Chapter 623
“Don’t say another word.”
Cindy cut her off, shutting down the conversation.
Fallon let out a long sigh. “Cindy, I know this is a wound you just can’t get past.”
“I was a victim too, back then. If someone else had taken your child from you, and you could never have kids again, how do you think you’d feel?”
“I just couldn’t accept it at first I was so lost in my anger and grief, I did something terrible.”
“Cindy, look inside yourself. Can you honestly say this is all my fault?”
“It was your own doing!” Cindy shot back.
“If you hadn’t destroyed someone else’s family first, you never would’ve gotten pregnant with a child out of wedlock-and you never would’ve lost that baby!”
Ungrateful, Fallon thought bitterly.
She’d devoted years to caring for Cindy, years she thought had built real affection between them.
Cindy had always said she saw Fallon as a second mother.
But In the end, blood ties won out-she’d chosen her biological mother after all.
Fine. Maybe this confrontation was for the best. At least now Fallon didn’t have to pretend anymore.
“Even if I brought it on myself, the real villain here is Latham,” Fallon said coldly. “If he hadn’t lied to me, none of this would’ve happened. Sure, I was young and too easily deceived but Latham? He had a family, responsibilities.
“Did he ever spare a thought for his wife, his children, before doing what he did?” “So why is it that I’ve borne all the consequences? Why does a half-hearted ‘sorry’ from him make everything go away for him—while I’m left picking up the pieces?” “Cindy, I really have treated you as my own daughter all these years. I’ve thought so many times about telling you the truth about where you came from-but…”
“I couldn’t do it. That child I lost… it was a wound that never healed.”
Of course, Fallon’s words were wrapped in just enough half-truth to be believable. Manipulation always worked best that way.
And Cindy, indeed, felt herself wavering.
“But what did I ever do wrong?” she whispered, barely audible.
“I don’t want people always comparing me with Claire, acting as if I’m never quite enough.”
“Everyone looks down on me, like I’m just some pathetic imposter while Claire is the dazzling star.”
“I’m sorry…” That was all Fallon could offer, apology after useless apology.
“What good is ‘sorry’ supposed to do?” Cindy was sobbing now, tears streaming down her face.
“Sometimes I just wish I didn’t have to go on. If only I’d never come back to the James family at all.”
At least then, her grades were good and she was popular at school. Her classmates, her teachers—they all liked her.
Back then Cindy had been the sweet girl everyone counted on. She was gentle kind, always ready to help anyone who needed it. .net>
“Cindy, don’t say that—don’t even think it,” Fallon urged.
“You’re back now. That means you’re the James family’s real daughter, their true heiress.”
“So what if you messed up on your exams? What rich family ever really cares about grades? There’s always a way for families like these to set their kids up for life.”
“Even if you never went to college and spent your days doing nothing, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference.”
“And besides, it’s not like you can’t go to college. You just had a bad run this time.”
“You can repeat a year, study abroad—there are plenty of options. There’s no reason to corner yourself like this.”
Fallon’s concern sounded genuine, almost motherly. “How about this: let me take you out tomorrow, clear your head?”
“Let’s go visit your old school-what
do you say?” That place held some of the happiest memories she and Cody ever shared.
Once, Cindy would have said yes in a heartbeat.
But now? With everything falling apart, what would be the point? Why face all that
pity and disappointment?
If her old teachers saw how badly she’d done, they’d only be let down.
She used to stand out among the best.
“I don’t want to go,” Cindy said flatly, shutting the idea down.