Chapter 348 Barely hold back
“You really don’t deserve to be a mother!You make me sick!”
By the time she got to that last sentence, Alana could barely hold back from shouting.
She let out all the resentment she’d buried deep in her heart toward Agnes over the years.
She had truly lost all faith in Agnes, harboring no illusions or hopes whatsoever.
Alana had completely severed the last shred of hope she had for the mother who had once loved, cared for, and looked after her as a child.
The mother who had once loved her and been sincere toward her was gone forever.
Agnes felt a wave of suffocation wash over her chest.
Alana’s words, one by one, cut into her chest like a knife, tearing at her flesh.
The pain was so intense she could barely breathe.
And she truly realized just how terribly wrong she had been.
Perhaps, from the very beginning, her decision had been wrong.
She shouldn’t have entrusted such a young child to those relatives of hers.
If it was really true, as Alana said, that she hadn’t received a single penny over the past decade or so...
Agnes dared not think about it... how had Alana managed all these years without her financial support, especially since Miranda and the others had treated her so poorly...
She even felt a sense of resistance, unwilling to face this harsh reality.
Alana took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions.
She spoke slowly, “I don’t want to say any more to you. From now on, don’t ever show your face to me again. I’ll just pretend... you’re not my mother.”
She didn’t want to look at Agnes even once more; she turned and walked away.
Agnes’ legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground.
Her whole body trembled uncontrollably.
It felt as though she was about to lose her daughter completely.
Was this really what she wanted?
Was this the outcome she had been striving for all these years?
But clearly, her original intention for leaving with Henry had been solely to ensure a good life for Alana, she had once been a mother who simply wanted her daughter to live well and be happy!
How had things come to this?
Passersby saw her sitting on the ground, lost in thought, and cast curious glances her way.
But none of them stopped to help her up.
**************
Miranda and Joan, mother and daughter, had come to the hospital to visit the old woman and happened to see Agnes slumped on the ground.
Though they were curious as to why Agnes was there and why she was sitting on the ground, they exchanged a glance and then walked over to help her up.
“Oh my, sweetie, what are you doing sitting here? The ground’s cold. Come on, come on, get up!”
Joan spoke sweetly, “Auntie, let me help you to a chair.”
After all, the woman standing before them was the financial lifeline for their entire extended family.
Without her, how could they possibly live a good life?
Agnes was helped into a chair by the mother and daughter.
Lost in her own painful and regretful thoughts, she remained dazed for a long time, her head throbbing with pain.
At that moment, upon seeing Miranda and her daughter, as if seeking confirmation of something, she hurriedly grabbed Miranda’s hand.
“Sister-in-law, tell me, did you really not give Alana the 100,000 dollars I transferred to her every month for her living expenses?!”
Upon hearing this, Miranda’s eyes darted around nervously.
“Oh my, sis, didn’t I already tell you that? Why are you asking again?”
Agnes said anxiously, “Alana told me that all these years, she hasn’t received a single penny. I’ve been giving her money for over a decade, and she actually claims she hasn’t received a single penny!”
Miranda stubbornly insisted, “She’s lying to you!”
Agnes immediately demanded, “Then show me the transfer records. I want to see if you really sent her that 100,000 dollars!”
“I... I gave her cash. I didn’t transfer it.”
Agnes couldn’t believe it. “Cash? You just handed her 100,000 dollars in cash?”
“Well, not exactly. I was afraid she’d misuse it, so I gave her a few thousand dollars every day. Anyway, it definitely added up to 100,000 dollars in a month!”
Agnes watched as Miranda spoke hesitantly, unable to meet her gaze.
A chill ran down her spine.
“Do you dare swear that not a single word you’ve said is a lie? Swear it right now, swear that everything you’ve said is true, not a single word is a lie. Otherwise, your whole family will meet a terrible end!”
Hearing such a vicious oath, Miranda naturally dared not take it.
“Sis, we’re family... how can you say such things? Do you really think I would lie to you?”
Agnes was at her wit’s end. “If you’re not lying, then swear it! Why won’t you swear to it? Because you’re not telling the truth... you’re lying to me!”
Miranda was speechless.
Seeing Miranda’s reaction, Agnes had already figured out most of it.
She laughed bitterly. “You’re not going to say it, are you? Mom’s right in there. Come with me right now so we can confront her together!”
With that, she reached out to drag Miranda toward the hospital room.
Miranda knew there was no way to keep this a secret any longer, so she quickly shook off Agnes’ hand.
“Fine! I didn’t give Alana the 100,000 dollars. Are you satisfied now?!”
Agnes was livid when she heard this. “Did you not give her the 100,000 dollars, or have you never given it to her at all? Make yourself clear!”
Miranda’s lips trembled. Feeling guilty, she stammered and couldn’t make sense of her words.
“You didn’t give it to her... you really didn’t give her a single penny!”
“Hahaha...” Agnes felt like she was going to lose her mind. “When Lana told me she hadn’t received a single penny in over ten years, I didn’t believe her... because you promised me back then that you’d take good care of her. I trusted you, which is why I entrusted her to you. Every month, when I gave her 100,000 dollars, I gave you too... out of gratitude for helping me raise my daughter and take care of the old lady! I never imagined you’d be so greedy... even stealing the 100,000 dollars I gave my daughter!”
“By the way, I also gave the old lady 100,000 dollars every month... did you not give that to her either?!”
“I, I...” Miranda faltered once again.
She had never seen Agnes this angry before, and she was terrified.
Agnes’ eyes were bloodshot. “Miranda, you’re a real piece of work, all of you are! To have embezzled so much of my money! All these years, I trusted you so much, yet this is how you treat me and my daughter!”
“Reimburse me! Return every single cent I’ve transferred to you over the years, not a penny less... give it all back to me!”
Miranda couldn’t take it anymore. “Oh, please don’t say that. At the very least, you gave us money, and we did take good care of your daughter and the old lady.”
Agnes roared, “How dare you lie to me! Lana told me she hasn’t been happy all these years... you never took proper care of her for me! You made her do laundry, cook, and do chores. If she didn’t do them right, you wouldn’t even give her food. You beat her and cursed at her... is that something a human being should do?”
“You’re her aunt, for heaven’s sake, and you took my money! How can you be so shameless, despicable, and vicious?!”
Miranda, with Agnes pointing her finger in her face and yelling at her, was furious too.
“Agnes, that’s enough. You were the one who abandoned her back then. If I couldn’t take good care of her, who’s to blame? At the end of the day, it’s because you, as her mother, was selfish and self-serving... you just didn’t want her anymore! A child without parents is destined to be unloved... it’s all Alana’s own fault.”
“You, you...” Agnes trembled with rage. “Back then, it was you who urged me to leave with that man. You promised me you’d take good care of her, that you’d raise her as your own daughter. You’re the one who went back on your word! I only left with peace of mind because you made me believe you’d be good to Alana!”
“And all these years, you’ve been lying to me, telling me Alana was by your side, living happily. You made me truly believe my decision back then was the right one. You’re the one who kept me deluding myself, unable to distinguish reality!”
If Miranda hadn’t made that promise to her, she might not have left.
If Miranda had honestly told her that Alana hadn’t been happy all these years, she wouldn’t have... gone so long without coming back to visit Alana.
Miranda had deceived her so terribly.