Chapter 449 Unexpected

Meryl didn’t say much after that. Before long, Malcolm returned, but to everyone’s surprise, he brought Lydia with him.

When Bianca saw Lydia, her expression instantly darkened.

“Malcolm, what is the meaning of this? I asked you to come back so we could discuss our issues. Why did you bring Lydia along?”

Lydia’s eyes turned red as she looked at Bianca with a pitiful expression. She walked over and gently tugged on Bianca’s sleeve.

“Mom, even if I’m not your biological daughter, the love and bond we’ve shared all these years is real, isn’t it? Have the past twenty years of me calling you ‘Mom’ meant nothing? How can you not want to see me?”

Lydia rested her head on Bianca’s shoulder, softly sobbing.

Bianca’s eyes showed a hint of emotion. She could confront Malcolm with anger, but she found it impossible to be harsh toward Lydia, especially since she was pregnant.

Besides, for the past twenty years, Bianca had indeed treated Lydia like a precious gem, doting on her as if she were her own.

Bianca had real feelings for Lydia, and the main reason she was so cold toward her now was the heartbreak of realizing that the daughter she’d raised for so many years wasn’t truly on her side.

“Sandra, I despise her actions as much as you do. That’s why I beg you, please don’t divorce Dad.”

Bianca was taken aback, not expecting Lydia to try to persuade her to reconcile with Malcolm.

She had originally thought that since Sandra was Lydia’s biological mother, Lydia would naturally side with Sandra.

“Mom, no matter what, you’ll always be my mother. I will never deny you, and I only wish for you and Dad to be happy together.”

It seemed that Lydia wasn’t as close to Sandra as Bianca had imagined.

After all, no one would willingly embrace the fact that their biological mother was a homewrecker.

And with this scandal now public knowledge, it was nothing but disgraceful.

Bianca’s expression remained stern. “Don’t think that a few sweet words will make me treat you the same as before. You should know by now that you’ve already reaped all the benefits in this family. All I want now is to make it up to Meryl.”

Upon hearing this, Malcolm’s face showed a hint of displeasure.

“What did Lydia ever do wrong? She was just a baby back then. She didn’t know anything. If you want to blame someone, Bianca, blame Sandra, not Lydia! Besides, she’s pregnant now. She can’t handle stress!”

“And I don’t see you showing her even a hint of concern!” Bianca retorted, standing up for Meryl.

Her words left both Malcolm and Lydia stunned, their eyes widening in shock.

Their gazes snapped to Meryl’s abdomen. “Meryl, you’re pregnant?”

Meryl hadn’t intended to reveal her pregnancy, but since Bianca mentioned it, there was no point in hiding it anymore.

“Yes, it’s still very early,” Meryl responded calmly.

A flash of jealousy quickly passed through Lydia’s eyes.

She hadn’t expected this development.

She had just found out she was pregnant, and now Meryl was also expecting.

While Lydia’s relationship with Dalton was on the brink of collapse, Meryl seemed to enjoy a stable and peaceful married life.

Bianca brought the conversation back to the topic at hand. “Malcolm, if you don’t want a divorce, fine, but I have conditions.”

Malcolm quickly asked, “What conditions?”

Bianca had initially thought about demanding that Malcolm cut all ties with Sandra.

After a few seconds of thought, Bianca changed her demand. “All the money you’ve spent on Sandra over the years was part of our marital assets. I want her to return every single cent!”

Malcolm stood there, stunned for a few seconds.