Chapter 2694
“Ugh, look who decided to grace us with her presence. Weren’t you too good for these kinds of gatherings, strutting around like you’re above it all? What’s got you crawling back. tonight, huh?” asked Madeline.
Regina’s voice dripped with disdain as she gave her stepsister a once-over. Towering slightly above Madeline, she could not help but feel a certain sense of superiority.
“This is my house too, you know. I come and go as I please. Certainly none of your business to comment on my comings and goings.”
Madeline tossed her hair with a scoff, “You can only put on airs around me. Let me tell you, you’re the least welcome person around here. If I were you, I’d have the decency not to embarrass myself at social events. Do you have any idea how much you’ve let Dad down, running around town, chasing stories like some paparazzi? Dad’s stressed out to the max, always venting to Mom about it. But then again, what would you know about timing and propriety, having never been taught, huh?”
Regína had heard enough of these snide remarks to last a lifetime, but as she grew older, she had also developed a knack for hitting back.
“Oh, I just can’t figure out how my job as a journalist is such an embarrassment to your-Dad,” she emphasized the word ‘your’ with a pointed tone.
“Madeline, you can’t seriously think that taking on a new last name gives you a new father. But then again, there’s no shortage of shameless people in the world, right? People who’d forget their own father for a bit of cash. You’ve really opened my eyes to that.”
“You!” Madeline’s face turned red with fury.
The mention of this subject was her breaking point. At the time of her decision, she didn’t see anything wrong with it. Who wouldn’t seize the opportunity to escape a life of poverty and latch onto a path leading to wealth and comfort, ditching the surname of a deadbeat dad?
Even now, she didn’t regret her choice, and given the chance, she’d make it all over again. She did not want to go back to living in those squalid, flooded alleys ever again. The mere mention of that surname brought back memories of dark days, of her mother getting beaten, and her father, perpetually drunk.
She was done hiding in closets.
But how dare Regina use that as ammunition against her? How could she let that slide?
Unfortunately for Madeline, Regina was no longer the pushover child she used to be. After a year of lugging around equipment and scaling all sorts of terrain as a journalist, she had built up some serious strength. She grabbed Madeline’s arm with a vice-like grip.
“Try hitting me? You’re not tough enough, sweetheart.”
Imogen, their mother, had just reached the top of the stairs when she witnessed their altercation. Seeing her daughter at a disadvantage, she lifted her skirt like a flustered duck and hurried over. Just then, the study door swung open, and Francis, naturally, caught sight of the commotion.
“What on earth is going on here?”
Spotting Francis, Imogen stopped in her tracks and burst into theatrical sobs.
“Regina, if your sister has done anything wrong, I’m here to apologize on her behalf. She’s so much younger than you; how could you lay a hand on her? Oh, oh, oh!”
As soon as Madeline heard her mother’s cries, she quickly let go, leaving Regina off-balance. Stumbling a bit, Regina regained her balance while Madeline fell to the
ground, holding her face as she too began to cry.
“Oh, oh, oh, it’s all my fault, Regina. I’m sorry, I swear I won’t do it again.”
