Chapter 721
Those words were already cruel enough. Even Grace froze for a second after saying them. This was her own daughter – how could she speak to her like that? Aurora looked completely stunned. She couldn’t even tell if the furious woman in front of her was truly her mother.
And if she was, what unforgivable sin had Aurora committed to disappoint her this much? However, Aurora lowered her head slightly, tears brimming in her eyes. Based on everything she’d experienced over the years, she hadn’t done anything wrong.
In fact, when she was younger, she used to go out of her way to win Grace’s affection. It was only in these last two years—after her father passed—that she began to realize Grace simply didn’t like her. Still, after all this time, Aurora couldn’t help but question if she was really Grace’s daughter. Why did there have to be such obvious favoritism?
The room fell silent for a moment. None of the three spoke. Only heaven knew how hard it was for Tessa to hold herself back. She kept digging her nails into her thigh, terrified that if she got too smug, she might burst out laughing.
Sure, Tessa had always known Grace treated her better, and that Aurora was clearly the one being overlooked. But this was the first time she’d seen it play out so clearly, right in front of her. That was why she nearly laughed. Wasn’t Grace making it plain as day? Aurora didn’t matter much. The one she truly cared about was still Tessa.
Aurora’s breathing grew heavier, and she clenched her arm hard to hold back the tears. She absolutely couldn’t cry. She knew Tessa was just waiting to see her break, and if she cried now, wouldn’t that only give Tessa more ammunition to mock her later? Aurora had always been painfully aware of that.
Older Aurora stood silently to the side, her heart aching. She had long wanted to ask Grace the same question: was she really her biological daughter? But earlier, on the screens lining the corridor, she had seen everything clearly. When she was born, Grace’s face had worn a smile, and she even used to come in at night to tuck her in. Those things weren’t done in front of others, but Aurora remembered them all. If Grace had done those things in private, then she must truly be her mother – maybe her love had just been silent.
But now, both young and older Aurora found it impossible to comfort themselves with that thought anymore. This wasn’t a matter of love or not – it felt like Grace was simply being cruel, treating her like a stranger.
Young Aurora asked softly, “Mom… do you really love me?”
The question stunned both Tessa and Grace. Even Grace hadn’t expected her to ask something like that. She thought Aurora would argue, maybe raise her voice in protest, but instead, it was this one quiet, piercing question.
The silence returned, just like at the beginning, but this time, it was the sound of Aurora’s heart gradually growing cold. A question like this – a daughter asking her mother if she was loved – cut deeper than any argument ever could.