Chapter 491 Being Complained About
After a few days, I had totally forgotten about Alicia. Michael didn’t remind me of her too. On that particular day, I left for the hospital after finishing my breakfast. Even though I had a falling out with my parents, I couldn’t abandon them, as they were still my parents at the end of the day. Therefore, I decided to drop by and see if they needed anything.
When I arrived in the ward, I saw my mom wiping my dad’s face with a towel. Despite not having any major achievements in life, I couldn’t deny that both of them enjoyed a loving relationship. That was one of the few things that my family could actually be proud of.
After a momentary silence, I greeted, “Dad, I’m here to visit you.”
When they turned around after hearing my voice, their faces looked indifferent. It was as if they weren’t happy to see me at all.
Despite their lack of enthusiasm, I had gotten used to it and didn’t take it personally. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
When they didn’t respond to my greeting, I walked into the ward and put the fruits beside the bed. I then remarked, “I bought some fruits. It will help with your recovery.”
“What are you doing here? Didn’t you say that you don’t care about us anymore two days ago?”
Finally, my mom said something. Her tone was extremely unpleasant as if she was still angry over what happened.
“Mom, since when did I say that? I was talking about Steven. I didn’t say that I stopped caring about you both,” I patiently explained with a sigh. After all, I was well aware of how much they hated me still.
“You don’t even care about your brother anymore, so why do you still care about us? Compared to us, your brother needs your help a lot more.”
Instead of quelling her anger, my words triggered a sarcastic response from her.
I knew that they still blamed me for what happened to Steven.
Since they insisted on bringing up the matter up again, I chose to remain silent instead.
Sitting by the bed, I took out an apple and began peeling it for my dad.
My silence infuriated my mother further. She walked up to me and snatched the apple away from my hand and scowled, “Look at you. As long as I talk about Steven, you will just keep silent. Isn’t it obvious that you don’t want to help your brother? If you continue to maintain that attitude, you can stop coming here. I’m telling you upfront that we don’t need a daughter like you!”
In truth, although I had expected to be treated badly during the visit, I still chose to go. Unfortunately, their attitude toward me was worse than I thought.
I took a deep breath in response. Although I had not wanted to talk about the matter, I couldn’t suppress my rage anymore. Springing to my feet, I retorted with a frosty tone, “Mom, can you stop bringing that matter up? I already told you that I tried my best. Why must you keep forcing me?”
I had come to visit with good intentions but didn’t expect them to treat me so badly.
“You didn’t even bother to help Steven at all. How dare you claim to have tried your best?”
“Mom, I’m here today to see Dad and not here to quarrel with you. If you don’t welcome me, I’ll leave right away!”
I had never flared my temper at my mom before. After she recovered from her shock, her expression darkened further.
I was there to see my dad out of goodwill, for I was worried about both of them staying in the hospital alone. Nonetheless, my mom’s attitude utterly infuriated me.
“Go ahead and leave. Once you go, don’t you ever dare come back!”
My threats were of no use against my mom. In fact, she couldn’t wait to chase me out.
Frozen at my feet, I trembled slightly as I gave my mom a look of disappointment. I felt the urge to ask her if I was truly her birth daughter and how could she treat me with such heartlessness. In fact, I already felt the words choking in my throat.
“Fine, I’ll leave right now!”
Outraged, I no longer wanted to speak to my mom any further. Just when I grabbed my bag and prepared to leave, my phone suddenly rang.
I had no choice but to stop in my tracks and check.
When I saw that it was Alicia, I was shaken for a fleeting moment before I answered.
“Mrs. Campbell, it’s a surprise to hear from you.”
Despite how awkward Mrs. Campbell made me feel during our encounter, I couldn’t deny the warmth she showered upon me. Furthermore, I didn’t detect any sense of hostility from her. Thus, I answered the call with a polite smile, for it was the proper thing to do.
“Anna, I just want to ask when are you coming over to my place? Quite a few days have passed since I invited you over. As you haven’t gotten in touch with me, I decided to check in with you.”
Mrs. Campbell’s voice rang out from the phone. Even over the line, I could sense the radiance of her smile. Nevertheless, I also detected a hint of anxiety in her tone.
Now that she mentioned it, I remembered the invitation she extended to me. Back then, I didn’t think too much of it, as I assumed that she was doing so out of courtesy. Therefore, I was surprised when she made an effort to follow up.
“Mrs. Campbell, I’m sorry that I’ve forgotten, as I was too caught up with work,” I quickly explained with an embarrassed laugh.
“Don’t worry about it. I understand that you’re a busy woman.”
I had thought that someone as distinguished as her would be angry at my reply. Contrary to my expectations, she was entirely understanding of my predicament.
“In that case, are you free today? If you are, come over to my place for dinner. I’ll be cooking today.”
I assumed that she would no longer bring up the matter given that I had forgotten about it. Therefore, I was astonished by her overtures.
“Sure, I’ll let Michael know once he gets off work, and we’ll head over there together. Is that all right?”
To be honest, I had wanted to minimize my interaction with her. But since she was adamant about inviting me over, it would be really rude for me to refuse.
“All right then, I’ll send my housekeeper out to shop for ingredients right away so that I can cook up a storm for you tonight.”
Alicia was ecstatic upon hearing my agreement. Her excitement made her sound as if she was a mother who had waited for a long time for her daughter’s return.
The moment the thought flashed across my mind, I shook my head in a panic to cast it out of my mind.
