The Billionaire's True Heiress From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 552

“Honestly, sons just don’t compare to daughters when it comes to being thoughtful.”

Mabel didn’t even know what to say.

Octavia just kept laying on the compliments, going on and on about how wonderful Mabel was. Strangely, it didn’t make Mabel feel much better. She managed a polite smile and gently reminded her, “But don’t you have a daughter too?”

“You’ve got the best of both worlds. Your son’s out there handling big things and your daughter’s at home, keeping you company. Isn’t that the dream?”

That hit a sore spot for Octavia. In the past, she would’ve felt proud, maybe even a little smug. But now, all she felt was irritation.

Cindy and Fallon had been close for ages and, lately, it seemed like Cindy’s whole heart was wrapped up in Fallon. That left Octavia feeling left out and—truthfully—a little bitter. It made her pull away from her own daughter, bit by bit. Sometimes, she even caught herself wishing she had a daughter-in-law she genuinely liked. Just thinking about it, she found herself even more pleased with everything about Mabel.

“My daughter just finished her college entrance exams. The pressure’s been intense. She’s been running around all day, too busy to hang out with me,” Octavia said, trying to sound casual.

“If anything, I’ve spent most of my time worrying about her studies. Now that the exam’s done, we’re waiting for results and stressing over what college she should choose next.”

“And honestly, kids these days have their own world. They don’t have the patience to go shopping or grab dinner with us. Hanging out with adults is pretty much the last thing they want to do.”

“They only want to be with their friends. Not like you and your mom. You two are so close, more like sisters than anything else. That’s so rare.”

“She figured out what was wrong with him right away and gave him first aid. If she hadn’t been there, he could have been in real danger.”

Henrietta had always liked Claire because of that day. It was a shame the girl was busy studying for college entrance exams herself, so she hardly ever talked about it.

“She learned a lot from Pandora, you know. Pandora worked at the city hospital her whole career, right up until she retired,” Octavia said, trying to sound neutral.

She didn’t really object to doctors or anything, but the fact that Pandora was one always made her feel uneasy. So, when she found out Claire wanted to study medicine too, Octavia couldn’t help but feel bothered by it. Not that there was anything she could do about it anyway. She just tried to avoid thinking about it altogether.

In the end, Octavia didn’t really know how Claire was doing at school. She was familiar with Claire’s stubborn streak, and honestly, whether Claire succeeded or failed, she never felt like it had anything to do with her.