After I Stopped Loving Him (Isabella and Ethan) novel Chapter 173

After Jennifer left, Cynthia slumped onto the couch, her thoughts swirling with frustration. For years, she had tiptoed through life as a member of the Lane family, always careful, always cautious. She did everything she could to secure her place and make sure Isabella could have a good life. Sometimes, she even treated Jordan, her stepson, better than her own daughter. But how could people understand? Isabella was her only child, the one person she loved more than anyone else.

Cynthia sometimes wondered if she could have done things differently, but she knew that if she hadn’t played along, Isabella wouldn’t have lasted in the Lane family. People liked to gossip, saying Cynthia only cared about money and spent her days trying to please Jackson and Jordan, ignoring Isabella. They didn’t see the real reason behind her choices. If she didn’t win Jackson and Jordan’s favor, how could she possibly get anything to leave for Isabella’s future?

The George family had never cared about Isabella. It had always been just the two of them, relying on each other. Everything Cynthia managed to get her hands on was for Isabella, every sacrifice, every careful move.

Jackson had never truly trusted her. It was only after twenty years of loyalty that he finally started making plans for her future, buying her a few properties and shops so she could collect rent every month. That income was enough to keep her comfortable, at least. He even wrote a will, making it clear that everything in her name would stay hers after he was gone, and Jordan wasn’t allowed to take anything back.

So Cynthia kept working hard to keep Jackson happy. She had to. The more she could get from him, the more she could leave for Isabella. But it came at a cost. She had swallowed so much pride, endured so many silent hurts. She never told anyone, not even Isabella. When Isabella was little, she didn’t understand. She always thought her mom was playing favorites and would fight with her about it. If Jordan picked on Isabella, Cynthia could only tell her to put up with it. She never dared to stand up for her.

Nobody knew how many nights Cynthia sat by Isabella’s bed, quietly crying while watching her daughter sleep. Being a stepmother was never easy.

Sometimes Cynthia wished Isabella’s real dad was still alive. Maybe life would have been ordinary, but at least the three of them would have been happy together. But he was gone so early, leaving Cynthia a widow with a young child. Before she could even grieve, her former in-laws forced them out. If she didn’t leave, they said they would sell her off to some old bachelor in the mountains, and Isabella would be sent away to strangers who wanted a child.

By the time Natalie came downstairs, Cynthia had herself together again. No one could tell she’d just been crying.

“Natalie, you’re up. Are you hungry? Want something to eat?” Cynthia asked, her voice soft and gentle.

Natalie didn’t answer. She walked straight to the sofa, sat down, and finally glanced at Cynthia. “I thought I heard someone talking earlier. Did someone come by?”