Chapter 3431
“Mom, if you have something to say, please just tell me directly. Whether we agree or not, you can talk to me,” Kathryn urged.
Clarissa pressed her lips together, and then her expression turned somewhat self-deprecating as she replied, “Kathryn, it feels as though you’re speaking to me as if you were my biological daughter, and that saddens me. If given the choice, wouldn’t you want to choose me as your mother?”
Kathryn responded, “Children don’t have a choice. They can’t select their own parents.”
Clarissa continued, “The worst thing I’ve ever done in my life is the death of your aunt and your younger aunt. You simply cannot accept it. So why can’t it be me? The man I love looks down on me, and that will haunt me for the rest of my life. It’s possible that my later years will be ruined because of him. Why is God so unfair?”
While Clarissa didn’t explicitly say she was responsible for her sisters’ deaths, her words suggested that she felt a sense of guilt. This is why she claimed that the worst thing she had ever done was related to their deaths.
Kathryn had heard many rumors, and after observing her mother’s behavior following her meeting with Audrey, she already had an idea of the truth. Nonetheless, she felt shocked and disturbed upon hearing her mother indirectly admit to being involved in the deaths of her two aunts.
Kathryn replied, “Mom, there is no fairness in God, nor in this world. Some people are born into privilege, while others struggle to make ends meet throughout their lives. How can that be justified? Even if you disagree, when everyone says someone is superior to you, it must hold some truth. Is it really that hard to acknowledge that someone may be better than you?”
The more Kathryn spoke, the more animated she became.
Almost challenging her mother.
Kathryn continued, “Mom, why are you so resistant to accepting this? Over the years, have you really proven that you’re better than your older sister? Love cannot be forced. If someone doesn’t love you, they simply don’t love you. No matter how much you do for them, they won’t reciprocate that love. There are many men in the world; why remain with someone who cannot appreciate you? Why not seek out someone who truly understands and values you? Hatred often stems from love. Are you truly happy? What have you gained from this? Unfortunately, you will end up with nothing and lose a lot.”
As Kathryn questioned her, Clarissa felt both frustrated and silent.
She was deeply angered by Kathryn’s words, furious that her daughter didn’t share her viewpoint and questioned the fairness of God.
It was difficult for her to empathize with Kathryn, who had not grown up with her, despite being her biological daughter.
If it had been Shiloh…
Shiloh was not her biological daughter, and she was already dead. Clarissa felt responsible for instigating Shiloh’s death.
What more did she expect Shiloh to do now?
Shiloh had been quite selfish, but Kathryn mirrored her in other ways.
“Kathryn, have you long believed that I was responsible for your aunt and your younger aunt’s deaths?” Clarissa asked grimly.
Kathryn replied, “It’s not just what I think; it’s what I believe cannot be changed into a fact. Mom, if you don’t want others to know about something, you shouldn’t do it in the first place. If something has happened, it has happened. If it hasn’t, then it hasn’t. No one can alter the outcome just because they believe they have done something.”
Clarissa: “…”
After a long pause, she sighed and the menacing look on her face faded.
Clarissa: “Kathryn, what do you think I should do now?”
Kathryn: “Mom, you won’t listen to…”
“You will do what you wish, as long as you feel confident enough to alter the outcome,” she said.
Clarissa gasped again.
There was an underlying message in Kathryn’s words, implying that no matter how hard she fought, it would be in vain.
The wisest choice was to accept defeat and plead guilty.