Chapter 85

"You saw it with your own eyes?" Evelyn let out a soft, bitter laugh, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Lila handed me that bowl of soup yesterday with both hands—one of them carefully positioned to hide her actions from anyone watching. Only she and I knew what really happened."

She met Grace’s gaze directly, her disappointment palpable. "I’m your daughter. Don’t you know who I am? And yet, you’d rather believe Lila over me..."

A heavy pause lingered before Evelyn added, her tone grave, "Mom, this isn’t the first time."

"N-No, Evelyn, that’s not it," Grace stammered, her distress evident.

The hesitation in Grace’s voice spoke volumes. A cold, hollow laugh echoed in Evelyn’s chest, though her expression remained composed. She tilted her head slightly. "This isn’t the only reason you came to see me, is it?"

"Evelyn..." Grace reached out, her fingers brushing against Evelyn’s hand, her eyes pleading. "I do believe you."

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. She held Grace’s gaze in silence, already sensing there was more to come.

Just as she expected, Grace continued, her voice softening, "But, Evelyn, you can’t deny that the second time, you deliberately poured that soup on Lila’s hand. That was wrong. Shouldn’t you apologize to her?"

Evelyn wasn’t surprised. This was the real purpose of Grace’s visit. What did Grace’s earlier words even mean? A fresh wave of disappointment crashed over her.

She offered Grace a faint, humorless smile. "If that’s all you came here to say, you might as well leave now. I will never apologize to Lila."

Grace’s face twisted with worry. "Evelyn, please, just listen to me this once. Compromise isn’t weakness. Lila holds power in the Sterling family. Have you thought about how your father or Diana will react? Think about Diana! Lila is her precious daughter. What do you think will happen when she finds out? Do you really believe we’ll walk away unscathed?"

Diana had been away in Soling since yesterday and still didn’t know about the incident. At the mention of her, Evelyn’s gaze flickered—just for a second—before her expression hardened again.

"So what? If they want to come at me, I’m ready."

Evelyn had known the risks when she made her choice.

Grace’s frustration boiled over. "Evelyn, you—"

"Enough, Mom." Evelyn cut her off sharply. "I have work to do. You should go."

She turned to leave.

"Evelyn!" Grace’s voice cracked with desperation. "Even if you don’t care about the consequences, what about me? How am I supposed to face them? How do I look your father in the eye after this? Do you think he’ll be kind to me now?"

A sob broke through Grace’s words.

Evelyn froze at the sound. Her shoulders tensed, her face paling slightly. The weight of Grace’s words pressed down on her, dragging her into a familiar abyss of guilt. She had fought against it so many times before—always giving in when Grace played this card. But not this time.

Without turning back, Evelyn spoke, her voice steady. "Mom, don’t worry. Even if Dad leaves you, I won’t. I can take care of you myself."