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Chapter 29

Chapter 29:
Belinda stared back in disbelief. “Mom, why would you suspect that? I’ve struggled with my weight since childhood. If hormones were the cause, wouldn’t that imply someone has been tampering with them since I was little? Carola was unaware of my existence back then. How could she have been behind this?”
However, Holley raised her voice, her conviction clear. “Why couldn’t she? You reconnected with the Wright family at seventeen, but that doesn’t mean Carola only found out about your existence then! She could have discovered it before that. Given her family’s influence, wouldn’t it have been easy for her to target a child?”
Belinda shook her head, her expression serene as she replied, “It can’t be Carola. Mom, you’re overthinking this.”
Seeing Belinda’s unwavering trust in Carola, Holley felt a sharp sting of sadness and disappointment. “Belinda, do you really hold Carola in such high regard? You seem to trust her so much.”
Belinda pursed her lips and responded earnestly, “I like Carola a lot because she’s genuinely kind. Not only towards me but towards you as well. Despite not living at the Wright family estate, you go there frequently, and Carola never speaks ill of you. She simply acts as if you’re not there.”
After a pause, she continued, “She treats me, her husband’s illegitimate daughter, with equal indifference. While she doesn’t embrace me as her daughter, she hasn’t made my life difficult or treated me unjustly. When I first came to the Wright family, some of the maids bullied me. Carola noticed that and immediately dismissed several of them as a warning. After that, no one dared to bully me again. So, I don’t believe she would intentionally harm me when I was a child by administering hormones.”
At Belinda’s words, Holley’s expression turned dark. She clenched her teeth in frustration.
“That’s just what she made you see. It can be deceiving! As the matriarch of the Wright family, she’s obliged to maintain a facade of grace and kindness! But who really knows what she’s like behind closed doors? Belinda, I didn’t realize your affection for her ran so deep. If so, why don’t you just call her ‘mom’ instead? Why acknowledge me at all, your mother, the other woman? And most importantly—if not her, then who would have done it? Are you implying that it was me or your grandmother who poisoned you?”
Your favorite tales are on gαℓησν𝒆𝓁s․çоnn
By the end of her speech, Holley’s tone had sharpened, her words slicing through the air.
Holley’s accusation caused a visible shift in Belinda’s demeanor.
Rising sharply from the sofa, Belinda faced Holley with a frosty expression. “Mom! Why would you suggest I call her ‘Mom’? I’m simply stating the facts. Why must you twist my words like that? And when have I ever blamed you or Grandma? I’ve never harbored such thoughts. Your words wound me deeply.”
Holley realized she had overreacted. Her complexion drained of color as she hastily offered an apology. “I’m sorry, Belinda. I let my emotions get the best of me and spoke out of turn.”
She bit her lip, her eyes reflecting sorrow. “I admit, I’m envious of Carola—envious that she married your father and took the title I longed for. And me… I’m just the other woman, scorned by all. I’ve even pulled you into this, marking you as an illegitimate daughter. Your defense of Carola triggered my fears, and I spoke without thinking. Belinda, can you forgive me?”
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