At this moment, Genevieve, who was packing up her things in the room, couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by emotions. She remembered the spirit with which she had moved into this grand house over a decade ago. Back then, she had thought that she would finally stop wandering from man to man and had truly married into a wealthy family.
The soft bed promised sweet sleep every night, and the large wardrobe could hold her clothes for all seasons. Everything was so beautiful, she felt as if she were in a dream, no wonder so many women aspired to marry into wealth. In the end, she was the only one who succeeded, the only one who truly married into a wealthy family, a true winner.
She had entered this house gloriously, but today she was being chased out disgracefully. How great was the disparity in her heart? She had acquired so many belongings over the years; how could one hour be enough to pack?
Nonetheless, Genevieve prepared herself for only a temporary departure, believing she would return soon. Thus, she packed only some jewelry, clothes, and important identity documents.
She occasionally glanced at the door, hoping Magnus would come in and tell her it was all a mistake, that he had changed his mind, and she wouldn’t have to leave, that she could stay with the Montgomery family. Yet, every time she looked towards the empty doorway, he didn’t appear.
Ivy and Zachary had already gone to the study to bombard Magnus, “Dad, what exactly did mom do wrong, why are you driving her away?”
“Yeah, even if she made a mistake, can’t it be corrected? We’ve made so many mistakes since we were kids, and you’ve never treated us like this. You used to say that recognizing and correcting mistakes is very commendable. Why doesn’t it apply to mom? She’s been by your side for so many years, she’s not a nanny, you can’t just chase her away, she’s our family.”
Hearing this, Magnus sneered, “Family, what a family. You want to know what she did? I can’t even bring myself to say it, ask her yourself.”
“If I could ask her, would I be asking you? Dad, just tell us, what did mom do wrong?” Both were anxious and angry, but neither Magnus nor Genevieve would reveal the reason.
“All I can say is I don’t want to talk about her.” Magnus couldn’t understand himself; he had seen someone in the crowd resembling Victoria. When he followed, that person had disappeared. Victoria would never dress that way, it must have just been a resemblance. Since that day, he often thought of the happy times he had shared with her and regretted his past actions deeply. One mistake led to another, leading to today’s situation, and Magnus felt remorseful. If she were alive, he still had a chance to make amends, but with her gone, there was no opportunity left. His debt to Victoria slowly transformed into disdain for Genevieve.
“Dad, I understand, it must be that wretch Aurora, she must have said something to you, right? I’m telling you, she’s all lies, you can’t believe…” Ivy thought of Aurora’s return coinciding with Genevieve being driven out; it had to be related to her. Before she could finish her sentence, Magnus slapped her. In one day, Ivy was slapped three times by three different people, driving her to madness.
“She is your sister, watch your mouth when you speak about her, and all of you, get out! I don’t want to see you anymore.” In his rage, Magnus swept all the expensive ornaments from the desk onto the floor. Clearly furious, Ivy and Zachary had no choice but to leave and return to Genevieve, who was forlornly picking up the scattered items on the floor.
“Mom, has Dad lost his mind? It’s like he doesn’t recognize his own family anymore.” Ivy felt deeply wronged; everything had changed so suddenly. Her father, who had adored her the most, had become irritable and harsh towards her ever since Aurora returned.
“Don’t talk nonsense. If Aurora hears you, it’ll only cause more trouble. Have you forgotten what I told you before?” Genevieve quickly covered her mouth, anxiously glancing towards the doorway. Nowadays, just a word from Aurora could provoke Magnus’s anger-a cunning woman, she knew just how to stir up conflicts.
“Why are you so afraid of her? She’s no different from us,” Ivy protested, growing more upset.
“Foolish child, who told you she’s the same as us? Have you forgotten that legally, she is the true heir of the Montgomery family? I’ve never legally married your father, so I’m not his wife in the eyes of the law, and you and your siblings are merely adopted by other relatives of the Montgomery family, not legal heirs. Everything points to our position being unofficial and precarious. I had hoped to use your involvement in the company to gradually win over your grandfather, but now…” Genevieve had struggled for years, but it all seemed in vain now.
When Magnus had an affair, Grandpa Montgomery was furious. After Aurora’s mother passed away, Grandpa Montgomery’s resentment towards Genevieve deepened. For years, he refused to allow Magnus to marry her formally, to prevent Genevieve, who he saw as a gold-digger, from gaining any legal rights. Grandpa Montgomery despised Genevieve, relegating her to a lifetime of being an unrecognized mistress.
His actions were meant to punish Genevieve and to drive her away, showing Magnus her true nature. No woman would willingly remain unrecognized and unclaimed, but Genevieve had stayed all these years. Recently, Grandpa Montgomery had begun to relent, feeling that after twenty years of punishment, he had been harsh enough. The children had grown up; he couldn’t let Ivy and Zachary remain adopted forever.
He had begun to feel compassion when Aurora returned, scheming anew and reigniting Grandpa Montgomery’s dislike for them all. Everything Genevieve had hoped for was now further away than ever, perhaps unreachable in this lifetime.
After giving a few more instructions to Ivy and Zachary, Magnus entered the room.
“Time’s up; you need to leave,” he stated, standing by the door, unwilling even to step inside, just watching Genevieve coldly. A desperate Ivy threw herself at him, “Dad, please, let Mom stay. Whatever she did wrong, we’ll apologize for her, just forgive her.”
“Forgive? Ha, I’ll never forgive someone who’s unfaithful in marriage,” Magnus replied coldly.
“Unfaithful? That’s impossible, Mom would never do such a thing.”
“She knows whether she did or not. All I know is, Genevieve, you can leave now.”