SWNOVELS Chapter 604 Even Rabbits Bite When They're Anxious
Chapter 604 Even Rabbits Bite When They're Anxious
Riley had always been introverted, submissive, and soft. Lydia, who had never seen her so angry before, was momentarily stunned.
After a moment of hesitation, she angrily reprimanded her, "Riley, I am your mother. How dare you yell at me?"
"Not anymore!" Riley shouted in anger. "I don't have a mother like you! You don't deserve to be my mother! Go be Zoe's mother instead. You're not my mother!"
How could a biological mother treat her own daughter like this?
She didn't have a mother like that.
She must have been adopted.
She was sure of it!
Lydia was shocked.
She stood there dumbfounded for a moment before coming to her senses, furious. "I am not your mother? Did a stork drop you off, then? How dare you say something so disrespectful to me after I worked hard to raise you?"
"I would rather be dropped off by a stork!" Riley tried to hold back her tears, but she couldn't do it as she choked, "Since I came to the Lynch Family with you, you have always favored Zoe. No matter what, Zoe always has to have the best. I am always inferior to Zoe. The food prepared is always what Zoe likes to eat. I never get any attention..."
At first, she felt wronged and would secretly hide in her room to cry.
Her mother would sneak into her room in the middle of the night and cry with her with her arms around her.
Her mother said that it was hard being a stepmother. If she treated everyone equally, others would definitely say that she favored her own biological daughter.
In order for Lydia and Riley to survive well in the Lynch Family, she had to endure some grievances. Still, they were biological mother-and-daughter. Her mother's love must be for Riley, her biological daughter.
Riley was young then.
She believed it.
Gradually, she got used to it.
She got used to Zoe being the wealthy young lady of the Lynch Family, while she was nobody of a maid serving the wealthy young lady.
Zoe used the most expensive and best things, but Riley either didn't have them or had to settle for something lower than Zoe.
She still felt wronged occasionally, but her mother would always comfort her.
Lydia would comfort her and say that she loved Riley the most. As she only wanted this family to be stable and happy, she had to appear as though she pampered Zoe more.
Despite what she did, she loved Riley the most.
That was what she always said.
Riley had been convinced by these words more times than she could count.
She understood that things weren't easy for Lydia, who had to be someone else's stepmother.
Marcus had never mistreated Riley, and Zoe was relatively friendly to her. Although Lydia didn't allow her to surpass Zoe in anything, Riley had quite an easy life.
That was how her life had been over the years.
She firmly believed it when her mother told her that she loved her the most.
But now...
She had been so naive!
How could a mother who deeply loved her daughter do such a despicable thing?
Her biological mother might love her a little, but what she loved the most was definitely not her.
Lydia loved herself.
She sacrificed the interests of her own daughter to please her husband and stepdaughter while insisting that she loved her biological daughter the most.
She was so disgusting!
"Riley, what happened to you?" Lydia looked at her with disappointed eyes. "Don't forget that I am a full-time housewife. Everything in this family is earned by Mr. Lynch. Zoe is his biological daughter. Over the years, Mr. Lynch provided everything from what you eat and drink to where you live. How can you compare yourself to Zoe?"
"What do you mean 'what happened to Riley?'" Derek was infuriated by Lydia's words.
He forcefully pulled Riley behind him and glared at Lydia. "Riley wouldn't have a stepfather if you didn't divorce my father. If you didn't desire luxury and refused to go out to work and earn money, why would Riley have to spend Marcus Lynch's money? Since you don't want to raise Riley, you shouldn't have fought for her custody with my father in the first place. Now that you won custody over Riley, you should have taken good care of her. It is your duty and responsibility to raise her, but you pushed this duty and responsibility to Marcus. What gives you the right to ask Riley to sacrifice herself and repay Marcus and Zoe?"
"Derek, how can you call Mr. Lynch by his name directly?" Lydia scolded. "I wasn't supposed to fight for custody of Riley, you say? Was I supposed to let her become as ill-mannered as you from being influenced by your father, then?"
"Right, and you have manners." Derek sneered. "One uses her own daughter to please her husband and stepdaughter, and the other keeps watching her stepdaughter being mistreated right under her nose. What excellent 'manners!'"
"You—" Lydia wanted to retort but was interrupted by a cough.
Everyone in the room turned their heads to the door.
Marcus and two police officers were standing at the door, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
Marcus looked embarrassed.
The two police officers, seeing everyone's gaze, walked into the room one after another and showed their identification. "May I ask which one of you is Mr. Young?"
Without waiting for Derek to speak, Lydia spoke first. "I'm sorry. It's my son's fault for not knowing any better and making a false report. We just had a little argument between mother and son. We don't need the police. Please leave."
The leading police officer glanced at her but didn't say anything, then looked at Derek.
Derek pursed his lips, feeling conflicted.
Did he really want to send his own mother to detention?
Since what his mother did couldn't be considered a crime, at most, it would result in detention or a fine.
He...
He hadn't made up his mind yet when Riley suddenly told the police, "I'm the victim..."
The police officers looked at her.
Riley took a deep breath and took off her mask.
The two police officers couldn't help but gasp.
Her face was covered in large red bumps, some of which had already turned into pus-filled sores, making her look terrifyingly disfigured.
Riley didn't hide anything, trembling as she recounted the whole incident.
The more the two police officers listened, the stranger their gazes became as they constantly glanced at Lydia with disbelief and disdain.
Lydia felt utterly embarrassed under their incredulous and scornful gaze, wishing she could find a hole to hide in.
She tried to interrupt several times, but Riley ignored her and bravely narrated the entire event.
Marcus also glanced at Lydia with disbelief.
He felt like he was listening to something he couldn't understand.
Lydia harmed her biological daughter?
H-How could that possibly be true?
After finishing her story, Riley stared at Lydia and calmly announced, "I want to cut ties with you."
Lydia was shocked.
Her eyes widened, her mouth partially open, and it took her a long time to find her voice. "What nonsense are you talking about? Are you out of your mind?"
"Just consider me insane." Riley touched her face with trembling fingers. "You're the reason I'm like this. I don't want to see you ever again. As the law requires me to financially support you when you're old, I won't give you a penny less. But for now, I don't want to see you."
"I'm not letting you do that!" Lydia didn't know if she was angry or scared, but she was shaking all over when she shrieked, "Riley, you are my daughter. I have given my all to raise you. You can't treat me like this!"
"Two options." Riley looked at her coldly. "First, we sever our relationship. Second, I will sue you for intentional harm and have the police arrest you."