Chapter 2382
Ivy felt an odd twinge as she listened to Alyssa’s words.
“It’s a shame that photo was withdrawn by Ms. Lewis so swiftly. If I had saved it, I could’ve probably told whether it was from that day.”
Alyssa gently patted Ivy’s hand. “Oh, Ivy, I know you’ve been wronged. It must’ve been eating you up inside all these days, huh? No one to comfort you. You silly child, why didn’t you come to me sooner? At least I could’ve told you what really happened that day.”
Tears welled up in Ivy’s eyes once again, under the tender care of Alyssa. She had never received such comfort when she was wronged by her parents.
Back in the day, whenever Clara faced tough times at school, she’d storm home and slam her bedroom door shut. Her mother would then knock gently, full of warmth. Despite Clara’s impatience, telling her mom not to bother her, her mother would persist, asking what was wrong. She would reassure Clara that she and her dad had her back and wouldn’t stand for her being mistreated.
Observing these moments, Ivy always felt a pang of envy.
Her family had moved several times, and with each move came a new school. Alt Ivy mostly encountered kindness, there were times she was bullied. She vaguely recal her first day at a new school, right after introducing herself to the class. As she walked to her assigned seat, the girl behind her yanked the chair away with malice, sending lvy crashing to the floor in front of everyone. Laughter filled the room, her cheeks burned with shame under the strangers’ gaze, but not a soul offered to help her-not even the teacher who had just led her in.
Helpless, Ivy stood on her own, dusted herself off, retrieved her chair, and sat down with
caution.
If it had been just one person bullying her, Ivy could have endured it, knowing she might be moving again soon. But when the entire class turned against her with a silent coldness, every day in that classroom felt suffocating.
The idea of school, which once filled her with anticipation, became a torment for Ivy. Whenever she expressed her reluctance to go to that school, she was met with scolding at home. Ivy once mentioned wanting to switch schools at the dinner table, which immediately drew a scowl from her father and her mother slammed down her cutlery immediately.
“Why are you always causing trouble? We just moved you here, and now you want us to move you again? Ivy, you’re getting older but not any wiser. Your father and I are swamped with work. We’ve just settled you and your sister, and now you’re stirring things up again? You’re a big girl now, can’t you see how hard your father works? Do you think
changing schools is as simple as snapping your fingers? And if you do move, where
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would you live? Who would take you to and from school, adding to our burdens? Can’t you show a little concern for your parents? How did I raise such an ungrateful child!”
At that moment, Clara chimed in soothingly, “Mom, don’t be mad at Ivy. She’s just talking. She’s still young; she’ll understand when she’s older.”
Hearing Clara’s voice, their mother’s expression softened.
Ivy watched her mother’s attitude change and felt a surge of alienation. Wasn’t she her daughter? Why did her mother seem to show more warmth to someone else’s daughter than to her own?
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