s Wyatt’s mother. Even if we weren’t in the middle of a divorce, it’s still his responsibility. And you? You showed up at my father’s office the other day and pulled some stunt just to squeeze fifty grand out of him.
“And now you’re here, dragging this circus into my workplace? When is it ever enough for you?”
Valerie’s eyes darted nervously, her voice trembling with faux indignation. “That’s not fair, Alexa. Riley is your daughter. I’m just trying to get her into a decent school. If she’s living with me, shouldn’t you be covering her tuition and expenses? I…”
“Tuition?” Alexa cut in, cold and sharp. “Riley’s in compulsory education. There’s no tuition. Just minor school fees. And yet you’re demanding six grand a month from me. What is this, a luxury boarding school? Or are you just using Riley’s name to run your little blackmail operation?”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. “Six thousand? Are you kidding me? Does Alexa even make that much in two months?”
“She’s not supporting Riley. Riley’s supporting her! And that poor kid’s too brainwashed to see it.”
“Didn’t Valerie talk her into turning against her mom? No wonder the girl’s all mixed up. Doesn’t know right from wrong anymore.”
Valerie, used to being the villain by now, ignored the whispers and pointed fingers. She’d developed a thick skin. Public shame didn’t rattle her anymore.
But Riley wasn’t so tough.
She turned to Alexa, her eyes pleading at first.
But when she saw her mother just standing there, not defending her, not saying a word, that broke her.
12
Chapter 336
“Mom!” she yelled, her voice rising, “stop dodging the question! Are you going to take care of Grandma or not?”
“No.” Alexa said simply “I’ve let go of your dad. I’ve let go of you. What use does she have for me?”
Riley’s face turned stone white, then furious. “You’ll regret this!” she shouted, grabbing Vaterie’s arm. “Come on, we’re leaving
Behind them, voices condemned Riley for betraying her mother and helping an outsider. They said she’d grow up to be just like Valerie, shameless and manipulative.
Valerie had been dragged all the way to the gates. With no better plan, she took Riley to a nearby fast food joint and ordered them a combo meal
“Alright, listen,” she said, leaning in across the table. “You need to calm down so we can think this through.
“No one gets through life being universally loved, okay? That’s not the goal. The goal, when nothing else works, is to drop the dignity and play the game?
“Your mom? She’s playing it perfectly. She airs out all the dirty family business and casts herself as the victim. The helpless, abandoned, heartbroken mother. And people love that. They rally around her, poor Alexa, so mistreated, so strong despite it all….
“You know what happened to your grandfather, right? Ever heard your grandma tell people he went to prison for bribery? No.
“When Clayton had Audrey committed and she nearly divorced him over it, did he go around whining about that to outsiders? Of course not. Because smart people understand something. When you look weak, people defend you.
“You’re young, still in school. That gives you a natural advantage. You are the weaker party. Now lean into that. Don’t argue. Don’t fight. Look hurt. Look crushed. That’s how you get people on your side even if you’re wrong.”
Valerie went on and on, like a lecture she’d rehearsed.
Riley quietly polished off the last of the ice cream, then looked up, eyes unsure. “So what do I do? How do I get her to visit Grandma?”
Twenty minutes later, they were back outside Alexa’s office building.
This time, they didn’t go in. Riley collapsed onto the pavement right by the gate and started crying, loud, ugly sobs that echoed across the street like something tragic had happened.
Valerie stood beside her, dabbing at her own eyes with a tissue. “There, sweetheart, don’t cry. I know how much you love your grandma. I know you don’t want to leave her behind. It’s okay. Let it out…”
“Grandma! Grandma!” Riley wailed, rocking back and forth on the sidewalk.
People passing by started to slow down. Then they stopped. A few asked what was going on. Riley cried harder. The more they watched, the louder it got, until the sidewalk in front of the building was nearly blocked by a crowd.
Valerie rubbed Riley’s back and turned to the curious strangers, her voice full of practiced heartbreak,
“She’s a good girl. She just got accepted to a school in Ashbourne, but the grandmother who raised her? She’s in the hospital. And this sweet child, she can’t bear to leave her behind.”
“My husband’s older brother and his wife are getting divorced. It’s a mess. The stress of it all put the grandma in the hospital.
“This poor girl just wants her mom to wait a little longer before walking out on the marriage. But I guess… maybe her mom’s already moved on. Has someone new waiting.”
“Valerie,” Riley sniffled, loud enough for the crowd to hear. “I want to bring Grandma with me. Can I take her to school?”
“Sweetheart, no one brings their grandmother to school…”
“But I saw a story on TV once, about a boy who carried his disabled mother on his back every day. I could do that! I don’t care if it’s hard! I can handle it?
09:02 Fri, 20 Jun – 1
Chapter 336
Among the onlookers, some of the older ones couldn’t help but feel a wave of sympathy, quietly remarking that she was truly a good child,
The crowd grew larger. The commotion started to block traffic at the building’s entrance.
Alexa was busy at work when her phone rang. It was her supervisor, telling her to get to the gate and clean up her family mess.
Her temper flared like a lit fuse. She slammed the phone down and stormed out of the building
As soon as Riley saw her pushing through the crowd, she lunged forward, clutching Alexa’s leg. “Mom! Please, Mom!*
Alexa stared down at her, face blank but fists clenched at her sides.
Behind her, Valerie was already sniffling into another tissue, playing the part of the concerned bystander.
“Alexa… please, show your daughter a little mercy… she’s hurting…”
And like clockwork, the crowd joined in. “She’s a good kid! You’ll regret pushing her away!”
Alexa’s head was pounding.
She thought bitterly, ‘Is this some kind of sick joke? I wouldn’t take this girl back if she begged on her knees. If I make it to fifty without this kid giving me a heart attack, it’ll be a miracle!‘
Her jaw tightened until the muscles in her face twitched.
“Get up,” she hissed. “Everyone’s staring.”
Riley looked up at her, red–faced and teary. “Will you come with me to see Grandma? Please?”
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
