Chapter 218 Not a Good Girl
Ashton realized that her mother had changed during their second spring with the Shaw family.
She had given away her beloved cloth doll—a gift from her father—to a child in the Shaw family.
That night she had cried so hard.
Yet her mother had said...
"We must behave differently here in Mr. Shaw's home than we would in our own. You have plenty of dolls your father bought you, missing one isn't the end of the world. You need to be a good girl."
Later, when she visited that relative's home...
She saw the doll again.
Her beautiful doll, torn and neglected in the corner, it broke Ashton's heart.
But...
She always held her mother's words close to heart.
They lived in someone else's house, which meant they had to be good, sensible, and obedient.
The doll, though she felt a deep guilt for leaving it behind, remained there nonetheless.
In the years that followed, this sort of thing happened far too often.
The thing she feared most when she was with Chris was how her mom might react if she ever found out.
But now...
Things were different.
She no longer had to wonder if her mom loved her.
She no longer worried that her mom would give away the things she loved most to other children as if it were nothing.
“Ashton!”
Maria's voice shook as she called out, loud and clear.
Ashton was already at the door.
Her lips quivered, and tears streamed down her face as she reached out to grab her cell phone and purse.
She couldn't speak for fear that her voice would betray her and she'd break down crying.
“Is this why you're leaving your mom over such a trivial matter?” Maria asked loudly, “If you'd just listen and come home to discuss things, would your mom need to go through this?”
There it was again, the expectation to obey...
“And look at you, making a mountain out of a molehill. We'll compensate your grandmother. As long as her demands aren't outrageous, we'll pay,” Crystal’s mom said sternly, “Don't act as if we're out to get you and take it out on your mom! How could you?”
“That’s right,” chimed in the same aunt who had praised Ashton earlier. “My mother-in-law is sick, and people with any upbringing wouldn’t nitpick with someone so pitiable, right?”
No sooner had she spoken than the Ayre family chimed in, a cacophony of voices rising.
Ashton had rarely faced such a confrontation.
It felt like the whole world was pointing fingers at her.
In her heart, a stubborn hope flickered – Chris, please, say something to stop them...
However...
There was no sound from Chris.
Instead, it was Kenny's warm hand that firmly grasped hers, stepping in front of her.
“Have you all said enough?” Kenny asked, his voice cold.
The chattering quickly began to fade away.
“And who might you be? What business is this of yours?” asked Crystal Robbins’s mom.
At that moment, Crystal Robbins herself added, “He seems to be her boyfriend; he was with her at the hospital yesterday.”
After she finished speaking, everyone instinctively looked at Chris.
Chris frowned in distaste, his gaze fixating on Ashton and Kenny's clasped hands.
Crystal Robbins's eyelid twitched violently.
“If you’re looking for a girlfriend, buddy, better keep your eyes peeled. You don’t want someone who's disrespectful and ill-mannered like her!”
It seemed Ashton’s firm stance had set the Ayre family off the edge.
"You saw what happened, right? Over something so petty, ready to cut ties with her own mother. You probably don't know, but her dad passed away when she was young. It was her mom who raised her all by herself. And now that she's grown her wings, she's just..."
"I'd cut ties with a mother like that too," Kenny interjected sharply, silencing the other speaker. "And what do you mean 'something so petty'? That’s her grandmother we’re talking about. Even if it were just a scratch and not several stitches, I’d stand by her decision to see this through to the end."
Kenny scoffed, "If she just stood by and did nothing, now that, in my eyes, would be truly unfilial."
"You..." Maria, pointing at Kenny, her hand trembling nonstop.
"Aunt Maria," Kenny greeted her with a cool tone. "We’re strangers to each other. I have little to say to you, except this: Ashton is precious. If you don't appreciate her, I do."
With that said, he turned away, his eyes softly falling on Ashton as he said, "Let's go."
"Wait! You can't leave!"
Maria was frantic. She got up from the hospital bed, not even bothering to put on her shoes, and chased after them.
"Ashton!" She ran out of the room, calling out after Ashton's retreating figure.
Ashton paused, silent for a moment.
"Wait for me," she said to Kenny.
Then she turned around and walked back to Maria.
Maria, tear-stained and puffy-eyed, whimpered, "I knew it. You’re just mad, you wouldn't actually abandon your mother!"
Ashton approached Maria, looking her in the eyes deeply.
She lifted her hand to wipe away Maria's tears: "From now on, I'll send you ten thousand a month for living expenses. You don't need to call me, and don't expect any messages. I’ll be blocking you."
Stunned, Maria's tears burst forth as she shook her head vehemently.
"Ashton, you can't do this to your mother!" She clung to Ashton's hand, sobbing even more.
Ashton turned her head slightly, suppressing a rush of emotion. "I’ve given you so many chances, and you’ve never... never truly loved me."
"That's not true!"
"You would sacrifice me for anyone in the Shaw family, expose me to any peril. But why? I was treasured and held dear by dad just as much, wasn’t I? Why must you always sacrifice me? If the Shaw family and Mr. Shaw mean so much to you, does my being here or not even matter to you?"
Ashton, things did get out of hand today, and your mom didn’t handle it well," Justin interjected, supporting his wife, his tone earnest. "Listen to your uncle. Let's go home, sit down as a family, and talk it out. Whatever grievances you have, I'm here to support you."
Ashton, however, lowered her eyelids and smiled faintly.
"Mr. Shaw, everyone says you're a great stepfather. At first, I thought so too. You provided for my food, my clothes, and put me through a good college. I'm really grateful and feel guilty," Ashton said as he looked up at Justin. "But... all those things my mom did, are you really telling me you had no idea?"
Justin paused, visibly taken aback. A flicker of guilt crossed his face as he averted his eyes from Ashton's probing gaze.
"I've brought four or five major clients to your company over the years, more than enough to pay back what I owe for room and board, as well as my education," Ashton continued. "We're even now. Square."
"Ashton..." Justin began, but he was cut off.
Ashton pulled away from Maria's grasp and turned to walk back. The Shaw family had always been a cage to her. But today, she had unlocked that cage herself. She was free now.
"Let's go," she said, walking up to Kenny.
Kenny nodded, and before leaving, he glanced back one last time towards where Maria stood. People from the hospital room followed, their whispers indistinct but clearly of a disparaging nature. Right before Kenny turned his gaze away, his eyes met Chris’s. Chris's look was one of obvious fury, to which Kenny responded with a contemptuous smirk. He then turned and followed Ashton's lead.
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