The True Heiress Reborn And Slays (Alicia Delaney) novel Chapter 587

2:01 pm P

Chapter 587 A Mother’s Guilt

Chapter 587 A Mother’s Guilt

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Violet remembered, her voice thick with sympathy. “But she was up against a wall-dropping out and having to work way too young. I’d already started asking around about jobs at the local packing plant or diners for her.

“But she didn’t just accept it.” Violet glanced at Melissa. “That summer after middle school, she didn’t ask anyone for a handout. She took on four gigs at once. Up before dawn delivering newspapers, then washing dishes at a diner through lunch, handing out coupons at the mall in the afternoon, and stocking shelves at a grocery store till !ate.

“Two solid months, all summer long. She worked herself down to skin and bones, got tanned deep from being outside so much. But by sheer stubbornness, she scraped together enough for her first year’s tuition at public high school. Looking at her back then just broke my heart-I knew if she didn’t stay in school, her future would be over. So I bent the rules a little, pulled some strings to get her extra support so she could keep going.”

Violet went on quietly, sharing how tough Riley had it in those days, but Melissa couldn’t take anymore.

She stared at that narrow bunk, her head spinning.

While Elsie was complaining about ballet practice being exhausting, or throwing a tantrum because her birthday present wasn’t the latest smartphone…

Her other daughter had been curled up in this dark, damp corner, fighting with everything she had just for a shot at staying in school.

After leaving Riley at the orphanage, Melissa had hardly ever let herself, wonder what kind of life that girl was living.

Deep down, she’d always told herself Riley was a Harper-even if things got rough, she’d still carry that natural poise and resilience. She might face some hardship, but surely she’d never sink this low.

After all, Melissa herself had lived a cushioned life. She’d never so much as scraped a knee. She couldn’t truly wrap her head around what it meant to be pushed to the edge by life.

Now, just listening to Violet’s matter-of-fact recounting, those unseen years of Riley’s past turned into razor-sharp blades, slicing through Melissa’s already guilty conscience.

The ache, though long overdue, began to seep in.

Seeing Melissa’s pale face and distant look, Violet thought she was just overwhelmed by the setting–feeling even more remorse for what her own daughter had done back then.

She let out a soft sigh and continued, “You know, I’ve wondered for the longest time-how did a kid as hardworking and bright as Riley end up in a place like this?

“At first, I figured maybe she had some health issues her family couldn’t handle.

“For about half a year after sive arrived, she was sick all the time. Fevers, chest colds, stomach bugs-something was always going on Plus, she was painfully quiet. Always off by herself in some corner, never playing with the other kids, barely speaking to staff.

“Each of us was looking after a whole group of children, so we couldn’t watch one kid around the clock. One time, she spiked s fever and just buried herself under her blanket without making a sound. It wasn’t until dinner roll call that we realized the was missing. When we found her, she was already unconscious-burning up, completely unresponsive.

“We were scared to death. Rushed her to the ER that night, womed she might not pull through…”

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2:01 pm P

Chapter 587 A Mother’s Guilt

+10 Free Cong

Melissa’s vision swam.

She dug her nails hard into her palm,

Violet didn’t know the real reason Riley kept getting sick, but Melissa knew all too well.

It was because of that memory-suppressant she’d bought off the black market back then, to make Riley forget who she was!

The guy who sold it to her had warned her-it was strong stuff. It’d do the job, but it’d also take a toll on her health for a while afterward, and she’d need careful looking after.

But back then, Melissa had been too arrogant to care.

If her health was weak, just got some good vitamins and organic food-how hard could it be?

It never crossed her mind that Riley, after being abandoned, had gone from being a Harper to having no one-with no way to take care of herself at all.

“But thankfully, that girl was a fighter-she made it,” Violet said, a note of relief in her voice. “Funny thing is, after that bad fever, her health slowly got better. She was still skinny, but she didn’t get sick as much. And it was like she’d finally come to terms with things-almost like she’d accepted being here and started trying to connect with the other kids.”

Melissa couldn’t listen to another word.

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