Chapter 210

Vanessa swore she had never stepped foot in Evelyn's room.

The two sisters stood their ground, their disagreement creating an unspoken tension in the house. Worried for Vanessa's safety, Margaret took action the next morning while Evelyn was at school—she tore out every single flower Evelyn had painstakingly nurtured, roots and all, and discarded them along with the soil.

She expected Evelyn to throw a fit when she returned.

To soften the blow, Margaret visited a high-end music store and splurged fifty thousand dollars on a cello, intending it as a peace offering for Evelyn's upcoming birthday.

But when Evelyn came home to find her beloved garden destroyed, she didn’t scream. She didn’t cry.

She simply withdrew into silence—a silence that stretched for two weeks, during which she refused to speak a single word to any of them.

Margaret still remembered it vividly. The guilt had gnawed at her then, and even now, the memory weighed on her.

Evelyn had been despondent when she first returned home, perhaps because Margaret had thrown out her acupuncture bag on the very first night.

But what choice did she have? Evelyn had caused a death! As her mother, how could Margaret stand by and let her continue down such a dangerous path?

Margaret watched Evelyn perform acupuncture on the asthmatic boy in the backseat of the car.

Her chest swelled with pride as she witnessed her daughter saving a life. Despite Evelyn's unconventional upbringing—raised by a village woman after years of wandering—she had at least mastered something useful.

But that night, the boy’s family called in panic. His condition had worsened drastically.

Fear gripped Margaret’s heart. Without hesitation, she disposed of the acupuncture kit—the first time she had ever thrown away Evelyn’s belongings.

Now, removing those flowers from the terrace marked the second time.

She had no choice. Those lilies could be lethal to Vanessa.

“What about the bouquet?” Margaret demanded. “What did she do with it?”

Richard sighed, rubbing his temples in frustration. “What do you think? She tossed it in the trash. That girl has always been too emotional.”

He shot her a sharp look. “Stop obsessing over flowers. We have bigger problems. If our shares keep plummeting, how are we going to face the board?”

Margaret clenched her fists.

The lilies were gone, but the consequences were just beginning.

Margaret traced the smooth beads encircling her wrist. Unlike Richard, who had tossed and turned all night, she'd slept like a baby.

Perhaps the bracelet's magic had finally cured her chronic insomnia.

She shrugged it off. "Horizon Enterprises is a corporate giant. What's a temporary stock dip? Though I wonder... have we truly been fair to Evelyn all these years?"

Richard blinked at his wife's unexpected introspection.

"Evelyn lacks Vanessa's obedience, let alone her accomplishments," he countered. "Vanessa was raised under our direct guidance - flawless in every way. Evelyn? She never learned to please us properly."

Comparisons between siblings were inevitable. Naturally, parents favored the child who danced to their tune.

But Margaret's thoughts took a different turn. "Blood runs thicker than water. No matter what, Evelyn remains our flesh and blood. Vanessa can never replace that."

Vanessa had boasted about gifting her a diamond bracelet, yet Margaret knew the truth - no present existed.

The realization stung.

After years of doting on Vanessa, this betrayal cut deep. The golden child's facade was cracking, revealing hollow promises beneath.

Margaret's fingers tightened around the beads. For the first time, she questioned everything.

The garden outside bloomed violently, petals scattering like confetti at a funeral nobody had planned to attend.

The date had slipped his mind again.

Richard's voice cut through the tense silence. "But let's not overlook the fact that Evelyn was raised by Sophia. Sophia is a woman of simple origins, and Evelyn's character was tainted by her influence. She's been back with us for years, yet she hasn't improved. Or have you already forgotten what happened three years ago?"

The mention of that incident made Margaret Hayes stiffen, her lips pressing into a thin line.