Chapter 902
Ruby looked at the seething Lillian with a mocking smile and said, "What do you know?! Ophelia and I grew up together, both the only daughters in our families. Why did she get everything she wanted, treated like a princess and heir to the entire Kelly family? And me? I was also the youngest and only daughter, but my parents never saw me as good enough, always belittling and exploiting me!
Ophelia fell for Kenneth, an ordinary guy, and her parents indulged her, bringing him into the family just to make her happy. But my parents? For the sake of the Lawson family, they knew my ex-husband was a womanizing, abusive jerk, yet they still married me off to him. They watched me suffer and only told me to endure it!"
Lillian, seeing Ruby's growing agitation and jealousy, was incredulous. Her voice trembled with anger as she questioned, "So, you resented my mother and wanted to take everything from her?"
Ruby's expression stiffened, her hands clenched tightly. She looked at Oberon sitting across from her and said, "Yes, blame yourselves for loving your daughter too much, treating her too well. It drove me to insane jealousy, wanting to take everything from her, to live as Ophelia!"
Oberon's emotions were visibly stirred, and Lillian could no longer hold back. She broke free from Jackson and slapped Ruby hard across the face. Ruby, clearly not expecting the physical attack, was momentarily stunned, a red handprint quickly appearing on her cheek. She hadn't been hit since her divorce, and for nearly twenty years, she had lived a life of high status and endless glory. Oberon and Flora's favoritism had made Ronan and his wife treat her with respect. After marrying Kenneth, who held significant shares in the Kelly Group, Ronan's ambitions made him even more eager to win her over. In recent years, her status in the Lawson family had even surpassed that of the useless Nathaniel and Tobias.
Now, Lillian, a mere junior, had struck her? Ruby, enraged, stood up, raising her hand to strike back. But with her hands cuffed, she aimed to choke Lillian with the handcuffs. Lillian, caught off guard, saw Ruby's hands coming at her, feeling a wave of malice. Before she could react, a familiar large hand grabbed her waist, pulling her into Jackson's broad, safe embrace. At the same time, a loud sound echoed as Jackson kicked Ruby, sending her flying. Ruby hit the ground, rolled twice, and stopped only after crashing into a wall. Clutching her chest, she curled up, groaning in pain.
"Are you okay?" Jackson asked, protecting Lillian and examining her closely, his expression tense with worry.
Lillian shook her head, "I'm fine."
Oberon and Ambrose, who had been watching anxiously, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Oberon glanced at Jackson, then turned his gaze to Ruby, who was struggling to get up, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
Lillian let go of Jackson and leaned slightly towards Oberon, saying, "Grandpa, she's just a cowardly, heartless ingrate. You should go rest and not let her words get to you anymore."
Ruby's words had deeply upset Lillian. Although Oberon's face remained stoic, she knew he must be feeling regret and pain inside. She didn't want him to hear any more of Ruby's madness.
Oberon had come mainly to find out if Flora's illness was connected to Ruby. Now that he had his answer, he had no desire to stay any longer. He was exhausted, barely holding on. Knowing Lillian was worried about him, he didn't refuse her kindness. He stood up, supported by Ambrose, and left.
Ruby, clutching her chest, her face pale and covered in cold sweat, looked up at Oberon's retreating figure, her eyes welling up. If Ronan and his wife had raised her only to marry her off for benefits, Oberon and Flora had genuinely cared for her. She had felt warmth and love from them. But she was not their child, and their kindness had only fueled her greater ambition and greed. Ruby's lips moved, knowing this might be the last time she saw Oberon. She wanted to say something, but found herself speechless.
Her view was suddenly blocked as Lillian stepped forward, looking down at her with cold disdain. Ruby withdrew any trace of guilt from her eyes, coughed twice, and struggled to stand. The police officers nearby had remained indifferent during the altercation between Lillian and Jackson. Ruby, in pain, knew protesting was futile. She got up awkwardly, brushed off the dust, and sat back down.
"Now, can you tell me? Was it you who switched me at birth?" Lillian asked, her emotions gradually calming.
She was certain Ruby was responsible. Ruby, having attempted murder multiple times, no longer cared about admitting to the baby switch. She shrugged, "Yeah, it was me. Don't blame me. When I switched you, I made sure to place you with the Sivan family. They may not be as wealthy as the Kelly family, but they are well-known in Miracalia, at least, ensuring you a decent life. Blame your bad luck for being discovered too soon."
Initially, Ruby had swapped Lillian with Anouk after overhearing nurses talk about a pregnant woman in room eighteen who was pitiful, abused by her husband to the point of nearly losing her baby. The husband had only shown up once and never returned. Fueled by jealousy, Ruby wanted Ophelia's daughter to experience the same abuse. But when she placed baby Lillian in the crib, Lillian opened her eyes and looked at her innocently. In that moment, Ruby felt a pang of conscience and swapped Lillian with Wendy instead.
Lillian laughed scornfully at Ruby's hypocritical demeanor.
"My mom treated you so well. If it weren't for her, you might have died at the hands of your ex-husband. She saved you and treated you like a sister. But you swapped her only daughter. Did you switch me to the Sivan family out of a moment of conscience? Or did you think that by swapping me again, even if discovered, it would be harder to trace back to you?"
Ruby, a person devoid of any conscience, would harm those who treated her well, while she would go to great lengths to prove herself to those like Ronan who looked down on her. Lillian's eyes were cold; she no longer wanted to waste any emotion on such a person.
Ruby, indifferent to Lillian's accusations, nodded. "Think whatever you want. Everyone says your mom helped me escape my ex-husband, but they don't know she was the most hypocritical one!"
Lillian, having just decided not to get angry at Ruby, was provoked again by her words. Ruby, seeing Lillian's expression, sneered, "My only child was killed because of her!"
"You had a child?" Lillian had never heard of this. Was this child Ruby's and Kenneth's? Did they have an affair before Ophelia's death?
Seeing Lillian's thoughts, Ruby mocked, "The child was my ex-husband's. It was when Ophelia first discovered my injuries and knew I was being abused. Ms. Kelly drove to my house, slapped my ex-husband twice, and scolded him. She put on a show, but her empty threats couldn't restrain a violent man. That night, I suffered the worst abuse ever, and my three-month-old baby was kicked out of my womb! Blood was everywhere. I was sent to the hospital, my uterus severely damaged, and the doctor said I could never have children again!"
Ruby's eyes flashed with hatred, her hands crossed over her abdomen, staring at Lillian. "It was your mother, her hypocrisy, that caused me to lose my only child and made it impossible for me to be a mother. I didn't strangle you; I just didn't let you grow up with your parents. That was already merciful!"
Looking at Ruby's self-righteousness, Lillian felt no sympathy for her past sufferings. Ruby, born into the selfish Lawson family, was inherently bad, not deserving of anyone's kindness.
Lillian stared at Ruby coldly, "You deserved it. Your cowardice killed your child. As the daughter of the Lawson family, you didn't dare to defy your parents or your abusive husband. Your weakness killed your child, yet you blame my mother, who stood up for you and helped you. How dare you compare yourself to my mother? You don't deserve it! My mother was kind and noble. You deceive yourself to escape the fact that you're a vile person!"
Lillian's words seemed to hit Ruby's sore spot. Ruby's hands trembled, pounding the table, her expression twisted. "You're talking nonsense! If she were truly kind, she wouldn't have accepted my kidney! She selfishly took my kidney!"
Ruby screamed, as if trying to prove something. Lillian laughed mockingly, "You offered to donate your kidney. Why should my mother refuse? Ridiculous!"
Ruby probably offered to donate her kidney as a show, thinking Ophelia would refuse, thus gaining the Kelly family's gratitude without losing a kidney. But Ophelia agreed, and Ruby had no choice but to donate. Lillian was tired of arguing with Ruby, who had lost all normal human decency. Lillian stood up, "Did you want to see us just to say this?"
She didn't want to stay any longer, feeling suffocated. Ruby's chest heaved as she calmed down, closing her eyes before reopening them. "I want you to help me get acquitted, write a letter of understanding, hire the best lawyer to defend me, and get the lightest sentence possible."
Lillian couldn't believe her ears. She laughed at Ruby, "What did you say?"
She suspected Ruby had gone mad from the stress of being arrested and interrogated. Otherwise, how could she think they would help her after all the harm she had done to them and the Kelly family? Did she think they were fools?
Jackson's expression darkened as he heard Ruby's request. He held Lillian back and said, "What leverage do you have? Let's hear it."
He didn't think Ruby was crazy. Her words, though selfish, were logically coherent. Clearly, Ruby was very much in her right mind. The absurd request likely meant she had significant leverage. Jackson was curious about what it was, making Ruby believe they could let her go.
Lillian looked at Jackson, realizing he was right. She frowned slightly, "Mr. Frane is quick to think clearly."
Ruby glared at Jackson with obvious resentment and coldness. It was all because of Jackson! If he hadn't saved Lillian, she would have died in that car with failed brakes or drowned in the lake. Or earlier, when Lillian fled to Country N, without Jackson, she would have died at the hands of the Price family. Jackson had ruined her plans multiple times and caught Anouk, using some method to make that fool turn herself in, leading to Ruby's complete downfall.
Ruby stared at Jackson, not in a hurry to reveal her cards. She gritted her teeth and said, "If my kidney hadn't failed, you wouldn't have won!"
Her kidney failure had made her lose patience and caution. A slight mistake had cost her everything. "Do you think you could hide your actions forever?"
Since Lillian returned to the Kelly family, Oberon must have been watching Ruby. Previously, he hadn't suspected her because he had given her his trust and genuine affection.
Ruby lowered her eyelashes, seemingly resigned and defeated. She didn't argue further. When she looked up again, her gaze swept over Lillian and Jackson. "My leverage is about your child, Taylor, right?"
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