Chapter 172: You Brought This Upon Yourself
“What are you talking about, Ms. Yardley? I’m not—” Chelsea faltered, startled, instinctively stepping back. Her heel sank into the sand, and a wave of dread washed over her. The ocean… it’s right behind me. If they keep coming, I have nowhere left to run!
One of the bodyguards spoke in a flat tone. “Madam Yardley has declared that, from this moment on, you are the sole heiress of the Yardley family. Whether you accept it or not is irrelevant. It’s not about what you want.”
How can they be so overbearing? I have my own mother…
Chelsea bit down her tears, refusing to show weakness in front of the people she now saw as villains. Maybe Fabian left me because he was disappointed… because I accepted a human trafficker as my mother. But this time, I won’t back down. I can’t.
The bodyguards continued to advance, and in the distance, Chelsea could see Miriam approaching with the others. Chelsea made up her mind and took a fearless leap into the vast ocean. A surge of seawater rushed into her mouth and nose as her body was dragged down by the weight of the current, sinking deeper and deeper into the depths. This should be enough, right, Fa? You’d forgive me now… That was her final thought before everything went black.
After she was rescued, Chelsea suffered from a burning fever, her condition unstable. Upon hearing the doctor’s grim explanation, Miriam steeled herself for the worst. The girl had fulfilled her expectations, but she wasn’t worth staking everything on. If Chelsea died, then so be it. Miriam would simply find another heiress. She was confident she’d eventually discover someone more suitable—someone better.
Just when everyone thought Chelsea wouldn’t make it, her eyes fluttered open. Her cheeks were flushed with fever, her voice hoarse and fragile.
“Mommy…”
When she heard the news, Miriam rushed to the bedside without delay. “Sweetheart, how are you feeling?”
At the sound of her voice, tears welled up in Chelsea’s eyes. “Mommy… I feel so awful. The water… it was so deep…”
Miriam paused for a moment, then quickly realized the girl was referring to the day she leapt into the sea.
Chapter 172: You Brought This Upon Yourself
Her expression turned cold. “You brought this on yourself.”
Every time she thought about how her new daughter would rather risk death than return to her side, fury bubbled up within her. Even a child dares to defy me… If word of this incident spread, the Yardley family will be a laughingstock!
Tears streamed down Chelsea’s face. “Mommy, I’m sorry… It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have disobeyed you. I shouldn’t have gone to the beach alone. But when the sea swallowed me up, the first person I thought of was you. You gave me a room like a princess, so many beautiful dresses… and I was ungrateful. I ran away from you.”
Lifting her head, she looked up at Miriam, eyes shimmering with tears. “Could you… please give me another chance? I won’t run away again. I promise.”
For a brief moment, something shifted in Miriam’s expression. She was moved, but her voice remained composed, almost indifferent. “And what if you break your promise again?”
She was genuinely afraid. Even the strongest bonds could shatter under the weight of betrayal. If Chelsea were to deceive her again, she would have no choice but to dispose of the girl just as she had with others. And yet, she didn’t want to. It felt like a waste to cast aside someone like Chelsea—such a rare and interesting candidate who met her expectations. By the time another “Chelsea” came along, she might be too old and jaded to enjoy this game of make-believe anymore. All she could do was hope the girl wouldn’t let her down.