Chapter 200

Reece felt a sudden realization. He asked, “Mom, is that really what you think?”

Ophelia replied self-righteously, “It’s not just what I think—it’s the truth. You’re still too naive, which is why Phoebe has been playing you like a fool. In the livestream, she was so cruel and aggressive, bullying Sienna—it was completely distasteful. And she has no respect for me either! She even encouraged Brenda to deliberately go against me! She’s nothing but a home-wrecking troublemaker. It’s a good thing you broke up with her. If she ever married into our family, who knows what kind of chaos she’d bring? A man should choose a virtuous wife—that’s the only way to bring prosperity to the family.”

Her disdain for Phoebe was crystal clear. Once she started ranting, she couldn’t stop. “A woman like her…”

Before she could finish, Reece cut her off. “Enough.”

His voice was sharp, cold. “Mom, let me ask you one thing—who’s your real child? Is it Sienna, or is it me? Because right now, you’re slandering Phoebe just to protect her, and it’s disgusting.”

It felt like someone had doused him with cold water. His heart felt icy cold. And for the first time, he realized just how pathetic his past self had been. Brenda was right—he really had been a fool. He had blindly obeyed his mother’s wishes, thinking it was motherly love, and devoted himself to taking care of Sienna. And because of these two manipulative women, he had lost the girl he truly loved.

Ophelia was furious that Reece had cut her off. “Is this how you talk to your mother?! I’m your mother—would I ever lead you astray?” She was convinced that Phoebe was a toxic influence. Reece’s independence only made her feel like he was slipping away. And his sister? She had always sided with Phoebe against her.

Reece’s voice grew colder. “You tell me, Mom. If you think Sienna is so wonderful, why don’t you just adopt her as your daughter? You’ve already cost me the woman I truly love—what else do you want? Are you trying to push me to my breaking point before you’re satisfied?”

He felt disgusted with himself for ever seeking her approval. Brenda had been right all along—Ophelia had never cared about him as a person. She just wanted to control every aspect of his life. Ophelia was shocked. She couldn’t believe Reece was talking back to her like this—all because of Phoebe.

“What do you mean, ‘pushing you to your breaking point?! Is this how a son talks to his mother?!” she snapped, her face darkening. “Reece, you’re out of line!”

But at that moment, Reece felt a clarity he had never known before. This so-called motherly love—he was done with it.

“Mom,” he said, his tone sharp, “just like Brenda always says—this isn’t feudal times anymore. You need to stop acting like you’re some imperial empress who can control us however you want. You can’t handle anyone challenging you, and you refuse to let us live outside your control. But let’s be real—there’s no throne to inherit. And no matter how much you want it, a crow will never become a swan. So stop pretending to be some grand empress dowager.”

His words were merciless. “And don’t tell me I’m your mother, so I have the final say: You didn’t raise me. I was raised by Grandpa. The money I used growing up? Dad provided that—or I earned it myself. You’ve never contributed a single thing to my upbringing. So why do you think you have the right to control my life? To dictate everything I do? Maybe you should take a moment to reflect on whether you even deserve to be called a mother. From now on, stay out of my business. You can say whatever you want, but I won’t listen anymore. If I let you keep meddling, I’ll have no life left to live.”

Then, with a mocking sneer, he added, “Since you love Sienna so much, why don’t you fly to Darmechia and take care of her yourself? If you’re so eager to play matchmaker, why not set her up with Soren instead?”

He had finally let out all the pent-up frustration in his heart. And suddenly, a thought struck him. His mother’s obsession with Sienna—she desperately wanted Sienna to marry into their family. But why did it have to be him? Wouldn’t it make more sense for her to marry his older brother—the son she actually favored? Then Ophelia could have everything she wanted—a perfect little family where she controlled both her son and daughter-in-law.

Ophelia was so shocked by Reece’s words that she almost fainted from rage. “You—you ungrateful child! Are you trying to kill me with anger?!”

Reece scoffed. “I wouldn’t dare—because then Dad would probably break my legs.”

Then he added, his voice calm but cutting, “Mom, don’t think you can manipulate me anymore with fake affection. I’ve finally seen through you. You already cost me the woman I love—I don’t care about anything else now.”

“And don’t even think about using Dad to pressure me. I’m not afraid anymore.”

Then, in a low, warning tone, he added, “If you keep trying to control my life, if you keep forcing me to put up with people I despise, then I’ll go straight to Grandma and let her set things straight. Oh, and about your nephew and niece—they’re trying to break into the entertainment industry, aren’t they? Do you think I couldn’t get them kicked out of it with a single word?”

Ophelia was so furious her whole body trembled. “You—you—!” How dare he talk to her like this?!

“That’s it,” Reece said coldly. “From now on, let’s just stop contacting each other.” Without another word, he hung up—then blocked her number.

Ophelia froze as she heard the busy tone on the other end of the call. She couldn’t believe it. Ever since bringing him home from high school, her youngest son had always craved her love and obeyed her without question. And now, he was acting like this? ‘Was he rebelling against me?’ Ophelia thought.

Ophelia felt utterly wronged. Unable to hold back her frustration, she called Finnian to complain. Finnian was a little surprised after hearing her tearful rant. Interesting. So his youngest son had finally seen his mother for who she really was. So-called motherly love? Nothing but a façade. In reality, it was just an intense, suffocating need for control. But in the past, he couldn’t just tell his son the truth outright—otherwise, the boy might have exposed him. Some lessons could only be learned through personal experience. And this? This was a good start.

Feigning outrage, Finnian played along, angrily cursing Reece for being ungrateful. Then he soothed Ophelia, saying he was away on a business trip but would deal with Reece once he returned. At the same time, he shot a glance at his secretary, signaling them to interrupt with a fake excuse about a meeting. Taking the opportunity, he hung up.

The more Ophelia thought about it, the angrier she became. It felt as if a piece of her flesh had been cut away. Her son was defying her—choosing to stand against her for that wretched seductress she despised. Yet, at this moment, there was nothing she could do about Reece. She could only hope that once her husband returned, he would give Reece a proper lesson—make the ungrateful brat crawling back to apologize.

As for Reece’s ridiculous suggestion that Soren should marry Sienna? Utter nonsense. They were siblings, sharing the same father. How could that ever be possible? But the mention of it did give her an idea. Without hesitation, she picked up her phone and dialed Soren.