Chapter 81

Thea barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She was running out of patience. As the butler had said, if she didn't go now, who knew how long they would drag things out?

One step at a time, she thought. "Fine," Thea said, "take me there."

When they arrived at the room, she pushed open the door to find Ivy closing the windows. The wind outside had picked up, and Ivy, who had been in poor health for years and was still taking various medications, was clearly struggling. Years ago, she had exhausted herself searching for Emmalie, and it was during that time her health deteriorated.

Seeing Ivy so frail stirred a strange feeling in Thea. She remembered spending years bringing in specialists, even making nourishing soups. Anytime Ivy felt unwell, Thea would drop everything to accompany her to the doctor. Looking back, Thea realized that all her efforts had meant nothing to Ivy. A few sweet words from Emmalie had earned Ivy's approval, while Thea's sacrifices were taken for granted.

Ky noticed Thea's presence.

Annoyed that Thea hadn't even acknowledged her coughing, Ivy frowned. "Thea, if I were to collapse in front of you one day, would you not even blink? Be honest with me. Do you still see me as your mother?"

Thea smiled. "Mom, at Max's birthday party, you were coughing constantly. Emmalie was there the entire time. Did you see her ask how you were feeling, even once?"

For a moment, Ivy's expression froze. She quickly forced an explanation: "Emmalie's still young. She probably didn't notice. Besides, there were so many people at the party. She was representing the Rowland family. She couldn't afford to look immature."

Thea nodded thoughtfully. "So, caring about my own mother is childish behavior? In that case, I'll make sure not to act like a child."

"You…" Ivy fumed.

Thea cut her off. "Is Emmalie the only daughter of the Rowland family? Does she have to be the one representing us? Or are you saying that for her to shine, I have to look bad? How is that good for the family?"

Without waiting for an answer, Thea pressed on. "Mom, what was your plan when you took the gift I prepared for Max and gave it to Emmalie? Did you want to embarrass me in front of everyone?"

Ivy opened her mouth to argue, but seeing the icy look on Thea's face, knew it was pointless.

Growing impatient, Ivy snapped, "Emmalie's been too busy lately to get Max a present. Max and Emmalie are so close, and if he knew she didn't get him anything, he'd be disappointed. I just didn't want that to happen."

Ivy paused and continued, "What's so wrong with that? You've always been distant from the family, and Max wouldn't have cared if you hadn't gotten him a gift anyway."

Thea was stunned by her logic. She scoffed. "You say I'm too cold and distant from the family, but then you take my thoughtful gesture, pass it off as Emmalie's, and say it doesn't matter because I don't care about the family anyway? You always have the final say, don't you?"

Ivy was so furious that she broke into another coughing fit. Between gasps, she managed, "Thea, how could I have raised such a heartless daughter?"

Thea's smile didn't waver. "You hate me, right? Well, I've got a suggestion. Let's sever our mother-daughter relationship right now. Kick me out of the Rowland family. Get a lawyer to draw up a contract so you can't interfere with my life. I'll disappear, and you'll never have to see me again."