Chapter 322
322:
Thus, she had chosen to repay what little kindness she’d received with money and then walk away instead of letting the Jones name vanish from Kitaso. The mistreatment and suffering caused by the Jones family far outweighed the tiny bit of kindness she’d ever felt. In every way, she had shown leniency and enough gratitude toward the Jones family. The debt of them raising her until she was ten was long settled.
Throughout her life, she had experienced two heartbreaking moments where her tolerance and sacrifice were met with heartlessness and cruelty. When she was only ten, her adoptive parents had exiled her to a foreign land in the name of attending a training camp. They had simply wanted her gone silently that way, long viewing her as a burden after they gave birth to their biological daughter, as if her silence when the whole family ganged up and mistreated her still got under their skin.
The second time marked Brendon’s blatant ingratitude for her three-year efforts in taking care of him—his legs unresponsive then due to an accident—and his family. When she finally healed his legs and made him walk again, he hadn’t hesitated to throw divorce papers in her face for Yolanda, who had run abroad the instant she learned of his injuries, dreading he would become disabled and cling to her.
Abandonment by her adoptive parents had left its deepest scar. That pain had toughened her, turning her colder and more wary of trusting. Her faults lay with the importance she’d attached to every bit of kindness shown her way. No matter how tiny the kindness was, repayment was all she could think of.
Christina slowly swept her gaze across the gathered onlookers. None of these people had bothered to know the full story or ask about what she had gone through, yet judgment had already been thrown her way. She had once assumed…
Christina steeled her heart, determined not to let any old scars or the irrelevant comments affect her. Still, she couldn’t ignore the sorrow creeping in, and a dull ache blossomed in her chest. She realized then that she hadn’t fully healed from the old wounds. Not yet.
Liza, noticing the redness creeping into Christina’s eyes, assumed she was giving in once again. A quiet smirk tugged at her lips, but she held back her satisfaction and pressed on. “Christina, just this once, we’re asking for your forgiveness. Come back home, take over the family business, and run the company with your capabilities.”
Liza smirked. There was never a time when an orphan’s dread of losing their precious scraps of happiness truly disappeared. Trusting too easily had always been Christina’s downfall. A tiny gesture of warmth, and Christina would soften again, giving in to whatever outrageous demands came her way.
Striding forward with confidence, Liza made sure her eyes still looked watery to sell the performance. She reached out for Christina’s hand, assuming a few honeyed words would be enough to sway her. But that hope was dashed when Christina brushed her hand away without a hint of hesitation.
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“Get lost and don’t come anywhere near me! I don’t give a damn about the Jones family’s assets,” Christina hissed, her voice cold as steel.
“I’ve said it before—the debt between me and the Jones family has already been paid. We’ve been even for a long time. I owe you nothing.”
Frozen in place, Liza stared in disbelief, completely unable to change the course of what was happening. It felt as though the Christina standing in front of her had become a different person.
Back when Christina was a child, she had been known for her sensitivity and accommodating nature. Since discovering she was merely an adopted child of the Jones family, she had become excessively submissive and tolerant. Not once had she dared to throw a tantrum or shed tears openly. Despite her own reluctance, she had obeyed everything she was told, striving to please everyone. Even when Liza and her husband’s demands—or little Yvonne’s requests—grew excessive or completely unreasonable, Christina had never voiced a complaint. She met every expectation and moved through each day with careful restraint. Timidity and humility had defined her for as long as anyone could remember.
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